She's Bad News

Chapter 29

Trust me, I know how long I made you wait for this buuuuuut here it is. I'm not sure if I told you this would be the last chapter but it isn't. There's gonna be one more definitely. So yeah, enjoy.

Chapter 29

Corinna’s POV

Panic, stronger than anything I’d ever felt washed over me making my mind go blank and my limbs go numb.

My eyes were glued to Flynn as a man behind him punched him hard in the ribs and forced him onto his knees. He flinched when his kneecaps connected with the concrete but he didn’t make a sound.

I started to shake, injustice and rage making me weak, making my throat close and my eyes burn.

Keep it together, Cory. Keep it together long enough to get him out of here still breathing.

“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice as light as I could make it but I was pretty sure there was a hint of strain there, a piece of emotion that nothing could hide.

Charles stepped forward, his eyes cold as his mouth curled in a satisfied smile. “Do you know him, Corinna?”

I locked my gaze to his, seeing the knowledge in his eyes. I nodded.

“What is he to you?” he asked, coming so close that our bodies almost touched. He raised a hand and ran a delicate finger down my cheek, brushing it over my lips before continuing its journey down the column of my neck until it stopped on my pulse. His lips curled further in the corners.

I shrugged. “Nothing,” I said, wishing my heart wasn’t pounding as fast as it was but fear had a way of overriding everything else. No amount of wishing was going to change the fact that Flynn was here, pulled into the world I wanted him to have nothing to do with.

My world.

Charles leaned forward and his smooth cheek brushed over mine as he whispered in my ear, “You’re lying.”

My head jerked to the side as he pulled back and our gazes locked. My knees trembled and my heart pounded so hard that I couldn’t breathe. “What do you want?” I whispered, my heart lying in shards in my chest, needing this to be a dream because the reality was unacceptable.

Charles tilted his head to the side and gave me a condescending smile tinged with mock surprise. “I want to watch you break, Corinna.” He shook his head, his smile still in place as he whirled towards Flynn and with rough fingers, gripped his chin, forcing his head up until their eyes connected. “I think he loves you, Corinna,” Charles’ voice dripped with sarcasm and cruel humour. His head turned until he was looking over his shoulder at me. “We spotted him near your house and I got a few of my guys to pick him up. He’s not as good at hiding his emotions as you, Cory. One simple mention of you and how Darren taught you a little lesson and he―” My eyes shot to Flynn as she started to struggle and for the first time, I let myself look at him, to see the anger burning in his green eyes as he glared up at Charles, the duct tape over his mouth keeping him from saying what he wanted but the shadows in his face, the shuttering of his eyes, the lines on his brow, spoke louder than words. Pain and anger coursed through me as I took in the bruising on his cheekbone and the cut through his eyebrow. He was dirty and beat up and he didn’t belong here.

“See,” Charles continued, releasing Flynn’s chin and straightening his spine before turning towards me fully, “he’s an open book.” Charles turned towards Joey and tilted his head. “Was this the guy she was talking to the other night, Joe?”