Ruling the CEO - Book cover

Ruling the CEO

Kimi L. Davis

Chapter Three

JENNY

I slid my key into the lock, twisting it to open the door to the apartment I shared with Ellis.

Once the door was unlocked, I took a moment to scan my surroundings from the outside, making sure everything was as I’d left it.

Satisfied that the couch hadn’t moved and the picture frames were still straight, I took a deep breath and stepped inside, immediately locking the door behind me.

The world was full of dangers. I had to keep my doors locked to stay safe.

I dropped my purse on the kitchen counter, quickly shrugged off my coat and hung it on the hook, then kicked off my shoes and placed them neatly below my coat.

The silence always made me uneasy. I hated being alone in my apartment; even the smallest sounds could freak me out.

But Ellis was out with Ivan right now, so I had to be brave and hope that nothing bad would happen while she was away.

My stomach growled, reminding me I was hungry. I padded over to the kitchen, but not before switching on the TV. Even meaningless noise was better than silence.

In the kitchen, I searched for something to eat. I settled on last night’s Chinese takeout.

I was pretty sure Ellis was going to eat out with Ivan, but I saved some for her, just in case. Once I had my dinner ready, I returned to the living room, sat down on the couch, and started to eat.

I should’ve been focusing on the TV, but all I could think about was Kieran Maslow. I couldn’t believe a man like Kieran had asked me out on a date. And the fact that he was so direct was something I admired.

Men rarely acted straightforward with me, always making up excuses with the hidden intention of asking me out later. Those men gave me false hope, and I hated that.

But Kieran was rich, at least that’s what Ellis said. He even had a black credit card, like those super-rich people.

Why did he ask me out on a date? He could have ten girlfriends at once if he wanted.

I was so caught up thinking about Kieran and his handsome smile that it took me a moment to realize what I was seeing on TV.

Oh God, no, this couldn’t be happening. They couldn’t be here. No, no, they were supposed to be in Northern Ireland, not here. Oh God, no.

Panic gripped me, making it hard to breathe as I stared at the monsters who had made it their mission to ruin my life.

My stepfather and stepbrother were standing outside a tall building, talking to a woman on TV. They were wearing their most charming smiles and their most expensive suits.

They were trying to impress the world.

But I knew better. I knew the monsters hiding behind those cold, charcoal eyes better than anyone because I was a victim of those monsters.

I forgot about my dinner, forgot about Kieran, forgot about everything but the two men who were currently smiling at the camera. And I was transported back six years ago.

The sound of whips cracking in the air right before they hit my back; me struggling to free myself from the ropes binding my wrists.

Blood trickling down my bare arms as my stepbrother and stepfather took turns whipping my bare back.

They were here, and they were going to kill me. I had run away from them, and they were here for revenge. They weren’t here to be business partners with the Maslows as my stepfather was saying on camera.

No, they were here to kill me for running away from them. They were going to kill me on my birthday, but I ran away. And now, after six years, they were back.

Ellis. I needed Ellis, I needed my best friend, but she wasn’t here. I was alone here, just like I had always been, just like they wanted me to be.

I stood up so fast I didn’t realize I had dropped my plate of food. Not caring about the spilled food, I rushed over to the front door and checked to make sure all the locks were secure.

I wouldn’t let them get to me. I had to run away, leave the country. If my stepbrother caught up to me, he would put a bullet in my head.

Ellis, please come back soon!

My body was shaking with fear, my mind replaying those terrible memories, and I could hear my stepbrother laughing and calling me all sorts of names as he tortured me.

I covered my ears to block out the sound of my brother’s laughter, I closed my eyes to stop seeing the images floating through my brain.

But it was no use. The memories were too real, too vivid. I screamed and fell down, tears streaming down my face.

“Mom, help! Mom, please help me. Save me!” I screamed, begging my mother to help me. But she wasn’t there. She had left me alone with those monsters.

But I didn’t stop. I kept calling for my mom, hoping she would come back and protect me. She didn’t come, she wouldn’t. She was gone from this world, taking away everything that made me feel safe.

“Jenny!” A panicked voice broke through the fog of agony and despair, but I didn’t dare to open my eyes. I didn’t dare to hope that someone was here to save me.

A moment later I felt familiar arms around me, helping me sit up.

“Jenny! Jenny, look at me. It’s me, Ellis. Come on, Jenny, look at me. See me, Jenny. I’m here. I’m right here.”

The soothing voice shattered the painful images running rampant through my mind, forcing me to come back to reality.

“Ellis?” I forced the word out as pieces began to settle in my mind. Ellis was here, she had come back from her date with Ivan. My stepfather and stepbrother were here in England.

“Yes, Jenny, I’m right here. It’s okay, you’re safe. No one can hurt you here.” She soothed, pulling me in for a tight hug.

“They’re here, Ellis. My stepfather and stepbrother. And they will hurt me.” I sobbed, wishing my life was anything but a living, breathing nightmare.

“What are you talking about, Jenny? How can they be here? They’re in Ireland, right?” Ellis began rubbing my back in soothing circles, but my fear was too deep for me to find comfort from her.

My stepbrother was all I could see, all I could think about. He was the one who used to beat me for his own sick pleasure. They were monsters, but they played the part of angels so well.

“They’re here. Look at the TV,” I told Ellis.

She didn’t let go of me, but she turned to look at the TV. There they were, those two monsters, charming the media with their poisonous smiles and silver tongues.

“Jenny, don’t worry. They might be here, but they won’t hurt you. They don’t know you’re here,” Ellis reassured me.

“They’re rich, they’re powerful, they have connections. It won’t be long before they find out I’m here, if they don’t know already. I have to leave, Ellis. This place isn’t safe. I can’t let them take me.”

Tears started to fall from my eyes again.

“Okay, let’s not rush into anything. We need a plan—something to do if your stepbrother finds you,” Ellis said.

“Running away isn’t an option, Jenny. We worked hard to find stability, and I won’t let anyone ruin that, especially that jerk!”

Ellis held me tighter, her conviction making me feel a little better.

“So, what do we do?” I asked, pulling away from her and wiping my face.

“Tomorrow’s Friday, the start of the weekend. We’ll have time to think and plan. Right now, we’re both exhausted. We should sleep and talk about this tomorrow.”

“I can’t go to work tomorrow. I can’t go out knowing they’re here, that they could get to me. Please, make up an excuse for me, Ellis,” I begged.

“Hey, you don’t have to beg. I understand, it’s okay. You can take a day off. I’ll tell the boss.” Ellis gave me a soft smile, and I felt myself relax a little.

Ellis was right. We needed a plan. Running away wasn’t the answer. My mom was here, I couldn’t leave her. I just had to figure out how to protect myself from those monsters.

But could I really protect myself?

***

Last night was hard and seemed to last forever. Sleep didn’t come, and I spent the whole night tossing and turning.

The thought of my stepfather or stepbrother breaking into my apartment kept me awake, my ears straining for any sound.

When the sun rose, I was ready for a new day, but also terrified. I was going to be alone in my apartment while Ellis was at work.

And I had to make sure not to go outside.

Ellis left in a hurry because she overslept. After she left, I locked the door and put a couple of chairs against it, just in case.

Even though I wasn’t satisfied with just a locked door, I had to make do. I couldn’t afford a good alarm system, so chairs and bolts would have to do.

I cleaned the apartment twice, my anxiety making it impossible to sit still. I didn’t dare turn on the TV, afraid I’d see Mitchell, my stepbrother, smiling at the camera.

Instead, I plugged my phone into the cheap speakers Ellis bought last year and let music drown out my worries.

As the sun set and darkness spread, I found myself looking forward to seeing Ellis.

She’d be back any minute now. I couldn’t believe I’d spent the whole day alone in this apartment.

I checked the fridge to make sure we had something to eat, and cursed when I saw it was almost empty. Damn! I’d have to ask Ellis to bring something home.

I picked up my phone and dialed Ellis.

“Hello, Ellis?” I said as soon as she picked up on the third ring.

“Jenny, is everything okay?” Her voice was full of concern, and I thanked God for giving me a friend like Ellis.

“Everything’s fine. I just wanted to tell you we don’t have anything to eat, so could you bring something home?”

“Sure, no problem. Although I don’t think it’ll be necessary,” she said cryptically.

“What do you mean, not necessary?” I asked.

“I’ll explain when I get there,” she replied.

“Okay, hurry back. Bye.” I hung up, frowning. What did she mean, dinner wouldn’t be necessary?

I shook my head and took out a couple of plates, along with spoons and forks. I glanced at the clock and saw it was eight. My stomach growled, demanding food.

When there was a knock at the door, I rushed to open it. I was starving and I missed my best friend. I threw the door open and was met with a surprise.

Ellis was standing there with a bag of takeout, but it was the man next to her that made my jaw drop.

“Hey, Jenny, Kieran’s here for your date. I told him he could come with me, then take you wherever he wants.” Ellis smiled at me.

I stared at Kieran, all six feet of pure muscle and masculinity, standing outside my apartment in a three-piece suit and holding a bouquet of flowers.

“Come on in.” I stepped aside to let Ellis and Kieran in.

I was going to have a serious talk with Ellis. I’d told Kieran I didn’t want to go on a date with him, and yet here he was.

“These are for you,” Kieran said, handing me the bouquet that smelled like a dream.

“Thanks, Kieran. But I think you forgot that I told you I didn’t want to go on a date with you.” There was no point in sparing his feelings. He had to understand I wasn’t interested.

“You never said that,” Kieran replied, giving me a soft smile. Why did he smile so much?

“Yes, I did. I told you I didn’t want to go with you,” I reminded him.

“No, I stopped you before you could say that,” he shot back.

So that was his game. He’d tricked me into not finishing my sentence. He was clever, and that made him dangerous. It was just another reason to keep my distance.

“Look, Kieran, I’m sorry, but I can’t go on a date with you,” I told him.

“And why not? Ellis said you could. That’s why she brought me over here, so I could take you out,” Kieran argued.

“Ellis is nuts. She doesn’t even know what she’s talking about half the time,” I retorted, mentally strangling Ellis.

“That’s not true. I know exactly what I said. And we discussed this, Jenny. You should go out with Kieran. You could use some fresh air.”

Subtlety was not Ellis’s strong suit. And fresh air? I was hiding from my stepbrother, and she thought I needed fresh air.

“Come on, just a couple of hours. I promise to have you back by eleven,” Kieran pressed.

“Go, Jenny. I invited Ivan over for movie night.”

Oh, great. Movie night was code for sex night. I didn’t want to be the third wheel, and I certainly didn’t want to listen to them moaning and groaning. Ellis had backed me into a corner. I had no choice but to go with Kieran.

“Okay, fine. I’ll go change. Give me five minutes,” I told Kieran, shooting a glare at Ellis’s retreating back.

“Take all the time you need,” Kieran responded.

With a forced smile, I turned and headed to my room to get ready for my date with…

Kieran Maslow.

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