He gave me adrenaline, passion and thrill. I just didn't know at what cost...
When small town girl Mia Thorpe moves to London to begin a new life, the last thing she expects is to fall head over heels for the charming yet mysterious Grayson Cooper...
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Hello all my wonderful readers! Just a heads up - this chapter is particularly dark, and includes themes of drugs and violence. If this is a trigger to you, or if you don't feel comfortable reading, then please do skip this one. But as always, please do vote and comment on my work if you enjoy it - the support means the world to me. Thank you!
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"Ah, your knight in shining armour," Joel says with wickedness to his voice, uncurling his arm from around me as he responds to Grayson's persistent, loud banging against the door. "Coming, dear!"
I watch Joel swing the door open, and, in what seems like slow motion, Grayson barging straight past him to reach me.
Thank fuck—he's here.
"Mia!" He cries. He hurdles past the other men without a care, throwing his arms fiercely around my shoulders. "Oh God, Mia, are you okay?" His voice breaks with disbelief, his breaths harshly pushing against his t-shirt. His hands move tightly around my face, and, as he places his lips to the top of my head, I allow myself to break within his arms.
As much as this situation has me petrified, the familiar, comforting scent of Grayson momentarily calms me.
"Grayson," I sob. "What's going on?"
"Shh—I'm going to get you out of here baby." He tries to lift me from the sofa, but the sickening sound of Joel's voice sounds from behind us.
"Not so fast," Joel hisses. He locks his arm around Grayson's neck, hurling him backward and forcing us to detach from one another. "You'll do what I say first."
Grayson turns in anger, shoving Joel viciously against the wall. "You keep the fuck away from her!" His once beautiful brown eyes now decorated with pure resentment. His dark hair sweeps against Joel's forehead as he edges closer to him, gripping the collar of his jacket tightly as he reaffirms his power.
But my body freezes in fear when an almighty scowl covers Joel's face. "You don't want to try that, Grayson." He grabs Grayson by the neck, forcing him backward, and when he pulls out a small knife from his pocket I almost pass out.
"NO!" I shriek, my heart fighting its way out of my chest. "Please don't hurt him!"
Grayson pulls back, holding his hands up as the other two men watch from the other side of the room; I suspect that they're just as afraid of Joel as I am.
"Now, you listen to me," Joel murmurs, spit emerging from his lips. "You give me the money that I'm fucking owed, or your pretty little girlfriend will get hurt."
Joel strides over to me with wide, angry eyes, taking a seat next to me and holding the knife against the side of my cheek.
I gasp, my body frozen as thick drops of water fall down my cheeks.
