Bully Payback (Taking Revenge on Her Bully Book 1) Read online

“I don’t have any,” I lied, hoping he’d go away.

  Surely, he wouldn’t try anything with so many people around. And Sam could come at any moment. A part of me was praying that he would already show up. Sam was a gang member too, but his gang was the Scarlet Cobras’ biggest rival.

  Maybe I should’ve stayed away from all the gang trouble, but Sam had always been nice to me, and I wanted to give our relationship a chance. And deep down, I was hoping he would protect me from the Scarlet Cobras. I had no clue why Ryker had targeted me in the first place.

  Although the Scarlet Cobras terrorized a lot of people, Ryker was always after me, and I suspected it had something to do with one of my older cousins who’d left the gang and moved away. The Scarlet Cobras held a grudge, and I was the closest family member they could torment.

  “Don’t lie to me.” Ryker’s fingers gripped my arm, and I tried to get up and run, but he was too strong for me. He sat down on the bench, pulling me onto his lap.

  “Let go of me!” I shouted, but he didn’t loosen his grip.

  Instead, he wrapped his arms around me, and no matter how much I struggled, it didn’t help. Finally, I managed to shove him, and we both ended up on the ground.

  Ryker was laughing as he hauled me up on top of him, his hand ending up on my cheek. I ripped myself out of his grasp, rolling away, and clambered to my feet. Tears filled my eyes as I ran across the yard. The other students were looking at me and whispering.

  “Whore!” one of Ryker’s friends shouted after me. “You’d fuck anyone, wouldn’t you?”

  Everything was a blur as I raced to the restroom and closed myself into one of the stalls. Tears fell freely down my face as I leaned against the door, trying to calm myself. Red fingerprints where Ryker had grabbed me were visible on my arm, and as I patted my pocket, I realized he’d taken my money after all.

  My phone vibrated, and I ignored it. But then it happened again and again. My hands were shaking as I pulled out my phone. I had a bunch of messages from Sam. Someone—probably one of Ryker’s friends—had recorded the whole thing, or well, at least some of it, and sent the video to Sam.

  And now Sam was furious with me because he thought I’d cheated on him. With a rival gang member, no less. I banged my head against the door a few times. What the hell could I do? How could I explain everything to Sam?

  I pressed the play button on the video and nausea rose at the back of my throat. It looked as if I’d gotten on top of Ryker to make out with him. All the parts where I’d struggled and run from him were gone, of course.

  Fuck. But there had been witnesses. Someone had heard and saw it all. I knew they had. But would they step up and tell Sam that? Or were they too afraid of the Scarlet Cobras, or well, any gang, so they’d never get involved?

  I wiped away my tears, straightened my clothes, and headed out. I needed to find Sam and explain everything before something bad happened. But once I got out in the hallway, I could see everyone pointing at me and whispering. Some were laughing.

  “Hey, wanna hang out later?” a random guy asked as I passed him by.

  “Slut,” a girl said as she curled her lip at me and turned toward her friends.

  Ryker’s friends had shared that video with anyone they could find, hadn’t they?

  Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  I tried to block out as many of their comments as I could as I hurried to find Sam. Where the hell was he? I didn’t even know what I was going to say to him, but I had to try something.

  I couldn’t let Ryker ruin this for me. Wasn’t it enough that he tormented me all the time and now he had to take the only good thing from me too?

  But as I heard shouts and cheers not too far away, I rushed in the direction where they were coming from and found a small crowd gathered just at the edge of the schoolyard. Pushing my way through the people, I tried to see what was going on.

  And when I finally burst through and got to the front row, I found Sam. He was in the middle of a fistfight with Ryker. Oh shit. It was all because of me, wasn’t it? Well, not exactly because of me.

  Ryker had used me as an excuse to get into a fight with Sam, hadn’t he? To prove himself to the Scarlet Cobras? Everyone was saying that he had the biggest potential to be chosen as the next leader since their current one was getting old and ready to retire in a year or two.

  “Sam! Sam, please stop!” I yelled, but before I could run toward him, one of Ryker’s guys got in my way. “Sam!”

  But Sam didn’t even hear me. Or maybe he didn’t want to.

  I opened my eyes, the dream dissipating, and I let out a sigh of relief. Sweat covered my body as I sat up. I didn’t want to think about it, but I couldn’t help it.

  Sam had refused to talk to me again, and everyone thought I’d tried to seduce Ryker. No one ever seemed to believe my side of the story, and those who knew the truth had never said anything.

  Maybe they hadn’t cared, or maybe they’d been afraid. I was never going to find out and it didn’t matter now.

  As I ran my hand over my face, I was sure more than ever that I had to find a way to make Ryker lose everything he’d fought for.

  Seeing him fall would bring me peace.

  It had to.

  Chapter 4

  “A CLIENT IS ASKING for you,” Wendy said, narrowing her eyes at me. “I thought you weren’t working.”

  A smile curved my lips. “I’m not. It’s just this one.”

  A week had gone by, and I’d already thought that I’d missed my chance and that Ryker wasn’t going to come back. But I’d heard rumors that the Scarlet Cobras had grown so big they’d decided to form a new faction right here in my city, so Ryker was probably here to oversee the whole thing.

  Maybe I should’ve kept better track of what gangs were active in my town and what they were doing, but all I’d wanted was to get away from that mess, not get more involved or catch anyone’s attention.

  Now that Ryker was here, I’d have to be more careful. For all I knew, he could try to take over my club, but I didn’t think that was something the Scarlet Cobras were interested in.

  “Well, he must’ve really liked you,” Wendy said, handing me a piece of paper.

  When I took it, I realized it was the form Ryker had filled in. This time, he wanted me to do to him whatever I liked, as long as it didn’t include any sexual contact. Hmm. I could work with that.

  I wondered why he didn’t want more, but maybe I could bring him to that point. Actually, it would best if I could get him to make me a private offer. A job on the side, once he was sure that I was exactly what he was looking for. That would be a great way for me to get inside his apartment or wherever he was staying.

  If he lowered his guard around me, I might be able to get my hands on something that I could use against him. Hell, he was pretending to be a regular businessman, not a criminal, and while I was sure he’d have plenty of security measures in place, he also had no clue who he was dealing with.

  My fake identity had been created by the best, and there was no way he’d easily figure me out. Besides, he was the one who’d come here to me, so he wouldn’t suspect that I was up to something. And if he paid me well enough, there would be no need for me to risk accepting an offer from his enemies to spy on him for them, so he wouldn’t worry too much about that either.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Wendy asked, and for a second, I was afraid I’d spoken out loud, but then I realized she was just talking about my session with Ryker.

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “Clients can sometimes get too attached. It’ll be easier to get rid of him now.”

  “I know, but I want to do this. Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. Tell him I’ll be right there.”

  Wendy just flashed me a smile.

  I hurried to find my black leather pants and a purple and black lace corset. Once I was dressed, I picked up one of the riding crops. I was ready to set every inch of Ryker’s body on fire and make him addicted to me.

>   The room Ryker was in had all that I needed.

  “You took your time,” he said, pushing himself off the wall he’d been leaning against.

  “Do you want me to leave?” I raised an eyebrow at him, tapping the crop against my palm. “One more complaint, and I’m out of here.”

  “Fine.” He lifted his hands up, a smile tilting the corners of his lips.

  “Take off your clothes. All of it.” I waited for him to object, but he didn’t.

  My gaze was glued to him as he unbuttoned his dress shirt, then shrugged out of it and neatly folded it on a chair. His pants followed, and when he yanked his boxers down, turning his back toward me, a shudder of delight raced through me.

  Oh hell. Did every inch of him have to be perfect? I was ogling his ass a bit too much, and when he spun around, his thick length was right in my view, and I averted my gaze so fast I thought my eyes were going to pop.

  He was really excited to be here, and this room was suddenly way, way too hot. What the hell was wrong with me? He was a monster, and here I was, enjoying the view.

  I cleared my throat. “Move over there.” I bobbed my head toward the spreader bar that was attached to the ceiling. He obeyed, and as I made my way toward him, leaving the crop on the table, I was lightheaded.

  “You can fasten those restraints on your own,” I said as I pointed to the spreader bar on the floor. There was no way I was going down in front of him to do it myself.

  Amusement filled his eyes, but he did as I asked. Once he was done, I got hold of the spreader bar hanging from the ceiling.

  Electricity shot through my fingers as I attached one of the cuffs around his wrist, and his eyes met mine. It would be so easy to forget that what I was doing here wasn’t for fun or for my pleasure.

  When he was all tied up and spread-eagled, I tilted my head. Something was missing. I spotted a blindfold across the room.

  “I prefer to look at you,” he said when he saw me approaching with the blindfold.

  “I don’t give a shit what you prefer,” I said. “You should’ve thought about that before you asked for this.”

  His cock twitched, and then I moved behind him so I could blindfold him. My gaze lingered on his ass.

  Focus, Lexi.

  As I was on my way to grab the crop, I noticed the edge of something peeking out from the pocket of Ryker’s pants that were folded on the chair. His phone.

  A different kind of excitement rushed through me. I could copy the contents of his phone. All I had to do was get to my office.

  “You know what? I think you need to learn some patience, boy,” I said. “Think about that while I’m gone. And if you say one word about it, I might not come back at all. I hope you didn’t make any plans for later.”

  He let out a low growl of protest, which made me laugh, but his cock seemed quite happy about it. I quietly and carefully got hold of his phone and pulled it out of his pants. Before I went through the door, I glanced at him.

  Damn, he was pretty.

  Ryker Cavano, remember?

  I sighed, and then raced for my office. Ryker might enjoy me dragging out this a bit, but I couldn’t leave him for too long. I doubted his phone held all the proof I needed, but it might offer me some clues.

  It was a good thing I had a program on my computer just for situations like this one. And I could thank Ryker for it in a way. If I hadn’t ended up in juvie because of him, I would’ve never made awesome friends with awesome skills.

  But I would’ve also never gotten involved in the criminal world. I could’ve been in college now or had a regular job. Pushing that thought away, I burst through the door to my office.

  Ryker had affected my whole life.

  He’d destroyed any chance of me having a normal life.

  Once everything was copied, I dashed down the hallway. I only slowed down when I reached the door to the room where Ryker was. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open.

  He immediately perked up, and I did my best to place the phone back into his pocket exactly the way it was. Not that Ryker should notice that it had been shifted slightly, but I had to be careful.

  When everything was in place, I picked up the crop.

  “I hope you’re ready,” I said, a wicked smile spreading across my lips.

  First I tapped the crop against his back, and then traced it down his skin. He jumped when I brought it down hard on his ass.

  I clenched my legs tighter together, fighting my arousal, but it was useless. Teasing him with the crop in one spot, then hitting another with everything I got was my new favorite thing.

  A flurry of smacks landed on his ass, his breath coming out in little gasps, but I wasn’t done with him yet.

  I pushed the crop between his legs, rubbing it against his sack. A shudder shook his body when I tapped his balls with a bit more force. Okay, maybe I was enjoying this too much.

  I moved in front of him. A thwack on his thigh, a slap against his chest. His fingers were curled, and his lips were parted. I let the crop fly a few more times, leaving beautiful red marks on his skin.

  And then, without a warning, I brought it down hard on his cock. He cried out, struggling against his restraints. Before he could recover, I tapped his thick shaft with the crop a few times in quick succession.

  His release spurted out and he gasped as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened. I tugged off his blindfold because I wanted to see the look in his eyes.

  His dark eyes were focused on me in wonder, as if he wasn’t sure that I was real.

  I’d never seen him look at me like that. It was disconcerting, and I didn’t want him to look at me as if he were my lover, so I turned away from him.

  Deep down, I wished his lips were on mine now.

  Or between my legs.

  Oh hell.

  What the hell was I doing?

  Chapter 5

  “WHERE IS IT?” NIA ASKED as soon as I opened the door of my small apartment. Her dark brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her dark brown eyes had already spied my laptop that was on the desk behind my back.

  “Straight to business, eh?” I said as I stepped aside to let her in.

  Nia and I had met in juvie. At first, we hadn’t really liked each other, but there was a girl we both disliked even more, so we’d ended up bonding over that.

  Nia had always been very interested in computers and hacking, and after she got out of juvie, she’d sworn she’d do everything to become the best hacker in the world.

  “You know me.” She flashed me a smile. “So where is it?”

  Since everything on Ryker’s phone was encrypted and I’d had no luck getting through it, I’d called Nia, and she’d immediately agreed to help.

  “Right there.” I didn’t even have to point at my laptop. Nia was already taking a seat in front of it.

  “Whose phone are we talking about, again?” she asked.

  “Um, it’s Ryker’s.”

  She stopped what she’d been doing and her head snapped toward me, her eyes narrowing. “What did you just say? I thought I heard the name of your high school nemesis, but that can’t be right.”

  “You heard right.” I grimaced.

  “Whoa, girl, slow down. Ryker, as in, the asshole who got you into juvie?”

  “Yeah, he’s here.”

  She gaped at me. “Are you in danger? You can stay at my place if you want.”

  “No, I’m not. It’s a funny story actually. He came to my club, and he doesn’t even remember me.”

  “No way. You’re messing with me. Tell me it’s not true.”

  “It’s all true, I’m afraid. He’s planning to establish his gang in our city too. I guess I didn’t run far enough.” I should’ve moved across the country or to another continent, not to a neighboring city, but a part of me was still hoping that I could fix things between my parents and me.

  We weren’t on speaking terms at the moment, and if I’d gone far, far away, I wouldn’t even have ways o
f finding out if they were okay. Sure, maybe I shouldn’t care. After all, they’d never believed or wanted to hear my side of the story.

  I was just a problematic daughter to them. An unruly teen then, and a troubled woman now. If they knew what kind of club I owned, they’d probably be horrified.

  Maybe it was better that I didn’t have them in my life. I didn’t even know why I was hoping for them to change their minds. I supposed I just wanted them to believe me for once.

  “That’s so messed up,” Nia said. “How did you even get your hands on his phone?”

  “I had a session with him. He likes to be tied up and whipped.”

  Nia’s eyebrows shot up. “You had... But you don’t...” She lifted her finger, tilting her head. “You actually willing did that with him.”

  “Yeah, so I could get that phone or anything else I might find. Don’t you get it? This is a perfect opportunity for me to expose what he’s doing and get my revenge.”

  “How did you know he had his phone with him? What if he’d recognized you? Damn, Lexi. What are you getting yourself into? He’s dangerous! Do you really want to lose your life because of him?”

  “I’ll be careful. He doesn’t know I cloned his phone. I don’t think he suspects anything. And what are the odds of him just walking into my club, clueless about everything? It’s destiny. A sign that I should be the one to put him in prison. His gang is a threat and it needs to go. If no one can get any solid evidence, then maybe I can.”

  “Did you hit your head and miss the part where a dangerous gang leader who already ruined you once is back in your life? If he finds out what you’re doing, he’ll kill you! And if it were so easy to find evidence against him, the cops would already have him. He’s clearly not behind bars and he’s been doing this for years, so why do you think you can do something?”

  “Because I have you?” I offered her a small smile.

  She groaned. “Nice try, but I’m serious.”

  “I am too. Ryker might be careful, but you made sure that my true identity is completely buried. Even if he investigates me, he won’t find out the truth, and his men won’t dig so deep because I’m just a worker at a sex club. No one knows that I own it except for a few girls. The others think I’m just running it for some guy. Can’t you see? I’m the last person he’ll suspect, since he came to me. No one could’ve predicated that. Not the cops, not his enemies. They can’t have their people everywhere.”