Disclaimer
This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events and places is purely coincidental.
Read at your discretion, there are scenes of a sexual nature, abusive nature and violence.
Prologue
“Have you ordered your yearbook yet?”
“Me? No chance, I want to forget about this place as soon as that bell rings!”
It was almost the end of term and the sixth formers would be celebrating their freedom in less than 2 hours.
“What about prom?” Jessica asked.
Cara looked at Jessica, raising her eyebrows.
“In case you forgotten, I have no date, Jessica!” Cara hated being reminded of the fact that Jessica could click her fingers and get any guy in school. Cara had very little luck as well as interest in that department.
Jessica was tall and slender with long blonde hair that waved naturally down her back. She had an olive complexion which complimented her deep hazel eyes and long feathery eyelashes. Being five foot ten without heels meant she was one of the tallest in her year. Her friend Cara had always been small, at five foot two and never known to have a growth spurt, thus giving Cara the nickname Shorty. Cara was tiny in frame and voice. With her mousy blonde hair that curled and frizzed all over the place. Taking Cara at least two hours in a morning before school to make herself decent. She had bright blue eyes that magnified her bronzed skin giving her a constant glow.
“That’s the easy part Cara, it’s finding the right dress.” Jessica winked as she picked up her school bag. “Come on or we’ll be late for Spanish.” Rolling her eyes, Cara closed her locker and followed Jessica into the corridor.
The school was going through its final phases of scraping the corridor walls clean of all ‘Conquests of the Sixth Form’ boards. A last-minute attempt at redeeming pupils for their past mistakes by ensuring everyone was recognised for at least one good deed. Cara and Jessica were favourites to be successful. Jessica had already been scouted by a modelling agency, after a lot of begging on Jessica’s part her parents finally agreed.
Cara on the other hand had three universities all with unconditional offers, which meant whatever her grades were she would have a place. One of the universities was Oxford. It had the best programme for Biochemistry in the country and Cara couldn’t wait to get out in the world and put her intelligence to good use.
The school itself was outstanding, which went along with the investments that past alumni had deposited. The pupils were far too posh for Cara, who had come from a humble home. Her dad working away a lot in the military and her mum who stayed home to keep the peace between Cara’s younger brother and sister. A lot of the pupils at Peckton Private School came from well off families, from farming and investment backgrounds. The beneficary money coming in from the parents high paid jobs showed in the way the pupils held themselves..
The school itself would put Hogwarts to shame. The corridors were adorned with plaques of famous writers and politicians. None of which Cara admitted to having heard of before.
Throughout her six years at Peckton, Jessica was the only girl who made Cara feel welcome. Being the new girl was difficult but it was a lot easier when you had friends like Jessica. The real struggle was the bullying. Cara would find herself hiding at every opportunity to avoid them. Jessica accompanied Cara where she could because no one dared to mess with her. But when you weren’t in the same classes, it was inevitable that the bullies would catch up.
It wasn’t all bad, her older brother Matthew was around up until two years ago. He kept the enemies at bay, being popular meant he had some authority over them. The incidents were mainly outside of school, consisting mostly of balls being kicked and thrown at her unsuspectingly. Or pushing her into a corner and throwing a punch and a kick before running off. The past two years had been the worst though, with her brother at university there was only so much Cara could do to avoid them. The main leader was Zach. He was tall, well built and adulthood had graced him with good looks and good abs. He was handsome, but there was no doubt he knew it. His popularity caused his arrogance to float around him like a bad smell, you could sense his presence before he was even in the same room as you.
Cara had no idea what she had done to offend him, but he had always called her Shorty and insisted that everyone else do the same. Not that it was a hurtful name, but it was more the physical efforts that upset her.
“Come on, we’re going to be late for Spanish!” Jessica called to Cara, cupping her elbow and dragging her through the corridor of bodies. The bell shrilled on the wall, announcing to students to get to their next class swiftly.
“Heads!” Came a voice down the hall and out of nowhere Cara was knocked to the floor with a large thud. A sharp pain seared through her head as Cara fought back the tears that threatened to come to the surface. Clutching her head, Jessica pulled her back up to her feet. Cara attempted to compose herself but as soon as she turned she bounced into a large body.
“Watch it Shorty,” Cara glanced up to see Zach towering over her, reaching for the ball he had just thrown her way and laughing. His sandy blonde hair swept across his face, his chocolate brown eyes bore into her. Zach rolled his eyes at her, “You’re not my type sweet cheeks.” He said sarcastically, shoving her out the way. The gaggle of girls that followed behind him were laughing at his joke whilst the guys cheered him on.
Cara exhaled loudly, two more hours she said to herself. Two more hours.
Cara checked her reflection in the mirror one last time, sucking in a deep breath and steadying herself against the sink. Her sapphire blues stared back her, etched in anxiousness. She exited the bathroom with a painful sigh, collecting her bag from the sofa. “You’re not wearing that!” Rich sneered, looking at her in disgust. “What’s wrong with it?” Cara was wearing a black pencil skirt and a sleeveless white blouse, it covered all the important areas and flattered her curves. Rich lifted himself from the sofa, marching towards Cara, he pushed her against the wall towering over her, his strong frame caged her against the wall leaving her no space to escape. Cara closed her eyes as Rich hurled abusive words at her, “Are you fucking listening to me?” He yelled. Cara nodded silently. “I don’t think you fucking heard me.” He accused, throwing a fist into her ribs. The pain radiated through her chest and bile threatened to rise up her throat. Cara bit her
The small group all piled through the doorway to their favourite pub. The scent of sweat and beer lingered in the air and surrounded every table. Cara and Ethan plonked themselves into a booth while Jessica bought the first round. The door swung open and two gentlemen strolled in, an air of confidence surrounded them as they stood at the bar. “Who is that?” Ethan gawked. Cara recognised one of them, he had sat next to her at the auditorium but apart from that, there was nothing screaming familiarity at her. She looked over at the two men, one with jet black hair, trimmed into a buzz cut, the other was a mousy blonde colour with a similar hairstyle. They both wore tiredness on their faces but their personalities were a stark contrast. Both were laughing and joking as they waited to be served. The blonde-haired man surveyed the room before his attention focused on Cara. “Cara?” Ethan poked her, pulling her attention back. “I don’t recognise them.” Cara
The sun blazed through the curtains casting rays across Cara’s face. Heat enveloped her body and she felt the heavy shift of something across her stomach. Her eyelids fluttered open as she took in her surroundings, she laid in a bed, black sheets covered their bodies. The stranger’s legs tangled with her and exposed to the heat coming through the windows. A bronzed arm draped across her torso and she traced her fingers across the smooth skin, following the shapes and patterns of the black marks. Her fingers edged gently over the stranger’s shoulder, noticing several scars that adorned the back of this beautiful god-like figure. Cara fidgeted, the images of last night danced around her head. She recalled the feeling of the stranger’s fingers as they caressed every inch of her body, no area was left untouched. She could still remember the feeling of cold air replacing the heat where his lips had kissed, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake. The stranger had left her feelin
A short while later, the stranger returned with a bag of peas covered by a tea towel. “Here,” he spoke softly, placing the frozen bag gently on her face. His voice soothed her, Cara revelled in the coldness, the heat and pain dissipated slowly and she closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation. The pitter-patter of padded feet entered the room, a golden tail swished and snaked around the stranger’s legs. “Oh hello! And who are you?!” The stranger cooed at the dog. Taking the dogs face in his hands and making baby noises whilst the dog covered him in wet licks. “Diesel,” Cara muttered to him. “Well Diesel, what do you say to a little walk?” He continued cooing at the dog. The stranger smiled up at Cara, “keep the ice on, I’ll be back in a bit.” He winked before leading the golden fluff ball out. Cara walked towards the window, the throbbing in her head still evident as she held the frozen bag to it. She gazed out at the splendid view of the river t
Archer sat down on the sofa in Cara’s living room, the position faced a floor to ceiling high window that had the perfect view of the river that ran by the apartment building. Diesel sat on the floor between his legs, allowing Archer to pet him fondly. It had been fifteen minutes before Cara emerged from the shower, her damp blonde hair cascaded in waves over her shoulders complimenting her tanned skin. She had a white towel wrapped around her torso and white fluffy slippers that made Archer chuckle at the cute look. “Feel better?” He asked her. “Much,” she smiled, wincing at the lump on her face. She combed her hair out with her fingers and Archer gazed at her beauty as it enveloped her. “Fancy going for a walk?” He asked her, he enjoyed the outdoors and he was pretty sure that Cara could use the fresh air. “I'd love to, ’ll go get dressed.” She said beaming at him. She returned a little while later in a white summer dress that hugged
Archer pushed through the door to Cara’s apartment, scooping her up in his arms. Cara wrapped her legs around his waist as he pulled her to him urgently. His hand supported the base of her neck, drawing her into a passionate kiss. His hand tugged at her hair, pulling her head to the side to expose the sensitive spot on her neck. He traced his lips up and down her soft skin, inhaling her sweet vanilla scent. He listened attentively as both of their breathing increased hastily. Sparks lapped against their connection and you could almost smell the desire. Archer walked them to her bedroom effortlessly like a feather in his arms. He laid her gently down on the soft cotton sheets before pulling away to take in her beauty. Cara’s breathing hitched as he took in the sight below him. His hot breath swept across her face and Cara absorbed the heat, allowing it to bring a hot flush to her cheeks. He trailed febrile kisses along her neck and down her collar bone, whilst his hand dragged feveri
Cara rolled through her soft sheets, sighing at pleasant ache that rolled like a wave through her body. She stretched her arm out expecting to meet another body, her hand met emptiness. She lifted her head and sighed in disappointment. Cara wrapped the bed sheet around her body, noting the time on the bedside table. It was five o’clock, she had been asleep for at least 4 hours. She felt refreshed and satiated all at once. Cara stepped out into the leaving room, the tv was on and she could see a pair of slender feet sticking out from the side of the sofa. She tiptoed over, gazing at the adorable view in front of her. Archer was laid on his back, his legs crossed over with Diesel resting on top of him. He had one arm draped over the dog, whilst the other supported his head. The biceps on his arm contracted sharply, as his head rested on top. She noted the toned muscles, the tattoos that hugged them as they told their story. His eyes were closed and she was unsure how long he h
The following morning came far too quickly, Archer woke up facing the angel that he shared a bed with. Her hair covered her face like a curtain. His hand stroked past her face, pulling the golden strands away to admire her beauty further. Archer noticed the bruise was at its peak now. The sight provoked a fire in his stomach. If he ever saw that man again it would be the last time, he thought to himself. She quivered under his touch, her eyes sparkling as they opened. The sunlight was beaming through the curtains, casting shadows over their bodies. She murmured something under her breath as she tried to wake. “Good morning Angel,” Archer beamed at her. Dropping a kiss on her cheek. He wasn’t sure what had come over him the last couple of days but he had found himself becoming a soppy mess around Cara. She had a strange effect on him, bringing out a softer sid