Unbreak Me (rewritten)

Chapter Seventeen

Avery sat as Jeremiah paced around the room. He only told her to sit when she was in serious trouble.

"Because you couldn't keep your hands to yourself, Oliver wants fucking security on you!"

Avery's gaze remained on her shaking hands that sat balled on her thighs.

"Now I have to organize a goddamn car to pick you up and drop you off!" His voice continued to rise with his fury. "You're not even worth the amount of money I have to spend!"

"Sir... I don't have to have security... I'll catch a cab instead." She tried to placate, do anything that would calm him down.

A sharp smack on the ear sent her head moving to the side from the force. A high-pitched ringing assaulted her ears causing her to be momentarily dazed.

"Stupid girl," he sneered. "But, fine."

A sigh of relief escaped her lips as he agreed. It was short lived, however. She was thrown to the floor, the chair toppled over, bruising her leg. A cry of pain permeated the air as she held her side with gritted teeth. He sent a kick to her torso once she hit the ground.

"That's for getting us into this mess." He stalked back to his desk with a glare. "How will Leah feel?! She's in love with the man for God's sake!" Jeremiah's voice boomed around the room, and probably down the hall too. "I had to sit through a goddamn lecture from that bastard about not allowing anyone to talk to the media. He even had the gall to remind me about the NDA in the contract!"

Avery sat up, chest heaving and pushing through the pain. Jeremiah spent too many years beating her and knew how much force to use without inflicting serious injuries, most of the time. He still needed her after all, and she had many uses.

A malicious, blood thirsty grin stretched his lips as he looked down at her from where he stood. "I bet you didn't know about the clause I added in," he murmured. "It says if anything happened to you, he would marry Leah."

Jeremiah took great pleasure in watching her eyes widen and her face pale. Of course, there was no such clause, just one of the reasons he didn't allow her to read the contract. The damn Blacks, no doubt wouldn't have allowed it. He sure did hate that self-righteous family, they reminded him so much of his brother, subsequently fueling his hatred for Avery.

It didn't make sense, but for him, it didn't have to. He received far too many benefits to care about his actions. Jeremiah was the lowest of the low.

Avery scrambled to her feet and rushed out of the office and into her own. Mr Adley's loud, booming laughter was enough to drive her mad with fear.

She broke down. Her head was placed in her hands and she couldn't even stop trembling. Any shred of safety she felt was wiped away.

The shrill ringtone caused her to jump. She wiped her eyes and nose and cleared her throat.

"Avery Adley." Her voice was hoarse, but it wasn't questioned.

"Avery," Natalie, from the front desk spoke. "There's a reporter on the phone who would like to speak with you."

"Don't let any reporters or members of the press get through. If they want a statement tell them to send an email with the guidelines attached. If they're after information about my relationship with Mr Black, then please turn them away immediately."

"Okay, will do."

"Thank you." Avery sighed and closed her eyes as she hung up. She fixed her make up, and hair, she tried to keep her stiff movements to a minimum. The technicolour bruise was coming up on her side, it didn't help that her skin was so fair. She could only imagine what the damage would have been if he kicked a fraction harder. She choked down the Advil she was running low on, she had long since run out of Tylenol.