The hickeys

Her tired eyes burned with pure disgust. After the traumatizing ordeal she had barely survived at the club, all she had craved was the safety of her home. Instead, she walked into a nightmare of a different kind.

Vivienne was on her knees in the center of the living room rug. She was fully naked, her head bobbing rhythmically as she gave Ryker a wet, sloppy blowjob. Her lips were wrapped tightly around his dick, the sickening smacking sounds echoing through the quiet apartment. Ryker sat sprawled on Sienna's sofa, his head thrown back against the cushions. He let out loud, throaty moans, his fingers tangled in Vivienne’s hair as pleasure swallowed him whole.

Their clothes were scattered across the floor in a chaotic trail. Sienna’s stomach churned. The sheer disrespect of them doing this right in the middle of her living room, on her furniture, sent a tremor of pure fury through her battered bones. Shock loosened her grip on her shopping bags.

The expensive tailored suit and crisp dress shirt she had thoughtfully picked out and bought for Ryker’s upcoming interviews spilled out, scattering across the hardwood floor. The dull thud of the heavy bags snapped Ryker out of his trance.

His eyes snapped open. The color instantly drained from his face, leaving him a sickening shade of white. He pushed Vivienne away in a frantic panic.

"Sienna! It is not what it looks like." Ryker scrambled across the sofa cushions, snatching a discarded throw pillow to cover his exposed dick. His chest heaved as guilt laced his trembling voice. "I am so sorry. I swear that as soon as I get a job, I will take up the apartment bills."

Sienna stood her ground, her fingernails digging half-moons into her palms. She stared back at the man she secretly loved, the man she had worked so hard to support. A profound heartbreak threatened to tear her chest open, but she masked the devastation behind a cold, unreadable expression. She refused to let him see her bleed.

"I am not complaining, Ryker. I do not mind if you bring Vivienne here." Sienna delivered the words with a flat, deadpan tone. "But let everything be confined to your bedroom. Do not plague the living room. That is all I ask."

She turned on her heel, desperate to retreat to the sanctuary of her bedroom and lock the door on this miserable morning. Before she could take a single step down the hall, a wicked smirk stretched across Vivienne's lips. The other woman stood up, making zero effort to cover her bare breasts.

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to come home." Vivienne pointed a manicured finger at Sienna’s throat, her voice loud and dripping with malicious intent. "Did you get all those nasty, dark hickeys in just one night?"

Ryker's head snapped up. His gaze immediately zeroed in on the angry purple bruises scattered aggressively across Sienna's neck and delicate collarbone. He had been too consumed by his own guilt to look closely at her earlier. His expression darkened in a sudden flash of intense, protective anger.

"Sienna, what the hell is that? What did he do to you?" He demanded, his voice dropping an octave as he glared at her marked skin.

Sienna ignored Ryker's reaction. She stepped directly into Vivienne's path, blocking the hallway. Her brown eyes narrowed into icy slits, staring the naked woman down.

"You are not leaving yet. Not until you confess exactly what you dropped into my drink at the club." Sienna kept her voice smooth and unnervingly calm.

Vivienne scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her weight. "Are you hallucinating? I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Yeah, Sienna, what is she talking about?" Ryker asked, his tone solemn and confused.

"I already know I was drugged, Vivienne. The hospital ran tests this morning." Sienna smoothly and calmly bluffed, never breaking eye contact. "I just want the specific name of the substance for my medical records. Tell me right now, or I will call the police and have them pull the club's security footage."

Vivienne rolled her eyes, falling for the trap instantly. She let out a casual, unapologetic sigh, devoid of any remorse.

"Oh, it was just an aphrodisiac. You need to relax." Vivienne shrugged, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "Come on, there was definitely going to be a first time for you anyway. Did it really matter who it happened with?"

Pure fury and deep, soul-crushing devastation washed over Sienna. Her lungs seized, trapping the air in her throat. The virginity she had guarded for years, the precious gift she had secretly meant to give to Ryker, had been stolen. A ruthless stranger had ripped into her body, taking her innocence by force, purely because of this woman's sheer malice. Her pussy still throbbed with a dull, agonizing ache from the brutal encounter.

"Yes, it does." Sienna snapped viciously, pointing a trembling finger toward the front door. "Now just get out of my house."

Vivienne turned to Ryker, a pout forming on her lips as she expected him to defend her. "Are you going to just sit there and watch her throw me out?"

Ryker sat in stark silence. He made no attempt to hide his profound disappointment in his girlfriend. He just watched her with cold eyes.

"You already said you were leaving." Ryker stated coldly, letting her gather her scattered clothes.

Vivienne let out an indignant huff, threw her dress over her head, and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the heavy wooden door behind her.

Heavy silence fell over the messy living room. Sienna walked past the sofa, dragging her aching body into her bedroom. Ryker quickly pulled on a pair of sweatpants and followed closely behind her. He gently sat on the edge of her bed, his shoulders slumped.

"Look, I am so sorry. I will make it up to you, I swear." Ryker pleaded desperately, genuine care showering his words. "Please tell me exactly what happened to you at the club. Let me help you."

"I am just starving, Ryker. I need food." Sienna deflected his questions. She was exhausted, battered, and sick to her stomach. She could not bring herself to recount the horror of that hotel room or the arrogant stranger who had degraded her.

She walked back to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. Ryker let out a frustrated sigh. Since she was not ready to talk, he stepped out the back door to check the garage, needing some air and wanting to ensure her car was in good condition. A few minutes later, he burst back into the kitchen, his face pale with worry.

"Sienna, the rear end of your Chevrolet is smashed in. You had a wreck?" He asked, his voice tight.

"It was just a hit-and-run. I am fine." Sienna casually brushed it off, spreading butter on her toast. "There is no money for repairs right now, but I already landed a lucrative new job. I will easily cover the repair costs on Monday."

Ryker froze in the doorway. He stared at her, deeply hurt. "A new job? When did this happen? Why haven't you confided in me about quitting or getting into an accident? We are best friends, Sienna. We are supposed to share everything."

His wounded tone chipped away at Sienna's defensive walls. She softened, letting her shoulders drop. She opened her mouth, preparing to finally open up about the terrifying ordeal in Langdon's office, the setup, and the devastating aftermath in the VIP room.

Before a single word could leave her lips, Ryker's phone rang loudly from his pocket. The harsh ringtone shattered the fragile moment. Sienna glanced at the glowing screen in his hand. It was Vivienne.

Sienna swallowed the immense pain and jealousy rising in her throat. She looked down at her plate, her heart closing back up.

"Go answer it, Ryker." She murmured, her voice hollow.

Ryker hesitated, giving her a worried look. He eventually turned and walked out of the kitchen, taking the call in the hallway. Sienna ate her toast in silence, the dry bread tasting like ash. After forcing the food down, she took her heavy painkillers and crawled into bed, letting sleep claim her exhausted mind.

The rest of the weekend dragged on in quiet, depressed isolation. Sienna locked herself inside the apartment, hiding from the world. She spent Saturday doing laundry and scrubbing the floors, trying to keep her mind off the agonizing soreness between her thighs and the betrayal in her heart. Ryker eventually returned to the apartment on Sunday, and he brought Vivienne with him. True to Sienna's demand, he strictly kept his girlfriend confined to his bedroom. They did not venture into the living room, but their mere presence twisted the knife deeper into Sienna's chest.

Later that afternoon, Sienna glanced out the kitchen window. Ryker was in the driveway with a bucket of soapy water, thoughtfully washing the grime off her damaged Chevrolet. A bittersweet, lingering warmth bloomed in her chest. Despite his blind spot for Vivienne, Ryker still cared for her. It was a painful truth to swallow.

Monday morning arrived with a brutal chill. Sienna woke up early, steeling her nerves for the day ahead. She stood in front of her bathroom mirror, meticulously applying extra layers of thick makeup and concealer to carefully hide the lingering hickeys on her neck. She slipped into a stunning, professional grey dress that hugged her curves and fell neatly to her knees. Letting her dark hair down to provide extra coverage, she grabbed her purse and drove to the towering headquarters of her new company, Sterling Global.

She stepped through the revolving glass doors into the pristine, bustling lobby. Before she could even locate the HR department, Preston, the HR manager, intercepted her.

"It is good you are here!" Preston exclaimed with frantic excitement. He did not wait for her to reply, shoving a sleek iPad loaded with company documents into her hands. "The board meeting is about to begin. Take this. I will take you to your office after the meeting."

He rushed her straight past the elevators and toward a set of massive glass doors. Sienna barely had time to process his rapid-fire instructions as he pushed the doors open and ushered her inside. Questioning eyes grazed her as she stepped confidently into the massive, opulent boardroom. The room was lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, the morning sun casting sharp shadows across the polished mahogany table. A dozen executives sat in high-backed leather chairs, their conversations halting as she entered.

Suddenly, Sienna froze dead in her tracks. Her sensible heels glued themselves to the plush carpet.

Across the long expanse of the table, a pair of dark, piercing eyes pinned directly onto her. Her heart missed a beat. Then it started hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. Her head spun dizzily, the breath rushing out of her lungs in a sharp, painful gasp.

Sitting at the head of the table, radiating a terrifying, ruthless authority, was an intensely familiar face. The sharp jawline, the arrogant curve of his lips, the chilling depths of his stare. It was him. The terrifying man from the club. The same arrogant bastard who had ripped through her innocence and taken her virginity just two nights ago.

He was her new billionaire boss.