Blackmailed by a Bully
6

Freida knocked on his door quietly, hoping he wouldn't answer. Her plan was simple. She would do everything he said until she found her phone and stole it back. Then, he would have no evidence against Mr Preston, and she would have the

video of him beating up her brother.

It was the best plan she could come up with.

He had ordered her to come to his house after school, wearing nothing but a short dress.

She felt almost naked as she stood on his driveway. An elderly man pottered past, giving her a look that lingered for a few seconds too long.

'Old perv,' she thought.

She was almost grateful when the door opened.

"Oh," she said, frowning at the young man in the doorway. "I was looking for Damon."

"He'll be home in a minute," the man said, looking her up and down with an angry-looking frown. "You can wait inside if you want."

Though he made her feel nervous, she followed him inside, noticing that the house looked a lot tidier. The pots by the sink were gone and all of the work surfaces were clean and clear of mess.

"Tea?" the guy asked.

"Yes please," Freida said on instinct. She never turned down a cup of tea.

As the guy filled the kettle, she noticed the tattoos on his hands and up his arms. He had a lot of ink.

He sniffed and rubbed his nose before getting the cups, then looked at Freida. The way his eyes lingered on her breast and the slight blush on his face made it obvious he'd noticed her lack of a bra. Freida crossed her arms across her chest and shifted nervously.

"Sit down," he said, passing her the cup. "Sugar?"

Freida nodded and smiled gratefully as he passed her a pile of sugar packets.

"I nicked 'em from work," he said, flushing and looking away as if embarrassed.

Freida wasn't sure what to say to the guy. He had such a weird aura about him. One minute he seemed like a scary criminal and the next he seemed like a shy little boy.

"Are you Damon's older brother?" she asked.

"Hmm." He took a sip of tea and nodded. "And legal guardian. Our Dad's in jail."

"Oh," Freida said, unsure what else to say to that. She wanted to know where their mother was, but also did not want to be rude by prying into their business.

"Jayce," he said, reaching over to shake her hand. "Are you... his friend?"

"Freida," she introduced herself. "I'm the new neighbour."

"Oh, welcome to the neighbourhood," Jayce said and grinned widely as if he'd said something hilarious. Freida noticed that all of his front teeth were missing or black and tried not to stare. She must have reacted in some way because he looked at her face and laughed.

"Don't ever do drugs," he warned. "Unless you want teeth like these."

"I'd never do drugs," she replied so quickly he recoiled with wide eyes.

"Oh, not because of the teeth thing," she blurted, equally without thinking. "It's just a stupid thing to do."

Once the words were out of her mouth, she almost died of embarrassment.

'Did I really just say that to a drug addict?' she asked herself, wishing the floor would open up.

"Don't worry," he said and laughed it off. "It is stupid. The most stupid thing you can do."

"What's stupid?" Damon asked, appearing at his brother's side.

"Drugs," Jayce told him.

"You're not wrong," Damon agreed. He leaned over Jayce, resting his elbows on the guys shoulders. "So you met my big bro then?"

Freida nodded, suddenly unable to form words. She had never felt so nervous in her whole life.

After imagining the things he might make her do, she had been unable to sleep. Now, twelve cups of coffee later, she was a jittering mess of nerves. "Come on," Damon demanded. "Get your ass upstairs now."

"Nice way to speak to your girl," Jayce berated him with a frown. He seemed to have jumped to the conclusion that the pair of them were a couple. Damon ignored him.

"Oi," Jayce said, getting up from his chair.

Without a second's hesitation, Damon grabbed him by his collar and picked him up, lifting the much smaller guy a foot off the floor.

"What have I told you?" Damon asked. "Stop. Trying. To. Parent. Me."

When Damon stepped forward, jamming his brother into the coat hangers on the wall, the guy cried out.

"Okay, okay!"

Damon dropped him and turned to Freida, rolling his eyes.

Freida couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. He was only trying to stick up for her, after all.

"He still thinks he's bigger than me," Damon said and snickered. "I outgrew him about three years ago."

Freida nodded. She wanted to tell him he was cruel for treating his older brother, who clearly cared about him, in such a demeaning way.

'He's about to treat me even worse,' she realised with horror. The urge to run away was hard to quell.

Once they reached his bedroom, Damon slammed the door shut behind her. Then he simply stood there in silence, watching her.

Freida looked about the room. It was a very typical guy's room, not dissimilar to her brothers. The posters were more violent and dark, and there was more mess, but he had the same blue bed sheets and gaming set up. "Sit," he said.

Not wanting to take his chair, she sat on the bed.

He sat in his chair, wheeling it over to where she was to face her. He leaned in, resting his elbows on his knees, so close to her that their faces were almost touching.

"I'm going to say this once and only once. You are going to do everything I tell you to do without arguing or questioning. Do you understand?"

Freida nodded.

"If I tell you to do something and you really desperately don't want to do it, there is a slim chance I'll let you beg out of it. A very slim chance. But you are going to want to save that for when you are actually desperate because I promise you, it won't happen often. Do you understand?"

She nodded again.

"Take your dress off," he said. "I want to look at my new possession."

Freida's hands were shaking so badly she could barely move, let alone take off the dress.

As Damon watched her, his nose wrinkled into a confused frown.

"Why are you shaking like that?" he asked.

Freida couldn't answer. For the first time in her life, her mouth refused to work.

He continued to frown, taking both of her hands into his. "You're like a scared little rabbit."

She tried to force her body to be still, but it wouldn't work.

"Am I that terrifying?" he asked.

Freida shook her head in the negative, but her wide, fearful eyes betrayed her.

Damon laughed. "Look. I just want to look at you. I'm not going to fuck you right away. Okay?"

These words hit her like a wave of relief. She could finally breathe.

"Stand up, take off the dress, and let me see what I've won," he said.

Freida pulled the dress over her head. Nobody but Mr Preston had seen her naked. It felt so strange. So vulnerable.

Mr Preston had looked at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. He made her feel like a princess.

As she looked into Damon's eyes, she saw only disdain.

"Ugh," he said. "You'll do, I guess."

Freida covered her bits, feeling like an ugly lump.

"Move your hands!" he barked.

She dropped them to her sides and swallowed, feeling herself begin to shake once again.

"Hmm. I changed my mind. I'm horny now so you are just going to have to do something about that," he said.