Blackmailed by a Bully

Chapter 26



Freida mentally prepared herself.

'He has nothing on you. He can't make you do anything without leverage. He's just a silly little boy with too much time on his hands.'

"We need to talk about what?" she asked, keeping her face completely straight.

Her bus arrived, and as she stepped to the side, he placed a hand on her arm. "No. We will get the bus soon."

"Erm..." Freida tutted, giving him a dirty look. "Excuse me, but I don't really have anything I need to say to you."

"Then sit your butt down and listen," he said, pointing at the wooden bench.

Freida sat, frowning at the childish graffiti drawn in pen. 'Lexi Leigh likes bumhole?'

Ben sat beside her and placed his hands on his lap.

"You aren't behaving in a way that I like," he said.

"So?" Freida asked, feeling her defences rise. Who did this guy think he was?

"So you are going to behave in a way that I like from now on," Ben told her with no hint of doubt in his voice.

"Why am I?" Freida asked.

"Because I have evidence that both Damon and Jayce are involved in illegal activities. If you want your beloved Damon to remain a free man... you will do what I say." Freida's jaw hung open.

'Well that was not what I expected him to say,' she thought.

After clearing her throat and swallowing, she tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned forward. "So... you are going to have to prove it. You do realise that. I'm not just going to take your word for it." "Of course," Ben said. "That's why you're going to come to my house. So I can show you."

He stood and beckoned for her to follow him.

After a moment's hesitation, Freida stood and chased after him.

The walk to his house was as long as it was awkward. Ben did not speak a word to her the entire way. He walked a couple of steps ahead, and if she tried to catch up, he would only walk at a faster pace.

"This is your house?" Freida asked as he turned off the country round and led her up a gravel driveway. It was in the middle of nowhere and it was beautiful. More like a palace than a house. The estate was surrounded by acres of gardens and manicured lawns, adding to the sense of seclusion.

Inside, Freida saw that the house was just as stunning and much posher than she'd expected. From the intricate moulding on the walls to the high ceilings and ornate chandeliers, every detail has been carefully considered to create an ambience of luxury and refinement.

"Here," Ben led her to his room and turned toward his monitors. He had had three set up around his computer desk and a fourth, much larger screen mounted on the wall behind him. It looked how Freida would imagine a hacker's set-up. He typed in his keyboard, hitting the last key with a bang and stood back, observing her with a smug smile on his face.

On the screen, you could clearly see it was Jayce and Damon sitting at their kitchen table. They were packaging something, using scales to weigh it out into smaller portions. Freida didn't know what the powder was, but she was guessing the police would.

"Tomorrow, you are going to explain to Damon that you only slept with him because you wanted him to go easy on you and your brother," Ben said. "And will tell him you lied about having any sort of real feelings for him." Freida let out a small, confused snort of a laugh.

'Is he joking?' she wondered.

"No," Freida said, shaking her head at him as if he was slow. "I can't do that. I just can't."

"Well then, I guess I have no other choice but to get him out of the picture. Maybe I'll tell my dad all about his dealings, as well as his brothers. One of them is bound to go to prison, maybe both. In either case, Jayce will lose custody of Damon for good," Ben said. He smiled before adding, "Or maybe you wouldn't mind visiting him in prison... if he still wanted to see you after setting him up that is?"

Freida couldn't quite believe her ears. This had to be a joke. A wind-up.

"Damon is your friend," Freida said dully.

"I have no friends," Ben said, his tone flat and dead.

"But... why?" Freida asked. "Why would you—"

"It was my idea to enslave you, Freida. Not his. You weren't meant to fall for him. That wasn't part of my plan."

"Oh, geez I'm so sorry," Freida scoffed.

"So, tomorrow you will break it off with him," Ben repeated. "If you don't, I'll go straight to my dad and tell him everything I know. He has been watching Jayce and his gang for quite some time. All he needs is enough evidence for a raid." With that, he got up to leave.

"Wait," Freida cried, grabbing his leg.

"Hmm?" he asked, eyebrows raised. Freida started. "Me and Damon... well... I think... I know that I love him. I think he loves me too."

"Aww," Ben cooed with fake sympathy.

"Please don't make me do this. Don't ruin everything for us," Freida pleaded. She hated it. Hated having to plead with this asshole. But what else could she do?

He ignored her plea, stepping over her.

"Please, wait, Ben," Freida said, spinning to grab him by the trousers again. "Please don't make me do this. He'll hate me. He only just started to like me."

"Yes, exactly," he said.

"But why? I don't understand. You can have any girl you want. All the girls at your school are desperate to go out with you."

"I don't want a girlfriend. I want a slave," Ben said.

"You could find a willing slave," Freida assured him. It was true. He was the most popular guy at his school. So many girls would do anything to have him--do anything he wanted.

"I want you," he replied.

Freida ran out of ideas.

'Why does he want me?' she wondered. 'What's so damn special about me?'

"Ben, me and Damon are happy together. I'm sorry but I don't feel that way about you. I only want him," she explained as plainly as she could.

A ripple of anger flashed across his face.

"You'll just have to suffer through being with me then, won't you?" he seethed. "If you want Damon to avoid prison. Because trust me, he won't like it in there."

"Please, Ben, no," Freida tried, pressing her hands together in a pleading pose. "Can't you just let us be happy? Please, Ben? Please?"

"Stop that, please," Ben said in a level voice. "You will tell him you were only pretending to like him, and you really like me, and you will make him believe it. His freedom depends on it, so you best remember that." With that, he led her to the front door and closed it behind her, leaving her in the empty countryside.

'What now?'


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