Okay, that was weird. I think to myself.
I turn back around and look in my drink. After thinking about it for a few minutes, I deem it safe. Obviously, the guy was just trying to warn me to be careful. I didn"t get any creepy vibes from him. I decide to sit at the bar to finish my drink and watch the football game that"s playing. I"ll go find the others in a bit. The guy beside me doesn"t say anything else.
When I get up from my stool a few minutes later, I lose my footing and sway to the side. I shouldn"t have drunk that last drink. I was already feeling the effects of the shots Andrew brought us earlier.
I feel hands grab my arms to steady me. I look up and see the guy that was sitting beside me.
"Easy there, let"s take a seat for a minute. Looks like you had too much to drink," he says in a calm voice.
I let him place me back on the stool, grateful for the help. I slump down on the stool. My head"s a fuzzy mess. I really shouldn"t have had that drink. My eyes are heavy and all I want to do is sleep.
The guy beside me asks, "Are you okay?"
"Yesss," I slur. f.u.c.k! Why am I so dizzy?
"Do you have friends with you?" He asks me, seemingly concerned.
I try to lift my arm to point to the "dance floor", but it just falls limply at my side. I manage to get out, "dance floor". I try to shake my head to clear it, but it only makes me teeter to the side.
"Come on, let"s go find your friends," he says and gets up from his stool. He puts his arm around me. He has to hold me up, or I would slump to the floor. We start walking down the line of the bar.
It isn"t until we are pa.s.sed the dance floor that I realize we aren"t going there. He"s leading me to a hallway on the other side of the bar.
"Where..." I start to talk, but it takes too much effort. When I try to turn in his arm, he easily holds me still.
"It"s okay," he says in my ear. "I saw the guy you were with come this way."
Something isn"t right. I shouldn"t be feeling like this. I"ve been drunk plenty of times before, and I"ve never felt this way. It"s like I have no control over my body.
The guy leads me down a dark hallway until we reach a door. The guy knocks, but no one answers. He pushes the door open and ushers me inside. I try to fight, now knowing this guy isn"t helping me at all. He must have slipped something in my drink. If I had the energy, I would laugh. G.o.d! What an idiot I am!
I hear a click and then feel the guy pull me further into the room, I squint my eyes and see that it"s a storage room of some sort.
"What are you..." I try again to talk. I swallow, trying to wet my dry throat before I try again. "What...are you...going to do?"
The guy turns me to face him with his arms still around me to hold me up. I feel so d.a.m.n weak, and I can"t clear my fuzzy mind.
"We"re going to have some fun," he says and lifts me up onto a solid surface. I slump back against the wall behind me, not able to hold myself up. My skirt rides up, showing my black thong underneath. He steps between my legs, not having to push too hard to force them apart. Again, I try to lift my arms to push him away, but I have no strength what so ever.
"f.u.c.k, you"re pretty. I can"t wait to get my c.o.c.k in you." He reaches up and around my neck and releases the clasp of my top. It tumbles down, exposing my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He takes one of my nipples in between his thumb and forefinger and pinches it hard.
I whimper in pain. "No." I hear myself mumble.
"Oh yeah, baby. I"m going to f.u.c.k you so good." He then bends his head, takes my other nipple in his mouth, and bites down. I lay there helpless to stop him, on the verge of gagging from him touching me. My head turns to the side, and I see some type of spray bottle. I try with every bit of strength I still have to reach for it so I can spray it in his eyes. I want to cry with frustration when my body doesn"t do as I want it to.
I feel the guy reach down between us and run his finger along my thong. "With you being so tiny I bet you"re going to clench around my c.o.c.k like a vice grip."
He moves my thong aside, and I feel his finger at my p.u.s.s.y. He groans and puts one finger inside me. I can"t believe this is happening to me. I feel so helpless. I can"t do a d.a.m.n thing while this sick f.u.c.k forces his finger inside me. All I can do is lay there and let him do whatever he wants.
He adds a second finger, then a third. "s.h.i.t, I need you to get wet for me or it"ll hurt us both." I don"t think he really cares if he hurts me. He"s more concerned with himself. Everyone knows a dry p.u.s.s.y is not a place a man wants to put his d.i.c.k. He"d rub it raw.
My mind is becoming more and more disoriented. I feel like I"m going to pa.s.s out any minute. My vision is starting to go black around the edges, and my skin is becoming clammy. My hearing is off as well. I think I hear someone call my name, but I wonder if it"s wishful thinking.
I can tell the guy is getting frustrated because I"m not getting wet. He starts ramming his fingers in me so roughly that it"s causing my limp body to hit the wall behind me. Each time he pushes them in me, it feels like his knuckles are punching my pubic area. His grip on my inner thigh is brutal. He rubs my c.l.i.t with his thumb, but it does nothing to help him in his attempt to make me wet. He removes his fingers from my p.u.s.s.y, and I think I see him through blurred vision undoing his pants. I feel tears gather in my eyes at what I know is about to happen. Why haven"t Andrew or the girls found me yet? It feels like we"ve been in this closet for hours. No way would they have left me alone for that long.
"Guess I"ll just have to improvise," I barely hear the guy say through the pounding in my ears before he brings his hand up to his mouth and spits in it.
I can"t stop the sob that leaves my mouth, knowing I"m about to be raped and there"s not a d.a.m.n thing I can do to stop it. My vision blacks out for a minute before returning. The pounding in my ears is so loud that it feels like my head is going to combust. I close my eyes to block out the vision of the guy above me, ready to shove his nasty d.i.c.k in me. I don"t have the strength to open them again, not that I want to anyway. I feel myself going under and welcome the darkness.
Right before I lose consciousness, I hear a loud bang and a muttered, "Oh, f.u.c.k."
Chapter Fifteen.
Mac Her spirit...
"I"m going to grab another beer. Either of you want one?" I ask Jaxon and Nick while I prop my pool stick up against the wall. We"re at Bounce waiting on the girls and Andrew to give us a call to pick them up. Jaxon asked us if we wanted to tag along. With nothing better to do on a Friday night, we both agreed. We brought two vehicles so there would be enough room for us all. We"ve been here for about an hour playing pool, and I"m getting antsy. I know that Lucki"s has cleaned up a lot since the new owners took over, but I still don"t like Mia being there. I"ve heard rumors that the place isn"t as clean as the new owners think it is. I didn"t say anything because Mia seemed excited about going out. That"s part of the reason why I"m here. I want to be close if there"s a problem.
"Yeah, grab me another, would you?" Jaxon says. I looked to Nick, who is lining up his shot. He glances up to me and nods his head.
I turn and walk to the bar. The place isn"t too busy, something I"m happy about. The whole partying scene has never really been my thing. I enjoy going to Jaxon"s only because there are family and friends that frequent there. Here in town, not so much.
When I reach the bar, I order three beers. I pay for the drinks and carry them back to the pool table. Jaxon is kicking our a.s.s at pool. Probably stems from him learning to play from his grandfather as a kid.
"Heard your parents were coming to town soon," Jaxon says, then takes a swallow of his beer. "How"s retirement for your dad?"
"He hates it. It"s driving my mom crazy. She"s figured out that he"s purposely breaking s.h.i.t around the house just so he has something to do."
Jaxon chuckles. "I can imagine he"s going crazy. He was always so active. Can"t be easy on him."
"It"s not. He needs to find a hobby before my mom kills him."
It"s my turn next. I put down my beer on the edge of the pool table and line up my shot. I hit the white ball and then watch the five ball go into the corner pocket. I debate my next shot and then walk around the table. Right before I take the shot, Jaxon talks again.
"So, what"s going on with you and my sister?" Not really surprised by his question, I hit the ball and watch the nine ball go into the side pocket. I stand back up and face Jaxon, who has his eyes glued to me.
"We"re working through things," I tell him. I know that Mia never told him what happened. I don"t know why she didn"t. The only reason I can think of is she didn"t want to ruin our friendship. I would have thought she hated me so much that she would have used what I did against him. I shouldn"t have though. Mia may have a temper and portray an ice-cold heart, but she"s not vindictive.
I can see Jaxon think about his next words before he replies to my statement. "She never told me what went down between the two of you, but I know you hurt her somehow. I have my suspicions, but I never confirmed them, not wanting to hurt her more than she already was. I want you to know that the only reason I never came after your a.s.s is because I wasn"t sure, and I know Mia would hate me if I ever did anything to you, whether you deserved it or not." He stops long enough for another swallow of his beer before continuing, his eyes hard. "But, I"m giving you a warning right now, Sheriff or not, friend or not, if you hurt her again, nothing will stop me from killing you."
I hold his eyes, not backing down or shying away from him, seeing the truth in his eyes. If I ever hurt Mia, I have no doubt Jaxon will keep his word. Jaxon has always been very pa.s.sionate about protecting his family. I don"t fault him for that. I"m glad that Mia has someone willing to protect her at all costs, especially because I wasn"t there to do it myself. As an officer of the law, it would be within my right and the law to arrest him for threatening me, but I won"t. He"s trying to protect the one he loves, and no one should be punished for that.
"You have nothing to worry about, Jax. Nothing would make me hurt Mia again," I tell him, being completely honest.
"Good, because she almost didn"t recover last time. If there"s a next time, I know she won"t," he says with a hard edge to his voice. I can also see the ghosts lurking there from watching his sister in so much pain.
I give him a curt nod. Jaxon"s words and the slight insight at the pain I caused not only Mia, but Jaxon as well, solidify my resolve to do everything within my power to keep Mia from any pain again, especially from me.
I see Nick standing quietly in the corner watching the two of us talk, probably to make sure our conversation doesn"t escalate. He doesn"t need to worry.
Just then, Jaxon"s phone starts ringing. He pulls it from his pocket and glances at the screen.
"It"s Bailey," he says before answering. "Hey, Angel, y"all ready?"
It only takes a second before I see Jaxon go stiff. I perk up, not liking his reaction.
"Angel, calm down, baby. Tell me what happened."
He listens for a second and then his gaze swings my way, and I know something"s happened to Mia.
He starts walking quickly across the bar, signaling for Nick and me to follow him. I want to rip the phone away from him and demand he tell me what happened. The thread of control I have is wavering. We"re out the door in seconds, and I"m about to take his phone away when he talks again.
"Angel, listen to me, okay," a pause, then he continues, "We"re getting in the truck. We"ll be there in just a minute. You and the girls stay with Andrew, okay?" Silence, then, "We"re coming, baby. Just stay with Andrew. Love you."
He hangs up at the same time we reach the truck. As soon as the doors are open and I see Jaxon on the other side of the truck, I ask, "What the f.u.c.k happened?"
He doesn"t waste any time in cranking the truck and backing out of the parking s.p.a.ce, talking as he does so. "Something"s wrong with Mia. They found her in a back room unconscious. She said there was a man in there with her."
"Son of a b.i.t.c.h," I hear Nick spit out behind us.
I grip the handle of the door so hard that I"m surprised I don"t crush it. My blood is on fire, and I want nothing more than to tear someone apart. Rage fills my system, and I start seeing red.
"What the h.e.l.l do you mean she"s unconscious? What"s wrong with her?" I growl at him.
His knuckles are white on the steering wheel as he speeds the two blocks to Lucki"s.
"I don"t know, Mac. Bailey was hysterical. I could barely understand her."
We"re pulling up to the curb of Lucki"s, and I jump out before he comes to a full stop. There"s a small line to get inside, but I bypa.s.s it and run towards the door and the bouncer guarding it. I yank out my badge and snarl, "Out of my f.u.c.king way."
He holds up his hands and steps out of the way, and I push my way into the door. I hear Jaxon and Nick run in behind me. "Move," I hear Jaxon and Nick yell.
My gaze zeros in on the hallway just past the bar, and I quickly make my in that direction, having to push and shove people out of my way. I hear some grumbling and complaints, but I ignore them.
When I reach the hallway, I see a small group of people outside of a lit room. One is Bailey, who sees Jaxon behind me. "Oh my G.o.d, Jaxon." She screams and runs toward us. I pa.s.s her and barrel my way into the room.
I skid to a stop and my heart thumps in my chest and nearly stops when I see Mia lying on a counter with a towel over her. Her eyes are closed, like she"s sleeping, but I see the track marks from her make up running from her crying. Karyn and Chris are crying down at the end of the counter. Andrew is at Mia"s side with a murderous expression on his face as he strokes her cheek. His knuckles are torn up, and I see blood on his shirt.
I quickly make my way to Mia, who isn"t moving. My palms are sweating, and I"m having a hard time catching my breath.
"What the f.u.c.k happened?" I ask Andrew, who steps to the side when I reach them.
I feel pure rage radiating off Andrew when he answers, "She went to the bar to grab a drink. When she didn"t come back, we went looking for her. I heard a noise come from this room and when I broke down the door, I saw this f.u.c.ker," Andrew points to a guy curled into a ball, his face a mangled mess, "hovering over her with his pants undone."
"Has someone called an ambulance and police?" I hear Nick bark.
"They"re on their way," an unknown voice says from the doorway.
I force my eyes away from the guy, and I bend down to get a better look at Mia. I"ll take care of him in a minute. I need to see to Mia first. She has a sheen of sweat appearing on her face, but she doesn"t feel hot. Other than the flush and the makeup tracks, her face appears to be fine. I move the towel away and see that her top is undone. My jaw clenches and I grip the edge of the counter and take a deep breath, forcing myself to continue my inspection. I cover her top half back up and use my body to block Mia from the rest of the room while I check her lower half, afraid of what I might find. My suspicions are confirmed, and I lose my s.h.i.t when I see the bruises on her inner thighs. With a roar, I spin around and launch myself at the guy lying on the floor crying.
I grab him by his hair and yank him to his feet. As soon as he"s standing, I throw my fist into his already battered face. Fresh blood starts spilling from his mouth and I see a tooth barely hanging on by a thread of skin. It doesn"t satisfy me enough. I know that I"ll probably get in trouble for beating a defenseless man, but I"m beyond caring. I punch him in the gut with every bit of strength I have and watch as he doubles over in pain. I go to grab him again, but am pulled back by my arms. Jaxon pa.s.ses me and grabs the guy by the throat and throws him against the wall. I try to fight the arms that are holding me off, not nearly done with him myself, but a weak voice stops me.
"Mac."
I spin around and see Mia has her eyes barely open. I rush to her and bend down so we"re eye level.
"Shh...I"m here, Pix. You"re okay now." I gather her in my arms and look around the room until I find who I think is the owner.
"Where"s the office?"
My guess must have been right because he replies in a worried voice, "This way," and turns around to walk out of the room. I follow him with Bailey, Chris, and Karyn hot on my trail, worried about their friend.
We stop at a door, and the guy pulls out a set of keys and unlocks it. When we enter, he points to a couch off to the side. I sit down with Mia in my lap. She hasn"t spoken or moved since she called my name. I look down at her and see she must be out again. The uncontrollable fury that I felt a few minutes ago returns and I almost get back up to finish what Andrew and I started with the guy. The only thing holding me back is my need to be here for Mia if she wakes up.
The owner comes to me and hands me a wet rag. The girls sit on either side of me, their sorrow evident on their faces. I take the rag and run it gently along Mia"s face.
A few minutes later, Jaxon walks into the room with Nick behind him. He has b.l.o.o.d.y knuckles as well, and the expression on his face would scare any sensible person. He walks over to us and kneels down in front of me. One of his hands goes to Bailey, who grabs onto it as if her life depends on it. His other hand goes to Mia"s cheek.
"How is she?" He asks in a rough voice.
"She hasn"t woken up yet. Her breathing seems to be fine though," I reply without taking my eyes off Mia.
Just then, we hear a commotion in the hallway right before a couple of paramedics enter the room with a stretcher, two uniformed officers behind them. I get up off the couch and set Mia down on the stretcher. I take a step back, letting them do their work, but I don"t move too far away. They immediately check her vitals, which are thankfully good.
When they start wheeling the stretcher out of the room, I go to follow. One of the officers puts his hand on my chest, blocking my way. I glance down at his hand and then back up to his face and give him a deadly look. No one is going to stop me from going with Mia.
"Who are you?" He asks.
"Mia"s boyfriend and Sheriff Weston of Jaded Hollow. Remove your hand or I"ll break it," I say, not caring that I"m threatening an officer of the law.
He sees the truth in my words and drops his hand, but doesn"t move out of the way. "We need to ask you some questions, Sheriff Weston."
Nick steps up beside us and speaks to the dumb a.s.s officer. He has no clue how close I am to decking him. The paramedic"s have moved out of the room, and they"ll be loading Mia up soon and taking off.
"Officer," he stops and looks at the nameplate on the officers uniform, "Brant, why don"t you let the Sheriff go be with Mia. Mac wasn"t here when this happened. I"m sure he"d been more than willing to go down to the station tomorrow to answer any questions you have."
I"m about to lay the guy out for keeping me from Mia when he finally moves to the side with an understanding nod. I rush past him when I hear him say, "I expect to see you at the station first thing in the morning."
I ignore him and run over to the ambulance, where Mia is now inside. Neither of the paramedics say anything when I climb inside. I take a seat closest to Mia"s head and take her limp hand into my own. I nearly fall to my knees beside her at her frail and vulnerable look. The door is closed, and we take off for the hospital.
I look up to see Mia"s eyes slit open. I pull her wrist to my lips and kiss it several times. I have to clear my clogged throat before speaking.