Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 32618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 163(@200wpm)___ 130(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32618 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 163(@200wpm)___ 130(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
“Get the hell off me, Gerald.” She tried to wedge her hands between their bodies further and push him away, but the awkward position and the fact he used all his body weight to keep her pinned to the wall made it nearly impossible.
“I don’t know what it is about you that makes me need you so badly. Hell, maybe it’s the fact I haven’t had you yet that makes me a fiend.” He ran his tongue up her throat and kissed the side of her mouth.
She struggled against his hold, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to stay in the present and not get sucked into the past where she was helpless.
“I won’t do this again,” she whispered.
He chuckled softly. “Won’t do what?” he murmured right beside her mouth.
She opened her eyes and focused. “I won’t be a victim.” She turned and looked at him then and smiled, and in that one second, she felt his hold loosen just an inch. That was all she needed. Bringing her knee up, she jammed it right between his legs.
Gerald’s eyes widened and he grunted. Stumbling back, he held his crotch, his eyes watering.
“You fucking bitch,” he wheezed out, and she curled her hands into fists at her sides as she watched him.
But his expression changed to something darker, and he charged forward. She yelped, and moved away from the wall, not wanting to get pinned again. The door was only feet from her, and she darted toward it.
She needed to get out in the open. She had her hand wrapped around the handle, but before she could turn it and pull the door open, Gerald grabbed her ponytail and jerked her back. She gasped out in pain from the sudden movement and fell back on her ass.
Her foot kicked the side table by the door, knocking over the lamp. It didn’t break, so she desperately grabbed for it. She had the neck in her hand, her fingers wrapped tightly around it. Just as he was pulling her up to stand, she swung back and clocked him in the side of the head with the ceramic base.
It broke, the sound of it shattering and crashing into his skull loud in the small space.
Gerald stumbled back, blood immediately starting to drip down his temple. “Fuck,” he said and lifted his hand to touch the side of his head. “You fucking cunt.” His voice was raised, his rage tangible.
Just as he took a step toward her, the front door flew open. And there, standing in the entryway looking pissed as fuck, was David. Gillian’s heart slammed hard against her ribs as she looked at the man she loved.
He only took a second to take in the scene before he was letting out this deep, angry sound and charging toward Gerald.
She was frozen sitting on the floor, her back against the wall, her focus on Gerald and David as they fought. The lighting was dim because the lamp had broken and the kitchen light was muted and around the corner, but she could see the beating David was giving to Gerald.
It was like the scene before her was in slow motion, the violence filling the air, the rage coming from David so thick she felt it cover her skin. Gerald was now on his back on the ground while David stood over him, his hands at his sides, and blood on his knuckles from hitting Gerald so many times.
The expression on David’s face was a mask of dark anger. She’d seen that look before. She’d seen it when David went after Brian and also when he’d first hit Gerald for kissing her. This was the real man she was in love with.
It was in that second that she realized that the “fault” she’d seen in what he’d done, following and watching her, was his way of making sure she was safe. It may not have been the best way to go about it, but it was the only way he knew.
Gerald groaned and held the side of his face, blood coming out everywhere and smearing along his cheeks, even his forehead. And then Gerald tried to get up.
“No, you stay down, fucker.” David punched Gerald in the side of the head, causing him to fall back onto the ground, groaning and clutching his face. She knew her eyes were wide, felt her heart beating so hard it was painful.
David leaned down so he was right over Gerald.
“I should fucking kill you, you piece of shit,” David said, his voice sounding distorted. He started punching Gerald in the face repeatedly, the other man now begging for David to stop.
“David,” she managed to say, and he stopped instantly. He turned and looked at her, not saying anything, but breathing hard, his eyes wild. “He’s not worth it. Just let him go.” She knew if this didn’t stop, David would kill him. He looked that unhinged and deadly.