Riding Raw (7 page)

She didn't resist when he led her to the room. The inevitability of it all wasn't lost on her, and frankly she'd grown tired of fighting it. This was her lot in life—the path she'd chosen. She'd best make peace with that and try to make it out alive.

Once inside, Shane shoved her to the bed like she was no more than a sack of potatoes. “You haven't said a word in over an hour, sweetness. How long you gonna keep this up?"

Lily didn't respond.

"Fine by me. Besides, you know I've never been much for women who talked a whole lot. But a screaming woman is a whole ‘nother thing entirely.” He launched at her, backhanding her hard enough to lay her flat.

The taste of warm copper flooded her mouth. She scrambled up the bed to get away, the whoosh of her own terrified screams sounding in her ears.

"No need for you to talk, Lily. I mean to do all the talking from here on out, and you'll damn well listen, won't ya?” He unbuttoned his bloodstained shirt and flung it to the floor. Fingering the small gash on his arm, he scowled in the mirror. “Damn fag tried to kill me."

She watched in horror as he touched his belt buckle and recalled the savagery of his slaps, the way the leather welted her skin.

She waited for his next move.

He suddenly laughed. “It occurred to me that I ought to kill you—to simply put you down like the miserable bitch you are."

Lily sucked her swollen lip. Shane Doherty didn't have the balls to kill an ant. A liter of liquid courage wasn't enough to make a man out of him. If she ever broke her vow of silence, she'd make sure to tell him just that.

Grumbling to himself, he poured a shot of whiskey into a paper cup. “You want some?"

Lily rolled her eyes.

"More for me, then.” He downed it quickly and poured another. “This is some good shit. The best.” He dipped a finger into it and flinched as he rubbed the alcohol across the wound on his arm. “I'm gonna have to find a drug store; otherwise, this thing could get infected.” He poured another shot.

Good. She wanted him to drink. He liked booze even more than he liked hurting her.

"I don't know what you thought you were doing,” he whispered. “Did you really think I wouldn't find you? That I wouldn't know exactly where you would go? How stupid are you, Lily? Did you think I would make it easy?"

She'd thought he'd be too piss drunk and angry to care. She'd thought—after bashing his face in with a lamp—he'd get the message and leave her alone. So maybe she was stupid.

Simply asking him to stop beating her had done little more than increase the frequency of his attacks. Why she'd assumed violence would get her message across was now a mystery—oh wait, since men like Shane only understood violence, she'd reasoned a bump on the head would shake his devotion to making her life a living hell.

Yeah. Stupid.

He prowled the space in front of the bed. He was just warming up, and as soon as he'd made his usual grand declaration about loving her enough to kill her, he'd come for her. And the pain would begin. So would the begging and crying.

But not tonight. And never again.

Lily withdrew inside herself so much she barely heard Shane's speech. Not that she needed to listen very closely. She knew it by heart.

You have to kill him.

There was no urgency to the thought. It was simply there.

It was suddenly so clear. It made sense. And the kicker? The voice in her head belonged to a man she barely knew. Bo, her friend, had crept into her subconscious and offered his advice.

If you kill him, he won't be able to hurt you again. Wouldn't that be wonderful? You'd be able to sleep through the night, Lily.

Shane marched back and forth, pontificating about bad girls who deserved to pay. The glint of his belt buckle caught her eye, and she almost doubled over from an all too recent memory. She scanned the room, looking for anything that could save her.

That's right, hon. There has to be something in here to do the trick, Bo told her.

No, no, there isn't. The damned lamp is bolted to the desk! There's nothing I can use.

Her mind went silent, and she wilted, the last of her courage slipping.

"And I told you to stop dressing that way! But nooo, you have to show everything the good Lord gave you to the whole entire world. I knew you wasn't clean, but my God, can't you at least pretend to be a lady? You need to—"

She noted the change in his pitch before tuning him out again. A few more minutes, maybe. He tossed back another drink. Yes. Another few minutes before he'd strike.

"But I love you, in spite of it all, Lily, and I ain't prepared to give up on you!"

Her pulse jumped. Shane's tirade seemed to be in fast-forward, jerking off the rails. She shrank into the pillows, wishing with all her might she could just disappear.

He'd said he loved her.

While most women could expect hugs and kisses after a similar pronouncement, Lily had discovered Shane's idea of love was rough. His love was usually hard and forceful and doled out with little warning. His love often left scars and bruises.

That's not love, Lily, Bo said wisely. You know that.

She did know.

And by the time another familiar voice spoke up, she already knew what she had to do.

Get him, baby, Duff said. Finish this but good.

Lily shook her hair until it hung like spun gold around her shoulders. She patted the space beside her.

Shane stopped in his tracks, the rest of his speech forgotten. “What's this now?” His voice sounded small and hopeful. “You finally decide to be nice?"

"You know I can't resist you for long, Shane. I was
stupid
to try this long."

"I'll say.” His gaze darkened with lust. “You need to realize how good you have it. We're happy most of the time, aren't we?” He moved to the bed's edge. “I only act like this when you do something you're not supposed to. If you acted like a proper wife, I wouldn't have to be so hard on you."

Lily batted her eyes. “Wife? But we're not married, Shane."

"I'm willing to, you know that. But I gotta be able to trust you. I can't do that with you traipsing around all the time looking like you're single. Any wife of mine has to be respectable in every way.” He ran a grubby hand across her thigh.

Lily forced a smile to her lips. “So, if I stop making you mad, we can get married?” She'd intended to sound hopeful, but the ring of sarcasm met her ears. Luckily Shane was too far gone to notice.

"It's what I want more than anything, Lily.” As he spoke, he drew closer. “If you start treating me the way I deserve to be treated, everything will be all right. I got everything you need to be happy. Just stop running around like you ain't got sense, and you'll see."

All Lily saw was a drunken loser with a trust fund.

"You're right, Shane, and I'm so sorry.” She reached for his hand and pulled it to her breast. She heaved out a nice long breath and dragged his finger across her nipple, willing it to pucker. “It's time I settled down and acted like a proper woman and a good wife."

"You're finally ready?” he asked with a slow grin. “Even after everything? You ran off, heading straight for McKay—"

"Forget him. I already have."

"And it's about damn time. I'd heard he went homo, but I never believed it until tonight."

Lily's smile was tight. “You never know about people these days,” she mumbled. “But I don't want to talk about them, Shane. This is about us, baby, and our future."

"Our future.” He squeezed her breast, causing her to flinch. As usual his technique was off, and his pleasure meant pain for her. But she smiled anyway. In a little while, he'd never have the chance to paw her again. Now, if she could just get him out of his pants.

Duff steered into an empty space and cut the engine. He glanced at his partner, noting Bo's nervous energy and barely contained anger. “Maybe you ought to stay in the car,” he suggested. “I can handle Doherty on my—"

"Maybe, but you don't have to. I'm here to help, Duff, and this isn't just about you. Lily's my friend now, and I'm not backing off this."

Duff was amazed by Bo's courage and loyalty to a woman he barely knew. “You really like her, huh?"

"You know I do. And no matter how much you try and deny it, you like her even more. Whatever she's done, she doesn't deserve to be smacked around by that clown, and I mean to see it never happens again."

Duff swelled with pride. “All right. But don't go off getting trigger happy.” He patted the gun at his hip. “I'll keep the gun at my side unless I need to draw it. No one needs to die tonight—not even that bastard. We clear, Bo?"

"Crystal."

Duff scanned the room doors. “There: 105 is that one.” He moved toward the door with Bo bringing up the rear.

Before he could knock, a loud crash commanded their attention. “Get away from me! Stop! Stop it!"

Lily.

Duff hadn't planned on kicking in the door. Not that he had much of a plan, come to think of it. But before he knew it, he and Bo were wailing on it, using all their force in an attempt to splinter the hinges.

The commotion stopped for a moment.

Then suddenly, “Bo? Duff!” Lily yelled, and Duff heard the unmistakable sound of a fist slamming into soft flesh.

Duff kicked in the door. “Let her go now, or I swear to fucking Christ I'll shoot you dead."

"Fuck all y'all!” Shane Doherty dragged Lily in front of him. She was shaking like a leaf, blood dribbling from her lip down the front of her torn nightshirt. But she wasn't the only one bleeding, Duff noted with admiration. She'd dug scratches beneath Doherty's eye and may have even broken his nose.

"Remember his gun!” she screamed. “It's in the back of his jeans."

"Not anymore.” Shane withdrew the gun and placed it to Lily's head. “See how that works, baby?"

Duff cocked his pistol. “Let her go."

"Or what, cowboy? Didn't we just do this dance? If you were gonna kill me, you woulda did it back at your place."

"Oh, that's rich.” Bo moved forward, showing his hands. “I'm not carrying, Doherty. Just release the lady, and we'll be on our way."

"Ain't no ladies here. But she's not going anywhere with you.” He leered at Duff. “She's mine, remember? Thought you learned that lesson a few years back. Shit, I'm really confused about why you and your gay boy want her back so damn much."

"His gay boy is more man than you could ever be.” Her sudden hysterical laughter sent a charge through the room. “In every way."

"Wh-what?” Shane seemed to forget the two men. “You had sex with him? What the fuck?” He grabbed Lily and spun her, pushing her backward until she was forced to stare into his eyes. “You had sex with both of them?"

"And it was good.” Tears poured down her cheeks. “Oh my God, it was so good. They made me feel things you never have."

Shane's grip slackened enough for Lily to catch her breath. Her next dig was loud and clear. “You don't hold a candle to either of them in any respect, Shane. And a bitch-whore like me oughta know."

Enraged and drunken, Shane cocked his gun hand back to strike her.

Duff advanced on them, heading off the blow before it made contact. He smashed the barrel of his gun across Shane's fist, forcing him to drop his piece. Clutching his hand, Shane fell to his knees. Lily stood by, her eyes wild, rocking on the balls of her feet.

"You're going to leave town tonight, Doherty, and you aren't going to come back.” Duff stepped on the mangled hand, satisfied when a faint crunching sound sent Shane into hysterics.

"You motherfucking, cocksucking bastard,” Shane moaned. “All this trouble over a two-bit whore—"

"Shut up!” Bo commanded. “Not. Another. Word."

Duff pulled him to his feet, releasing him with a shove.

"Shit...I think you broke it!"

"Too bad. So sad. Start walking. Don't look back."

Muffled footsteps caught their attention. “What in the hell?” An older gent with white hair and loose dentures tottered inside. “I don't know what you fellas think you're doing messing up my motel. I'm calling the police."

"Don't bother.” Duff spoke with authority. “They already know we're here. I'm sorry about the door. I'll pay for it.” Handing Bo the gun, he snagged a piece of paper from the bedside table and scrawled his number on it. “Give me a call when you know the damage."

The man accepted the paper with trembling hands. He eyed Bo suspiciously. “We don't allow no violence here, so I'd appreciate it if you'd put the gun away."

Bo nodded. “No problem. I'll put it away as soon as I'm done escorting Mr. Doherty to his car.” He thrust the gun against Shane's lower back, not even allowing him to grab any of his belongings before pushing him outside. The old man shook his head, leaving Duff and Lily alone.

She wouldn't look at him.

Duff went to her, folding her hand in his. “You all right? Did he hurt you?” He cursed himself as soon as the idiotic question left his mouth. Blood congealed on her neck and dried on her swollen lips. Of course the bastard had hurt her.

He gently pulled her body against him, embracing her. She gazed up at him, her breathing ragged, her eyes wide. “Can we go home now?"

He stroked her chin thoughtfully, glancing up at the sound of Bo's footsteps on the threshold. His partner gave him the thumbs-up.

"I think that's a lovely idea. We're all going home."

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Duff and Bo hung back as Lily darted into her bedroom. She'd said little during the drive home, other than begging Bo to join her in the backseat, where she'd sobbed on his shoulder.

"Maybe you should go talk to her.” Duff squeezed his partner's hand. “I would probably just make things worse.” He'd started leaning on Bo more and more when it came to anything concerning Lily.

"Right now, the only thing I plan to do is run her a bath. She'll talk when she's ready, Duff."

They moved down the hall and ducked inside the bathroom.

"Something's not right with her,” Duff said, leaning on the sink. “I know she had a rough night—"

"Did you see her neck? The bastard slashed her throat!” Bo bent forward and twisted on the bathtub faucet.