Save Me From the Dark (21 page)

Bella

Running, it was the only thing I could think of doing. My heart was racing in my chest. I knew what was going to happen if he caught me. It was an experience I care not to repeat. I may only be ten years old, but I wasn’t stupid. Running away from the hell my dad is putting me through was the only way I was going to be free from the pain.

Looking both ways before I cross the street, I hurry to get back out of sight. Running along the dirt roads was safer for me. If he can’t see me, he won’t be able to find me. I won’t be hurt any longer. He can’t keep hurting me. I’m hurting enough. Mom was my best friend. She was half of me and now that half is gone. The only half I have left is being beaten down to something that resembles shit.

“Mommy, I miss you. Daddy has changed since you went away. He hurts me all the time. I don’t think he loves me anymore. I’m sorry for whatever I did to make you leave me. Please come save me,” I cry as I run along the dirt roads near our house.

It’s so hard to see. It’s dark and the rain is making it hard for me to hear anything. If I can’t run faster, he’s going to find me. He’s going to hurt me. My only saving grace would be for him to kill me.

My right leg stiffens and drags slightly behind me as I push myself as hard as I can. When Dad hit me with the cane, I think he might have broken something, but he won’t take me to the doctors. He says the bruise is too fresh. Maybe I can run there? Someone there was bound to help me, right?

“Mama, why does he hate me so much? I miss you too. I loved you too. Why does he act like this is all my fault? I didn’t know, Mama. I would have saved you. I would have. Daddy needs you, I would have saved you if I could,” I cry again to the clouds hoping she could hear me. “I’m so sorry, Mama. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”

I’m shifted from side to side before I feel the bright lights trying to filter in through my closed eye lids. Groaning, I start to lift my head. His head covers my face.

“Keep your head down. We have to go through the main entrance because of some kind of emergency in the back. No one can see your face right now. I’ll always protect you,” he speaks softly.

“Ace,” I whisper.

“Hmm.”

“I need a kiss and I’m not sure I can wait until we are out of sight,” I say bashfully.

“Why not?”

“Please just kiss me and take my nightmare away. Please.”

His eyes meet mine briefly before he lowers his mouth to kiss me sweetly. In a fraction of a second, my muscles loosen and I’m free from the panic that my flashback filled me with. Tightening my arms around his neck, I deepen the kiss further.

This man… This glorious man… He is my saving grace. My mom would always tell me that when I meet the man I am meant to be with, I’ll never doubt or worry again. Because when I am with that man, none of it will matter. There’d be no reason to doubt. No reason to fear.

Honestly, I never thought that true, nor did I think I’d find it so soon, that all changed the day he replied to my ad. In that simple email, he unintentionally showed me the world I never knew was out there.

As good as it is, it is just as bad. When he realizes what he’s really dealing with, he’ll leave and I’ll be even more broken than I was before I met him. The question I’ve been asking myself is if this moment – no matter how brief – is worth the pain that I know will be following…

His growl fills my ears, breaking into my thoughts, sending a delicious current through my body. It wants that moment of unbelievable and indescribable feelings – pulses – which it has only experienced by his hands. The more kisses we share, the harder it is to push away. To stop him, me, from going any further.

Leaning up a little further, I push myself against him, firmly. Ace shifts me around so my legs wrap around his waist, never breaking his lips from mine. His hands flex against my ass causing me to rub against him.

Oh. My. God. I feel like I’m on fire.

Ace

She pushes her chest against me, deepening our kiss and I lose all control of rational thoughts. Shifting her around, I wrap her legs around me. My hands lower down and rest over that incredible ass of hers. So perfect for my hands. Bella rubs against me and a deep possessive growl escapes before I can stop it.

My head jerks forward suddenly from the impact against the back of my head almost causing me to head butt Bella. Gary’s voice then fills my ears.

“What the hell you thinking boy? You show her some respect. Stop mauling her in damn public.”

Our eyes meet briefly before she lowers her head to the curve of my neck and starts laughing. My laughter soon joins hers, but I don’t lower her to the ground. We step into the elevator that Gary holds open for us. I look at Gary.

“You smacked me upside the head.”

A smirk plays on Gary’s face. “I did,” he looks at me before he starts laughing too.

Just as the elevator was about to shut, I feel her tense around me as some guy yells for the elevator to be held. Gary and I both look at each other. He tips his head toward Bella. I nod. He tips his head toward the man quickly approaching. I nod again with a glare.

Leaning down, I whisper. “You know him.” She nods. “Your dad?”

“I think so,” she whispers.

“We’re going to let him on the elevator just to see what he’s up to. You will not be shown at all. Okay?”

Bravely, she nods her head and lowers her legs to the floor. Moving her behind me in the corner, I stand in front of her. Gary holds the elevator open and the man enters in. He’s gangly. Though, it is hard to see at first glance, but if you look at him longer, you can see the man he used to be. The man that my beautiful Bella’s mom would have fallen in love with. But then if you look in his eyes, you see a heartless son of a bitch that you just want to rip to shreds.

“How you doing,” asshole nods at me and Gary. “Thanks for holding the elevator.”

“No problem. You look in a hurry,” Gary says casually.

“Yeah, looking for someone.”

“Oh? Who? Maybe we can help. We own the hotel.”

Bella gasps behind me. Mentally smacking my forehead, I forgot to tell her that this is my hotel, which is why I had a fancy room and the only other room on our floor was Gary’s that he let the team stay in from time to time.

“Oh that’d be perfect. See my daughter turned eighteen and she considers herself an adult and took off. A friend of mine told me they saw her here with some guy. I’m worried sick about her.”

“I bet. I worry about my daughter too, that’s why she’s hiding behind my future son-in-law here. How did she manage to get out of the house?”

“She went off to school and never came home.”

“Oh yeah,” Gary nods his head. “Classic move there.”

“Have you checked with her friends?” I interject.

“She wasn’t social. In fact, the school counselor was just telling me that she’s withdrawn and anti-social.”

“Hmm,” Gary pretends to think. “Do you know why she’d be that way?”

“Teenage girls. I’m at a loss on them. Being a single father is no joke, let me tell ya.”

Gary looks ahead and stops the elevator. It jerks to a halt and I hear Bella gasp behind me. Turning around careful not to expose her, I hold her face in my hands. “Gary’s going to hit him with the tough questions now. Please stay quiet. If anything happened to you, I wouldn’t survive.”

She nods her head and I kiss her lips lightly, whisper how much I love her, and carefully turn around, keeping her well hidden. My eyes lock with the monster that hurts my girl like it’s a hobby. His eyes keep trying to look around me.

“What are you looking at?” I hiss.

“Just trying to see the girl you’re protecting.”

“Well, you don’t need to,” my fists clench at my sides. “You keep your eyes to yourself or I’ll make sure you can’t see.”

Bella’s hands fist in my shirt and I move my hands behind me, holding her against me. Just moments earlier, we were practically having sex in the lobby of the hotel, unplanned of course. Now, I’m afraid that this moment, this man, is going to make her run from me.

“There’s got to be a reason that she ran away from home,” Gary says stepping in my line of sight.

“She’s got an attitude about her. She’s rude, disrespectful, and abusive. As her father, I can’t fight back, but if she weren’t my child…” he left the threat hanging.

My fists clench again and I start pulling away from Bella. Honestly, I want to show him what it feels like to have the crap beat out of you. I want to be the one to make him feel every last ounce of pain. Bella’s arms wrapping around my waist stops me in my tracks.

“Maybe she’s already back home,” Gary suggests.

“No,” asshat shakes his head. “She called into school saying she was taking an early vacation or something. The kicker is that my daughter never wants to leave the house. I have no doubt the little prick that a friend saw her with is the one behind this. She’s never dared leave the house before.”

Gary presses the button again for the elevator to move. “Are you staying here?”

How he is keeping his cool with this monster in the same space as him is beyond me. I can’t do it. Not when I feel her trembling and tensing behind me.

“No, I was going to go door to door to see if she’s here and take her home where she belongs.”

The venom in his voice is unmistakable. Pure evil, is the thought that comes to my mind. He’s going to get what’s coming to him. I’ll make sure of it. If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to teach this guy a lesson he should have been taught long ago.

“I can’t have you knocking door to door in my hotel. People stay here to escape, for privacy. You knocking door to door will disturb our guests. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave. Do not come back in here unless you are a guest paying to stay here.”

“You can’t kick me out,” he hisses.

“I can and I am. Now, you can leave quietly or I can ban you from the premises completely.”

However, to anyone else, Gary sounds professional. Nevertheless, to me, to a man that knows him, he is barely holding back his rage. If I know him at all –and I’d like to think I do- he wants to rip him to shreds like I do.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Bella’s voice is soft, but strong.

Turning around abruptly, I cup her face in my hands. “Please. Don’t say anything, baby,” I beg her.