Spent - Part Two (Bad Boy Fighter Book 2) (9 page)

If I can just make it over to my desk, I can get the pocket knife I keep in the top drawer.
 

I try to stall Derrick, while stepping backwards towards the desk.
 

“Luke will be here any minute. You better leave before he sees you, otherwise, he’ll beat the shit out of you.”
 

Derrick’s eyes practically burn with an intensity that I’ve never seen before. With a flick of his hand, he crashes the front door shut behind him, trapping us in my home.
 

“Oh, Luke’s on his way? Good. I’m looking forward to punishing that little fucker, but don’t feel left out. I’ll be sure to take care of you first, Baby,” Derrick finishes as his hulking body barrels towards me.
 

Adrenaline pushes my fear aside long enough to direct my reflexes into action as I try to sidestep him and rush towards my desk. My stomach sinks as he catches me around the waist, tripping me up enough for him to secure me in his arms like a rag doll. Fear overwhelms me when I realize I’m unable to react quickly enough to wrestle free.
 

The world pivots as my body slams roughly into the wall, sending a stabbing pain through my backside. I gasp as the air gets knocked out of me. Derrick’s forearm is suddenly pushing against my chest. Looking up, I stare across the void that is my former boyfriend’s eyes, but I see nothing of the man I once knew in the dark orbs that stare back at me. All I see is madness, and hate.
 

My mind flashes to the last time I saw my father. I felt the same terror then. The same pain in my back when he’d thrown me into a wall. I’d seen the same insane look in his eyes. The difference between now and then is my mother isn’t here. She isn’t here this time to jump on my attacker’s back and scream at me to run.
 

Tasha, RUN!
 

I can still hear her blood curdling scream, but this time I’m alone. My legs want to run, just like they did all those years ago, but I’m pinned against the wall by someone far stronger than I ever imagined.
 

“Do you get wet for him, Tasha?” Derrick slurs as one of his hands trails down along my torso, the other keeping me pinned against the wall.
 

Derrick moves his hand around behind me and begins to feel my bruised backside. Terror fills my loins as I realize his intentions are far worse than just sheer violence. This is a sort of crime I’ve never felt before and it’s far more terrifying than anything my father ever did to me.
 

“Fuck off!” I spit out as I drive my knee upward as fiercely as I can.
 

It’s not a clean connection with my target, but Derrick wails and momentarily releases me from the impact. I shoot to the side, trying my best to move past him as quickly as possible. Hands follow me and rip at my shirt, forcing me to turn about. I back away as quickly as I can, managing to catch myself from falling, as I break free from his grasp.
 

My legs suddenly remember what to do and quickly carry me towards my desk. I tear open the drawer and grab my pocket knife just as Derrick’s massive hands close in around my other arm.

Closed.

My phone rings loudly on the desk in front of us, the screen alit with a picture of Luke and I. I use the momentary distraction to bite down on the tiny pocket knife bevel and open the blade with my teeth.
 

Hurry, Luke.
 

I swing the blade frantically in unpracticed arcs, making contact with Derrick’s arm twice before he even realizes I have a weapon. Blood drips from the blade as I draw it back. The wounds are shallow and weak. Derrick spits out incoherent words as he glares at me. His eyes are filled with the bloodlust of his rage.
 

“You little cunt,” he snarls.
 

I realize that I’m going to have to make him hurt in order to survive this. My body flexes to thrust at him in a stabbing motion. Derrick is a professional fighter though, and despite him being drunk, it’s impossible for me to outmaneuver him.
 

His fist flies into my jaw with a sickening crunch before I can react. Pain spreads throughout my face as blood fills my mouth. I feel myself falling down. Derrick’s body quickly jumps on top of me as I make contact with the ground. He twists the tiny blade out of my hand. Tears begin to fall down my cheeks as I stare up into his vicious, dilated eyes.
 

Derrick shifts his gaze to stare incredulously at the sharp blade in his hand. An ocean of fear overcomes me. Even though I used to sleep with this man, and at one point, even thought I loved him, I have no idea what he’s about to do to me. I realize for the first time, I might die here.
 

My thoughts drift to the people I love. My beautiful mom, my stepfather, my friend Cameron. And Luke. Tears flood my eyes as I realize I really do love Luke, but that I probably won’t live to be able to tell him those three little words.
 

The sound of the knife clattering across the floor means Derrick isn’t stabbing me for now at least. My body relaxes, only slightly. A fraction of the lethal danger is away from my body, but only a fraction. I have to stay alert and fight for as long as I can and pray to God that Luke gets here soon.  

“Kiss me, Baby,” Derrick mutters insidiously as he lowers his face closer to mine.
 

I know that I won’t acquiesce to that, even in an attempt to save my life. I’d rather die. I spit at him, splattering blood across his bald head. Derrick grins, chilling my veins with a type of horror that I’ve never felt before, not even with my father.
 

His lips clasp forcefully across mine. I feel his teeth cut my upper lip, causing a shooting pain to vibrate across my likely fractured jaw. He thrusts his alcohol soaked tongue into my mouth. I try to bite down on it, but he pulls away before I can.
 

“I always loved your feistiness, Tash,” he says as he drags his fingers through my hair, stinging my scalp, “I’m going to make you wet for me, Tasha. So wet that you’ll forget all about that asshole you’ve been cheating on me with.”
 

I can hear myself sobbing as he begins undoing the button and zipper on my pants. Vaguely, I’m aware that I’m feebly struggling and yelling as I watch from the detached, protective part of my consciousness. Hollow noises flow from my lips as Derrick hastily rips apart what little shreds of fabric are protecting me from him.
 

The pain in my jaw and my face keeps drawing me back, nearly knocking me out. I’m crying for mercy now, for life. I thrust and wiggle and try to get out from under Derrick, but I’m helpless and no match for his size and strength.
 

“I need you to stay very fucking still now, baby,” Derrick mutters as he tears away the last shred of clothing, finally revealed the nakedness of my lower half to those crazed eyes of his.
 

The hardness in his pants pushes against my leg as he leans forward to place his arm across my throat. I feel him fumbling with his belt, or perhaps it’s his zipper.
 

Please, God, no...
 

The sound of an engine comes from nowhere, and headlights flash across the wall. Derrick hesitates for a moment, listening, and breathing hard, inches from my face. I can smell the alcohol even thicker now and it makes me want to vomit.
 

A tiny spark of hope ignites within me that the car outside is Luke. I glance down at Derrick, silently praying that he won’t get hurt by this madman, but wishing more than anything he could save me now from what’s about to happen.

 
“You’re insane!” I sob as I try to get out from under him before screaming as ear piercingly as I can muster.

“I said, be still!” I feel Derrick’s fist land violently against the left side of my face just before my world grows dark. All I feel is pain as I drift off into a terrible sleep.

***

Darkness consumes me. Hands touch me. I want to fight them away, but I have no strength.

Derrick…

The haze is too great and the void swallows me whole.

“Wake up, Tasha. Please wake up,” I hear Luke’s voice in my dreams.

The image of him that I had in my article flashes through my mind as I sleep. His hazel eyes stare back at me, bringing a smile to my lips. My jaw hurts when I try to smile.

Why does my jaw hurt?
 

I try to remember, but when I try, my head throbs. The picture of Luke begins to fade from the pain. I try to shake off the throbbing, instead, focusing on Luke. I still hear his voice, echoing through my mind. I look for him, but all I see is his hazy picture. Reaching out for it, I try to touch him, but he disappears. Tears begin to prick the corners of my eyes.

I remember tears recently. I cried when he hit me. But who hit me and why?
 

My fingertips touch my jaw. It burns and feels swollen against my touch. The taste of blood fills my mouth. He hurt me and left me bleeding. His dark, crazy eyes stared into mine as he ripped at my clothes, intended on having his way with me.

Who was he?
 

I try to remember. All I see is those crazy eyes staring back at me. They’re not Luke’s beautiful hazel eyes. These are darker, filled with rage and mania. I know these eyes, but it’s so hard to remember. My head begins to throb even more. Slowly, I begin to feel other pain throughout my body. Pain floods through me as eyes lit aflame with insanity stare at me, laughing at my pain. I try to scream, but my jaw doesn’t move.

As I stare at the eyes, his image becomes clearer. His bald head glistens against the dim lighting of my dream world. A large, muscular frame comes into shape through the haze. I see him and I know him. My body becomes consumed with pain, but I know who he is. I try to scream his name so the whole world knows who did this to me, but no sound comes out. All I do is stare at him as he stares back, laughing at me as I lie on the ground in pain.

Derrick…

***

My eyes slowly open. They hurt so bad, that I can barely see, but I can vaguely make out the sterile white room that I’m lying in. All I feel is pain, everywhere. I try to open my mouth, but the pain is too much that I nearly doze off again. I force myself to stay awake. There’s no way I’m going back to that place with Derrick laughing at me.

I fight my own body to stay away. The pain tries to overwhelm me, but I fight it. I need to know where I’m at. Noises beep behind me. I try to turn around to see what the noises are, but a pain shoots through my back. A moan slips past my dry throat. My jaw hurts, but I can finally move it some. Regardless of how small the success, moving my jaw gives me the fuel I need to try to move my head to the other side to see what’s behind me.

Slowly, I tilt my head. It feels like I haven’t moved in a week. My neck is so stiff that my head feels like it weighs a hundred pounds. Still, I have to move. I need to know where Derrick has taken me. I need to know where I’m at. I need to know if Luke is okay.

Hospital monitors fill my hazy vision as my head slowly shifts to the other side. The monitors are attached to me, reading my vitals. I have no idea what they say, but it would appear that I’m alive and not in some kind of hell. Copper hair catches my eye.

Luke and Vince are sitting beside one another on a couch, both slouched over. Fear fills me for a second as the thought that maybe Derrick hurt them invades my senses. When I see Luke’s chest rise up and down, I let out a ragged breath of relief. They both appear to be asleep.

I try to open my mouth, but nothing happens. My jaw doesn’t seem to know how to work anymore. Even though I’m trying to fight it, I’m feeling tired again. I try to focus on Luke to stay awake.

He looks like he did the day I saw him at the arena. He’s thin again and looks ragged. It looks like he hasn’t slept in days, despite the fact that he’s sleeping now. When I get my voice, I’m going to chew him out for not eating properly. Even though he looks weary and broken, he’s still the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. I try once again to open my mouth and speak, but only a moan comes out.

Vince stirs in his seat. His eyes lazily open. Excitement shoots through my limbs. I try to say something to him, but only another unintelligible sound
 
comes out. Vince stares at me for a moment, as if he too doesn’t know where he’s at. Suddenly, his eyes widen in astonishment as he leaps up and rushes to my side.

“Natasha,” he whispers, his large hand gently touching my hand as he kneels down beside me, “Can you hear me, baby girl?”
 

I slowly nod my head as tears fill my eyes. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I would be this happy over seeing my stepdad. He and I have always been friends, I even call him Dad, but there’s always been a distance between us that put into stone that he would never quite fit in as an actual father to me. Regardless of that distance, at this very moment, he’s an extremely welcome sight.

A smile of pure joy extends across Vince’s tan face as his eyes grow misty, “Oh Nat, you had us so scared.”

He tenderly rubs my hand with his thumb. It hurts a little, but I don’t care. I’m alive and I’m being touched by someone who doesn’t want to hurt me, but who actually loves me. At this moment, all I want to do is listen to him talk and hope that he doesn’t let go. He’s keeping me awake and away from my dreams.

I glance over at Luke, who’s still sleeping on the couch. Vince’s eyes follow mine. When he sees what I’m looking at, he smiles and turns his attention back towards me.

“That young man hasn’t left your side since the moment he found you. Your mom finally convinced him to go to sleep,” Vince’s tears begin to fall, “If he hadn’t found you when he did, I don’t know what would’ve happened.”

“Luke,” I struggle to speak, and it’s barely more than a whisper.

Vince smiles down at me through his tears. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Luke stirring. Hazel eyes stare at me for a moment, nearly concealed under a mess of thick copper hair. I’ve never seen Luke’s hair so disheveled before, but it makes him look cute in a slightly helpless kind of way. If my face wasn’t killing me, I would have giggled.