Unbeautifully Loved (Breathe Again) (42 page)

The adrenaline was gone and no longer numbed the pain away. The throbbing in my head returned. The pounding against my skull made my vision blurry and my stomach churn with nausea and my breathing hard and heavy, painful against my chest and broken ribs. But I knew I had to keep moving and stay focused on getting to the end of the road and pray a car would be driving by and help me.

I made it a couple yards when I was grabbed roughly by my hair and my head snapped back. “
Let go of me
!” I screamed trying to fight out of his grip.

“I told you Lex, you wouldn’t get far,” he growled into my ear.

I continued fighting him off, trying to get away. He turned me in his arms to face him, my hands painfully pushed against his chest but his arms locked around my waist. My body didn’t have much fight left but I refused to give up despite the pain.

I had to think about Finn. I had to fight for him. For Lukas. And for Mollie.

“
Help
!” I screamed. “Somebody– oomph,” I choked as the air was knocked out of me by Erik’s fist slamming into my stomach and I slumped over in his arms.

“Sorry, but you screaming and grinding up against me was starting to make my cock hard, fuck I’m tempted to just have you right here,” he said gravelly as he held me and began dragging me.

As he dragged me back inside and down the hall, I was still trying to catch my breath. I had no fight left in me, anything I had left I used trying to run from him. There was nothing left other than feeling hopeless.

No one was coming to save me.

Maybe I had it all wrong.

Maybe I had it all wrong. Maybe it was meant to end here and meeting him, falling in love, having this emptiness I carried around finally filled, maybe it was only supposed to be...temporary. Life had a way of playing cruel tricks on you. This I knew.
Boy did I know
. I no longer saw the future with him as bright, happy and full of love; it was suddenly now empty, numb and full of complete and utter darkness.

Erik threw open the door to the room and carried me over, dropping me on my stomach on the hard, stiff bed. I let out a loud groaned as my body landed uneasily. Erik then rolled me on my back and forced himself between my legs. His head came down, burying it in the crook of my neck as he started kissing then licking his way up, stopping below my ear.

I tried pushing him off but between the pain radiating from my body and his body too heavy, he didn’t budge. His hands were roaming over my tee, stopping on my breast and squeezing it so roughly it hurt. “
No
, get off,
please Erik
don’t do this,” I cried out, sobbing, on the verge of becoming hysterical.

His tongue licked up the other side of my neck, while his other hand played with the button of my jeans. I heard it pop then felt his hand go to the zipper.

“Stop,
please
,” I whimpered as I thrashed under him as best as I could as I heard and felt the zipper move down. “
No, stop
,” I wailed.

Erik’s head came up, his glacial eyes finding mine, pinning me in my spot. “You
want
this just as much as
I do
,” he snarled.

His hand moved to the top of my jeans. Ever so slowly, as if to torture me more, he found his way inside.

Oh, God, this can’t be happening!

I stilled, unable to move as he slowly continued his torturous journey.

Please, God, someone help me.

“
No, no, no!
” I bawled, fearing what was about to come next.

I was powerless against him, feeling his hand inch further down as nausea shot through me. “
Please
–” I started to plead but stopped when I saw a shadow enter the room, moving rapidly and grabbing Erik from behind, throwing him across the span of the room into the wall.

“
The fuck
,” I heard Erik growl.

I scrambled up to a sitting position to see Erik get to his feet. I looked at the broad-shouldered frame in front of me, his back was to me and I couldn’t see his face but I knew it wasn’t Lukas. The only thing I did know was this unknown person just saved me before Erik took a piece of me, something I knew I’d never be able to get back.

Erik didn’t show emotion as he took in the guy who stalked towards him, as if he was the first sight of prey in the hunting season. “Who the
fuck
are you?” Erik asked hoarsely.

He didn’t say anything. Instead he reached out and grabbed Erik by the throat and slammed him against the wall. I watched the man’s head bend down closer to Erik’s face and I was unable to hear, as he said something to him that caused Erik to jerk and struggle to get free.

Terrified, and forgetting the pain, I pushed myself back on the bed until my back hit the wall and I brought my knees to my chest as best as I could and wrapped my broken self around them; my eyes glued on the two people across from me.

He let go of Erik and started to turn him around, like he was about to cuff him. Erik moved to the side, trying to maneuver around the guy’s large body when he reached out so quickly and grabbed Erik, slamming him back into the wall. Erik didn’t give up as he went at him, throwing punches in each direction but missed the guy each time.

Erik threw another punch and the guy caught his fist in his hand, twisting it so swiftly it snapped. Erik yelled in agony and the guys other hand came around so fast and slammed into the side of Erik’s face so hard he stumbled back and into the wall. The guy, dropping Erik’s fist, threw another punch to the opposite side of his face, then two more before Erik crumpled to the ground.

I cringed as I saw Erik’s face oozing with blood. The guy finished with a hard kick to Erik’s ribs. I’d never seen someone move so quick, so smooth that it was over in a blink of an eye.

Oh, my God.

Please let this be over now.

I looked at Erik who was motionless on the floor then to the guy as he straightened before he turned in my direction and I saw his face.

Him.

I’ve seen him before.

Weeks ago, after my attack when Lukas had taken me to the station to give my statement, I ran into him on my way out;
literally,
right into his chest. He looked the same as that day only his hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

I hissed in pain as I pushed back further into the wall as he walked towards me, stopping at the side of the bed; holding out his hand to me.

“Come darlin’, let’s get you outta here.” His voice was rich, yet growly. I instantly felt safe but still uncertain. “Let’s get you to Luke,” he said, sensing my wariness.

Lukas.

The moment his name left his mouth, tears filled my eyes and I slowly moved towards him. I moaned in pain as I made it to the side of the bed, cradling my wrist and holding it close. He gently took my other arm, and helped me the rest of the way off the bed and to my feet.

We started towards the door when I stopped abruptly. “What about him?” My voice was thick and raw as I motioned to Erik out cold on the floor.

“He ain’t going anywhere,” he said flatly then continued to move us out the door, handling me gently, making sure not to inflict any more pain.

We made it out into the hall and he moved to head in one direction but I stilled making him look down at me in question. “There’s something I need to do before we go,
please
,” I told him, almost pleadingly with a shaky voice.

He nodded then followed my lead in the opposite direction down the hall. I don’t know why I wanted to see him one last time after everything he did but I needed it. I needed closure and to know this ordeal was finally over, that he was gone. Before we got to the door I stopped and looked up at the guy.

“I need to a minute alone.” Not asking I walked away from him and down to the open doorway.

Dex was in the same position he was in when I last same him. Erik had tried moving his body only to leave him when I took off. Looking at Dex he looked so different. He looked softer, the hardness his face always carried now gone. I felt saddened that his life ended the way it did. Even after everything he put me through I didn’t want it to end this way, not with bloodshed and the image of him leaving his body burned in my head.

“Lex.” The voice I had so desperately wanted to hear more than anything sounded from beside me.

I moved my eyes from Dex’s body for, what would be the last time, and in the direction of his warm velvety voice.

Lukas.

I looked at him; every emotion hitting me at once. My mouth ached but still curled into a small smile as my eyes burned with joyful tears and a whimper left my mouth. I moved from the doorway, limping my way in his direction while heeding his expression.

He looked torn; like he hadn’t slept in days. His hair was disheveled and his face expressionless. His eyes were frantic, stunned, as he watched me limp towards him.

He seemed so far away all of a sudden and I felt like I was dragging a ton of weight behind me.

“
Lukas
,” I gasped.

Excruciating pain exploded through me, ripping through my chest and darkness filled my eyes as I felt myself fall.

I awoke to the sound beeping and hushed voices coming from somewhere around me. I turned my head in the direction of the voices and felt dizzy. I opened my eyes and found Lukas and the guy who saved me talking a few feet away. Things were hazy but I knew it was them from the sound of their voices.

“Should get outta here,” I heard Lukas say as he turned, seeing I was awake.

The guy followed his gaze and met my eyes, “Yeah.”

We held each other’s gaze for a moment before he turned and left the room.

My eyes no longer able to stay open fluttered shut, and I welcomed the darkness.

“She’s been asleep a long time Lukas,” I heard Mollie’s moving voice say worriedly.

“Doctor said it’s normal for someone who went through what she did to respond like this,” Lukas’ said calmly.

I heard Mollie sniffle.

A chair moved.

Couple footsteps then silence.

“Moll, she went through something... horrible. What Erik did to her... and Dex...” Lukas’ voice trailed off and I could feel his anger fill the room. “She’s been traumatized, her body’s in shock...” he whispered and I could sense both their gaze on me.

Mollie’s voice became muffled and I fell back into darkness.