Unbeautifully Loved (Breathe Again) (8 page)

“Somebody please, help me,” I screamed.

His tongue shot out and licked the side of my face, his breath reeking of stale smoke. I cringed, bile rose up in my throat as he grinded up against me, and I could feel the bulge through his pants over my skirt. I struggled, trying to get my arms free but couldn’t, he was too strong– too heavy.

I panicked, not knowing how I was going to get away from him.

“No!” I cried as his hands started roaming over the side of my breasts then down, over my stomach to the hem of my shirt.

I was numb.

The tears started clouding my vision as his rough, sweaty hands slid over my bare stomach. I worked a leg free, and stomped on his foot hard enough that he let go of me and reeled back. “You
bitch
!” he roared.

I started to run, but he grabbed me around the waist and threw me to the ground. Pain shot through me as I hit the rocky ground on my side. I started scrambling to my knees, crawling, ignoring the sharp rocks digging into my skin, but he was quick and grabbed me by the hair.

I screamed in agony.

He pushed me onto my back, then straddled me. He wrapped his hands around my wrists tightly and brought my arms over my head, shoving them into the rocks; pinning me there.

I whimpered then yelled for help again.

His sadistic laugh filled the air around us. “Bitch, scream all you want. No one is around to hear you; you’re just wasting your breath." He growled out, and his face moved closer to mine, “On second thought, I love a woman who can scream.” His smoky, stale breath hit my nostrils, causing the bile to again rise in my throat.

“Get off me!” I tried screaming but it only came out in a whimper as one of his hands began roaming along the side of my body, grazing the side of my breast. “No! please!” I sobbed.

No one could hear me. No one was going to come.

My legs worked free and I continued to struggle, ignoring the pain from the rocks digging into my arms and back. My eyes searched him; I was trying to find something, anything that stood out about him, and that’s when I saw it.

It was sticking out the top of his shirt. A tattoo. I stared at it, burning the image of it into my head. It was simple yet unique. A single black rose, perfectly shaded with a snake wrapped around it, and its mouth holding a purple skull.

Black rose. Snake. Purple Skull.

Black rose. Snake. Purple Skull.

His face moved closer to mine. “Keep it up, you fighting and screaming is just getting me–”

He flew off me and landed with a loud oompff.

I was free and could finally move but I couldn’t do anything but lay there, frozen and in shock, trying to remember how to move. I could hear movement in the rocks a couple feet away from me, scuffling and grunting followed by what sounded like fists connecting with someone’s face.

At the sound, I became unfrozen and quickly stood up, unsure of how long I would last while ignoring the shooting pain I felt up my legs, hips and arms.

I watched as the bodies rolled around. I could tell the other, the one who had shown up at just the right time was a male. I watched the guy who attacked me get out from the others grip with a heavy kick then make a run for it.

The other took off after him, leaving me where I stood.

I watched with wide eyes. I wanted to get in my jeep and leave but my body wouldn’t listen when I tried moving.

I don’t know how much time had passed when I saw a shadow come from around the corner. My heart slammed in my chest as he walked towards me holding a phone to his ear and all I heard was the mumbling of his deep voice.

I heard his phone snap shut and the rocks crunch under his feet as he walked in my direction. My head was down. All I saw were his black boots when he approached. I choked back a sob as what happened began to hit. And it hit like a freight train. My legs gave out and instead of hitting the ground; two strong arms caught me and wrapped around my waist then pulled me in close to his firm, warm body.

“It’s okay,” the unknown voice said. “I got you, you’re safe.” His voice was deep and growly, rough with just a small amount of softness hidden in it.

His voice made me feel completely safe without even knowing who it belonged too.

The moment his arms tightened around me, the damn broke even more. I whimpered, burying my head into his chest, I held back a sob as tears filled my eyes then ran down my cheeks. My body shook with sobs I couldn’t hold back any longer. I felt his mouth at the side of my ear and he murmured something I couldn’t hear through my sobs.

My tears finally started to subside; my sobs were now only hiccups. His one arm was still around my waist while the other soothingly ran up and down my back. “Did you hear what I said?” he asked

I shook my head.

“I said I will take you home.” His warm deep voice rolled over me like a tidal wave washing through my body.

I didn’t want to move, I felt completely safe standing there in his embrace, but I nodded my head against his chest anyways, not trusting my voice. He squeezed my waist, making me pull away from his chest and look up at him.

My breath caught in my throat.

It was him. I don’t know how I knew but I did. I just knew it was him.

Looking into his light grey eyes sent a warm shiver through me, one that reached all the way to my toes. My stomach tightened as my heart skipped a couple beats then started slamming against my chest, and I worried he not only could see it, but feel it.

There wasn’t a doubt that the man who had just saved me, was the man I had seen on his motorcycle, the man who lived just a couple houses down, the man who in passing made me feel things I’d never felt before.

And he just saved me from possibly being raped.

My face must have changed at that thought because his eyes changed. The grey changing from light to dark, like a pair of storm clouds had rolled in. I’d seen my share of angry eyes but his didn’t compare to anything I’d ever seen before.

He wasn’t just angry or upset, he was furious– pissed.

My eyes dropped from his to his mouth. His lips were in a tight line, and his jaw was clenched so tight the muscle on the side was twitching every few seconds.

Oh boy.

I took a step away from his embrace and really saw him.

He was breathtaking.

He was gorgeous, the most gorgeous man I’d seen…ever.

His dark wavy hair was wild, like he just ran his hands through it. I wanted to reach up and run my own hands though it to see if it was as soft as it looked. Days’ worth of dark scruff surrounded his mouth and jaw– and all I could imagine was the feel of it scratching against my skin.

He was also tall, like Danny.

His shoulders were big and broad. His arms were muscular and defined under the black long sleeve shirt that pulled tightly across his chest. His chest was rock solid right down to his stomach where his hips were narrowed and I could only imagine the v at the top of his jeans, which were hanging perfectly off his hips.

Oh my fucking good lord.

I quickly turned my head, realizing I was just standing there looking at him with my jaw dropped in awe. I tried to pull out of his embrace but he wouldn’t budge. His arms just held tighter, squeezing my waist.

I turned my head back in his direction, my eyes directly on his solid chest in front of me. I looked up at him from under my lashes before I tilted my head back.

Then he spoke.

“You’re shaking like a leaf; let’s get you home.” His voice was all kinds of rough.

I didn’t say anything, just nodded and let him guide me to his truck that he had parked not far from where we were standing. His arm was around my waist, his hand firmly against my hip as I had mine crossed in front of my chest– trying to keep warm as I walked with him on shaky legs.

He let go of me to open the door, and I stood back looking over my shoulder. His hand touched my elbow making me jump. I turned my head to find his dark eyes searching my fear filled face.

I swallowed hard. “What’s going to happen,” I motioned back to where everything had happened. “I mean since he got away and all.”

His eyes flared and I felt his body stiffen through his touch, and then relax just as quick. “We’ll find him, guys are already on it. Don’t think he got very far,” he said his voice tight, as he gently nudged me towards the open door of his truck.

I nodded.

He helped me into the truck then closed the door. I grabbed my seatbelt and pulled it across my chest, and tried to click it into the buckle. I hadn’t heard him get in the truck, so when his hand softly covered my shaky one I jumped in my seat. His hand lingered on mine for a few seconds before he ran his warm, rough thumb over the back of my hand softly, before pulling away.

I looked up and our eyes met, locking instantly. My shoulders fell as I felt the tension drain, and my body finally began to relax and I felt safe, the safest I had felt; ever. I gave him a small smile, then our connection was broken when he abruptly turned, and put the truck in drive. Then, just as fast as he broke the connection, he pulled out of the lot, heading to my place.

The information I got was right after all.

I knew she was here in Camden, a shit hole town, I just didn’t know where. I thought I was going to be stuck here awhile looking for her, but I guess luck was on my side.

When I walked into Fisher’s and took up the only free table in the corner, my eyes were wandering around the place. The bar, like the town and everything I had seen of it so far, was a complete dive.

My waitress came, took and brought back my drink order and I was two sips into it when I heard her name hollered loudly across the bar.

“Lexie, drinks are up.”

I’d been in town two days and I found her my first fucking night. I didn’t think it would be so fucking easy to find her.

I pulled my lips away from my glass and looked in the direction of the voice and saw her. Just like that, there she was standing in front of the bar in a short skirt and skimpy almost see through white shirt. I could only see the side of her face but I knew it was her; there was no mistaking the bitch.

My eyes stayed on her. I watched as she carried her tray of drinks to a table of three guys, smiling and laughing as she placed the drinks down for them. As she did, they were all looking at her with their mouths dropped open like a fucking dog drooling over a bone.

She looked different, the last few months clearly having an effect on her. Her ass looked smaller and her tits looked bigger. I watched as she went from table to table taking orders then bringing them back and taking empties to the tall guy behind the bar. Her back was towards me when she stopped, looked over her shoulder and scanned the room.

She looked confused as she looked to the bar then around the place, like she was looking for something, or someone. My mouth pulled into a half grin when I saw her straight on.

Fuck. Me.

The bitch actually looked good.

I watched her for a bit before I tossed the rest of my drink back, and then threw a few bills on the table before taking one last look at the bitch that brought me all the way across the fucking country just to find her and the fucking kid.

I silently thanked her for making it so easy to find her, and it was just a matter of time now before I flipped her world upside down just as she did to me.