Sixteen #2
“You told me you’d be back.” He jerked her harder, rattling her teeth.
She lost her footing as his grip tightened with every scornful word.
“I could have had several women in your absence, but I—foolishly—remained loyal to you. You think I’m going to help now?
That house could burn to the ground and I wouldn’t waste a drop of piss trying to put the fire out. ”
Startled by the vehemence in his eyes, her arms swung forward and she shoved him off of her. “Don’t touch me!”
She staggered back the second he let go. Elliot was right. He was a bully and she’d let him get away with far too much for far too long. “You will never have a right to lay a hand on me. Never!”
He laughed coldly. “What are you going to do to stop me, Nadia?” he sneered, towering over her. “Have your little man come after me? He can’t protect you from a fly.” His arm snaked behind her, grabbing a fistful of her ass and she inadvertently jumped closer to him.
His thick arms banded around her, pulling her feet off the ground as his steamy breath panted across the side of her face.
“He just wants to fuck you, Nadia. He’ll never love you.
That’s all you’re worth to anyone, just a lousy, hard fuck toy.
At least I would have put up with you for longer than a few screws. ”
“Get off me!” Tears burned her eyes as she shoved at his arm.
He groaned and chuckled, his body hardening behind her the more she struggled. “Does his little dick satisfy you? I bet you don’t cry that it’s too big with him. Not like you cried with me.”
“Shut up!” She refused to go back to that time, but he was taking her there, filling her mind with those horrid memories. “I hate you!”
“Mmm, keep fighting the inevitable.” He chuckled, his fingers curling in the material of her loose skirt. “You’ve said those words to me before, just before you came all over my fat cock. Maybe I’ll remind you of what a real man feels like—”
She screamed in frustration, going ballistic in his arms and scratching until his grip loosened. “Let! Go!”
“Motherfucker!” The masculine roar came from across the yard and her body was knocked to the ground.
She rolled away from Roland, her hands and knees pushing up on the dry grass as Elliot’s voice registered. His body blanketing Roland’s as his hands choked the larger man just as Roland’s meaty fist drove into the side of his head, knocking his glasses clean off his face.
“Elliot!” She scrambled to her feet as Roland’s larger body rolled atop Elliot’s, his arm jerking back and his fist slamming down with a gruesome crack.
“Roland, no!”
She threw herself on the larger man only to be tossed off as his fist connected with Elliot’s face, again and again. She cried and screamed for help, but no one came. Elliot blocked his face, but the punches kept coming.
“Get off of him!” she screamed, grabbing ahold of Roland’s hair with both fists.
All of her self-defense training came back to her as she gathered his shirt and twisted it around his throat, cutting off his airway. It only slowed him enough to take his attention off Elliot.
Beefy hands scratched at her arms as she held tight and he toppled to his side. Rolling, she scrambled to her feet. He wasn’t far behind. Coughing, he lifted to his forearm and started to rise to his knees.
“No!” She kicked him in the balls with all her might and he fell back to the ground with the thud of a downed oak.
“Fucking bitch!” He curled into a ball and groaned, cupping himself.
She skittered away, rushing to Elliot’s side where he lay on the crabgrass, his face swollen and bloody, as he breathed rapidly.
Her hands trembled as they cupped his blood smeared face. “Elliot, look at me.”
His breath panted and his eyes opened to slits, one full of red. “Did … he hurt you?”
Her vision blurred. This foolish, bloody man was worried if she was hurt. “What were you thinking?”
He shut his eyes and groaned in pain. “Wasn’t. Just acted.”
Her smile was pained as she sucked in a stuttering breath. “My foolish hero.”
His swollen eyes only opened slightly, his lip split and bloody. She broke into tears.
“Shh.” His hand trembled as he cupped her cheek. “Don’t cry. Not worth it.”
Sniffling, she wiped her eyes and fought back more tears. “Look at you…” His face was so swollen and smeared with blood, she wasn’t sure how he was conscious.
He winced and smiled at her. “I’ve had worse. Let’s go home now, Nadia. I wanna go home,” he slurred.
She nodded quickly, her gaze shooting back to Roland who still held himself and grumbled in pain. Her shoulders quaked as she looked back at Elliot and choked on a sob. “Why did you do that?”
He shut his eyes, resting on the grass, his breathing labored. He tried to smile but only winced. “I’ll always defend you.”
She lowered her face to his, nestling her nose to his cheek.
This was not the way she wanted it to go.
She wasn’t worth this much trouble and now…
Her heart seemed to swell until it painfully occupied her chest. Her voice shook as she leaned close and nestled his cheek with her nose.
“You’re hurt because of me. I’m not worth defending, Elliot. ”
He shook his head, his eyes reflecting his pain. “You’re worth that and so much more, Nadia.”