Untitled #2
He lifts my dress and sucks on my nipple. I push against his shoulders. “We’re not doing this. Stop.”
“Don’t act so coy.” He bites down hard.
“Ouch. What the hell?”
He’s got me trapped. If I move, he might tear my nipple. I open my mouth, but he clamps a hand over it. Chris presses his solid abs against me.
Panic starts low in my stomach and rises fast, crowding my chest.
The music below pounds like a war drum.
My body goes into survival mode. I flash back to when I was fourteen, watching a man advance on my mother.
“No,” I roar against his palm, my voice sounds muffled.
Still, no one hears or comes to the door.
“They’re terrible men,” I say.
My past is still rearing its ugly head.
Eyes wide in confusion. He lets go of my nipple. “What?”
“No one hurts Serenity.” I drive the heel of my palm upward hard and fast. His nose crunches under the impact. Blood spills instantly, and he stumbles back with a howl.
“Ah!” he yells, stumbling backward onto the floor.
I stand. “Do you think it’s okay to hurt women?”
His face twists in shock, like he genuinely can’t believe what just happened.
I turn my head sharply. “No means no.”
“Serenity, chill,” he says, clutching his bleeding nose.
“I tried to be sweet, Serenity. But men like you want to hurt sweet girls.”
“I’m done here.” He straightens to his full height.
I dig into my purse. “Not so fast.”
The switchblade shoots from my hand, slamming hard into his back.
“Fuck,” he growls.
“Sit the fuck down, pretty boy rapist,” I hiss.
He lunges at me, curling a hand around my throat and hoisting me off the ground. My buzz shatters completely.
Rage moves in where fear used to be.
“You’ve crossed the line,” I rasp, fingers tangling in his dreads.
“You know what they say—fat girls have juicy pussy. All I wanted was a little taste.”
“I will… fucking… kill… you,” I spit out.
My leg swings sharply, my foot smashing into his balls.
“You fucking bitch,” he howls, loosening his grip.
I keep kicking until he finally lets go. I collapse to the floor, gasping for air.
“All the other girls want it,” he sneers.
Scrambling on the floor, I reach into my purse again. He yanks my leg toward him.
“You’ve got so much fight in you. I’m going to love taking that pussy.”
I twist the switchblade into his hand and wrench it free.
“Bitch, what the fuck?”
I clench my fist and drive it into his mouth.
Pain bursts through my knuckles. He drops, clutching his bleeding hand. Kneeling over him, I raise the knife. “You’re the first person on this campus to meet the real me.”
“Serenity, baby?” comes a voice behind me.
The door clicked shut with a muted thud.
“I thought you were out partying with your little entourage.”
Chris tries to scramble backward, eyes darting past me.
“Get this crazy bitch—”
I lunge, driving the knife deep into his shoulder.
“What the fuck?” he growls through gritted teeth.
“You tried to rape me. If you knew who I really was, you’d have run as fast as you could.”
Powerful hands seize my shoulders. “I’m here now. You’re safe.”
My body trembles violently, but my shoulders finally loosen.
“Take your psycho girl and get the hell out,” Chris snarls.
“Oh, you’re in no place to bark orders. You messed with a very dangerous woman. And I’m her sick and twisted man.”
Nico moves around me silently, like a stalking lion. He gags Chris before he can scream again. “I wanted to kill you the first time you laid a hand on what belonged to me.” He yanks the switchblade free from his back.
Nico’s gaze locks onto my neck, eyes widening. “You choked her?”
His fists slam into Chris’s face over and over.
Fitz steps forward, inspecting me closely.
Nico pulls a Glock from his waist holster.
Chris tries to rise from his spot. Nico places the muzzle against his temple. “Lay the fuck down.”
“Non posso ucciderlo. Non qui. Non ora. Serenity è un fantasma qui. Non so dirti perché. Can’t kill him. Not here. Not now. Serenity’s a ghost here. I can’t tell you why,” Fitz says in Italian.
“Non devi dirmelo. Lo scoprirò. Ma la proteggerò. You don’t have to tell me. I’ll find out. But I’ll protect her,” Nico replies in Italian.
“But first, I’m going to fuck him up for hurting her.” His words come out pained.
“Understood,” Fitz responds.
Nico glances at Fitz. “Where were you guys while he hurt her?”
“One of us was on this floor out of ear shot-”
I cut off his words. “On my command.”
Chris stares at us wide eyed assessing the situation.
Nico ignores my statement. “Send someone to get clothes from her dorm. She’s staying with me tonight,” he says in English.
“Nico, you…”
“Serenity, it’s not up for discussion.”
Fitz leaves the room.
Blood streams down Chris’s face as he mumbles through the gag, “You’re fucking him.”
I answer, “I am.”
“Of course she is. You were never meant to touch more than her hand. I should cut off your fingers for touching her body.”
“Nico, I don’t belong to you,” I remind him.
He disregards my words. “Close the knife, Serenity. Then drive it into his ribs as much as you want.”
I swallow the tears. “I can handle this alone.”
“Do as I said,” Nico commands.
He wears a green Henley, dark jeans, and boots; his tousled inky hair falling over his face in a way that makes him look dangerous and captivating.
I slam the edge of the knife casing into Chris’s ribs. “You tried to take what wasn’t yours. I said no. You thought because I’m a thick girl I’d be open to fucking you.”
Nico punches Chris’s head repeatedly. “She’s got thick, beautiful curves. How dare you disrespect her.”
A small smile blooms inside me, warmed by how Nico sees me.
I keep beating Chris until he gasps for air.
“Don’t let me find out you got rough with another woman. I’ll finish what we started,” I warn.
When my clothes arrive, Nico helps me into black sweats. He pulls my hat low and tugs my hair on either side until it shields my face like a curtain.
“You have to walk out that front door,” he says.
I nod. “Okay.”
Chris’s battered, bloodied body remains sprawled on the floor. Two of my bodyguards and two of Nico’s linger behind to set the scene.
“I’ve got you,” Nico murmurs, slipping an arm around my waist as we head toward the stairs.
“Pretend I said something funny,” he whispers close to my ear as we descend slowly. My legs wobble, barely holding me up.
“I wanted you to rip out his fucking intestines.”
I chuckle at his words. The music thumps through me. I sense eyes on me, but I don’t dare meet their gaze—I have no idea how I must look.
“We’re almost there. Just a few more steps,” Nico encourages gently.
“Serenity,” Nila calls out.
I ignore her, knowing they can’t see the mess I’m in.
The moment we step outside, my legs give way. Nico catches me effortlessly and sweeps me up into his arms. “I’ve got you. I always got you.”
I rest my head on his shoulder, letting out a silent, tearless sob as my body trembles against his.
“I won’t let you go, Serenity.”