Page 6 of Ignited Heat

"You think you can get rid of me so easily?" He snarls.

He slaps me, and I taste blood on my lips.

"Your darling brothers still love how much money I spend in their little card room. They don't care what I do to you."

He's got me cornered against the building, so there's nowhere for me to go.

"I'll have you tonight, you whore, in this alley where you belong."

"N…"

I want to scream no, but I can't. I try to get his hands off my shoulders so I can run for it, but he's freakishly strong. The blade disappears from my throat, but only to be replaced by his hands. He starts squeezing. I try to punch and kick him, but the contact doesn’t even faze him. He's just playing with me. He laughs this incredibly psychotic laugh and squeezes more and more. Black spots start appearing at the edges of my vision, and I scratch his arm with my nails.

He hisses as I manage to gouge his arm, and suddenly, his hands are gone. I start sliding down the wall, and I'm very aware that I have to get away from him before things escalate.

"You bitch. You like it rough, is that it? I can give it to you rough."

I'm sitting on the concrete, trying to figure out how to get out of this, when he starts pulling at my t-shirt.

"Marcos, no! Stop it."

"You need to learn your place. You DO NOT get to dump me."

I try and get up, and he just shoves me down and then kicks me in the stomach. I curl up on my side, and he starts kicking me with an intensity I've never seen before. I use my arms to protect my stomach, but he just keeps kicking. I feel a rib or two crack, and it pisses me off, but I can't seem to fight him. When he thinks he's got me subdued, he pulls me by the legs to stretch me out and starts unbuttoning my jeans.

This is going to happen, and I'm not going to be able to stop it.

Jason

Tuck just told me that Cassie left, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I checked the monitors in my office, and after a few minutes, I saw what looked like someone dealing drugs in the club. I had Althea call the police while I went down to the dancefloor to intervene. I've seen this guy before at the club, so I'll have to do some quick talking to make him understand that there's no dealing in my club. If he gets the message, then he can leave before the police arrive.

I quickly move to the floor and weave my way through the dancers to find the culprit. I grab him by his shirt and give him my meanest look. My teammates say it's horrifying and I'm hoping it works tonight. I don't really want to have to rough this kid up so he doesn't come back. Even then, there's no assurance that he's more scared of me than of his boss, and he'll be back before you know it.

"I've called the police. I've got footage of you dealing drugs tonight. Don't come back here, ever."

I see Althea waving at me from the back, and then I smell the stench of urine. This guy is so frightened of me that he’s emptied his bladder. I drag him by the collar and meet Althea and some police detectives in the back area of the club. We all know the drill, and in less than twenty minutes, they've taken him into custody.

Back in my office I check my phone to see Cassie's location. Normally, after she's back home, I ride my bike and watch her window for a bit. I know—a stalker move—but I can't help myself. I need to know she's safe. But her location is still back in the restaurant parking lot. A feeling of dread goes through me, and I run out the back door of the club.

The 300 feet between our buildings has never felt longer. I search for her car, and I almost miss them because Marcos is kneeling in front of her, undoing his goddamned pants. I'm still too far away when I see him get on top of her. The rage that overcomes me is so great I see red and sprint to reach them. I grab him and punch him in the face, once, twice. I want to kill this man, but Cassie is so silent and still.

I have a decision to make. Do I take the time to punish this motherfucker, or do I get help for Cassie? She's the most important thing in my life, so I give this piece of scum a hard enough punch to knock him out and then throw him to the side. I reach for my phone and send 911 to my team. I turn to Cassie and really see her. She's partially naked and vulnerable. Her arm is misshapen and bloody, but so is the rest of her.

My hand goes to her neck, where there's a lot of bruising, and I gently check for a pulse. I sigh in relief when I feel the faint beat. I take my jacket off and drape it over her body while I wait for help to arrive. Tuck and Althea find us, and they know how bad it is because I'm completely shaken. It feels like an eternity for the police and the ambulance to arrive.

The police ask for my statement, and when the paramedics have Cassie in the back of an ambulance and are preparing to take her to the hospital, I try to go with her, but they deny me. Frustrated with the entire situation, I follow the ambulance on my bike. The ride is horrible as I'm terrified for Cassie and riddled with guilt that I didn't take care of this monster the first time he showed violence against her.

Once at the hospital, I know I need to tell them I’m family, or they won’t give me any information. So when I approach the nurse’s station, I tell them I'm Cassie's husband. Fortunately, I know her birthdate from Carlos. One night, after drinks, he shared how much older he was than his sister. The husband/birthdate combo is the golden ticket that permits us to sit with her while we wait for the doctors. A lot is happening around us, and they take her for X-rays and other exams.

They are evaluating the severity of her broken arm. My head is filled with images of her bloody and bruised. And she was so pale. I don't know what I would do if I lost her. She's the only true light in my life. The only pure thing that's ever touched me. If only I had ever shared that with her.

Sitting in the waiting room, I consider whether or not I should tell Cassie's family about this. That should be a no-brainer, but I'm not sure even how to send that first message. They'll know tomorrow that she didn't get home after closing down the restaurant, and they'll start to worry. I can't do that to them, especially Mrs. Lee. So I dial Carlos. He sounds groggy like he is already asleep.

"What's going on?"

"You need to come to the hospital," I say. I don’t even recognize my own voice.

"Why?"

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