Page 8 of Bound in Promise
I’m twisted and thrown to the mattress, landing on my back and bouncing once. Even as a spring digs into my spine, Liam starts crawling over me.
Survival takes over, and I bring my leg up and into his chest, forcing him back. I take advantage of the distance and scramble backwards, but Liam grabs my ankle and drags me to the center of the bed.
I can’t hear anything but the rapid beat of my heart as I try to kick Liam and force him away. He practically does a belly flop, sprawling across me and trapping my flailing limbs. Then he reaches one hand down to undo his jeans.
“Stay still, Vee,” he commands.
“Get the fuck off me!” I scream, thrashing under his weight. There’s no way I’m letting Liam get inside me, letting him get his rocks off, when I shouldn’t even be here in the first place.
What would Dante do?
I’m grasping at straws, trying to find a way out of this, but I’m outmatched. It doesn’t matter what Dante would do—I’m not built like him.
What would he think if you can’t stop this?
God, that doesn’t matter either. Our relationship isn’t even real. And even if it was, it wouldn’t matter. Not unless I manage to escape with my life.
“Stop it, Vee,” Liam barks out, trying to pin my wrists. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
“I’m not going to let you fuck me, you piece of shit!” I bellow, trying to bend my elbow to throw a real punch, but he’s too close. “Get off me, Liam!”
“Shut up.” He straightens his spine and backhands me. Stars dance at the edge of my vision and I struggle to focus. Liam takes advantage of my stunned pause and gets a hold on one of my wrists.
I scream as long as I can—there’s nothing else I can do. Liam tries to cover my mouth with his free hand, but it throws him off balance and he quickly gives up. Even with all my bucking around, though, I can’t toss him off me.
I make an effort to calm myself, to think, but the pain radiating through my skull makes it difficult. One false move and I’m done for. I can’t give him the opening he needs to fully subdue me, not if I want to avoid what he’s planning.
“You’re just makin’ this harder on yourself,” Liam taunts, sounding amused as hell that I’m fighting him, that I obviously don’t want him. “The more you fight, the longer I’m going to fuck you.”
If I wasn’t so mad… wasn’t so busy fighting to protect myself… I’d laugh in his face. He’s talking a big game, but that’s an empty threat if I’ve ever heard one. He’s a one-minute man, coming like he can’t help himself.
“You touch me and I’ll kill you, Liam,” I promise. He laughs like a complete asshole. I knew my ex was many things, but I never would have thought kidnapper and rapist were on the list.
“I’d love to see you try, Vee. But you’re lookin’ a little tired.”
I save my words, choosing instead to spend my energy resisting, but all too soon Liam takes control of both my wrists, trapping them above my head in one of his hands. His other roams freely over my body.
“Fuck, I missed this,” he groans, pinching one of my nipples and making me squeal in disgust, anger, and fear. “I’m gonna fuck you so good, baby. Don’t worry.”
I hate him.
I do.
The more I fight, the more he’s going to enjoy himself. There isn’t anything I can do now beyond trying to block this out and hope he does what he always used to do—finish quickly. I just want to be done with this so I can start moving past it.
I turn my face away, resisting the only way I can, and Liam laughs. If I give up the fight, if I willingly accept what he’s planning, I’m denying him what he really wants.
Power.
“You used to love me,” Liam growls, his eyes narrowing on me with distaste and exasperation. “What happened?”
I never loved Liam, I can admit that. I never even said the words to him. However, I’m not going to correct him, not now. I know Liam’s buttons—well, I thought I did.
“You didn’t put me first,” I reply. “And I?—”
“I had classes up the ass, Vee,” he argues. “Since when did you get so needy?”
“Then there was that girl I caught you making out with,” I continue.
