Page 20 of Reunited with the Soldier

My mind is mentally working out my escape route, but there aren't many options and I'm sure he's faster than me. He is a lot more muscly since he's been in prison.

"You put me in prison, Lauren, you need to pay the price for that." He stalks over to me, ignoring the sticky mess on the floor.

He grabs my hair and makes me look up at him. "Did you miss me? I missed you. But the thought of you kept me sane in prison. Because I know that I wanted to finish the job. I want to make sure that you suffer for all the years I had to endure in that godforsaken place because of you. And you know a man has needs when he's been in prison so long. I didn't touch you there when you were younger, but now it's all bets off."

"You disgust me," I scream, punching him as hard as I can when he still has my hair in his hand. "Let me go, Kash will be home soon."

"Kash? That dirty toerag who left you when he found out you were pregnant. He's good for nothing. He's not going to save you sweetheart. No one is. Where's your bastard child?"

"He's not coming back, he's away for the night. You won't get near him."

"Shame, I wanted to make you watch me as I killed him. He should have died that night along with you, but you outsmarted me and I won't make the same mistake again."

His fist comes out and punches me in the face, my head wants to bounce back out of the way, but he has my hair tightly wrapped around his fist that I can't move and so I feel the force of his punch. I scream.

"God I've missed that sound." He punches me in the stomach.

I'm scared for my life. I'm thankful Elijah is at Kayla's so that he doesn't have to witness the abuse I know I am going to get. I know Kash will be home later, but he might not be home in time. I don't want him to see what Frank is going to do to me. I hope he remembers that I love him and will do so until my dying breath. There is no doubt in my mind that Frank is going to kill me. I need to give in to it and hopefully, it will be over quickly.

He pulls my hair and drags me down to the ground. My knees fall onto the broken glass, cutting into my skin, and causing a searing pain. But I don't cry out. I don't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he's hurting me.

"You're an ungrateful slut. I gave you everything you needed. A house with a roof, a nice room and food on the table and you repay me by sending me to jail. I've had a lot of time to think about it and now is time for me to take it all back."

He pushes me down on the ground, again in the broken glass and I feel the glass cutting into my body in multiple places.

He kicks my side, my legs, my shoulders and then he kicks me in the head. I remember that hurt the most the last time and it's the same this time. I try not to whimper but it's hard when everywhere hurts. I want to fight back, but I know he'll like that and I don't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how bad it hurts. He drags me along the floor by my hair and then he kicks me some more. I don't know how long he's kicking me for, but the pain is escalating and I can't stop myself from screaming.

"You fucking bastard, you are going to hell."

He laughs. "Sweetheart, I've been in hell for years, nothing can be worse than that. The thought of killing you this time has kept me going and they let me out for good behavior." He laughs. He knows that he is never good, there is always a hidden agenda for him.

"Well, if you are going to kill me, get on with it. Do it." I yell at him, wanting him to stop talking and just get it over with. I think of Kash and Elijah and I know they will be okay as long as they're together.

He kicks me, punches me, and rips off my trousers. Is he going to rape me too? I need to switch off mentally and I wonder if there is a way for me to end this myself. I have pieces of glass sticking out of me, maybe I can take a piece of it and cut my wrists, or my jugular? That would work, right?

"You're a slut and whore," he says as he is on his knees punching me everywhere.

When he punches me in the head, I feel the darkness begin to take me. I never got the chance to end it myself. I just hope Kash and Elijah will be okay without me.

"Lo, Lo," I hear. My mind must be playing tricks on me because I can hear Kash. Maybe this is what happens when you are on the brink of death. Maybe I can hear him so that I will always remember him.

Another blow to the head and darkness takes me away.

TEN

KASH

"Never seen you happier," Maddox says with a grin. "Knew she meant something to you, I just didn't know how much she meant. I'm happy for you, brother."

I smile broadly. "Knew I fucked up, Mad, knew it the moment I boarded that bus. I had made a commitment to the military. I thought I knew better. I thought the distance between us would have been too much." I shake my head. "I fucked up. Lo is stronger, a hell of a lot stronger than I gave her credit for. She'd have been with me from the beginning."

He nods. "True, but we can live with regrets, they do us no good. What you and Lauren have got, it's special, just like what I have with Kayla. You both have all the time in the world to make up for the years you lost."

I push to my feet. "Exactly, that's what I'm planning on doing tonight. You good to have Elijah for the night?"

He rolls his eyes. "That kid is the shit. Besides, if I sent him home to you, I'd have my wife on my ass. She adores Elijah and loves spoiling him. Trust me, Kash, we've got him, no need to worry. Go spend the night with your woman."

I'm looking forward to it. I love my son, I'll do anything for him, but some nights it's good to just be Lo and I. Tonight is one of them. I love my woman and I'm planning on spending the rest of my life with her. I'm going to ask her to marry me—not yet, I know that she's still a little hesitant to take big leaps in our relationship—but I want it all with her.

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