Page 16 of In His Veins

“Ava,” he coos, “it’s been so long. I was hoping I’d see you again one of these days. I’ve been trying to find you.” I tremble beneath his gaze and my voice feels trapped in my throat. This is my nightmare come to life. Suddenly, his lips are close to mine, too close. My muscles twitch with the need to run, but I’m frozen.

“I hope things aren’t weird between us, Avie. I thought we were so good together.” His breath touches my skin, and his use of my brothers’ nickname for me makes me feel sick. It’s enough to break his spell over me.

“Good together? You raped me when I was still a teenager.” My voice shakes, but I urge a modicum of confidence into the statement. He sneers and pins me closer to the wall. With his body now flush against mine, I’m suddenly very aware of how alone I am with him.

“You can’t just go around saying that about a politician’s son, sweetie. Who have you told that lie to?” His voice is falsely sweet and, when I don’t answer, he pounds his fist on the wall next to my head. A whimper escapes my lips, and I fight the sob building in my chest. He traces a finger down my cheek to my neck, before encircling it with his

hand. “I can still remember the heat of your pretty virgin cunt wrapped around my finger. My cock remembers it even more fondly.” He grins at me, and I’m moments away from vomiting on him.

One hand still on my throat, he uses the other to unbutton his pants. The skin of his palm is unusually soft. He reeks of chlorine and expensive cologne. I claw at his grasp, but he pulls me forward, using the momentum to turn me around. My back is against him as he pulls himself from his pants. The tip of his hard dick pokes into my back. The tears pour down my face as I ready myself to relive the worst night of my life.

The phantom burn from that night flares as he palms my crotch. A scream builds in my throat and I curse myself again for not screaming and running the second he stepped into the alley. As if sensing my thoughts, his hand moves up to cover my mouth. He’s pulled us away from the wall, making me reach for something to grab onto for leverage without success.

His hand slips into the waistband of my jeans, then my panties. A sweaty hand connects with my tender flesh and his fingers find my slit, when there’s a sick sound of skin colliding with skin, followed by a thump.

Suddenly I’m free, and the momentum from the release sends me careening toward the wall, my palms scraping against the brick. Turning around, back braced against the alley, I suck in heaving breaths. Eliott is curled on the ground with his hands raised over his face in self-defense. A massive man stands over him, pummeling him within an inch of his life.

He’s dressed in all black and his hood obscures his face when he turns to me. Even though he’s just saved me, I shrink into the wall as his looming figure approaches. He stops suddenly with his hands in the air by his chest. His voice is deep and soothing.

“It’s okay. You’re okay. I’ll take care of this guy.”

I nod and pull myself up the wall, knees shaking. The man doesn’t come any closer, just watches me. Eliott groans and my eyes dart to his prone form.

“He’s not going anywhere, I promise. Get yourself home, okay? Do you have your keys?” I start to nod before shaking my head, remembering all of my belongings were inside. I can’t go back inside and let Lauren, or worse, Josh, see me this way. They’d insist I’d tell them what happened and force me to call the cops.

“That’s fine. I’ll call a car to come pick you up.” Thankfully, some of my rationality has returned.

“No, I should go inside and get my things. If I disappear in the middle of a shift, Lauren and Josh might call the police. Or worse, my brothers.” Wiping my hands down my face, my eyes burn with the tears threatening to return. The beginnings of a lie are taking shape as I walk toward the door into The Sable House.

The man nods and, after I walk by, bends down to lift Eliott over his shoulder. He does it effortlessly, making me marvel at my savior for a moment.

“Thank you,” I whisper, voice choking. He nods again and heads out of the alley toward an SUV that I hadn’t noticed on the curb. I close the door before I can witness what he does with Eliott.

There are voices by the coffee bar and I don’t try to conceal my distress as I walk towards them. Lauren sees me first and grabs my hands.

“Ava! Sweetheart, oh my god what happened? We’ve been looking for you and someone just said they saw a man following you. Is that true? Are you okay?” Lauren’s expression is so earnest, but admitting the truth is too hard.

“He did, but it wasn’t like that. It was Paige’s boyfriend and he had been looking for me since I wasn’t answering my phone. Paige was in an accident and I need to get to the hospital.” I pray to anyone who might be listening that Paige doesn’t walk through the front doors of the cafe before I can text her. Lauren looks stricken.

“Yes, yes, you go on. Bless her heart, let me know how she is okay?” I feel horrible for lying to her, but she’d send me home if she knew the truth. After giving her a nod, I go to get my things from the kitchen when the hairs on the back of my neck stand.

“I didn’t know Paige had a boyfriend,” Josh says casually from behind me. His arms are crossed as he leans against the wall when I turn around, phone and keys in hand.

“Yeah, well, it’s a pretty new thing.” I don’t look at him. He blocks my exit with an arm, his brow furrowed.

“You get those scraped palms from a talk with her boyfriend?” He’s too perceptive for his own good. Tears well in my eyes. If he doesn’t drop it, I’ll have another, very public, meltdown in the kitchen.

“Please drop it, Josh. I promise I’m okay.” He looks at me for a few seconds before dropping his arm and stepping out of the doorway.

“Text me when you get home.” I nod and scurry out of the restaurant, immediately texting Paige as I get in my car.

I need you to do me a solid.

Her reply is almost immediate, causing me to exhale in relief.

What’s up?

If anyone asks, you have a new-ish boyfriend and you were just in a badaccident that put you in the hospital.

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