Page 12 of Twisted Obsession

The ominous ripping noise seems loud in the room despite all the other sounds. My panting and whimpering. The Viper grunting and cursing. It’s all my brain latches onto through the lack of oxygen, which is starting to make my lungs burn.

"Stop fighting," he growls into my ear as he paws at my partially covered breast, digging his fingers in hard enough to bruise. “It’ll only make things worse for you."

But I won't stop fighting. I won't ever just give in to this monster. This is about survival now.

Summoning every ounce of strength left in me, I manage to smash my knee between his legs with a force that makes him buckle in pain. He gasps and releases his grip on my neck for a second—long enough for me to suck in a much-needed breath,twist out from underneath him and scramble off the bed towards the other side of the room.

The moment is fleeting, though.

He recovers quicker than I'd expected, his hand snaking out to snag my ankle and yank me back towards him. Panic surges through me as I kick and thrash, but he’s solid and unyielding. He flips me onto the floor with a menacing grin. “I love a good struggle, sweetheart. It makes me hard.”

I know he's right, that every burst of resistance only fuels his excitement, and I can see the outline of his rigid cock pressing against his suit pants. But this is all I have left: my fear, my anger, my will to survive.

I kick out again, aiming for the same spot as before, but he manages to dodge it this time. Undeterred, I claw at his face, scratching and biting like a wild animal backed into a corner.

The Viper cries out in pain and surprise as I sink my teeth into his forearm, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth as I try to roll away from him, and struggle to my feet. But it doesn’t deter him for long. He grabs me bodily, then hurls me away from him with a growl of rage. I slam into the wall, then crumple onto the floor.

He straightens up, advancing towards me slowly, like a predator stalks its prey. The amusement has faded from his face now, replaced by an icy fury that is even scarier. Using my momentary disorientation, he drags down my leggings, and my fear is betrayed with a pitiful whimper as he kicks them aside and tries to force my legs apart, his fingers digging into my skin.

I buck and flail, kicking out and punching at anything and everything as I try my best to scramble away.

I see the backhander coming, but I can’t move my head far enough to avoid the blow. The ringing in my head is accompanied by the bloom of pain across my cheek and the viscous stickiness of a split lip as the fight leaches out of me and a lifetime of regrets plays before my eyes.

So this is it. This is the way I will finally step across the threshold of womanhood, at the hands of a rapist and murderer who gets his kicks from fear and force. I just pray I’m not left for my brothers to find the same way as Orla. Please God, spare them that. I’d beg for it, but I know if I do, it will just give the Viper more fodder for his depravity.

But something changes. A loud banging sound echoes through the room, followed by shouts outside in the main suite. The Viper freezes, his head whipping towards the door. For a moment, hope flares in my chest. Could it be Dominic returning? Or perhaps the police have finally found this place?

The shouts grow louder, more urgent. There's the sound of a commotion, raised voices, and an insistent hammering on the door. I flinch instinctively, curling in on myself.

"Boss!" a voice yells from the other side. "We've got a situation! Tommaso’s body was just thrown from a vehicle out front!"

The Viper curses violently, his face contorting with rage. He glares at me, clearly torn between his desire to finish what he started and the need to deal with this new incident.

"This isn't over," he snarls, pointing a finger at me. "I'll be back to finish what we started."

He snatches up his jacket and storms towards the door, pausing only to adjust himself and wipe the blood from his mouth.

As it slams shut behind him, I slump against the wall, my body trembling with a mixture of relief and lingering fear. The reprieve is welcome, but I know it's only temporary. He'll be back, and next time, I know he won’t be interrupted. He’ll make sure of it. I’ve already had two lucky escapes. I’m not stupid enough to think there’ll be a third.

I force myself to my feet, wincing at the pain in my ribs where I hit the wall. The commotion outside continues—raised voices, hurried footsteps, the occasional bark of orders. Whatever's happening has thrown things into chaos.

Following is an eerie stillness and a silence begging to be torn apart with sound. But none comes.

I don’t know how long I sit there listening. Waiting. But after a while, it occurs to me that I’m sitting here battered, torn, and half naked. My trembling limbs suddenly don’t want to move though, and all I can do is gingerly reach over to pull the sheet from the bed and wrap it around me.

That’s how Dominic finds me seconds or eons later.

"Christ, not again," he mutters, rushing to my side, his expression one of bitter fury as he takes in my battered state.

"Are you alright? Did Vito...?"

I shake my head weakly, clutching the sheet tighter around me. "No. Whatever happened outside stopped him.”

Dominic's jaw clenches, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "I'm going to murder that bastard," he growls.

"What happened out there?" I ask, my voice hoarse from the Viper's earlier chokehold.

"Later," Dominic says curtly. "I need to move you. Now."

---