Page 24 of Fighting for Ella

Failing here wasn’t an option.

“Can I just pop to the bathroom first?” she asked, running the tip of her tongue over her bottom lip and realizing too late her mistake as she watched Raul’s hungry gaze follow the movement.

“Be quick,” he answered, waving a dismissive hand at her.

Yeah right.

She was going to take as long as she felt she could get away with. Maybe Miguel was close enough that he’d see her slip away and make contact with her. Ella could really do with a little infusion of Miguel’s magic right about now. Especially if she was going to have to go back out there and dance with Raul.

Dancing meant letting him touch her.

Intimately.

While wearing this dress that all but left her on display.

Without a major infusion of the calm and confidence Miguel seemed to be able to bring her, she had no idea how she was going to endure that.

It was weird, she thought as she found the downstairs bathroom and pushed inside, drawing in a deep breath as she was enveloped with quiet and privacy, because Miguel had come there intending to take her into custody, and yet, he had believed in her so easily.

Easier it seemed than her own team did.

Pain lanced her chest as she thought of the three women she loved like sisters believing even for one second that she would betray them. Ella felt so conflicted, she knew she’d made herself look guilty, and yet, at the same time, she kept wondering how her team could believe she was guilty. When Scarlett had been set up all of them had known without a sliver of doubt that she was innocent. Why hadn't her friends afforded her the same benefit of the doubt?

Knowing that even if Miguel’s plan worked and they made it out of there alive and back home, her life would never be the same again left her feeling empty. She’d been prepared to face prison time if it meant her family were alive, but she’d never truly considered the fact that Prey would believe she was guilty.

Ella was so lost in thought, grieving the loss of the people she considered to be family, that she didn't realize anyone was in the bathroom as she came out of the toilet stall until it was too late.

Until she’d been shoved up against the wall.

A hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her scream as it tried to escape.

It was one of the guards and she didn't even have to look at him to know he was drunk, she could smell the alcohol on his breath as his face loomed above hers.

“Pretty hair,” he mumbled as his free hand tangled in her long locks, which she’d left loose hoping she might be able to angle it so it covered her breasts.

Now it was being used against her.

The man tugged hard, making her eyes fill with tears at the stinging on her scalp.

She tried to fight her way out of his grip, but he was so much bigger than her, and he was pinning her in place with his body making it hard for her to find a way to kick out at him.

Still, her fingers clawed at the hand on her mouth, and she wriggled and squiggled to the best of her ability as a meaty hand nudged her thighs apart, heading with precision and purpose right to her panties.

A tearing sound told her her panties had just been ripped, and then the next thing she knew, a finger was being shoved inside her.

With renewed vigor, she strengthened her efforts to get away.

Already the man was unzipping himself and pulling his erection free from his pants and underwear.

It looked grotesque as he guided it toward her and blind panic had her fighting like a crazy person, anything to stop him putting that thing inside her. His finger was bad enough but the thought of that in her body had her losing control.

Which wound up working in her favor.

Struggling to keep his hold on her mouth and get himself inside her at the same time, the hand on her mouth slipped slightly and she took full advantage.

Sinking her teeth into the tender skin of his palm, she bit down until she tasted blood, then when the hand yanked away, she let out an ear-piercing scream and prayed it was enough to alert anyone nearby that something was wrong.

February 7th

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