Page 86 of Contention

It’s not too far. Only ten minutes up the street.

The underground is gross. That’s the only word for this particular floor of the parking garage, multiple levels below ground. It’s like slasher film, dark and dank, wet stains everywhere, a few cars, because it’s the less attended floor way at the bottom. No one likes going down here. It simply looks like a murder scene waiting to happen.

Leaving the stairwell doorway, she peers around and sees no one, the grimy atmosphere oppressive. Any time she’s been in a garage like this in the past, she’s always had the certain fear of being watched, of needing to get to her car quickly. You never know who could be waiting for unsuspecting prey in the deep, dark places of an unattended garage.

Her veins nervous, she walks towards her car, ears straining for any sound, anything at all, but there is nothing.You’re being absurd. Just get in your car and wait there, safe behind locked doors.

When she’s three strides from her car, a hand crashes over her mouth, cutting off her sudden, horrified scream.

Chapter 21

The hand over her mouth covers her nose, making it hard to breathe as she’s pushed forward the last remaining steps to her car.

Kara lashes out, thrashing in the oppressive grip. She’s overpowered easily, the person behind her towering over her frame, an iron bar of an arm around her waist, the other controlling her face with brutal intent. Animal terror races through her, all the warnings she’d always heard about less visited parking garages ringing in her head.No one will hear you scream deep underground.

Have you heard how easy it is for someone to grab a small, unsuspecting young woman, walking to her vehicle?

It’s not even night, but that doesn’t matter this far underground.

He lifts her, and there is no doubt that her attacker is a man. From the way her feet dangle an inch off the floor as she tries to struggle against him, to the feel of the strong hands immobilizing her. Even more telling, the rock-hard erection pressed into her rear.

Shouting into his hand is an exercise in futility and her vision blurs. She kicks her feet, but finds no purchase, hitting her own car a few times instead, sending zings of pain up her leg. She’s wearing useless flip flops. He presses her fully against the car door, his free hand digging into her bag, likely looking for her keys until he realizes all he needs to do is press her finger to the button on her driver side door handle.

Her keys are on her, so the telltale click of the car opening sounds out, a sound of echoing dread in Kara’s mind.He’s going to get me in car.And then-

Still in complete control of her, the man opens the door to the backseat and maneuvers her in, still managing to keep one hand over her mouth and nose. Kara doesn’t even have time to kick backwards at him, because he’s crowded in behind her, the door shutting loudly, the only sound in the empty underground lot. She’s on her front and he’s behind her, crushing her.

I can’t believe this is happening. I can’t…I can’t even hurt him. I’m powerless.

She tries biting the hand on her mouth, but he only squeezes harder, making it near impossible to even open her jaw. Despair flutters through her, pulse hammering in her head like a chorus of drums, sounding out her demise.

He’s nearly silent, hasn’t said a single word to her. It’s dehumanizing, like she’s beneath his notice. Every now and then, he grunts from exertion, try to keep her pinned; other times there’s a slight, bitten off noise of arousal when his cock rubs against her particularly hard.

She’s crying, feels her body shaking uncontrollably.

A hand works at her fabric shorts and she mentally curses herself for wearing them; how could she be so stupid? With ease, he yanks them down, stopping at her knees. Kara feels tears prick at her eyes and she waits for him to violate her, wishing she had the strength to rip his fucking guts out with her fingernails.

She’d stab him with her keys if she could still reach them.

When his hand finally shifts off of her nose and mouth, she gasps hard, like it’s the last air she’s ever going to breathe, preparing to scream. Something stops her, turning the act into a strange, aborted whining sound, curling in her chest.

She stops, because she can smell him enveloping the interior of her car, painfully familiar, full of tobacco, rum, and coffee. Her mind breaks, fractures, the panic button in her body confused. She knows who this is. She knows, because she would recognize that cologne anywhere.

She called him here, didn’t she? Oh, she’s going to strangle him. Going tokill him. Kara chokes on air, feeling a shuddering sob claw its way out of her chest.

This. This is herdistraction, the one she so soullessly asked for on the phone.

How dare he? This isn’t what shefuckingmeant!

“You asshole,” Kara breathes out unevenly, a hitch of emotion, horrified and humiliated. She’s been sobbing, shrieking into his hand. “You motherfucker.”

Her throat feels raw.

It’s too much. He’s been avoiding her for days. Hasn’t reached out since their sick little affair, but then there’sthis. Like a snail curling in on itself, Kara tries to sink into a ball, feeling another sob shake her. Rage hasn’t made its way through the sheer shock her body has been thrown into.

He made her believe she was going to be assaulted.

Worse; he’s still hard over it.

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