Page 107 of Hidden By His Side

Ramiro was dead. The thought sucked out every part of her that mattered. She couldn’t breathe, but she no longer cared that she couldn’t. Her vision dimmed at the edges, and she willed it to increase. Let her die.

“But a promise is a promise.” Ovidio released her. Her breath whooshed back inside, where it stuck as his words washed over her. “I’m going to rape you, just like I told him. Then I’ll let my men rape you. After, I’ll carve that baby out of you. I promised Rodriguez I would, and I keep my promises.” His hand moved to her stomach, reminding her all over again that she was naked as he stroked over the slight bump.

She was pregnant. If she died, her daughter would die, too.

She scrambled for the door handle, only to be slapped again, the pain of it radiating up her cheek.

Summer let out a pathetic whimper, curling in on herself, trying to hide.

The man sucked air through his mouth in a rasping breath. “Drive,” he barked toward the front seat.

She tried to lunge for the door again, and this time he punched her. She welcomed the way her vision dimmed as the fight left her body.

She wasn’t strong enough to get away. She’d never been strong enough to take care of this baby. They’d both die. At least she’d get to be with Ramiro then.

She let the dimming vision take her. In the darkness, she dreamed about Ramiro. He was alive, not hurt at all. He had come for her, just like he’d promised. She was wrapped up in his arms, where no one could touch her.

The light smacks to her face took her from that.

“Wake the fuck up.” Ovidio’s voice dragged her back.

She was on a bed now, but she didn’t remember getting there. Ovidio lay over her body, pushing her into the mattress below, his hand shoved between her legs. The scrape of his fingers inside her hurt.

“Fucking hell. You’re still dripping his cum, aren’t you? That makes me so hard.”

She’d been with Ramiro earlier that night, right before he’d been called away. Was it still the same night?

The fingers were gone. Her skin went clammy as his erection pressed against her. Ovidio’s breath fanned over her face as his weight held her immobile.

“The thought of replacing Rodriguez’s cum with mine is going to get me off too fucking fast.”

Tears filled her eyes as he shoved into her with a grunt and groan.

“I wanted to make him watch. Maybe he is. I hope Rodriguez’s ghost howls at the way I fuck my cum into you.” His laughter scraped at her insides, multiplying the pain of his thrusts.

Shadowy, taunting laughter joined his in her mind. “She’s not so pure anymore,” her memory whispered.

It was as if that night on the bridge never happened. Ramiro had never found her at all. He’d been a figment of her imagination. One she wanted desperately to cling to.

As the thrusts sped up, became even more painful, she dived into the part of her mind that no one could touch. Ramiro was there. Even if she’d made him up, he was there. She was crying in her apartment, and he’d shown up as always. He held her as she clung to him, burying her sobs into his chest.

Her body was being pushed into the bed as Ovidio raped her, his breath washing over her face even faster as he cried out and spurted inside her.

No. No, that wasn’t happening. Ramiro was holding her in her apartment.

“I’ve got you, baby girl,” he whispered to her. “I’m going to take care of you. I’ll always be with you.”

Tears leaked out of her eyes, but she made no sounds. The weight left her body, letting it curl in a belated attempt to protect itself. Someone else’s cum had replaced Ramiro’s.

She muffled her sob against her knees as her body tightened into itself, and she imagined it was Ramiro’s dress shirt catching her tears instead.

Some of her favorite moments had been all the times Ramiro had curled up with her on the couch and held her as they watched reruns. He never seemed to get tired of holding her. Ramiro’s reactions to the shows were honest, his chuckles and snorts and murmurs rumbling in her ear. He was so big that his body surrounded her, but that felt safe because she was with Ramiro.

“Wake up.”

She shook her head, snuggling deeper into Ramiro’s body. If she left this moment, there would be pain. She needed to stay right where she was.

“Please wake up, sunshine. We need to get out of here.”

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