Page 53 of In the Light of Day

“Always knew you were a slut,” he says, cutting me off, snickering. My brain slows everything that's happening down and I barely register when he grabs onto my forearm, yanking my whole body across the threshold so I stumble into him. “Watch where you’re fucking going, cunt.”

The sting of the backhand he gives me continues to feed thefreezefeeling that's overcome me. My fight or flight meter is clearly still broken. Aggressively he pulls me across my driveway to the beat-up white car parked haphazardly outside.

He's going to take me.

I start to pull against him. I'm not strong but I can fight off Thad.

Surely, I can fight him off.

He looks like the type of man who sits at a desk all day, his shoulders weak and forearms slender, with his gut spilling over the waist of his pants.

“No,” I say, yanking my arm away and he scrambles to take hold again.

“NO!” I yell louder, pulling and tugging from his hold, the panic almost taking over as my chest tightens and my breath shortens. I need to stay in control. I will never go willingly. Iwillfight.

Bracing his feet, he propels me toward his car, his full body pushing into it, slamming me against the side, knocking my head on the door frame. Dazed, I stumble away from him a few steps, mumblingnoonce more. The sudden creak of a car door opening, getting my attention. For a fleeting moment, I must have relaxed, thinking that Ace,my Ace, would just know I needed him, that he would feel something was wrong and drop everything to come and save me. He always managed to save me.

Please save me.

The gravel feels hard on my palms, cutting and digging in as pain shoots daggers all around me. My hands. My knees. My head. It all throbs.

How did I end up on the ground?

Trying to push myself up, my head is foggy when my hair is suddenly grabbed from behind, pain radiating down my spine as I'm dragged across the gravel driveway. The tall figure of a man dressed all in black looming away from me. I hear a car door open again and the crazed giggle of Thad somewhere close but still out of eyesight. Each strand of my hair feels like it's being pulled out one by one, the constant pressure on my skull causing a blinding pain. I almost sob in relief when I'm let go, the pain being replaced by the rough hands of someone digging into my skin as I'm thrown around again, this time hitting the hard surface of the car interior ...the boot.

My hair, clumped and matted, falls in front of my eyes as I brace for another hit. The loud cackle of another voice rings out and I push my hair away to face my attackers.

“You don't remember me do you?”

The strange man from the rehearsal dinner stands before me, witness to the crumpled mess I've been reduced to. I won't cry for these men but I won't go down easily either.

“For years I waited. Years! I was promised a prize, you see. I just had to be patient. Except the night I came to claim it, my trophy was stolen from me because you didn't understand your place!” He shouts, spitting each word with venom. “You were going to be my prize ... but you escaped ... and now I’ve come to collect.”

Thad stands next to the man, an eccentric clapping loudly thumping next to my sensitive ears.

“Prize? I don't understand?”

The words are raw coming out of my mouth. I sound like an imposter trying to mumble their way through this. He grabs onto the top of my hair, pulling my head back crudely as he smashes his lips against my mouth, the rancid taste of burnt cigarettes and stale breath assaulting my senses.

No, whispers through my head. The quiet word repeats over and over until my brain understands where this is going. No. Not again. Never again. Without thought I open my mouth, biting down on any flesh that I can find. The sweet victory of copper soothes my taste buds when I taste blood.

“Aghh. fucking bitch,” he cries out, pulling his fingers away from the side of his mouth. The fresh stain of blood trickling down his chin.

My victory is short lived however when the black rubber of a boot blocks my vision and my head snaps back from the force of him kicking my head. My hearing flows in and out along with my sight, the fight to stay conscious is a losing battle when the boot door slams down on me and I'm left in the shadows. A sprinkle of light shining in from scattered holes and cracks. The panic is only getting a chance to make a small appearance before the world goes black and I fade into darkness.

Chapter 42- Ace

Control - String Version - Zoe Wees, 2WEI, ABBOTT?

“Making my way downtown, holding fast, making past and I’m home down.”I don't know what the lyrics are butA Thousand Milesis hands down one of the best feel good songs out there. My truck window is open as I turn out of my driveway, looking out over the small lake behind the barn with such fondness it takes my breath away. I drive five under the speed limit not bothered by the cool breeze as I head toward the store. The mundane task of food shopping suddenly transformed because I'm shopping for my wife. I know we all laugh about Nova's inability to cook but despite her protests she can make several things really well and has no problem following a recipe. Personally, I enjoy cooking, so I don't mind taking the lead in this area, especially if it means I know I'm looking after her. Maybe it's my inner caveman coming out, roaring from treetops because I know how to provide for my woman. That's actually been happening a lot lately.

I’m acting like I'm about to go hunting in the wild when I'm just popping in for groceries but the reality is I could still meet all of Nova's basic needs if we were stuck in the middle of nowhere and that makes me puff my chest out in pride.

Pulling into the bustling car park, I'm lucky to find a spot close to the front doors. My day just getting better as the tightness in my chest continues. It must be because this is my first time away from her in a while. Walking inside, I grab a basket by the front door specials. I was planning on a larger shop but I think I’ll just get a few essentials and we can sort the rest out another time.

Walking the aisles my skin suddenly breaks out in goosebumps. That funny wives' tale of someone standing on your grave making an appearance before I shake it from my thoughts. I've just placed some more bacon in my basket when the chill from the deli section causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand up. I try to adjust my shoulders to get rid of it, but that feeling, compounded with the goosebumps that still haven't gone away has made me more on edge than anything. Something doesn't feel right but I don't know what I'm missing. I scan around me. Three old people are circling and a mum with her kid in the front of the trolly are all nearby. The hustle of other people walking around merges with the soft background music they have playing.

I was planning an extravaganza but it has now dwindled down to some meat, potatoes, and salad when I pass a tower of sparkling wine and take a bottle on a whim. Just because the honeymoon is over doesn't mean we have to stop celebrating. Shaking my shoulders out, the uneasy feeling only grows heavier.

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