Page 42 of Innocence
This God of a man not only wanted me to touch him, he craved it. I should be flattered, right? A long time ago, I’d resigned myself to the fact that my first experiences would be with one of two men. My skeezy stepdad–my trusty bat wouldn’t deter him forever–or some overweight blue collar worker who was happy with a plain wife.
“Well, Pet,” Enzo closed the gap between us and moved in the last few inches, “What’s it going to be?”
He wouldn’t really make me do this, would he? There had to be some hint of humanity in him. A sense of remorse or empathy. I searched the angular lines of his face, but all I found was victory. I was a fool to think otherwise.
Didn’t stop me from pleading with him. “Please don’t make me do this.”
“I’m not making you do anything. The choice is yours. I can keep playing this game, Pet.” He leaned in, causing his breath to trickle across the nape of my neck. “Can you?”
My heart dropped. No, I couldn’t.
My soul wept for change. It begged to be brought back into the light. It was that desperation that raised my arm, holding my hand inches from his chest.
I stared at my quivering limb. Watched my fear pulse back and forth in my fingers. I don’t know how I did it, but I forced myself to close the gap, and flattened my hand on his chest.
The muscle underneath my palm tensed, stirring something inside me. Suddenly, all I could smell, all I could feel or hear, was him. I stared at my fingers as the steady beat of his heart crawled up my arm. It pulsed in lust filled waves through my veins.
Take your hand off him.
But it was too late.
I didn’t just wake the beast.
I unleashed him.
One touch, that’s all it took. A simple demure press of Kya’s quivering palm to my chest, and all my control went out the window. Gone quicker than the few seconds it took me to toss her over my shoulder.
One minute, I was getting ready to pull my hand away, and the next I was off the ground. Stunned, I subconsciously shifted away from the shoulder digging into my stomach.
It was that small action that caused my brain to kick in. Enzo was carrying me across the room. Towards the bed! Ralph’s voice rang out with every long stride my captor took.
‘Slut.’
Step.
‘I know what you do with that boy.’
Step.
‘Time to give it up to daddy you little whore.’
“No!” I screamed, slapping Enzo’s back.
When that did nothing, I swung my feet out, wildly kicking while I pounded with my fists. Ralph hadn’t gotten that far with me, but he did with Angie. I’d sat in the closet, where she’d hid me, and cried. I couldn’t do anything but listen to her screams. Nothing but a useless waste of space, just like now. Mom was right.
‘No Kya, don’t listen to that bitch.’
My sister’s words gave me the fuel I needed to fight. She wouldn’t want me to give up. Angie’s love was strong and fierce. She was all I had, and I was all she had. I had to make it through this. For her.
I became a ball of fury. Limbs flailing wildly as my body wriggled on Enzo’s shoulder. His body was so solid my strikes probably hurt me more than they did him, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. My feet slammed in quick succession against his torso, while my hands went for everything else. Beating against his back and scratching any open surface I could find.
It all came to a grinding halt with one shift of his shoulder. I slipped down his back, seeing my life flash before my eyes as the dark hardwood came closer. I felt that jerk Bobby pulling my pigtails in second grade. I could hear Mom yelling at me, and smell Ralph’s wretched stench.
Tiny images of my miserable life played before my eyes, and the only thing I could think was how ironic this was. All the crap I’d dealt with, and my downfall was a floor.
Figures.
“Calm down, Pet, the bed is only a few feet away.” Enzo’s strong arm clamped around my thighs, stopping my descent. “However, if you prefer the floor…”
