Page 3 of Reign
He orders more shots and I pretend to shoot them while instead using my beer bottle to hide I haven’t swallowed it. I need to keep on my toes and I can’t do that if I’m drunk. I act like they are affecting me. I flirt and tease him.
Moving closer and running my fingers along his arms. Pushing my breasts his way which from the way he can’t seem to keep his eyes off me is definitely working. His hands are on me and it is taking everything in me not to break all his fingers.
“Let’s take this somewhere, a little more private, shall we?” I say pushing myself into his body. I need to hurry this along as I can’t keep pretending much longer.
“Now we are speaking the same language” he smirks as he starts to lead me round the bar and down the corridor to the back door. I see Maddog and Creature take notice and can feel them watching us.
The corridor is dark and just as we make it to the door leading outside, he switches on me so fast I don’t see it coming. I let my guard down by underestimating him. I thought he was a lot more intoxicated than he actually is. As the door opens, he spins me around, slamming me into the wall, causing my head to bounce off the brick with skull-splitting pain which radiates through my head. His whole-body weight is against me, forcing me back into the brick wall behind me. His hand wraps around my neck, squeezing my throat just enough to cause me pain but not completely cut off my airway.
“Think you could trick me?” he growls in my ear.
“I don’t know……. What?” I stammer out, him squeezing my neck making it difficult to talk.
“Raven, I know who you are. Do you really think I wouldn’t know who was coming after me? My family might have publicly disowned me but privately, I am still their son. Who knows their secrets so they will keep helping me”
This case has been fucked up from the beginning. My instinct told me he was too easy to find. The information came too quickly and just seemed on point. Normally tips we get are vague. I should have listened to my instincts.
He squeezes my neck adding more pressure until I start to see black spots across my vision. Just as I’m on the brink of blacking out, he lets up so I can gulp large breaths of air in, only for him to start all over again. I can feel my throat bruising and brings me to the edge of passing out three or four times before he stops.
“I don’t understand” I try to keep playing confused.
“Of course, you don’t. Women don’t have the mental capacity to understand complex things. You are only good for raising children and pleasing men”
What the actual fuck. Is he deluded or what? He wouldn’t be here without a woman. Ungrateful asshole. I can’t stop the laugh that bursts out of me, I am done playing weak. He thinks he knows who I am, so I better introduce myself properly.
My laugh catches him by surprise but not for long as his other hand comes up, backhanding me across the face. I can feel my cheek start to swell and he must have cut me with his ring as I start to feel blood trickle down my face.
“You think you know me? You have no fucking idea who I am” I gloat to him
The anger flashes across his face and he hits me across the face again. Followed quickly with a few punches to my middle, causing me to try to bend to protect myself. Expect I don’t get very far as he is still holding me by my throat. He hits me a few more times while I try every trick, I know to get away from him. He seems to know where I am going next and has a countermove at the ready. This dude is trained.
He is an evil predator who has spent time studying his prey. He knows the self-defense moves women are shown and how to get around them so he comes out on top. This is a serial rapist and abuser.
I still, as fear encompasses my body when his free hand grabs the top of my jeans, expertly flicking the button open and his hand is inside them. He is still gripping my throat, just a little harder and using his body to keep me in place. I try to move away but it is no use, his hand is now inside my underwear. I close my eyes, trying to go to a happy place as I know what is going to happen next.
Just as I feel his fingers touch where they shouldn’t be touching, they are ripped away, the weight of his body is lifted from me and his hand around my throat is gone. Unable to open my eyes, I slide down the wall and curl my arms around myself. My body screams out in protest due to the damage he has caused it. I jump a little when I feel a hand on my shoulder.
“It’s okay Raven. You are safe now” The voice is gentle and familiar.
Bravely I open my eyes and look up into a face which should scare me but doesn’t. It has the opposite reaction, a feeling of safety envelopes me. Manic’s half-skeleton tattooed face is right in front of me, as he crouches down, hands on either shoulder, I launch myself into his arms. He wraps them around me and cradles me into him.
“We got you girly, you safe now” he whispers in my ear as I cling to him like a lifeline.
The world around me starts to come back into focus and I can hear fists hitting flesh. Looking up I see Maddog standing behind Manic, watching Creature take his anger out on Tyler.
“If he is too damaged, you’ll money” I warn him
“You are one tough Chica Raven,” Maddog says with a small chuckle
“I try” I reply, feeling like I can be myself now.
He’s right. I am tough, this will not stop me. Fuckers like him cannot be allowed to win. Oh, hell no! It might take me a little to overcome this but taking the time to process what happened here tonight does not make me weak. No one who admits they need a minute to get themselves together or need help to overcome something is weak. It takes great strength to be aware of what you need and take it.
“Let's get you back to the clubhouse and get you checked out,” Manic says.
Nodding my agreement, I let Manic pick me up, cradling me softly against his large chest. I lay my head on his shoulder as we make our way to my truck.
“I’ll take your truck. The others are going take fuckface into custody”
