Page 79 of Craving Danger

Todd’s movements become choppy, and he starts to grunt like a pig before he comes inside me. His full weight bears down on me, and his breaths hit my ear.

“You’re such a good girl. Don’t move,” he taunts me.

The bed dips and I hear him walk to the restroom. When he comes back, he touches the cuts on my side, making them burn like fire.

“My turn.”

I hear him hiss and assume he’s carving my name on his skin.

“See how much I love you, Sam? I’ve branded myself for you.”

Leave! Please. Just leave me alone.

I feel the bed move again, and as he climbs on top of me, my mind screams. He begins to kiss me, his tongue and spit coating my lips, and I feel insanity take me as he rapes me again.

Chapter 25

Franco

My body trembles with rage, and I’m clenching my jaw so fucking hard I’m a second away from cracking a tooth.

The fucker.

What he did to her is unspeakable, yet she finally managed to talk about it.

The fucking fucker. Paulie better find Todd Grant so I can rip his ballsack off and shove it down his throat.

“He finally left. I don’t know how long I laid there before the drug he gave me wore off. I got up and cleaned myself, then packed what I could into my car and left Houston.”

Her voice is void of emotion, and it cuts fucking deep into my soul.

“I know I should’ve gone to the police, but I was so traumatized, all I could think to do was run.”

It feels as if my soul is hemorrhaging from hearing the hell she had to endure.

“I don’t know how he drugged me. I don’t know what he did to me while I was unconscious. All I know is I lost a part of myself, and I don’t think I’ll ever get it back.”

I want to pull her into my arms, but I’m scared it will stop her from talking. She’s finally opening up, and I don’t want to do anything that will jeopardize it.

She lets out a sigh that sounds like it came straight from her soul. “Wow. It feels cathartic to finally say it out loud. It’s true what they say…” Her eyes lift to mine. “the burden becomes lighter if you share it with someone.”

My voice is hoarse as I murmur, “I’d take it all if I could, so you didn’t have to carry any of it.”

She inches closer to me, and I finally get to wrap my arms around her. Holding her tightly, I press a kiss to her hair and hate the fucking balaclava for being in the way.

“I’m so fucking sorry that happened to you,” I whisper, so my voice doesn’t sound harsh because she might recognize me then.

I fold my body around hers in an attempt to get as close as possible to her.

“You’re so fucking strong, Samantha. You amaze me.”

“I don’t want what he did to me to define the rest of my life,” she admits.

“It won’t. You’ve already made so much progress.”

She tilts her head back so she can meet my eyes. “Any progress I’ve made is thanks to you.”

“No, baby. You did it all on your own.”

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