“She wanted me. She wants me,” Armand taunted.
I shivered at his words.
How did I get here?
How did this happen to me?
Pa… that was how.
Pa did this to me. He made Armand think he owned me and could do whatever he wanted to me. I had no choice in the matter.
“Screaming for help doesn’t tend to suggest she wants you.”
“It’s you… your presence that’s caused this shit to happen. You fucking asshole. Things were okay until you came. And look at you now riding in on your horse to save your little slut.”
I always knew he didn’t have much sense. It was clear to me now that he didn’t.
As the wordslutleft his lips, Xander rushed him again and rammed him straight into the wall. He pressed him up against it, holding his arm at his neck. Armand gasped for breath. This time Frankie didn’t intervene. He allowed Xander to go and he went in for what looked like the kill.
I gasped when Xander pulled his gun and held it to Armand’s head.
“I should fucking kill you for talking about her like that. I should fucking blow your brains out for thinking you could talk about her like that in my presence.”
God…I’d never seen him look like that.
This was clearly a side to Xander I wasn’t supposed to see. It was one where Armand was defenseless.
Xander pulled the trigger back and my heart jumped in my throat.
It was then that Frankie stepped in and rested a hand on Xander’s shoulder.
Xander glanced back at him and Frankie shook his head.
“Don’t do it kid,” Frankie told him. “Not worth it. Not worth it at all.”
Once again Xander eased off, backing away.
He pointed his gun at Armand though and held it there while Armand actually looked shaken.
“Armand somewhere along the line you mistook me for some kind of weakling.” Xander seethed, glaring at him. “I’m not sure why. Armand Ricci, I’m not the kind of guy to fuck with. Don’t you dare fuck with me or my girl. Please, take that as an invite to come for me. I hope you do.”
Xander lowered his gun to his side and snarled.
Armand in turn scampered away like the fucking rat he was.
As soon as he left Frankie came to me.
“Doll, God are you okay?” he asked. I covered myself. I was wearing a bra but the top was completely torn.
Tears ran down my cheeks.
Crying again, it was all I ever seemed to do -cry.
This time I started weeping from deep within my soul.
Armand tried to rape me. He hit me and tried to rape me. That was the man I was leaving for Europe with in two days’ time. Him.
There would be no one to save me.
