Page 55 of Insatiable


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He meant Damien. Apparently Bruno had heard about tonight’s event, come here drunk and spied on what was going on. The fact that he’d caught her alone had been icing on his revenge cake.

“He uses people like me...and like you. He’ll trade you when he’s done with you, too.”

His words confused her, but she tried to keep her tone calm, treating him as she would a wild bear she’d encountered in the woods. “Bruno, why don’t you go next door—some of the guys are there. I’m sure one of them would take you home.”

“Are you deaf? I don’t have a home no more!”

He shook her violently, so hard that she lost her grip on her dress. The silky blue fabric fell down, exposing her breast, and he immediately focused his attention there, an ugly smile pulling up his mouth, revealing his broken teeth.

“Or maybe we can make a deal.” He licked his lips. “You give me what you’re giving your boss, Mr. Black. Let’s find out if your pussy is worth the cost of that necklace he put on you tonight.”

“You’re disgusting. You’re also confused, and you’re drunk,” she said, trying to sound calm and strong, though she was trembling and her heart was galloping in her chest.

“Drunk. Not confused.”

He crowded closer, bending to try to kiss her. Viv jerked her head away, but he grabbed her jaw to hold her still, gripping painfully with his strong fingers. She would have bruises tomorrow.

Dear Lord, please let it be only bruises.

She wasn’t about to give up without a fight. When he moved his mouth to hers, she bit him, satisfied by his yelp of pain.

Her satisfaction was short-lived. Growling, Bruno slapped her hard across the face, making her whole head jerk to the side. Her ears rang, her face ached, but even through the shock, Viv saw his fury when he realized she’d drawn blood. It spilled off his lip, and he angrily rubbed it away with his arm. An almost visible blanket of rage dropped over him, and every ounce of it was directed at her.

She was in trouble now. Serious trouble. Viv had no doubt he intended to hurt her. She could smell his intentions in his fetid, whiskey-soaked breaths blasting her in the face.

His big hand fisted.

She reacted instinctively, diving away from him, hearing a crash as he landed a punch on the wall behind where she’d just been standing. Stumbling, she spun around the corner into a broader corridor that led out toward the lobby. She managed to get a few feet ahead of him, aiming for the far end of the hallway that led out of this service-room maze. At the end of it, she beheld a tall, dark-haired man in a tux, and her heart leaped.

Opening her mouth to scream for help, she found herself yanked out of sight of the man she prayed was Damien, and a beefy hand slammed on her lips. Viv twisted and struggled, not caring that the dress was falling off her. She bit at his hand, scratched at his face and finally was able to draw breath enough to scream.

Only once, but she gave it everything she had.

God, please let Damien have heard.

Bruno picked her up and began dragging her toward a storeroom. She was well aware if he got her inside, she would not escape rape. Or worse. He was out of his mind, blaming her for all that had gone wrong in his life, determined to mete out punishment. Tied up in that anger and drunkenness was lust, violence and a seething desire for revenge.

They neared the door.

She remembered something she’d read once about how to evade an attacker. Letting her body go limp, she forced him to support her entire dead weight.

If he’d been a normal-sized guy, it might have helped. Neeley, however, wasn’t slowed down a bit. Instead, as if to punish her for trying, he began to squeeze her around the middle. His crushing grip made her bones audibly crack. The air was being forced out of her lungs, and she was unable to fill them again, breathing in desperate pants.

Hot tears filled her eyes. Viv became light-headed, and wanted to sob at the pain in her ribs, when suddenly, to her shock, Bruno dropped her onto the ground as he stumbled to his knees.

Gasping for breath, she scooted out of the way as Damien landed on the other man. The two of them rolled across the floor, crashing into the opposite wall. Damien was pummeling the hockey player, cursing him, threatening him. His face was a twisted mask of rage; she’d never seen him like this, oblivious to everything except the thug who was staggering to his feet, ready to fight against someone closer to his own size.

But not that close.

Bruno Neeley had to weigh almost three hundred pounds. He was acknowledged as a brute on the ice, a right wing who gave out concussions by the boatload to opposing players. Yes, he was drunk, unsteady, and Damien had caught him off guard. But he was quickly rebounding, throwing his weight behind a counterattack.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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