For all I know I’m giving Ralph the upper hand without realizing it.
Keeping my breathing slow and even, I strain my ears for any other sound. If the door at the top of the stairs is open, I’ll probably be able to hear someone walk past. The compound is more secure than Fort Knox, and the security team do sweeps of the main house every twenty to thirty minutes.
Or at least they used to.
I can’t imagine Salvatore has gotten any less paranoid about his own safety, though, so I think I’m confident enough to make the assumption that they’re not patrolling less.
But there’s nothing.
Not a footstep. Not a dripping tap in the kitchen above. Not even the rustle of curtains in the wind.
Another tear falls against the pillow that still smells like Ronan, and I barely manage to swallow the accompanying sob.
Why did I have to send him away? It was the right thing to do, of course, the only thing I could do to protect both our hearts. But if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be in this position right now.
I’d be safe in his arms until the time comes for me to leave this world.
Something between panic and acceptance settles in my chest as Ralph shoves the shirt higher, leaving my panties uncovered.
He either doesn’t know Ronan has been nursing me through my period the last few days, or he doesn’t care, but either way he’s going to be in for a rude shock.
Because I wasn’t blessed with four-day periods that taper into almost nothing after day two. No, endometriosis gifted me weeklong bleeds so heavy my iron is eternally low, even with regular infusions.
Maybe I’ll get lucky.
Maybe that will be enough to deter him from going any further.
Rough hands push my top leg higher, rolling me further onto my stomach.
This is it.
If I let him pin me down this way, I won’t be able to escape.
It’s now or never.
Without being able to see where his attention is focused, I’m relying on touch alone to find an opportunity to strike.
“I almost wish you were awake, Little Flower. I bet you cry just as pretty as your mom.”
His voice comes from closer than I expect, and without overthinking it, I throw my head back, hitting him straight in the nose.
Agony slices through my skull, but I don’t pause.
Using his moment of distraction, I shove myself to my feet, my head swimming at the sudden movement.
I blink through the dizzy spell, shooting a hand out to grip the rough bricks and stop myself from falling, but by the time the stars have faded, Ralph is on me.
“You stupid cunt,” he growls, slamming me into the wall.
My temple slams into the wall a second before the rest of my body follows, and I’m once again pinned beneath his much larger body.
“Get the fuck off me,” I hiss, using every bit of strength I have left to fight.
But it’s not much.
Not enough.
The reality of this time of the month is that everything in me is depleted. My muscles ache, my skin hurts, and my strength is nonexistent.
