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“You’ll give it up to him, but you won’t look twice at me?”

“Trev—”

He forces his mouth on mine and I recoil, shoving him away as hard as I can.

“Trevor, stop⁠—”

His hand latches onto my throat and he slams me against the broken vanity behind me. I lose my balance and fall back, scratching at his vise-like grip around my neck.

“After all this time,” he growls. “You’re nothing but a common whore.”

I reach for the gun in my ankle holster, sliding it free. He grabs at it with his other hand and twists my wrist to make me drop it. I cough and wheeze, desperately trying to take in a complete breath as he takes my gun and throws it across the room.

Trevor draws me closer just to throw me back against the busted mirror. Glass scratches the back of my head. It hurts, but I can’t let the pain overwhelm me.

I dig my fingers beneath his hand, trying to loosen the edge of his grip.

“Anna,” he says, leaning in. “Just let me have you.”

He grabs my breast with his free hand.

“No,” I say, my eyes burning.

“I need you,” he says. He slides his fingers down to my jeans, quickly tugging open the button to get at my zipper. “I need you so much.”

“Stop.”

He pulls me off the vanity and throws me to the floor.

I roll onto my knees to crawl away from him, but I don’t get far before Trevor grabs me by my ponytail and yanks me back.

He slams a wet rag over my mouth.

I try to stop it. I try to hold my breath and block the chemical from getting in, but my lungs force me to breathe. I inhale a complete breath of it. A cold and wet liquid fills my nasal cavity, inching into the back of my throat. A heavy cloud pinches my brain, threatening to knock me out.

Chloroform. I can’t let this happen.

I extend my hand back, aiming for his eyes. I scratch, digging my nails into his face. He screams and backs off long enough for me to roll over.

I kick upward, slamming my heel into his groin.

Trevor doubles forward and falls to his knees. “Fucking bitch!” he says, holding his blood-covered face.

I lash out with another kick, this one nailing him in the side of his head. He falls down, groaning in pain, while I get up and rush out into the hall.

I force myself to cough. I exhale hard through my nose, trying to clear my system, but I still feel that liquid settling in to take me down. I hawk and spit, but it doesn’t help. I try holding my breath to keep it out of my brain, but I already feel unconsciousness building in me. My legs sway beneath me as I nearly trip down the stairs.

“Anna…”

I ignore him. A dizzy spell hits me, and I nearly fall against the bookshelf in the living room.

Stay awake, Anna.

Trevor will come down those stairs any second now, angrier and more determined to take what he wants. If I keep breathing this shit, then I won’t be able to fight back.

I need to clear my airway.

I reach the kitchen and pull open the refrigerator door. My eyes focus on the to-go cup still sitting on the shelf in front of me.