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I hate who I was when I lived with Greg. I took his abuse because I thought that was what I deserved. I had no self-worth, never had anyone in my life who helped me have that. I had to fight to become the person I am now, and I hate that I’m letting him fill me with fear again.
“I’m not the same person I was back then, Greg. You were with a child. You try to lay a finger on me and you’ll regret it,” I tell him, tapping into the strength that I’ve fought tooth and nail to gain.
Greg throws his head back and laughs, the sound so evil it makes me feel cold clear through.
“Do you think your little sheriff will show up to save you? He’s in the hospital. Even if he could get out, he can’t drive. There’s no one to save you now, Juniper. You’re mine. The faster you accept your fate the better it will be for you. Come peacefully and I might let you ride in the car with me, instead of in the trunk.”
“Fuck you,” I hiss, grabbing a lamp off my dresser and throwing it at him. He jumps out of the way before it hits him. I start grasping anything I can find to throw at him. I even yank a drawer out and hurl it at him.
It hits him in the chest, but he keeps coming. I try to run around him to get to the kitchen, but he grabs me, tossing me on the mattress. This is a familiar position to be in with Greg. Bile rises up in my throat, as his hand goes to his belt. He undoes it, looking down at me like I’m nothing but dirt.
“How did I know you were going to make this get ugly. You never learn your lesson, Punkin’,” he snarls.
“I’m not,” I yell, kicking my leg up in the air and nailing him between the balls, “Your damnPunkin’. My name is Juniper,” I snarl, pushing off the bed, and take off running, trying to get out of the room. He grabs me just as I get to the doorway. His arm snakes around my middle, and he hauls me backwards, throwing me forcefully down on the bed.
I kick at him, thrashing around, the towel loosening and leaving my body. I can’t worry about that. I have to get free. I can’t let him touch me. I willnotlet him destroy me.
“I don’t remember you having this fire before, Juniper. If you had, things might have been different between us,” Greg spews, his breathing heavy. My foot kicks against the side of his face and he grabs it, twisting painfully. I cry out, trying to inch up on the bed. I’m looking behind me as much as I can, still trying to kick him at the same time. Suddenly, I see the handle of the baseball bat by my nightstand. I try to stretch up to grab it. It’s just out of reach, barely at my fingertips. I just need to try a little harder…
Ben
“Drive faster,” I bark, feeling as if we’re barely crawling. In reality we’re driving so fast that the scenery out the windows is nothing but a blur. When I see Junie’s driveway, I close my eyes, praying that we’re not too late. The gate is wide open, and I curse. Has Rat Boy already hurt her and left? Did he take her? “Did you call Danny?”
“They’re meeting us here,” Gavin says, his voice tight. He turns into Junie’s drive, the car turning so quickly it goes on two tires and bounces back down. He’s barely pulled up to the front door when I’m already getting out. I jog to the door, limping, my gun drawn. The door is locked, and I can hear Junie screaming inside. My hand goes to my pocket, but my keys aren’t there.
“Fuck!”I yell. I aim my gun, pointing it at the door frame and shoot. I fire three quick shots. Gavin and I both throw our shoulders into the door and it gives way easily.
“Junie. Baby, speak to me,” I yell out, already going toward her room.
Gavin is right there with me. I don’t know how I’m staying in front of him since I’m limping, but I figure it’s pure adrenaline. I’ve never been more scared in my life.
“Junie!” When we get to the bedroom, I freeze, and Gavin does too as we both look inside the room in shock.
Junie is standing over Rat Boy, who is curled in the fetal position on the floor. My woman is naked as the day she was born, but she’s brandishing a baseball bat over him, slamming into his body as she screams at him.
“You fucking loser. You think you can come back in my life and ruin it? You knew I was damaged. You knew the head games my mother played on me, that my whole family played, and you used that. What kind of monster does that?” she screams as she swings the bat into his mid-section. “You made me feel worthless, like I was nothing but dirt, and I was lucky you even gave me the time of day!” she adds and connects again, this time on his arm.
Rat Boy lets out a howl that makes me laugh. Gavin does too.
Gavin.
Fuck, Junie’s naked!
I put my gun back in the holster since Gavin has his drawn, then I hobble into the bathroom grabbing her robe.
“You hurt Ben!” she cries, hitting him again and this one connects between his legs.
“Yowch. That has to hurt,” Gavin says, wincing. I agree with him, but Greggie Boy deserves it.
“Junie, Baby. Put this on,” I tell her, coming up from behind.
“You made me think I was going to lose my boyfriend!” she screams again and as much as I’d love for her to continue to beat the hell out of him, I hear sirens outside—which means we’re about to have company. I grab her bat mid swing, stopping the hit.
Junie looks up at me, her eyes wide with anger, pain and maybe panic, but she’s definitely surprised.
“Ben?”
“How many times, do I have to tell you that I’m not your boyfriend, Junebug. I’m yourman,” I tell her, so fucking proud of her that my heart is swelling with it.
