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I shake my headno.
“Whatever, Charleigh. All the women who get wrapped up with the Alekseevs think their shit doesn’t stink. I mean, look at your club manager, Dominika. She’s a bitch of epic proportion, all because of the years she spent fucking Grigory Alekseev. You know, the man who stole my share of the club?”
He releases my legs long enough to grab the hem of my dress and pull it up to my waist, and I think my God, it’s finally happening. My biggest fear—that Dimitri would find me and make me do something I don’t want to, marking me in some way he feels will ruin me for the Alekseevs.
“Hey, I like how your stomach healed. Looks really good.” He tilts his head to study my jagged scars. “Apology accepted. Great way to send a message. I mean, you’ll never forget me now, will you?”
I shake my head again.
Remain calm. Panic will just make it impossible to think.
He looks around like he’s surprised no one’s come looking for me yet. I’m surprised too.
“Look, I’m gonna remove my hand from your mouth but if you make even a little noise, I will take you out with a closed fist so hard you’ll be out for hours and will be healing from a broken nose for weeks. I’m sure a pretty girl like you doesn’t want that.”
He slowly takes his hand away, and I move my bruised lips without a sound. I have to get him to trust me. Then I can make my move.
“Get up,” he growls, grabbing the hair on the back of my head.
I manage to get my feet over the edge of the hammock and clumsily stand while being led by my hair. He begins to pull me to the edge of the property and I start to think this is it, he’s either going to take me away, or kill me, or both.
This is how it ends. Just as I thought it might.
* * *
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN
Charleigh
Dimitri pulls me behind a hedge, dragging me by the hair until I’m dizzy from the motion. I cough and heave, but nothing comes up, as if my body won’t even give me that little bit of relief.
“Stop that,” he snarls, slapping my face with his free hand.
The sting surprises me, and I look at him. “Please, please, Dimitri,” I say softly, “let me go. Leave while you can. You know the guys will find you regardless of what you do to me.”
He considers my words. “Yes, I suppose they will find me someday. I’ve accepted that. But not until I take away the one thing that is most important to them.”
Tears seep from the corners of my eyes, and all I can think is to hope the guys will take care of Evie. I know she’s difficult, but there is no one to look after her besides me. I want her to have better than I had. She has so much ahead of her.
Dimitri pushes me down in a muddy spot under the bushes, pinning me while he opens his pants. I lie there, trying to think clearly enough to remember some of what I learned in my self-defense classes. If I can get him in a vulnerable position…
I hold still, as if I’m resigned to what’s coming, waiting for my chance to do something, anything to get away from this human scum. When he releases my arms to pull down my panties, I close my fist and swing as hard as I can against his temple.
While this kills my hand, I know it won’t causehimenough pain for me to get away. It does, however, surprise him enough to stop what he’s doing for a second. I squirm out of his hold, scrambling away, but he catches one of my feet and pulls me back.
Dammit.
“Ha-ha,” he says. “Thought you could pull one over on me, huh? Well, now you’re gonna pay. I will have you, and then leave you for dead. They won’t find you for days, not until well after the local coyotes make a meal of you.”
A wave of anger fills me. This isnotthe end. No. Fucking. Way.
This will not be how I go out.
He crawls over me until he’s sitting on my chest, pinning my arms, and begins to aim his penis at my mouth. I open as if I’m going to take it, but at the last moment, with a burst of all the strength I have left, I free one arm and reach under him to twist his balls. I don’t let go.
In a second, he is howling like an injured animal, and while his face is full of red fury, his hands instinctively fly to his crotch, releasing his hold on me. Now that he’s weakened with pain, I give one more yank, push him aside, and finally get up to run.
“Help!” I scream. “Somebody, help me!”
