AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He’ll hear me.
And then it’ll all be over.
In a split-second, I weigh the impossible choice. Either I let this drunk guy rape me here in the alleyway…
Or Nero Barretti will find out exactly where I disappeared to. And not just me, either.
He’ll find my little brother, too.
God help me.
I close my eyes, tears hot on my cheeks as I sink back against the wall.
Make it fast, I pray.Just get it over with.
The drunk guy is pawing at me, breathing faster now in anticipation. “Baby, yeah…” he groans, yanking my skirt higher. “I know you want it."
What I want is the past ten years of my life back. To be somewhere far away from this grimy alley, and these grubby hands, making impossible choices just to stay alive.
“Fuck,” he groans, fumbling with his limp whiskey dick. “Just gimme a sec, I’m getting harder, I’m getting—”
Just like that, he’s gone.
My eyes fly open in time to see Nero hurl the guy to the ground and bring his heel down on the man’s head with a sickening crunch.
“Hands off the merchandise.” Nero tells him coldly. “This one’s taken.”
He gives me an assessing look, like there’s not a decade of history between us. “Lily Fordham,” he says coolly, eyes lingering on my ripped blouse and hiked-up skirt. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
I’m reeling from the icy scorn in his gaze, but Drunk Guy isn’t out yet. He lurches to his feet, roaring angrily, and lunges at Nero. Caught off guard, Nero stumbles back, and the guys go careening into the dumpsters.
I don’t wait around for another second. I take off, my heels clattering on the asphalt as I bomb it across the parking lot to my ancient Jetta. I pull my keys from the pouch around my waist and jam them into the ignition, hands shaking so hard it takes me three tries just to get them in.
The engine sputters.
“Please start, please start.”
I chant it, sobbing, until finally it bursts to life. I pull away, tires screeching, damn near breaking the speed limit driving across town until I pull up outside my rundown apartment complex and race inside. I hurry up the stairs to my floor, and slam the door behind me, shoving the deadbolt into place.
I sink to the floor, my heart pounding.
What do I do now?
I look around. The place is sparsely furnished, but I’ve done my best to make it feel like home: thrifted furniture, books, and blankets. I painted the kitchen sunbeam yellow and did a mural on the bedroom walls: Jungle vines twisting up to a blue ceiling, tropical and bright.
But a part of me always knew it would be temporary.
A part of me always knew, the day would come when I would have to leave it all behind.
Once it would have been for him.With him.
Now, Nero is the one burning it all to the ground.
Slowly, my pulse comes back to normal. I wipe away my tears, and straighten up my clothing, turning over every possibility in my mind. I could run. Pack a bag, hit the road. Find another city to get lost in, another shitty job to keep my brother’s college tuition paid. Spend every waking minute looking over my shoulder, searching the crowd for a familiar face.
But I already know, it’s not an option. Not anymore.
Now that Nero Barretti knows I’m out here, he’ll stop at nothing to find me again. He’ll hunt me down, no matter what, and he won’t care who he has to hurt to get to me.
