Chapter 52: Chapter 52

Charleigh

I’m in that in-between place where you know you’re not asleep yet, but you know you almost are.

Is there a name for that?

Anyway, I turn over on my side to wait for my momentary nap time to arrive, when a shadow blocks the sun’s rays from my face, and I actually become chilly.

When the sun doesn’t come back out, and I can’t doze because I’m no longer warm, I open one eye to see if afternoon clouds have blown in and whether it looks like rain.

I push myself up and take a deep breath to start screaming.

Because Dimitri is standing right over me.

Before I can get a sound out, or really even move, his hand covers my mouth and pushes me right back into the hammock, leaving me with no leverage for doing anything other than kicking my feet.

Which I do until he sits on my legs.

“Pretty girl,” he coos at me, “I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

God no. Just no. How did he…

I try to remain calm. His open palm is covering my mouth and almost my nose. He could suffocate me if he wanted to.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You had a party and didn’t invite me? That’s very rude, you know.”

He’s evil. Pure evil.

His gaze travels from my face to my polka-dotted sundress, now straining across my breasts because of the position I’m in. He runs a finger from his free hand over them, and then takes a handful and kneads my flesh hard, until it hurts.

I try to scream from behind his hand, but nothing comes out besides muffled groans.

“Huh,” he says, looking at me with curiosity. “I thought you were the type to like it rough. After all, I’ve seen the video of the guys giving it to you in the ass.”

Huh?

My stomach roils. I’m sinking. Sinking into the terror that’s danced around me these recent weeks. It’s hammering me without mercy, pulling me into the abyss like a lead weight. I squeeze my eyes shut like that will make it go away. It doesn’t.

Mother, where are you? I need you.

He laughs quietly. “Yup, that’s right, I have cameras in the assholes’ house. Well, just the library but, boy, has that paid off. Fuck me, baby, you are hot. If only they’d had that goddamn auction, I could have brought you home and made you into a real woman. Taught you the pleasures of the flesh in a way the fucking Alekseev brothers can’t even dream of. But it is what it is. I’ll take what I can get, even if it is sloppy seconds.”

I force my eyes to open in the hope that I can connect with whatever sliver of humanity the man might have, but his eyes are dark, his pupils dilated with the excitement of finally getting what he’s wanted all along.

I listen carefully to see if anyone’s come to look for me or even if security is simply making their rounds. I hear nothing except the wind in the trees, and of course, Dimitri’s disgusting words.

“Don’t be scared, little girl. I’m not here to hurt you, at least not very much.” He giggles.

I nod as best I can, even though he’s holding me down, to try to communicate in some way with him. To remind him I’m a living, breathing human, rather than just a pawn in a long-standing fight with his rivals.

He smirks. “Oh, you’re all nice and accommodating now, are you? After all the times you were such a rude bitch to me, acting like you were too good for me?”

I shake my head no.

“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.

************

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 cause him enough 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 is not the 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!”

I head for the house, without glancing back. He might be right on my tail or still doubled over in pain, but I’m not slowing enough to find out.

Three security guards appear, followed by the Niko, Kir, and Vadik. They are racing in my direction, looks of horror on their faces when they see my torn and dirty clothes. As soon as the first one reaches me, I fall to my knees, sobbing.

“There,” I gasp, pointing, “in the bushes. By the hammock.”

Niko stays with me while the guys run off, and I throw my arms around him. “Niko, Niko,” I cry, barely able to speak between my sobs, “it was Dim… Dim…”

I can’t finish.

He holds me by the shoulders. “Was it Dimitri, baby?”

I nod, falling onto all fours as my body is wracked with heaves.

I’ve got to pull it together. I can’t let Evie see me like this.

I sniffle and when the nausea passes, let Niko help me to my feet. “Don’t tell Evie, please don’t tell Evie. Don’t take me to the house. Take me to your cottage. She can’t see me.”

“All right, come on, baby,” he says, scooping me into his arms and carrying me.

I throw my arms around his neck and bury my face in his chest, breathing his familiar scent, and I’m instantly comforted. We get to his cottage and he lays me on the sofa, leaving me, then returning with a warm washcloth.

He’s dabbing at the dirt on my face when the rest of the guys join us.

I push myself up. “Did you get him? Did you get him?” I ask, pleading.

Please say yes.

But Kir shakes his head. “He got away. Fucker disabled the electricity in the fence.”

I look at the security guys behind him. He had to have help. I know it.

Someone on the compound is helping Dimitri.

“This is such bullshit—” I start to say. “I was attacked again, and still you guys do nothing about it.”

I push myself to my feet. “Go fuck yourselves. All of you.”

They’re lucky I don’t twist their balls.

I head for the door.

Vadik raises his arm. “Hold on, Charleigh. We should have the attack on video. We’ll take that to the Pakhan—”

But I cut him off. I am so over hearing about what the Pakhan wants. “The Pakhan can fuck himself, too. And I’ll say that to his face. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t keep me safe. None of you can, in spite of all your promises. So you might as well just stop pretending you can. Admit it. You can’t keep me safe.”