referring to the punching bag or our romp
against the wall.
I
sliced the French bread, wrapped it in tinfoil, and tossed it inside the oven.
I was reaching for the dinner plates when two well-muscled arms snaked around
me. One hand covered my mouth while the other arm wrapped tightly around my
waist. The plates shattered against the granite countertop as he dragged me across
the floor.
I
knew it was Rafael. I could smell his cologne, and his body was familiar enough
to me by now. Still, I panicked. Justin had held me in this same position when
he kidnapped me. Suddenly, it wasn’t shattered plates scattered in front of me,
it was Diwa and Habib huddled in front of his cab. I closed my eyes against the
image and whimpered.
Rafael
nipped at my ear. “How are you going to get away when someone grabs you from
behind, love?”
I
tried to slow my breathing, to blink back the memories that still poisoned my
mind. Rafael. It’s only Rafael , I repeated over and over again. I tried to
break free, but he only tightened his hold. I stilled as I sifted through the
instructions he’d given me. Then I tried stomping on his foot.
Rafael
shifted to a wider stance, easily avoiding my foot. “Come on, Kristine. Think .”
He
still had my mouth covered, so I couldn’t ask any questions. I couldn’t breathe
a single word. I raised my knee so I could kick him in the shin. The move was
pointless because I didn’t have any shoes on.
“Bite
me,” he growled.
My
eyes widened in shock. I shook my head as best I could. No way was I biting
Rafael.
Rafael
grabbed me by the shoulders as he spun me in his arms. He looked frustrated,
annoyed, and a little angry. “Kristine, you do what you have to… to survive.
You do everything you can to get away. Nothing is off limits. You bite, spit,
pull hair, and rip your nails through his eyes if you have to. Do you
understand me?”
I
started trembling. “Stop,” I whispered. “Please stop.”
Rafael
swung his leg behind mine, and suddenly I was falling back toward the floor. He
caught me just before my back and head hit the ground. He eased me to the floor.
He pinned my legs with his knee as he shoved his forearm under my neck. “Your
attacker won’t stop, Kristine. He won’t stop until one of you is dead.”
I
couldn’t even see Rafael’s face in front of me. Tom’s abuse… Justin’s attack…
the drowning… a million violent images rained down on me at once.
“ Get
off! ” I screamed.
“Make
me,” he responded flatly.
I
bucked violently against him. “ Get the hell off of me! ”
Suddenly,
Rafael was gone. I heard a loud crash as I scrambled to my feet.
Kadyn
had Rafael pinned against the wall. His hand was pulled back.
I
stumbled toward them. “ Stop! ” I screamed.
Rafael
shoved Kadyn in the chest, just as Kadyn’s fist connected with his face.
Blood
spurted from Rafael’s nose, then streamed down his mouth and chin.
I
lunged for Kadyn’s arm as he pulled back to throw another punch. “Kadyn, stop.
You have to stop. He wasn’t trying to hurt me.”
Kadyn
scowled as he broke free. “He was. He was trying to hurt you, Kri.”
Rafael
swiped the blood from his face.
I
continued tugging at Kadyn’s arm. “No. This is Rafael. Remember? I told you
he’s teaching me self-defense.”
Kadyn
stumbled backwards. “ This is Rafael ?” His entire body shook as he
pulled me into his arms. “God, Kri. I thought he was trying to rape you. I
heard you scream.”
I
immediately began crying. “No. I just got scared. I just… the memories… I
wasn’t expecting this to bring back all of those memories.”
“You’re
okay?” Kadyn rasped.
I
nodded as I swiped at my tears. I pulled away from Kadyn so I could help
Rafael. “Are you okay?”
Rafael
glared at Kadyn. “I’m fine.”
I
tried to wipe the blood from Rafael’s face with my hands. “I’ll get you a warm washcloth
and some ice.” As I turned to retrieve the ice, I stumbled over a bouquet
against the wall.
I
sliced the French bread, wrapped it in tinfoil, and tossed it inside the oven.
I was reaching for the dinner plates when two well-muscled arms snaked around
me. One hand covered my mouth while the other arm wrapped tightly around my
waist. The plates shattered against the granite countertop as he dragged me across
the floor.
I
knew it was Rafael. I could smell his cologne, and his body was familiar enough
to me by now. Still, I panicked. Justin had held me in this same position when
he kidnapped me. Suddenly, it wasn’t shattered plates scattered in front of me,
it was Diwa and Habib huddled in front of his cab. I closed my eyes against the
image and whimpered.
Rafael
nipped at my ear. “How are you going to get away when someone grabs you from
behind, love?”
I
tried to slow my breathing, to blink back the memories that still poisoned my
mind. Rafael. It’s only Rafael , I repeated over and over again. I tried to
break free, but he only tightened his hold. I stilled as I sifted through the
instructions he’d given me. Then I tried stomping on his foot.
Rafael
shifted to a wider stance, easily avoiding my foot. “Come on, Kristine. Think .”
He
still had my mouth covered, so I couldn’t ask any questions. I couldn’t breathe
a single word. I raised my knee so I could kick him in the shin. The move was
pointless because I didn’t have any shoes on.
“Bite
me,” he growled.
My
eyes widened in shock. I shook my head as best I could. No way was I biting
Rafael.
Rafael
grabbed me by the shoulders as he spun me in his arms. He looked frustrated,
annoyed, and a little angry. “Kristine, you do what you have to… to survive.
You do everything you can to get away. Nothing is off limits. You bite, spit,
pull hair, and rip your nails through his eyes if you have to. Do you
understand me?”
I
started trembling. “Stop,” I whispered. “Please stop.”
Rafael
swung his leg behind mine, and suddenly I was falling back toward the floor. He
caught me just before my back and head hit the ground. He eased me to the floor.
He pinned my legs with his knee as he shoved his forearm under my neck. “Your
attacker won’t stop, Kristine. He won’t stop until one of you is dead.”
I
couldn’t even see Rafael’s face in front of me. Tom’s abuse… Justin’s attack…
the drowning… a million violent images rained down on me at once.
“ Get
off! ” I screamed.
“Make
me,” he responded flatly.
I
bucked violently against him. “ Get the hell off of me! ”
Suddenly,
Rafael was gone. I heard a loud crash as I scrambled to my feet.
Kadyn
had Rafael pinned against the wall. His hand was pulled back.
I
stumbled toward them. “ Stop! ” I screamed.
Rafael
shoved Kadyn in the chest, just as Kadyn’s fist connected with his face.
Blood
spurted from Rafael’s nose, then streamed down his mouth and chin.
I
lunged for Kadyn’s arm as he pulled back to throw another punch. “Kadyn, stop.
You have to stop. He wasn’t trying to hurt me.”
Kadyn
scowled as he broke free. “He was. He was trying to hurt you, Kri.”
Rafael
swiped the blood from his face.
I
continued tugging at Kadyn’s arm. “No. This is Rafael. Remember? I told you
he’s teaching me self-defense.”
Kadyn
stumbled backwards. “ This is Rafael ?” His entire body shook as he
pulled me into his arms. “God, Kri. I thought he was trying to rape you. I
heard you scream.”
I
immediately began crying. “No. I just got scared. I just… the memories… I
wasn’t expecting this to bring back all of those memories.”
“You’re
okay?” Kadyn rasped.
I
nodded as I swiped at my tears. I pulled away from Kadyn so I could help
Rafael. “Are you okay?”
Rafael
glared at Kadyn. “I’m fine.”
I
tried to wipe the blood from Rafael’s face with my hands. “I’ll get you a warm washcloth
and some ice.” As I turned to retrieve the ice, I stumbled over a bouquet
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