Trashy (21 page)

Cool air brushed over my chest as it heaved.

Fat tears rolled across my cheeks as a rough hand gripped my breast and groped it coarsely. He started thrusting his jean-clad hips into me, dry-humping me while I screamed.

He tore away the lace of my bra and snatched my nipple between his finger and thumb and pinched it so hard I cried out.

He grunted and slammed his hips into me. I could see the bulge in his jeans, and it made me sick.

I tried to kick him. I tried to roll away. The more I struggled, the harder he squeezed my breast.

His hand finally released my bruised flesh, but he still pinned my wrists. His free hand reached for the buckle on his jeans.

“Please, no,” I whimpered.

“I like a woman who begs.” He grunted. He undid his jeans and shoved them down over his hips. He wasn’t wearing any underwear, and his penis sprang out and pointed to my body.

I started crying.

I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe Craig would go so far as to watch me get raped.

My rapist took a moment to stroke his cock, rubbing it back and forth and then dragging it along my clothed core.

I scissored my legs closed and tried to buck him off. He spanked me, leaving my ass burning.

Fight, Roxie, fight!

I could not let them do this to me.

“Drag her to the stage,” Craig ordered, his voice cold and lacking emotion. The man kicked off his jeans completely and then pulled me off the table. My knees threatened to buckle, but I held strong. I prepared to kick him, but before I could, he threw me over the table again, stomach side down, and ground his raging hard-on against my ass.

I screamed.

He reached beneath me and I recoiled, his hands on me was the most disgusting thing I’d ever experienced. I felt the buckle on my jeans give way and the zipper slide down. I threw my head back and the crown of my head slammed into his face. He grunted and stumbled back. I rushed away as pieced of my ruined, tattered shirt trailed behind me.

I ran into the office, knowing I could call for help with the landline and then at least barricade myself until the police arrived.

The rush of feet followed along behind me, but I didn’t turn to see. I heard Craig ordering the cameraman not to miss a thing, and I heard the grunts of pain from the man who was trying to rape me. I made it inside the office and grabbed the door.

I swung it closed as my attacker charged, blood rushing from his nose.

Like a linebacker, he slammed into the door, bursting it open and splintering the wood. I went flying back and hit my head on the edge of the desk. My body folded and fell onto the floor as pain exploded in my skull.

Rough hands grabbed me. I was thrown onto the desk.

I felt my clothes being ripped off my body and my legs shoved apart.

Inside I was screaming, fighting, and dying of horror. On the outside, I felt fuzzy and sluggish.

“Get her tits again,” someone said in the background.

I felt rough hands grab my breasts and pull them away from my body. He was so rough. Not at all the way Adam was.

Adam.

My eyes sprang open and a jolt of clarity came rushing through my head.

“No!” I roared and slid my body across the desk. The rough hands followed me.

I remembered the gun in the bottom of the desk drawer.

I let my arm fall down over the edge of the desk as a set of teeth closed over one of my nipples. I cried out in pain and pulled the drawer open. My hand closed around the gun.

Point and shoot.
Adam’s words floated through my head with quiet clarity.

I swung up my arm and took aim at the man who was getting ready to spread my legs and rape me.

And then I pulled the trigger.

Adam

I called the cops the day after Roxie told me everything. I had a buddy on the force, a guy I’d known for several years, and I told him everything.

Later that day, we went down to the station and I had Roxie fill out papers and make a statement. A protective order was being issued and that scum bucket wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near Roxie.

I didn’t think he was the type of guy to follow the order, but so far it worked to keep him out of my club so I hoped it might help.

But in reality, that paper was just insurance that when Craig came around, he’d be breaking another law.

A week went by and every night Roxie was in my bed. I’d grown so accustomed to having her there with me I was dreading when she would go back to her own apartment. I thought about asking her to move in permanently, but I knew it was too soon. I had to be smart about this.

I was determined that this relationship was going to last.

I was going to do this right, take things slow. I was going to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that we were meant to be together and I would never hurt her.

Plus, I figured I should wait until she was able to tell me she loved me before we lived together. It would be years if I ever asked her to marry me, but I’d come to realize that marriage itself didn’t matter. It was the commitment between two people. It was the unwavering love that mattered most.

It was kind of liberating to realize that. To know that I’d finally found someone who I didn’t have to prove she was the one to myself. I didn’t have to get married to convince myself we’d be together forever.

We would be.

I glanced at the clock. There was still over an hour before the Hatter II opened. It was doing well so far. The first couple nights we opened the place had been packed. I was going to work my ass off to make sure it stayed that way.

My cell rang, and I snagged it up, hoping it was Roxie. One glance at the screen told me it wasn’t. It was my lawyer.

“This is Adam,” I answered.

“Adam, it’s Sherman,” the man on the other line spoke.

“Sherman,” I said, sitting back in my chair and wondering how much this call was going to cost me. Sherman was the best lawyer and well worth the money, but fuck, he was expensive. “What do I owe the pleasure?”

“I don’t have very good news, I’m afraid,” Sherman spoke.

I sat up a little straighter. “What?”

“I was contacted by the PD a few moments ago. It seems they are having trouble locating Craig
Ascott. They have been unable to serve him with the protective order.”

Fear spiked in my veins and my heart began thumping a little harder. “What do you mean they can’t find him?” I cried. “It’s been a goddamned week!”

“Yes, well,” Sherman said, clearing his throat. “It seems they’ve tried contacting him daily and all attempts have turned up empty.”

What the fuck was he up to? I knew he wasn’t dead. I couldn’t be that lucky.

“They said they would keep attempting, but they are beginning to suspect he left town.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Thanks for the call, Sherman.”

“I’ll let you know if and when he is found.”

I disconnected the call and slammed the phone on the desk. I didn’t like knowing no one knew what he was doing. I thought the cops had this under control.

I thought about Roxie over at the club by herself. She needed to know so she could be extra cautious. I grabbed my keys and phone and jogged out to my car.

As I pulled out of the lot, I called Ty. He picked up on the first ring.

“Hey, boss.”

“Ty,” I said. I didn’t have time for pleasantries. “Can you come in to work early? Roxie’s been working there all week before we open. I don’t like her being there alone. I’ll increase your wages if you can start coming in early to cover security while she’s there.”

“Sure, boss. Anything for Miss Roxie.”

He was as southern as they came. He respected women and he was tough as nails.

“I really appreciate this, Ty.”

“I appreciate the raise,” he said.

I laughed. “I’ll see ya in a bit.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, and then the line went dead.

Next I punched Roxie’s number into my cell. I needed to hear her voice.

Her voicemail picked up on the first ring. I pulled the phone back and looked at it. Then I tried to call her again. Same thing.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood and my foot pressed down on the gas. She was probably just on the line with a supplier or something. She was probably working her ass off, and I was being paranoid.

Still, I didn’t slow down.

I broke all the traffic laws on my way to the Mad Hatter. I figured if a cop saw me, he could chase me all the way to the bar. His services might be needed.

But no police officer fell into the path behind me, and I made it to the bar in record time.

As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, I saw a black Honda sitting by the entrance. Beside it was a red car.

Craig’s car.

My tires squealed when I slammed the brakes and got out of the car, leaving it running. He was in there with Roxie and they weren’t alone.

Adrenaline and sheer fear almost stopped my body from breathing.

And then a gunshot tore through the air.

Roxie

The bullet hit my attacker and his body jerked back. I used the moment to scramble up off the desk and stand on shaky legs.

The man I shot stared up at me with wide, shocked eyes as his hand slowly came up to cover the red blooming out across his chest.

I gripped the gun, finger still on the trigger, all too willing to shoot him again.

But it wasn’t necessary.

He crumpled to the floor and didn’t get back up.

In the doorway, the cameraman stood there in shock, his jaw slack as the bright light on top of the camera shined in my eyes.

I lifted the gun and pointed it at him.

The door to the club slammed open. The sound of the metal hitting against the wall made everyone in the room jump.

“Roxie!” Adam roared. Seconds later, I heard a string of curses and his footsteps crunching over glass.

“I’m here,” I said weakly, still pointing the gun at the cameraman.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Adam roared. The camera was pulled off of the man’s shoulder and hit the ground with a sharp crack. Adam spun him around by the shoulder, and I heard bones crunch as he plowed his fist into the man’s face.

He too crumbled to the floor with his bleeding friend.

Adam looked at me and his face went white. He swayed a little on his feet and stepped over the body of the cameraman. I was still holding out the gun, my arm shaking uncontrollably, and my teeth beginning to chatter.

Adam approached me warily, slowly. “Oh, sweetheart. What happened to you?”

“I shot him,” I said, feeling numb.

Adam didn’t even glance at the body on the floor. “I’m sure he deserved it.”

The desk was still between us when he stopped walking. “Can I have the gun, sweetheart?” he asked, glancing at it pointed toward him.

I knew I didn’t need to point it at him, but I just couldn’t make myself lower my arm. I nodded as my teeth slammed together, creating a loud clicking noise.

“I’m going to come over there,” he said gently and moved around the desk. Slowly, he reached out and peeled the gun from my hand, lowering it to his side.

When the gun was gone, a sob ripped out of my chest.

“Oh, love,” he crooned. “Oh shit.”

I’d never seen his sun-kissed skin look so pale. His eyes were red-rimmed and the pain on his face was raw. “You’re bleeding,” he said.

I glanced down at my breast at the blood smeared on my skin. “He bit me,” I replied, my voice hollow.

Adam made a strangled sound and began unbuttoning his shirt. He stripped it off quickly and then took a step toward me. “Let’s get you covered up,” he whispered and pulled it around me.

I pushed my arms through the oversized gray dress shirt as I shook almost uncontrollably. Adam buttoned it up and then glanced at me. “Can I touch you?”

I nodded.

He pulled me into his warm, bare chest. A sob ripped from my throat and they didn’t stop. I cried and cried. The sounds leaving my body were almost inhuman. I’d never been so afraid or violated in my entire life.

The man who tried to rape me moaned from the floor.

I jerked and whimpered.

Adam shot him.

He wouldn’t be making any more sounds.

I started crying again, and Adam picked me up, cradling me into his chest, and turned to leave the room. The cameraman was sitting against the wall, staring at Adam warily.

“I swear to God,” he intoned, “if you so much as move, I will fucking kill you.”

I didn’t look to see what the man’s reaction was, but since I heard nothing at all, I assumed he listened.

Juggling me, the gun, and a cell, Adam dialed 9-1-1. A sound from across the room brought both our heads up.

Craig was up on the stage, having rushed out from behind the curtain where I assumed he was hiding.

He was holding a gun pointed directly at us. “I’m leaving. Don’t try and stop me and I won’t shoot.”

“You fucking piece of lowlife scum,” Adam growled. He sounded more animal than man, and it scared me. “The only place you’re going is jail. Where little boys like you become toys. I hope you enjoyed whatever the fuck you tried to do here today because worse than that is waiting for you in the slammer.”

Craig shouted and leapt off the stage, his shoes making a slapping sound on the floor. I screamed as he raised the gun once more at Adam.

“No!” I screamed as gunfire erupted.

Police sirens cut through the silence that followed the shots.

“Adam!” I screamed, trying to get out of his arms, trying to see where he was shot.

“I’m fine, sweetheart,” Adam said, picking up a chair and sitting in it with me in his lap. “He didn’t shoot me.”

“Then…?” My voice cracked.

“He tried.” Adam grunted. “My aim is better.”

I tore my eyes from Adam and looked across the room at Craig.

Adam shot him.

I was pretty sure he was dead.

I was sad and relieved all at the same time. I collapsed against Adam’s chest. My entire body hurt and I felt so incredibly dirty.

Police rushed through the door, scattering into the room like red ants on a disturbed anthill, all of them with weapons drawn.

“All’s clear,” Adam called and set the gun down on the floor beside us and lifted his hands where they could see them.

Adam held me while several officers with drawn weapons scurried through the building, looking for more intruders. After several long minutes of searching, they met back in the bar.

“Scene is clear,” one of the men said to another man who was stepping through the door.

“Lincoln,” Adam said, relief in his voice. “Am I fucking glad to see you.”

“When the 9-1-1 call came through with no response and this address, I was afraid I’d find something like this,” he said, his eyes focusing on me. I guessed my attempt to call for help had gotten through. Thank God.

“Ma’am.” He bobbed his chin toward me.

Lincoln was Adam’s friend on the police force. He was at the station when we filled out the protection order paperwork.

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. I just buried my face in Adam’s neck. His arms tightened around me.

“Looks like we have some casualties,” Lincoln surmised. “Get the coroner over here and this place cordoned off.”

When men started shuffling around the room, Lincoln spoke to us again. “I’m going to need some statements.”

“Can we do it later? She needs medical attention,” Adam said.

I lifted my head. “No,” I replied. “Let’s do it now. The past has haunted me long enough.”

Adam pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “You sure, sweetheart?”

“I’m sure,” I told him. “Will you stay with me?” I asked.

The question sounded innocent, yet it was anything but. Yes, I wanted him to stay while I recounted the nightmare I’d just endured, but that wasn’t all.

I wanted to know if even after all of this, was he still willing to love me?

Adam looked at me like we weren’t sitting in the center of a crime scene, like there wasn’t a cop waiting to take our statement. He looked at me like I was the only girl in the entire room. His eyes held no disgust for how he found me and the fact there were teeth marks on my breast. He didn’t seem to be appalled I’d shot someone.

And I didn’t care that he’d literally just killed two men.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he murmured, brushing the hair out of my face. “Not ever.”

“I love you, Adam,” I whispered. “I love you so much.”

He sucked in a breath and his chocolate eyes fastened on mine. “You’ve been through a lot,” he murmured, stroking my hair again.

I caught his wrist and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I mean it. I do love you, and I’m never going to stop.”

“I love you too, Roxie,” he said, and I could see it in his eyes.

“I’m ready,” I told Lincoln, who was pretending not to listen to our conversation. He pulled out a pen.

When I was done recounting everything that happened just moments ago, I was exhausted, shaky, and in pain.

But for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t scared.

I knew I had a long road of healing ahead, but with Adam by my side, I knew it would be okay.

And my past?

I was finally able to let it go.