‘I told him I wasn’t looking for a relationship. He pushed back, and said we could keep it casual. And I guess that’s when I told him I wasn’t interested – in anything. At that point, I didn’t even want to be friends with him. He had really scared me.’
‘What did he do – when you rejected him?’ Sierra asked.
‘That’s what’s so surprising. He didn’t get mad or push and shove me. He smiled and said that he was disappointed but that he understood, and that maybe it was better if we kept our relationship professional anyway.
‘We didn’t see each other for months between then and filming starting up, and by the time we started onShadowlands, he seemed to have moved on. He even brought his new girlfriend to set a few times, introduced us …
‘But he watched me.
‘I tried not to overthink it. I told myself I was imagining it because he had scared me. But I’d often feel my skin crawl and turn around and see him standing there, staring at me. But he’d always just smile and wave or nod, you know. Alex … his greatest gift is lying. I see that now.
‘The last time I saw him before the attack, I kinda laughingly said something like, “I can’t believe we’re almost done.” Something like that. And he didn’t laugh or comment on how quickly the time had passed. He didn’t say anything.’
She clasped her hands together beneath the table, and Mav dropped his own hand to cover both of hers.
‘That’s the night he came?’ Markus’s eyes glinted black with rage.
‘Yes. And I knew. The moment I was in my kitchen, I knew that someone was there with me even though I couldn’t see him. I couldfeelhim.’
‘And you called me,’ Markus offered.
She nodded slowly. ‘I called Markus. I don’t even know why 911 never crossed my mind.’ She frowned. ‘Actually, that’s not true,’ she corrected. She looked across the table. ‘Markus has always been my safe place.’
Markus took a comically huge gulp from his wine, making everyone smile.
Nina cleared her throat, summoning the courage to continue.
Smiles vanished; everyone knew what was coming and had to prepare for it.
‘He told me to grab a weapon and get outside. So, I grabbed a paring knife from the knife block and crept towards the front door.’ She exhaled a huge breath. ‘I even managed to open it before Alexander grabbed me from behind.’
‘You screamed,’ Markus reminded her in a shaky voice. ‘I heard you scream over the phone.’
‘I did. Once. Before his arm locked around my throat.’ She smiled grimly. ‘It’s so strange, but before that night, I would have sworn I could put up a good fight against a man. Not win, of course. But put up a fight. But he choked me, ripped my pants open, and took the knife from me, as if I were—’ she shook her head rapidly, forcing her tears to fall ‘—an infant.’
Her voice came in a rush. ‘I managed to get one jab in with the knife – and that was when he threw me on the floor; that was when I saw that it was Alex.
‘He punched me. I think that must have been what gave me the concussion because I remember thinking about raising my arms to protect my face, but I couldn’t move. It was like my mind had separated from my body.
‘He knelt on the floor and grabbed me by my shirt front, kinda pulled me into a seated position. And he said, “After everything I’ve given you, did you really think you could just use me and walk away?” And then he kissed me. And I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t move my arms to try and push him off. I couldn’t even feel my jaw, so biting him was out of the question.
‘And just when I had accepted that I was going to be raped or maybe even die, I heard someone screaming my name.’
Maverick’s vision wavered as the word ‘raped’ slapped through the room. But he didn’t get up and pace as he wanted to. He sat completely still, trying to control himself – for Nina.
‘Someone else was there?’ Markus asked.
Nina nodded through her tears. ‘You were.’
‘Jesus.’ Markus didn’t try to stop his own tears. ‘Jesus Christ.’
‘You were screaming my name over the phone I’d dropped. And I heard you. And so did Alex.
‘He realized that I had called for help. He panicked. He punched me a few more times, and I lost consciousness but he must have kicked me and broken my ribs.
‘I woke up in the hospital, and you were the first thing I saw,’ she said to Markus. ‘And I realized I was alive, but I couldn’t find any relief.’ She shook her head again, frantically this time. ‘I was so tired. A … and you kept ranting on about some deranged stalker, and I just let you. Because it was easier than trying to explain.’
‘Neens … Oh God.’ Markus reached across the table, and Nina gave him one of her hands. ‘He came to the hospital.’
