His hand tightens. I feel the bones in my wrist grinding together.
“God, I knew you were a little slut, but this isrich!”
Clawing at his fingers with my free hand, I try to pull away. “Please, stop! You’re hurting me!”
“You’re not tanking my career, slut!” His face is purple now, veins standing out on his neck. “You know what I paid for. If anything, I should be demanding my fucking money back!”
He’s flipped the switch so quickly. One moment, he seemed calm enough. The next, he’s some rabid animal, all that carefully controlled rage finally unleashed.
It’s just like before when he tried to force himself on me… when he managed to hit me and use my mouth.
Panic spirals through me, and I think I’m going to be sick. The world is a chaotic blur of concrete and shadows and his cologne choking me. His other hand twists in my hair, yanking my head back so hard that tears spring to my eyes.
He starts dragging me toward his car.
Oh, god. He’s going to do it again. No. No!
Something snaps inside me.
Not again. Never again.
With every bit of strength I have, I yank my arm down as I thrust the heel of my hand up into his face. It meets his nose with a sickening crunch, and Theodore goes flying backward, forced to drop my wrist and hair.
Blood gushes from between his fingers as he clutches his face. “Youbitch!”
Before I can say another word, Alec rushes up to the guy. Just as the senator looks up at him, Alec lands a punch to his face.
If his nose wasn’t broken before, it certainly is now.
Theodore crumples, and Alec is in front of me instantly, his body a wall between me and the monster on the ground.
“Are you okay?” His voice is rough, urgent.
I can’t speak. My throat is locked. I just nod my head.
Did that really just happen? What are we supposed to do now? Did we get what we needed?
I eye the dark corner where I know Tess is hiding, but I don’t see her or the signal that we’re good yet. Then commotion draws my attention back to Theodore.
He’s getting up.
Blood streams down his face, dripping onto his expensive suit, but he doesn’t seem to notice. His eyes are wild. Unhinged. All that careful control is gone now.
What’s left is pure, murderous rage.
“You!” McDowell screams, jabbing a blood-stained finger at Alec. “Ihired you, you moron! I’m going to make your life a living hell for this!”
Watching the interaction, I’m frozen in place. This man is so much more dangerous than I realized. The mask is off. There’s nothing human left in his eyes.
Alec is standing firm, though. He doesn’t move. Doesn’t flinch. And I have to believe he can handle himself.
I have to believe that or I’ll lose my mind.
He has to be okay. Please, don’t let anything happen to him.
“I think I’ll be fine,” Alec says, his voice cold as steel. “And I think you won’t be touching a single fucking hair on Claire’s head ever again. Hell, touching anyone’s gonna be pretty damn hard behind bars.”
If possible, Theodore’s eyes flare even wider. He looks around the empty parking garage with wild, desperate eyes. When his stare drops to the floor, he’s shaking his head.
