“Y-you can protect me,” I spoke up, unable to hide the quiver in my words. “But so c-can Arran and Cal. Wouldn’t I be safer with all of you…d-doesn’t that make more sense?”
“No! They let you do what you want. They make bad decisions. You need to be with me. I won’t let you make mistakes that will get you hurt. I’ll keep you safe.”
“I was safe, with Cal. We…we’re locked in a hotel suite, with security outside, Dante. We’re all safe, and I was sleeping and peaceful until you d-did this. Now I…I’m shaking, and my heart…it’s beating too fast. It’s adrenaline, because you…you terrified me. You still are. Please...” A sob slipped from me, as tears ran down my cheeks and I had to force a breath in before I could speak on, “…please just l-let me go now.”
“Cara? Are ye alright?” Arran called through the door.
“I…I w-want Dante to p-put me down, but he…he s-seems a little upset right now,” I called back shakily.
“Can’t you see how much you’re scaring Cara right now, Dante? Let her go!” Cal called and I heard his anger.
“No! She’s mine.Ikeep her safe! Back off!” Dante almost snarled.
I cried out loudly, when he grabbed me under my arms and moved me so I was upright, facing him, then pressed me so tightly against him that it actually hurt. I slammed my hands down to his shoulders and pushed my body back to try and create enough space to breathe.
“Dante!” I gasped.
“Stop! I won’t hurt you!” For the first time I smelled alcohol on his breath. It was strong, and so familiar it instantly took me back to the past and had me dry heaving. My mother’s face flashed in my mind, and with her came the many monsters she had subjected me to.
“ARRAN!” I called desperately. I just needed to get out of this situation while I still had some grip on myself.
Arran didn’t call back, but there was an almighty crash, and I assumed it was he and Cal trying to break through the door.
“Stop!” Dante yelled right in my face as he wrapped his huge arms around me so tight I was terrified he’d crush my ribs.
“You’re hurting me!” I cried, panicked as I started to struggle even harder as my fight response kicked up a notch.
I kicked out blindly and knew I was landing blows against his shins, but I was barefoot and pretty sure I was hurting myself more than him.
The banging against the door continued, as I fought and Dante wrestled to keep a hold of me. So many images from my past rushed through my mind with every heavy breath of stale alcohol he gasped over me, and I knew I was losing my grip on my control.
As the door burst open, I gave one last ditch attempt to get free, raising my knee as high and hard as I could. Dante growled in agony as his grip relented slightly, and I pushed against him as I wriggled to get free.
“Cara!” Cal called and I felt hands wrap around my hips as Arran appeared at Dante’s side.
Faster than anyone could ever see it coming, Arran threw a violent punch to the side of Dante’s jaw, and the impact had him stumbling backwards. The hands at my hips caught me and pulled me back until I knew I was in Cal’s arms.
Arran hit Dante again and he went down hard onto the bed that was behind him. There was a loud crack of the wooden bed frame splintering under his weight and then everything just went still.
Dante was knocked out, his eyes closed and his body still. Arran stood over him, breathing hard, his chest heaving and his fists still clenched and held up before him.
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Cal asked as he somehow turned me in his hold against him. I looked up into his worried eyes and just burst into tears.
“Get her out of here, Cal. Take her to her room and make sure she’s no’ hurt,” Arran said. I lifted my head and looked over to him, then down to Dante.
“D-don’t hurt him again. He’s drunk. He…he wasn’t thinking straight. Please just…d-don’t hurt him,” I squeaked through my tight throat. I was confused about my feelings for Dante after what just happened, but I didn’t want to see him hurt.
Cal didn’t wait around for a response. He just turned and left the room, holding me gently in his arms.
He set me down on the edge of my bed once we were back inside the room Dante had taken me from, and then dropped to his haunches before me.
“Cara?” I lifted my head and looked into his eyes, my own watery as I fought to hold my tears in. “What happened? Did he hurt you?”
“He…he’s been drinking. He s-said only he could keep me safe…that you and Arran give into me too easily. He didn’t h-hurt me…not really,” I gasped between a hiccupping effort to catch my breath.
“Not really?”
“He just….he held me too tight. I might be a little bruised, but I…I’m alright.”
