Oh my God. This was my worst nightmare, but I couldn’t let him win. I had to stay strong.
“I … can’t … love … a monster,” I rasped, and then a blur streaked before my vision, taking Bryce down to the ground.
Bryce was knocked to his side and the pressure lifted off my throat. Gasping, I took painful lungfuls of precious air. Ethan dropped down onto his knees, straddling Bryce and pinning him to the asphalt. He raised his arms and landed blow after blow into Bryce’s face. Each smack was delivered with such force, I knew immediately that Ethan was strong enough to kill him. All Bryce could do was raise his arms and try to protect himself, and if I stood there and did nothing Ethan would punch him into a coma, or worse. A very small part of me wanted to let him. Then it would be over, I would be free.
But I couldn’t let Ethan go to jail for me. A previous felon beating the life out of a rich boy from L.A? It wouldn’t bode well with the judge.
“Ethan, stop!” I surged forward, and with a hard shove knocked him off of Bryce.
Ethan jumped up to his feet, complete and utter rage coursing through him as he stepped protectively in front of me.
Bryce skidded backward before standing, lip gushing blood, nose bleeding, and a rapidly swelling eye. I prayed by morning he would look like a sharpei puppy.
“If you ever touch her again, I’ll kill you,” Ethan ground out, body shaking with adrenaline.
“Not if you’re in jail, you piece of shit!” Bryce held his chin high. “You just assaulted me!”
Fuck.
“Mickey has cameras on this alley,” I lied. “The cops will see that you attacked me first and he was only protecting me.” Mickey couldn’t afford cameras, but I was a good bluffer. I’d been lying to Bryce for years.
Love you too, babe.
Of course I want a date night.
Nothing wrong, I’m just tired.
Fear flashed in his gaze for the first time in forever.
“Game over, motherfucker. Go back to L.A. and don’t ever look for her again,” Ethan stated.
I heard the unmistakable click of a gun. My eyes flicked down to Ethan’s side, where he was holding his firearm loosely, finger on the trigger. It was adding power to his threat. Ethan meant every word he said, and part of me wanted him to just end it. Wipe Bryce from the face of the earth so he couldn’t hurt anyone ever again.
Bryce looked like he was ready to catch fire, he was so livid. His nostrils flared as blood dripped in a slow trickle from his lip and nose. He could now only see out of one eye.
With heaving breaths, he walked past us, stopping to look right in Ethan’s face. “She’ll never love anyone like she loves me.” Bryce spat at Ethan’s feet and then left the alley in a huff.
All the adrenaline had been keeping me upright, but now that the threat had passed, my knees gave out and I fell to the concrete, panting.
“Oh my God!” I wept, my hand shaking as sobs racked my body. “Oh my God, oh my God.” I couldn’t stop.He almost raped me.Killed me. God knows what his plans were.
I was having a heart attack. I couldn’t breathe. I was going to die right here in the alley at twenty-two years old. Ethan knelt next to me and placed a light hand on my back, which I shied away from before realizing it was just him.
“Are you okay?” His voice shook, and then he must have realized he’d asked a stupid question. “Do you need a doctor?” he amended.
I just shook my head, trying to get my heart to slow down, trying not to think about how close he’d been to unbuttoning my jeans and choking me to death.
“Let’s go to the police. File a report.” He stood, pulling me up with him. Feeling his strong hands around my upper arms made me feel safe.
I am safe, I told myself to try and calm my nervous system.
I shook my head. “You have a previous felony on record and your knuckles are bleeding. When they go to question him and see his face, it will only get you in trouble.”
Anger pulled at Ethan’s features; his brows drew together and he grimaced. “I don’t fucking care. That psycho needs to be behind bars. Even if I’m there with him.”
In that moment I realized Ethan cared for me. Not just a mild crush, no, this was some deep shit that we’d both fallen into.
I whimpered. “Don’t say that.” Stepping forward, I clung to his arm. “I … need you. Just take me home. Please.”
