Page 48 of Daring to Love

“Step back,” I grit out through my clenched teeth. I refuse to be weak. “I won’t be insulted like this, Aidan. Leave me alone.”

He tuts, the maniacal glint in his eyes screaming at me to run.

“There’s nowhere to run, little girl. I’ll still take you, and you’ll bloody well like it.”

He lunges, but I’m prepared for him. An otherworldly scream tears its way through my mouth as I go for his eyes, and my nails rake down his face. He howls but still manages to grab on to my arms, pushing them away, and I huff in pain as his nails dig deep. The blood that drips down his cheeks and through his beard almost make me believe he’s not human but the fury in his eyes …

“Fight me,” he growls. “I like that, too.”

I gag as I ram my knee into his groan, now truly scared at what he might do because his arms around me are like a cage, never ceasing its violent grip on me. For once, I hate how small I am. I hate that I don’t have the strength to fight him off. Little by little, and second by second, what little strength I have left wanes, and I start to crumble to the floor by him. Triumph flashes through his gaze, spurring me on to keep fighting him. I can’t give up. I refuse to give him what he wants.

Silently, I send up a prayer that someone – anyone – will come to my rescue.

But I’m alone.

Just as I’m about to fall, I hear the most beloved voice shout my name and seconds later, I’m free. Gasping, I collapse on my knees and watch as my Fin fights off my would-be attacker, and I hug my middle as silent tears flow freely down my cheeks. I can’t take my eyes off Fin as he wrestles Aidan to the ground, plummeting his fist into his face, but when doesn’t stop, I push to my feet and run to him.

“Stop, Fin!” I yell and pull at his shoulders. “You’ll kill him! Please, stop!”

Fin’s breathing hard, sweat streaming into his eyes as he looks down at Aidan whose face and clothes are covered in blood. He’s astride him, keeping him down, and the murderous way he looks down at him makes me frantic. I wonder if he can’t hear me, but I can’t lose him. I can’t let him destroy his future over me.

“Ring the police,” Fin puffs.

I can’t take my eyes off Aidan as he lies there, arms raised to ward off any more blows, but then I feel Fin’s gentle fingers on my chin, pressing to turn my head, and so I do.

“Now, sweetheart,” he says, his voice hard but his touch is gentle.

Without another word spoken between us, I nod and get up from the floor. On wobbly legs, I run to my bag and fetch my mobile, before I jog back to the two men lying on the floor.

“You fucking cunt,” Aidan seethes. “You’ll pay for this!”

“Shut your fucking mouth!”” Fin shouts, before he punches Aidan out cold. Breathing even harder, Fin scrambles to his feet and rushes to my side. He doesn’t say anything when I bore into his arms, burying my face against his chest and wordlessly hands him my phone.

While I pray for calm, he does what I’m unable to do, and he rings the police. All the while he talks with the operator, he keeps me close, and as the shock of the attack settles in my bones, I hiccup and burst into tears.

* * *

“Are you okay?”

I sigh and nod as I sit on Fin’s lap.

“For the hundredth time, yes.”

He rubs soothing circles over my back, my bum firmly settled on his lap, and my legs resting on the mattress as we stay close, the TV in his bedroom turned on low.

“Are you sure?”

I snuggle closer and breathe in his clean scent. The minute the police let us go, Fin took me straight home and as we took a shower, I had a long, hard cry again over what had almost happened to me. After that, I borrowed an old pair of grey sweats and a T-shirt from him – he watched me the entre time as we got dressed in his bedroom as if he needed to reassure himself that I was okay. Then he took my hand and took me to his bed, pulled me into his arms, and we’ve stayed like this ever since.

It could be minutes, or it could be hours…I don’t know.

All I know is that I’ve never felt safer.

“He won’t go free,” I murmur softly. The words are as much for his sake as for my own. I should phone my parents, but before I let mayhem loose, I need to tell Fin my secret. I can’t prolong it anymore, nor do I want to.

Instantly, Fin tenses underneath me and I reach up to place a soft kiss on his neck.

“I never thanked you properly for coming to my rescue.”