When Kean didn’t immediately text back, I grabbed my purse, and took an elevator down to the building lobby. As soon as I stepped off the elevator I scheduled an Uber.
“Ms. Thompson, late night for you. Do you need an escort to your car?” Victor, the building’s nighttime security guard, was standing off to the side of the front information desk.
I tossed my phone into my bag and grinned at the older man. “No, but thank you. I ordered an Uber. It should be here shortly.”
“No problem, Ms. Thompson. You have a nice night.” He patted to my arm and walked off to do his rounds.
Knowing the Uber shouldn’t take too long, I stepped outside the doors of the building and into the warm night air where I took a deep breath. I loved nights like these where the sky was clear.
I walked down the front of the building closer towards the street to look for my Uber when a hand clasped my shoulder from behind.
I was mid-scream until Stuart stepped in front of me.
“Holy shit, Stuart. What the fuck?”
“Nice language, Ciaran. I thought you were going to see Brenda,” he said.
Leaning forward he aimed to kiss my lips but I turned my head at the last minute causing his mouth to land sloppily on my cheek.
I rocked back on my heels to put space between us. “I was. I mean I am. Now. I was putting the final touches on my article and lost track of time. I have an Uber on its way.”
“I can drive you to the hospital, it’s not a problem. Then we can talk on the way. Hey, maybe we can stop to grab something to eat? I know a great Indian food place.”
“Stuart, I’ve already logged in my Uber. In fact, I should probably move closer to the front doors so he doesn’t miss me.” I gave him a closed lip smile and turned, giving him my back.
Stuart’s hand once again closed over my shoulder.
“Ciaran, I’ll drive you. Besides, you need to eat.”
“I already told you I’m planning on going to the hospital to see Brenda. I don’t have time for a lengthy dinner.”
“You don’t want to date me now, is that it?” he hissed.
I turned to face him. “What the hell are you talking about? We aren’t dating. We were never really dating. We went to dinner twice. That was it.”
“Two people who are attracted to each other having dinner together is definitely a date, Ciaran. What about the kiss we shared. I know you were into it.”
“No, I wasn’t, but that’s beside the point. I’m involved with Kean, so please refrain from making our friendship into something it’s not.”
Stuart’s eyes clouded as anger twisted his features.
I opened my mouth to demand him to release my shoulder when he dropped his grip to my bicep and tugged hard. With his hand painfully wrapped around my arm, he dragged me through the dark parking lot where only a handful of empty cars were left.
“Stuart, let go. You’re hurting me.”
“Ciaran, shut up.”
Flailing next to him, I tried to free myself but Stuart picked up his pace as he marched us both to where his truck was parked.
“Stuart, stop. Let go.” I demanded as he shoved me up against the driver’s side door. He pinned me to it with his chest.
“Why are you acting like this?” I asked.
It was apparent he was extremely angry but I was having difficulty deciphering his behavior. There was a cruelty reflecting in his eyes that wasn’t normal for him. A cruelty I couldn’t comprehend.
This was Stuart. Nice, predictable Stuart.
“Stop complaining, Ciaran. This is all your fault. See what happens when you spread your legs for that asshole. You suddenly think you’re too good for me. Well, I’m about to make myself so memorable every time you fuck him you’ll have no other choice but to think of me.”
This wasn’t the Stuart I knew. His words were so ugly, I began to cry. “Stuart, please. Please let me go.”
Fisting his hand in the hair at the back of my neck, he yanked my head with a jerk. His mouth crushed hard against mine while his other hand shoved my skirt up to my hips. I bucked wildly against him but he responded by jerking my hair again causing the back of my head to slam against the metal of the truck door. Pain throbbed behind my eyes.
I responded with the first defensive maneuver that popped into my head. I bit down on his lip with my teeth. He grunted and yanked his head back allowing me to open my mouth to scream. It would have worked had he not caught on to what I was about to do. He slapped a hand over my mouth with enough force that my teeth punctured my lower lip. The bitter taste of blood seeped onto my tongue.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as my dragged out “No,” mixed with a muffled groan.
Stuart released a laugh that a psychopath would be proud of and cupped a hand between my legs.
Again, I tried to scream but it couldn’t be heard. Relying on my teeth for the second time, I repeated my earlier action and caught a chunk of skin pressed over my mouth.
Stuart let go of me altogether and jumped back. “Now, now, Ciaran. That was a stupid move,” he said as he examined his hand.
I took advantage of his distraction by bolting around him but I wasn’t quick enough. A heavy force from behind my back slammed into me, sending me flying face-first onto the asphalt. I gasped in agony as my left cheek bounced off the ground. As I sucked in a breath, I was flipped onto my back.
The twisted smile that Stuart wore as he crawled over me looked like pure evil. Reaching under my dress, his hand ripped my underwear away from my body with a single jerk.
“No, Stuart. Please stop. Please don’t do this,” I cried, shaking my head back and forth.
My begging earned zero hesitation from the man who was about to rape me.
“Ciaran, if you would stop fighting me, you might actually enjoy this,” he said, right before he shoved his tongue into my mouth.
I arched my body underneath him twisting my head away to try and buck him off but he was too heavy. I was too weak. I screamed for help but I was crying so much it came out gurgled.
Suddenly the weight of Stuart’s body vanished from on top of mine.
Choking on a mixture of spit, blood and snot, I pushed myself up into a sitting position. I swiped at my tears and blinked rapidly as I focused on the scene on the ground in front of me. A man in a dress shirt was sitting on top of Stuart and pounding into him repeatedly with his fists.
Kean.
Over the unforgettable sound of flesh hitting flesh, I heard whimpers from Stuart while anger radiated off of Kean in waves. I had to stop Kean. I was almost ninety-nine percent positive he was going to kill Stuart if I didn’t.
“Kean.” It came out as a whispered cry but had the effect of a bullet from a gun.
With his fist raised, Kean turned and looked at me over his shoulder. His expression was stone hard as his eyes examined my bruised and bloodied face.
“Please, Kean,” I begged, reaching out for him with both hands.
He stood, leaving an unconscious Stuart on the ground, and walked over to where I was crying. He squatted, wrapped his arms around my trembling frame, and pulled me up.
“It’s okay, Ciaran. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
Safe.
The word vibrated in my head.
I was safe.
Kean had found me and I was safe.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ciaran
“Did you find him yet?” Kean barked into the cell phone pressed to his ear.
I didn’t approve of his snappish tone but knew it was Thad on the other end therefore I didn’t worry much that it was being used.
After Kean picked me up from the ground in the parking lot of the Polish office building, he carried me to his car and buckled me in. “Ciaran, do you want me to call the police or I can take you to the hospital and they will call the authorities from there?”
I had started to hyperventilate.
I didn’t want the police involved especially since Kean had beat the crap out of Stuart. And from the way Stuart’s body was piled in a heap I wasn’t sure if the man was still alive. I didn’t want Kean to get in trouble for saving me.
I know, some would think I was behaving stupidly but I couldn’t help it.
“I don’t want the police involved. Can you take me to your place? You can bandage me up.”