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  “Sorry, not going to happen. So if you’ll excuse me.” She tried to push past him, but he blocked her and pushed her against the wall. He was taller than her by at least a head and had her pinned. He leaned in close, his hot stale breath on her neck, and he ground his hips into her. She wanted to scream, but the sound died on her lips. She was paralyzed with fear. This guy was going to rape her and she was locked up, frozen.

  “Listen bitch,” he whispered in her ear. “A sweet, tight thing like you isn’t meant to be used by only one guy. I know Mason’s been taking the edge off with you. Hell, Pussy Kat, I took one look at you and knew you’d be a little spitfire in bed. And I need a little something too. I deserve a hot thing like you too. Ol’ Mase can’t be man enough for you anyway. So you’re going to be a good little girl and not make a sound, right?” It didn’t really matter as he had covered her mouth with his other hand. Whatever muffled noises she could make would be lost by the television on full blast. When she didn’t respond, he let his other hand trail toward her chest. If Kat wasn’t so terrified, his touch might be considered gentle. But when he reached her breast, he squeezed hard. She gasped beneath his hand, but the sound was muffled. “I can’t wait to taste you. I bet a fine gal like you tastes like sweet honey. I bet your nipples are dark pink and match your pussy. You’ll probably moan real loud like a whore when I slide my fingers in you.” And then his fingers started trailing down, down. This couldn’t be happening. Suddenly her mind started working again. This was it; he thought this was the moment she was going to break. Wrong!

  She couldn’t scream, but she sure as hell could bite and that’s what she did. She bit into the palm that was against her mouth, causing him to let go and loosen his grip.

  “You bit me. You little bitch,” he sneered as he slapped her, hard, before she even had the chance to scream. The force caused her to sink to her knees. She put her hands to her face and covered herself, prepared for another attack, but none came. She hadn’t registered when or how Mason had gotten there, but there he was. He had pinned Junior against the wall, his hands around his neck, squeezing.

  “You come into my home and assault my things?” She let it slide that he had called her a thing, considering he had saved her and all. “Who the fuck do you think you are? You like taking advantage of women? You like taking what’s not given freely? You like hitting people? You like hitting women? I should kill you right now. You are lucky I can’t do anything to you. Get the fuck out of my house and I swear to God, if I ever see you again, I will rip your head off. If you ever see me, run, run fast and hard, in the opposite direction as me. John,” Mason called and turned around to see John behind him. All the guys had gathered at the commotion. “Get this fucking piece of shit out of my face and out of my place. And if you ever hang out with trash like this again, you won’t be welcome here either.”

  Mason hadn’t let go of Junior and Junior was still struggling for air, his eyes wide, clearly afraid of Mason. A small part of Kat was kind of proud that Mason had been her savior right now. Of course, if Mason hadn’t kidnapped her, she wouldn’t have been in this situation in the first place.

  John held his palms up as if in defeat. “Hey, man, I don’t know him. He is Cole’s cousin.” Cole must have been the other guy.

  “I don’t give a fuck who he is; you brought him here, get him out.”

  Cole finally spoke. “Hey Mason, man, sorry, he’s a bit of a wild one. I’ll take him out, just ease up a bit, yeah? I don’t think he can breathe.”

  Finally Mason let go. He took a swing and landed a punch on Junior’s face. “Now, get out.”

  Kat was still huddled on the floor, watching the exchange, while her throbbing cheek reminded her this was really happening.

  Mason stood fuming, not sensing anything around him, and she had the sudden urge to get up and comfort him. Before she could act on that thought, he turned toward her and lowered himself to her level. He looked at her red cheek and winced.

  “Benny, ice,” he ordered as he lifted his hand to caress it. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, after Benny gets me ice, I’ll keep it on and should be okay in a few days.”

  “Yes, you’re right, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Are you all right?”

  She thought about it for a minute and decided that she couldn’t change anything, so she gave him the most honest answer she could. “I will be.”

  Mason nodded, like he understood. And somehow, she knew he had. She struggled to get up, but Mason swooped in and picked her up like he was carrying a baby. He took her to her room, gently setting her down on the bed. He sat down beside her, not saying a word. There was a blankness in his expression; one she knew had to do with him reliving his own past. She should be thinking about what just happened to her, what almost happened to her. The way Mason came in and saved her and then frightened the shit out of Junior, with good reason. But all she could think of was how affected Mason seemed by all this. It was actually kind of good since it kept her mind off her own situation. It was oddly comforting having him beside her, knowing that he understood what she just went through.

  She put her hand on his and he turned to face her, his eyes glazed over, but no tears in sight. “I’m sorry,” he said, the words barely a whisper.

  “I know.” She nodded.

  “No one deserves to be raped. And no one should hit a woman. Despite what punishment I’ve served to you, I have never laid a finger on you. I don’t believe in that and I never will.” With that, he got up and left.

  Benny came in shortly after and stayed with her until she fell asleep. They didn’t say much, but Benny did make a startling discovery. “You know, don’t you?” She didn’t acknowledge that she understood what he was talking about. “You know he was accused of rape, don’t you?”

  She nodded. “I overheard him talking to you.”

  “So you truly don’t remember anything about that?”

  “No.” He simply nodded, but she still didn’t know whether he believed her or not.

  Chapter 15

  Mason lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, wide-eyed and a little terrified. After he had put Kat to bed, he practically ran out of there. It was too much for him. She had left the room during the game and as much as he wanted to pretend he didn’t notice her around him, he knew whenever she was near. He had felt her leave, presumably to use the restroom. He continued watching the game, laughing, joking, and not paying attention to much around him except hockey and Kat’s absence. Time went by, minutes went by, and Kat wasn’t back yet. He didn’t think much of it, maybe she had an upset stomach or womanly issues, or maybe she snuck into her room for a minute or two. Then he glanced around and realized someone else was missing. The new guy, Junior, wasn’t in the room either.

  For a brief minute, something very close to jealousy reared its ugly head, but Mason put that feeling to rest. What did he have to be jealous of? She wasn’t his girl or anything, she was an ex-junkie who put him in prison and was now his prisoner. That’s all she was. That still didn’t explain why was he more than a little pissed off about the possibility that she was off somewhere with Junior. He didn’t give her permission to go off and have a little fun behind his back. She was using his recent moments of kindness against him. That lying, manipulating bitch.

  He sat there for another minute while the anger built up inside him, until finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. He got up, thinking to head straight to her room, but the sound in the hallway distracted him and as he turned, he saw all he needed to see. Junior had Kat pinned against the wall, but the look in Kat’s eyes had nothing to do with lust and need. Her eyes screamed fear. A well of emotion broke through him as images assaulted his mind. He stood, lost in his own memories. He could see what Junior was doing to her, but he was watching through a foggy window, unable to get a clear picture. And then he heard Kat gasp and everything was suddenly clear. She was huddled on the floor, clutching her cheek in her hand. That bastard had touche
d her against her will, and then he fucking hit her. Mason only felt rage, and in seconds, he was across the room and had pinned Junior against the wall, much the same way he had just had Kat. The only difference was that Mason was choking Junior and his rage was consuming him. He was imagining the pain he had felt over and over again at his own violation as well as what Junior would have done to Kat. He knew what it felt like to lose yourself that way, and he would never wish that on someone else, no matter how much he hated them. It didn’t matter; Junior was a scumbag, a little shit who thought he could play with the big fish when no one was around. He didn’t comprehend the kind of hate Mason had toward him in that moment. Mason raged at him, barely even registering the words coming out of his mouth as he watched himself squeeze Junior’s neck just a little more. He was vaguely aware of his friends gathering around him. All he could see was a red haze before him. He was projecting every ounce of hurt, pain, and betrayal he had felt onto Junior. Mason wanted to end his life, not only for what he had done to Kat and what he had the potential for doing, but for everything that was done to him as well.

  The entire time he kept thinking of Kat, of the bastard hitting Kat, of Kat still sitting quietly on the floor, watching the situation unfold. He finally released Junior and watched him inhale deeply, drawing in the breath that Mason had prevented. He knew Junior feared him. Hell, he almost feared himself. He kicked Junior out with a warning and took a moment to collect his own bearings.

  Finally, when he felt like his pulse was beating a steady rhythm – well, as steady as it was going to get – he turned toward Kat, who he could have sworn was reaching out to him. For a second, he let the weight of that reaction sink in. The woman was almost raped, hit brutally, watched a pretty heated and scary exchange, and she was reaching for him. He knew, in the back of his mind, it was because she wanted to comfort him, to hold him, to thank him. And for that brief moment, he saw Kat in a different light. She wasn’t a junkie; she wasn’t his accuser; she wasn’t an evil, sadistic person. But just as quickly as the thoughts came to him they left.

  He asked her if she was all right and although he knew she wasn’t, she put on a brave face and answered him honestly. “I will be.” He knew how that felt. He knew that things weren’t okay now, but with time she would heal. That’s what had happened to him.

  He put her to bed, but sitting there, watching her watch him, he almost broke down. Now that everything had settled down, the memories exploded behind his eyelids and he needed to escape them. He needed to escape her.

  He ran out of the room and found Benny waiting by the door. Benny looked at him with both pity and understanding. All Mason had to do was nod and Benny understood. Benny understood that Mason needed to be alone right now, but someone needed to stay with Kat. No matter what he had done to Kat, he made sure to never truly harm her, to never physically hurt her. And here, under his watch and under his command, that had happened. He wasn’t heartless, and he wasn’t without care. If a part of him wanted to admit, he did care about Kat. God knew he shouldn’t, and he’d never let himself believe that, but he did. She was spunky and beautiful and even kind; she was truly like a different person than the one he knew, than the one he had expected, and she had thrown him for a loop. And as much as he had played up his hatred for her, he wasn’t insensitive to her needs right now. Benny knew that and was willing to help. He patted Mason on the shoulder and walked into Kat’s room.

  Mason went to his room, where he now stared at the ceiling as if it held all the answers to the mysteries of his life. He closed his eyes, but the memories flooded his mind. He felt the hands holding him down; he felt the body parts pressing against him, in him; he felt the bile rise up. He had pushed all that aside, buried that part of himself after Benny and his friends had saved him, after they took him under their wing and made sure Mason was never harmed that way again. He owed them so much, but right now, he couldn’t think. That episode with Kat had brought all that to the surface. He opened his eyes so he wouldn’t have to see the images replaying in his mind like a movie. He could have lived with the rape accusation; he could have lived with his license being revoked; he could have lived with losing his reputation and his prestigious job; he even could have lived with losing his family and friends, but his breaking point was when he couldn’t live with his own body. And that was thanks to Kat. The same Kat that was starting to consume his thoughts, the same Kat that he wanted to protect just an hour ago, and the same Kat that was showing him a different side of herself. And now he was torn, torn by his own past and by the woman in the other room.

  He couldn’t stop the tears that ran down his cheeks. This pain, these memories, that was what he wanted to hide from. That was the reason he wanted to break Kat’s will to mirror his own. But damn, she was stronger, so much stronger than he ever was, and he commended her for that. She was sitting in the other room, no doubt worrying about him, while he let his broken soul take over his body and mind, but he couldn’t help it, he was just that – broken.

  After tossing and turning and trying desperately to keep the memories at bay, Mason finally fell into a restless sleep.

  Chapter 16

  Kat slept off and on for the last few hours. Every time she closed her eyes, she relived the fear of helplessly being pinned against the wall. Benny had been there when she finally fell asleep, but was gone by the first time she woke up. She wanted to stay awake because she didn’t like the dreams, and she liked knowing that Mason was just down the hall. Her kidnapper turned savior. And when she stared at the darkness surrounding her, she imagined a pair of hard green eyes turning soft when they looked at her. She could see the pain, the rage, the undying determination to finish what was started, but then the green eyes would see her and they would reflect hurt, sadness, and most definitely worry.

  And with that comforting image, she flitted back to sleep. She dreamed again of Junior taunting her, but slowly, his image began to fade as his mouth formed an awkward shape. Before his face distorted and the dream disappeared around her, she barely heard his words. “No, please, you don’t want to do this. No. God, no.” Something was wrong, this wasn’t how it happened, and she couldn’t help the haunting feeling that something wasn’t right. All at once, the dream turned back into reality and she woke with a start, panting hard. She heard the words echoing in her head along with her heartbeat that suddenly pounded loud and dangerous in her chest.

  She heard the begging again, barely audible through the fog that had surrounded her. “No, please, you don’t want to do this. No. God, no.” She didn’t comprehend what was going on for a moment, trying to determine if she was still sleeping. And then it hit her, quickly and suddenly. That was Mason!

  She hopped out of her bed and made it to Mason’s room in seconds flat. And there he was, sprawled on his bed with his legs and arms flailing like he was fighting. Yet his eyes were closed tight. He was having a nightmare. Instinct took over and she made her way to the bed and caught his arms before he had a chance to harm her. She held them tightly against her chest with one hand and began stroking his drenched brow. “Mason, shhh, it’s all right. It’s Kat, you’re all right. Please wake up.” She repeated this several times before he finally stirred. The confusion on his face was evident as he became aware of his surroundings.

  “Shh, it’s all right,” she soothed. “You were having a nightmare.”

  “Kat?”

  “Yes, you’re all right. I’m here.”

  *****

  Mason hadn’t had nightmares in a while. He used to get them in prison and he even had a few here and there when he got out, but he had mostly suppressed that part of his life. Apparently what happened with Kat earlier had brought up more than he realized. His nightmare this time was from the first time he was raped. The dream was so vivid while it was happening, he would have sworn it was happening all over again. Ironically, it really happened in real life like it did in movies – guy gets cornered in a room by a few guys, he tries to fight to no avail, an
d then the rest is, well, not so pretty.

  “We heard you like force,” the guy had said.

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mason had answered as he tried to make his way around the first guy.

  “Oh, I think you do. When someone says no, people say you’re supposed to stop. But you, pretty boy, you think you’re above that. Lucky for you, I don’t stop either. Or, I guess, lucky for me. And now it’s my turn to show you just how lucky I am.”

  The reality sunk in, and Mason found out what it meant to be forced. And it was all Kat’s fault.

  He had begged them, pleaded with them, and told them that they didn’t want to do this to him. He cried even though he tried not to. It was painful, torture to have to relive that.

  Just when he didn’t think he could take anymore, he heard a soft voice calling to him, pulling him out of this misery. He tried to find the source of such a beautiful sound. He couldn’t see anyone, but the sound eased his pain. He kept trying to listen harder, and finally it paid off, the faces disappeared around him until he only saw one. He blinked in confusion, not understanding what was happening. He didn’t understand much except that he felt safe and comfortable. He looked at the woman staring down at him, and he thought she must have been sent to protect him. An angel, as cliché as that sounded. Her face was framed by the darkness, but there was a soft white glow around her from the light in the hallway. She was stroking his face gingerly and whispering.

  Finally, he heard her voice loud and clear. “Shh, it’s all right. You were having a nightmare.”

  “Kat?”

  “Yes, you’re all right. I’m here.”

  She had pulled him out of that pain and although he knew he wouldn’t be all right, she brought some semblance of peace with her soft touch and comforting words. He needed to feel safe and knew she would oblige. That’s when he sat up and reached for her. He pulled her toward him and enveloped her in a fierce hug.