Extreme Devotion

by Kay Manis

  He leaned in even further, his alcohol-infused breath making me even more nauseous. “And don’t even think about telling Rory any of this shit or it will get worse. Much worse. For both of you.”

  His emphasis on the word ‘much’ made me shiver. All I could think of were Rory’s words of warning about Axel, the insinuation that he may be a sexual predator.

  “Don’t worry, Hindley, this is business, not personal.” He ran his forefinger along my jawline as his other hand came to rest on my mid-thigh. “Although I have to tell you, I’d love to make it personal. You’re so fuckin’ hot, I can honestly say I envy that asshole for being the one who gets to bang you senseless.”

  I bit back the tears, unwilling to let this monster see me break. How could I have been so careless, putting my affections toward Rory on public display?

  “Why do you think I asked for you by name, Hindley?” He grinned. “I hope you give all your clients the same treatment.”

  I jumped off the stool and slapped his face as hard as I could but quickly regretted it. I’d poked the tiger with a very sharp stick.

  “Okay,” he whispered, smiling as he rubbed his cheek. “I see you’re into the rough stuff. Not a problem, baby.” He leaned in as if going for a kiss.

  I turned my head and drilled my eyes shut.

  His sticky, wet lips landed square on my cheek. I fought to control the familiar images of a similar assault now racing through my head.

  He pulled back and I opened my eyes, upset he was still near. I glanced around the bar to ensure no one had seen my assault. Suddenly my eyes met familiar blue ones in the corner. His were narrowed into slits, and growing darker by the second. He pushed off the wall and stormed toward the bank of elevators.

  I shoved Axel out of my way and raced toward Rory, trying to catch him before he could leave.

  Sliding to a stop, I watched in horror as his beautiful face disappeared behind the elevator doors, leaving me all alone with a monster. I’d been unable to catch him, in more ways than one.

  My head fell against the cold steel doors as that familiar feeling of fear hit me in the gut.

  Once again, I was lost and out of control. My life was no longer my own. I was being manipulated by men who only wanted to use me. Again. But this time I wasn’t sure I would survive.

  Chapter 18

  -RORY-

  I punched the sixth-floor button on the elevator panel and I watched it light up like the fury inside me. As the elevator ascended, I fumed. What was she thinking? What had I been thinking, letting her go see that fucker on her own?

  As soon as the doors opened to the sixth floor, I realized I couldn’t go back to the room. That’s exactly where Hindley would expect to find me. I couldn’t look at her, not now.

  Letting the doors close again, I pushed the highest number available on the elevator. Fourteen.

  I stepped out and scanned the floor, ensuring Hindley was nowhere in sight. I had to clear my head, and I knew being in her presence would make that nearly impossible.

  I paced the empty hallway like a caged tiger.

  “She doesn’t like him, she doesn’t like him,” I repeated silently.

  “She’s being blackmailed, she’s being blackmailed.”

  The words echoed in my mind but did little to soothe the green monster raging inside me. I was fuming as images of that asshole’s lips planted on her beautiful ivory skin raced through my mind.

  I had to get out of this fucking hotel, go somewhere where I could hit something without being filmed or photographed.

  A light at the end of the hall marked an exit. The stairwell might be a good place to escape.

  I pushed the exit door open with a bang and waited for it to close before yelling at the top of my lungs. My thundering voice echoed off the walls but I still found no solace.

  I raced down all fourteen flights of stairs, nearly losing my balance more than once. As I emerged onto the first floor, a door marked ‘Kitchen’ stood in front of me. I pushed through the entryway, oblivious to what might lay on the other side.

  I burst inside the small room with all the subtly of an elephant.

  Several employees jerked their heads up and stared at me.

  “Outside?” I grumbled.

  They all remained silent but one pointed to a small hallway behind a rack of bread.

  I rounded the shelf and raced toward the door on the other side, shoving it open. The door slammed against the brick wall on the other side, nearly shattering the small window but I couldn’t find the energy to give a shit.

  Cool air hit my face like a wet mop and immediately fanned the flames of rage burning inside me. For once, I was thankful for Canada’s cold weather.

  I searched up and down the alleyway, not knowing which way to turn. Streetlamps illuminated one end. I didn’t want to be seen by anyone, so I turned in the opposite direction, making my way toward the darkest end of the alley.

  I walked past a dumpster and kicked it, listening as the sound echoed through the night. That physical exertion wasn’t enough to douse the rage burning inside me, so I drew back my fist and punched the metal container with all my might.

  Searing pain shot up my arm and I dropped to my knees as the physical pain momentarily eclipsed the ache in my heart. I sat on the cold pavement, my jeans soaking up the rain on the ground from the storms earlier in the evening.

  I was pretty sure I’d broken my hand but I didn’t care. It was either my hand or Axel’s face, and I knew I didn’t need the bad publicity. I could explain away my injury, but I wouldn’t be able to explain away his.

  Axel was up to something. I’d felt it back up in the hotel room as I’d waited for Hindley to return from their meeting. That’s what had led me down to the lounge, even though she’d told me to wait for her in the room.

  There’d been something inside me, a sixth sense that told me she was in trouble. I couldn’t sit by and let it happen. I would protect her at all costs. There was no fuckin’ way I would let anyone hurt her ever again.

  Panic hit me in the gut when I realized she was still alone. I had to find her, make sure she was safe, make sure that fucker hadn’t hurt her. Something wasn’t right. I knew it with every fiber of my being.

  I raced down the alley, laughing at the two dents in the side of the dumpster. Well, at least I could level the shit out of that asshole if he ever did anything to Hindley.

  As my head cleared and my thoughts returned to Hindley, to that desperate look on her face, my heart ached. What had I done, leaving her?

  I held my hand to my chest. The thing was throbbing like a motherfucker but the pain was nothing compared to my fear for Hindley’s safety.

  I’d fucked this up royally. Not only with Hindley but professionally too.

  What if I’d broken my hand? Skating with a fucked-up hand was nearly impossible. How the hell was I going to hold my board?

  I didn’t care what it took or how much pain I was in, I was going to wipe the course with that motherfucker tomorrow. I may not be able to kick his ass tonight for touching my girl, but I sure as shit would lay him out flat tomorrow during the competition. And I planned an ass-whipping so grand, he’d never forget it. I was going to crush Axel Pretorius.

  I didn’t want to enter through the main entrance of the hotel for fear someone would see my hand. Instead, I walked back to the kitchen door I’d left through and banged on the glass.

  I waited forever before someone finally came to the door. The guy looked out at my face with a menacing glare.

  I held up my hand hoping for a sympathy pass. “I need ice!” I shouted. “I’m a guest.” I dug in my pocket and yanked out my key card.

  Apparently appeased by my credentials, he pushed the door open and let me in.

  He glanced down at my already swelling hand. “Dude, you need to go to a hospital. That hand looks bad.”

  “I’ll be fine, I just need some ice.”

  “You’re one of the skaters, aren’t you?” the
man asked. “Rory Gregor?”

  I nodded.

  “Hang on, dude, I’ll fix you up.” He returned shortly with a bag wrapped in a dishtowel. “This is crushed ice so it will mold better to your hand.”

  “Thanks.” I wrapped it around my aching fist.

  “You should have that looked at, seriously. Want me to call the house doctor?”

  “Nah, I’ll be fine. I can move my fingers so I know it’s not broken. Thanks, though.”

  “Hey, my nephew’s a huge fan. Do you think I could get an autograph?”

  I held up my right hand that was wrapped in the dishtowel and packed ice. “It won’t look too good, I’m right handed.”

  “That’s okay, he won’t mind. Can I get a photo too?”

  “On one condition,” I said.

  “Anything, man.”

  “Don’t tell anyone what you saw tonight. My hand, I mean.”

  “You got it.” He nodded. Fishing in his pocket, he brought out a scrap of paper and a pen.

  I spent the next twenty minutes signing autographs for half the kitchen staff. It worried me to have that many people know about my injury. But luckily, my buddy explained my wound away, claiming I’d caught it in the back door. It sounded like a good excuse so I went with it.

  Thankfully he also loaded me up with Ibuprofen and a large bucket filled with crushed ice to take back to my room. This was one of the million reasons I loved skating. The fans. They believed in me, more than I believed in myself most days. They’d do just about anything for me. I couldn’t let them down. Not this time.

  I trudged up the six flights of stairs back to my room, feeling more pain in my heart than in my hand. I’d let Hindley down, again. She’d needed me, needed my protection from that fucker, and instead I’d run away.

  I knew Hindley, knew she’d never let that asshole take advantage of her. He had something on her though, and I had to find out what it was.

  I pulled the key card out of my pocket as I balanced the ice bucket with my injured hand. Stepping onto my floor I glanced down the hallway and flinched.

  Hindley leaned against my door, her head lolling to the side. My chest tightened and my soul ached for the pain I’d caused her. I knew I wasn’t responsible for all of it, but knowing I had played a part in any of it made me sick to my stomach. I knelt down in front of her and stroked her soft hair.

  “Hey,” I whispered.

  She jerked her head up. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her eyes swollen and red.

  Shit.

  I felt like such an asshole, having left her alone.

  “Let’s go inside.” I stood and extended my good hand to help her stand.

  She stared at my wrapped hand. “Oh my God, Rory, what happened to your hand?”

  Knowing the hallway of the hotel was the last place I wanted to explain my injury, I inserted the key into the slot and pushed the door open, ushering her inside.

  I set the ice bucket down on the side table and turned to face her, twining the fingers of my good hand through her hair and pressing a hard kiss against her mouth. I just prayed she would forgive me for being such an asshole.

  She clutched my shirt and dragged me close to her. “I’m sorry,” she said against my lips. “Please forgive me, Rory.”

  I leaned back and stared down at her beautiful face. “For what?” I wiped away the tears falling freely down her cheeks. Knowing I contributed to her anguish broke my heart.

  “I didn’t kiss him, I didn’t initiate anything, I swear to God.”

  “Baby, don’t apologize. I’m sorry for leaving you. I know you didn’t do anything. I just, I don’t know…” I tried to articulate my feelings but I couldn’t find the right words to express what I wanted to say, how much she meant to me.

  “Where’s your journal?” She let me go and stepped back.

  I didn’t like the distance. I wanted to be close to her, needed her close. “Why do you want to know where my journal is?”

  “Because now is a good time for you to express your emotions.”

  I hauled her back against my chest. “I don’t really give a flying fuck about my journal or my emotions right now.” I pressed another possessive kiss on her swollen lips, relieved that she responded by returning my passion with her own level of desperation. “All I want is you.” I threw her onto my bed and crawled on top of her. “Fuck!” I shouted as I tried to put weight on my right hand.

  “Rory, what in the world happened?” She looked over at my hand before staring up at me.

  I rolled off her and clutched my hand to my chest, half because it hurt like shit and half because I didn’t want her to see what a dumbass I’d been.

  “Let me see it.” She reached across my body, trying to grasp my hand.

  I drew it from her reach.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Rory.”

  She sounded like a spinster school teacher reprimanding me. I’d already put her through enough shit tonight.

  Relinquishing my hold, I pushed my hand toward her.

  She laid my arm gently on her lap and removed the ice pack aside. Unwrapping the dishtowel, she gasped. “Oh my God, Rory! What happened to you?”

  I stared up at the ceiling, not wanting to confess how stupid I’d been.

  Her hand grasped my chin and tugged it down, turning my face so she could see me.

  I searched her eyes, wondering if I could escape this silent inquiry, knowing all the while she’d never let me.

  “Tell me,” she whispered.

  “Tell me what happened with Axel first.”

  She released my chin. “What do you mean?”

  “Whatever he said to you, it’s not true.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Whatever that asshole said about me, it’s in the past. I may have slept around and done some stupid shit, but it’s over, I swear. And if he threatened you, I’ll fucking kill him.”

  “I know about your past, Rory. Everyone does.” She smirked. “I’m fine. Now, tell me what the hell happened to your hand.”

  I knew I’d never escape her interrogation, and there was no way I would ever lie to her. I needed her to trust me. “I had a fight with a dumpster in the alley and the dumpster won.” I tried to laugh it off, but her stern expression stopped me.

  “You might have broken it, Rory.” She pulled my hand up to her mouth and pressed feather-light kisses on my knuckles. “Does it hurt?”

  “Like hell.”

  “We’ve got to get you to the hospital. If those bones set improperly, it could cripple you for life.”

  “It’s not broken.” I reassured her.

  “How do you know?”

  “I’ve had enough broken bones to know the difference in the pain. Actually, it hurts less when you break a bone. Plus, I can move my fingers, so it’s good. Just bruised.”

  “You did this because of me.” It wasn’t a question and she sounded more guilty than angry.

  “Hey.” I cupped her face in my good hand. “Stop. I’m a dumb asshole with a hot head who’s jealous and protective and stupid. It doesn’t make for a good combo.”

  “But…” She bit back her words.

  There was more going on. I could feel it deep within my soul. That fucker had something on her. “But what, Hindley?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “What did Axel say to you?”

  “He’s putting a lot of pressure on me.”

  Shit. “What kind of pressure?”

  She hesitated, as if trying to make up a story.

  My gut clenched.

  “He wants a commercial by the X Games.”

  “That’s like five weeks away.”

  “I know,” she said, nodding. “Plus, my law firm doesn’t even have a signed contract with him so if I get him one, the firm could technically be screwed.”

  “How?”

  “Mr. Stedwick wants Axel because of the money. That’s all they’re concerned with.”

  I knew what she sa
id was true. For Hindley, it had never been about the money. She wanted me to succeed, and that’s what made me love her all the more.

  “You have to know, Hindley, if that motherfucker hurts you in any way, especially physically, I will crucify him.”

  “Please, don’t,” she whispered, stroking my face.

  “It’s in me.”

  “What?”

  “My insane need to protect you. It’s what brought me to you the first night I saw your drunk little ass on the street.”

  She smiled at the memory. “Your Drunk Girl?”

  “Yes, my Drunk Girl.” I laughed. “You’ll always be mine, Hindley.”

  She pushed me over and straddled my waist, her eyes full of love and adoration like I’d never seen or felt before.

  “Always.” She smiled and her lips crushed mine.

  I could trust her. I’d always known it, but every day, she gave me new reasons why.

  “I trust you with my life,” I whispered against her lips.

  She pulled back and stared down at me.

  “I know you’d never lie to me or hurt me,” I said.

  Her eyes darted between mine like a caged animal, scared and wild.

  I sat up slightly. “What’s wrong?”

  She planted her palms on my chest and pushed me back down into the mattress.

  I had no idea where all her physical strength came from but I wasn’t going to complain. Not when she was straddling me on top of a bed.

  “I love you,” she said. “You know that, right?”

  Her words were like a plea, not as confident as they’d once been.

  “Of course I know you love me. What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She smiled. “Everything I do, I do for you, you know that too, right?”

  “Hindley, what’s going on?”

  “I want to show you.”

  “Show me what?”

  “How much I’d do for you.” She sat up, still straddling me as she tugged at the hem of her shirt, dragging it over her head. She reached behind her back, unhooking her bra, and letting it fall to the side.

  She was the most captivating creature I’d ever seen, sinfully delicious in every way. I tried to push Axel’s face out of my mind, but it was hard. He’d touched her, and fury burned inside me again.