At the stadium, Alex had put everything out of his mind. He knew if he didn’t, he would fail on the field. Danielle wouldn’t want that. Practice had gone well and with no messages about Danielle. Then at halftime, he checked his phone and had one text from his mom that Danielle held down fluids. That helped his nerves at least. He wished she were there. He liked her close.
It was their last regular season game. If they won, they would qualify to go to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta the week after. It was something the team hadn’t done in a few years. Alex, Dave and the rest of them were determined to make it happen. He watched the halftime show and hoped Danielle watched it as well.
* * *
Danielle’s phone rang. She groaned when she reached for it. Without a glance at the screen, she answered weakly, “He—llo.”
“Wow, Dani. Are you sick again?” Brian was surprised by the sound of her voice.
Danielle’s eyes widened. “Yes. I’ve been sick all day.”
He could hear she wasn’t at the game. He had searched all over the stadium for her. “Where are you? It’s so quiet.” He didn’t want her to know he was close. If she suspected, he would lose the upper hand.
“Um, in bed.” She had expected him to be furious, but he sounded strangely calm.
Brian was calm because he tried to pinpoint her exact location. “Good place to be when you’re sick.” He didn’t actually pay attention to the conversation.
“Where are you?” Danielle heard a lot of noise as if he was in a shopping mall.
Brian glanced around. “In a restaurant.” A wicked grin formed as the name of her hotel came up on his laptop’s screen. I’ll see you soon, slut. “Hey. I gotta go. We’ll talk later, OK?”
Confused, Danielle brokenly replied, “Uh… OK… I guess.”
Mary sat on the bed. “Who was that?” There was fear in Danielle’s eyes again.
“Just a… friend.” Danielle debated texting Logan about the weird call, but then thought better of it. “Are all the kids at the game, too?”
Mary met her eyes. “No. They’re—” Her phone rang, and she pulled it from her pocket. “Hi, Bernice. Is something wrong?”
“The boys are fighting again,” Bernice, the nanny they hired for the trip, replied. “This time they head-butted each other.”
Michael’s oldest children got along like cats and dogs. “I’ll come talk to them.” Mary put her phone away. “I’ll be back in like 20 minutes or so. The kids are with a nanny. I have to go reprimand two of my grandsons. Will you be OK for a while?”
“Sure.” Danielle gave her a half-smile. “I can’t get into too much trouble in bed.” She chuckled, quietly. “Not alone at least.”
Mary frowned. “As funny as my son, huh? I’ll be back as quickly as I can. Lock the deadbolt.”
“It doesn’t work.” Danielle watched her leave, and then turned back to the television. She was shockingly still tired. She closed her eyes and listened to the game.
Chapter 23
A loud knock startled Danielle awake. She slowly made her way to the door, holding onto the walls just in case. She was too short to see through the peephole. Instead, she closed the security lock and opened the door about an inch. Her breath caught when Brian appeared.
“Open up! Now, Dani!” he shouted. He had found her when he asked for Alex’s room. That pissed him off even more. When she didn’t comply, he growled, “Now, or you’ll be sorry.”
She backed away from the door. “Go away!”
“I’m gonna kill you!” He kicked the door as hard as he could, and the latch gave. He slammed it shut and turned the knob for the deadbolt. Alex’s things all around the room made his anger grow. Obviously, Alex stayed with her. Then he set his eyes on a terrified Danielle.
“You cheated on me!” Brian roared. “I found pictures of you kissing him!”
She continued on a path away from him. “Please, Brian… just go. Please!” She could see the fire in his eyes. That meant it would be even worse than she imagined. Tears had already started. All her defensive training rushed through her mind, but she was beyond terrified and couldn’t act.
Quickly, Brian lunged and grabbed her by the hair. He pulled her to the bed. He intended to punish her severely. Her faint whimpers fueled the adrenaline that flowed through his veins. He was sure the pajamas she wore would be easy to rip off.
Danielle was relieved when he let her go. Then his fist connected with her cheek. She fell on the bed so hard, she rolled across it into the wall with a grunt. Her tears came faster with the pain.
“You fucking whore!” Brian felt his control slip. His plan was about to come apart because he was too angry. He yanked her back to him and shook her, fiercely. “I told you—you’d never get away with cheating on me.” He punched her in the eye which made her fall on the bed once more.
She shook as Brian climbed on the bed. “Please, don’t! Please, Brian. Please!” She cried loudly as she cowered, more terrified than ever. She dreaded what she knew was coming next.
Full of rage, Brian grabbed her hair and yanked her toward him. She opened her mouth to scream, and he quickly slapped her. She looked up, fearful but silent. Just as he wanted her. The look excited him. His dick was ready for the retaliation. She would regret cheating on him for a long time.
Danielle realized she had to do something, anything. However, the only thing she could think of was how much she hated him. When he grabbed her pajama top, she spit in his face.
“You stupid little—”
Furious beyond reason, Brian punched her again even harder. Her head turned, and blood ran from her nose. Then he let her fall to the bed and pulled at her clothes to get them off her as fast as possible.
Danielle fought as hard as she could to stay dressed. No way would she make it easy for him. She heard ripping sounds but hindered his random yanks on her clothes. He continued to punch and slap her to get her to stop, but it only made her persist. She kicked and thrashed, rightfully afraid he could hurt the baby. When he tore the crotch of her bottoms open, she screamed.
* * *
Just after, Alex and Nathan got off the elevator on their floor. Their mother had just come out of Michael’s room. “Mom, where’s Danielle?” Alex tried to quell the panic that rose in him.
“She was sleeping when I last checked on her,” Mary assured him. “Your spitfire nephews won’t stop fighting, so I was playing referee for a while. How come you’re not at the party?”
The after-game party had started in a conference room at the hotel. “I needed to see if she’s OK first. If she feels better, maybe I can take her there for a while.”
* * *
Down the hall, Brian stopped for a few seconds. He breathed hard and could not believe she was so difficult. He was shocked she put up any defense at all. He decided enough was enough; he would just pin her down and get to it. He opened his belt.
Danielle was in pain. He had bruised her all over already, and she had no more strength to fight. Then he smiled when he revealed his huge, stiff cock. Her eyes opened wide. She didn’t want that again. As soon as he was close enough, she kicked. She tried to connect with his groin.
Brian grunted loudly as she hit his hip and fell backward onto the floor. He glared at her. “You goddamned bitch!” He went right back to her, grabbed her hair and pulled her close. Then he smiled as she sobbed, sure he had won.
She looked up at him and pleaded, “Please don’t hurt my baby!” She cradled her womb, petrified that she would lose the child.
“You little whore! You got his fucking baby in there?” He swung at her abdomen, but she turned fast, and he hit her back.
The wind knocked out of her, she struggled to breathe. “Al—lex…” she cried out weakly.
“Cry for him all you want,” Brian softly taunted, crouched over her. “He’s never gonna stop me.” He had every intention to follow through with her punishment. She fought him again when he reached inside the hole in her pants. Then she
screamed when he tore her panties. “Too late for him to save you.”
* * *
A scream floated down the hallway. Nathan and Alex looked at each other. “That’s Danielle!” Alex cried out. They started to run to the other end of the hallway. Alex stopped in front of their room and listened. He heard Brian’s voice.
“Oh, God, he’s home. He’s gonna fucking kill her.”
Nathan’s eyes opened wide. “Brian’s here? What the hell? I thought we were gonna take care of him at Christmas.”
“We have to do it now.” Alex shoved the door. I can’t lose them. “Keep your fucking hands off of her!” He slammed into it again. “Babe, I’m coming!”
Brian had his hands around Danielle’s neck. “You think he’s gonna save you? Think again.” He squeezed tighter which made her gasp for air. He decided to torture her for a while, so let go when tears started again. “I’m gonna get what I came for, and then we’re going home to my place.” He pinned her hands over her head. What he didn’t realize was that the deadbolt had not engaged.
“Why is she screaming?” Mary asked. She waited for an answer and didn’t understand what was going on at first. Then she heard Brian’s voice. It was the same voice from Danielle’s phone; the one that had put fear in Danielle’s eyes. “Alex, you have to stop him.”
“I’m trying!” Alex hit the door harder. It didn’t budge. Then he realized he had the keycard. Adrenaline and his emotional state didn’t allow him to think straight. “Fuck!” He fished it out and swiped it fast; the LED blinked red. He tried it again and got more of the same.
Brian heard Danielle mutter Alex’s name while she started to pass out and fury took over again. “You stupid little fucking whore!” He straddled her waist and wrapped his hands around her neck again. “If I can’t have you, no one can!” All control was lost. He could think of nothing but ending her life.
Danielle’s eyes opened wide; she couldn’t breathe. She saw Brian over her again. Then her vision faded as consciousness slipped again.
Mary’s hands were over her mouth. She couldn’t believe it was real. Why would an ex-boyfriend have that much fury? She had to make sure they prosecuted him severely. She tried to think of someone she knew at the Tallahassee district attorney’s office.
It took Alex several attempts to unlock the door. He was the first one in the room and saw her blue face. “Get the hell off her!” Brian’s pants were undone, which made Alex angrier.
Brian glared at him. “Stay back, or I’ll kill her and your bastard baby!” He put a knee on her belly. “I’ll fucking crush it! I swear.”
Alex took a few steps back. Danielle was very still. His breath caught. Then her foot jerked, and he let it out. He had been sure Brian had killed her already. “You fucking bastard,” Alex mumbled. After a few slow breaths, he growled, “If you kill either of them, you’ll regret it!”
“You need me?” Nathan called to his brother. He saw Alex frozen in place.
His eyes toward the open door, Alex shouted, “Don’t. He’s got her by the throat.”
Brian grinned at Danielle when he let her breathe again. She pulled at his hands. All kinds of thoughts ran through his head as his mind slipped from reality. He loosened his grip and watched her gulp air. You’re mine, and he can’t have you. He started to plan their return home. Insanely, he thought he could make her get an abortion and bring her back to Fort Lauderdale. Then she would be the docile girl he was used to.
He smirked and looked at Alex. “Time to watch me fuck her.”
Terrified, Danielle quickly squirmed, so Brian’s leg fell between hers. “No. Please. No more!”
Alex acted immediately. He rushed at Brian as if he were a lineman crushing the opposition. They crashed into the night stand, and the lamp hit the wall just as they did. Brian groaned. Alex grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him off the floor.
“You like to hit girls, huh?”
Brian wasn’t scared. He was too pumped-up. “The little slut deserved it! How dare you fuck my woman!”
“She’s mine now, and you’re never gonna touch her again!”
Alex tossed Brian across the room as easily as Brian had done to Danielle earlier. Brian hit the wall, and then landed on the floor in shock. The look in Alex’s eyes, as he came toward him, made Brian understand why Danielle feared him. His father had the same look when he beat Brian as a kid. Brian put his hands up just as Alex swung at him.
Danielle tried to get up, but her head spun. Blood dripped from several places on her face, and she ached everywhere. She turned to Alex and Brian, who struggled on the floor. Then she saw the look in Alex’s eyes. He grabbed Brian’s head in his hands. She knew what he was capable of after she watched a few videos of his fights that weekend.
“Don’t kill him, Alex!” she cried out, as loud as she could. “You’ll go to jail!”
Nathan ran into the room. He quickly assessed the situation. His brother was about to do something stupid. “Let him go!”
Alex shook his head and released Brian, just in time. He assumed Brian had passed out since he hadn’t reacted. Alex jumped back. Memories of a lifeless body in his hands returned. The urge to kill Brian had been so strong, though. He needed to pay for what he did to Danielle.
Brian didn’t move when he hit the floor. He thought that would at least give him half a chance to finish what he started. He opened an eye slightly and saw Danielle sit up with assistance from Alex. Her clothes were badly torn, and she had blood and bruises on her face. He wanted to grin but held back.
“Oh, God. I’m sorry.” Alex hugged her gently, afraid to hurt her. “I shouldn’t have left you. Is the baby OK?” He rubbed her belly. Tears started to fall.
Danielle tried to remember where Brian hit her, but it was all a blur. “I don’t know…” She suddenly started to cry.
Mary knew it was only a matter of time before security or the police arrived. “Is everything OK in there?” She worried about her sons getting in trouble.
Nathan checked Brian for a pulse, and then left the room. “Alex got it under control. She’s hurt, but it doesn’t look too bad.” He hugged his mother.
“Did she lose the baby?” She sniffled and trembled in her son’s arms.
Nathan rubbed her back. “Don’t think about that, Mom.”
Alex kissed Danielle’s bloody lips. “I’m gonna get you some water.” He laid her on the bed and arranged her torn clothing, so it covered her intimate areas. “Where’re your panties?” He was confused until he saw fear in her eyes again. He let it go and gently patted her belly. “I’ll be right back.” He glanced at Brian, who had not moved. The obviously broken fingers on his left hand made Alex smile. He had stomped on them good. It was a promise he had to keep.
Slowly, Brian opened his eyes. Both brothers had gone into the hallway. He crawled out of sight and stood up. With an evil smirk, he looked Danielle over. Her eyes had closed, but her clothes were torn in all the right places. He pounced on her. His injured hand clamped over her mouth while his good hand gripped her throat again.
Danielle’s eyes opened wide. “Please…” she begged, her voice muffled.
“What the fuck?” Alex saw Brian on top of her. He jumped on the bed and got him into a headlock. “Let her go, or you’re dead!”
Brian met Danielle’s eyes and squeezed tighter. He didn’t think Alex had it in him. “Make me.” When spots formed in his vision, he gasped. Alex cut his oxygen off. Quickly, he covered her nose, too. “I’ll… kill… her…” Her eyes widened as Brian smothered her.
“Don’t move!” a security guard shouted. He pointed a Taser at Alex. Then he saw the woman beneath them both. “I need help!” he shouted to his partner.
Alex turned to see two weapons pointed at him. “I’m trying to get him off her. He beat the shit out of her, and he’s trying to kill her again! Stop him! Not me.”
Brian had frozen as well. He didn’t expect to be caught. He thought he had enough time to get out of there be
fore the police were called. Then he realized, they could be just security. They couldn’t arrest him. The clink of metal confused him.
Danielle trembled from pain and fear. She tried to free her mouth, but Brian didn’t let her. Then she bit his bloody finger.
“Ow, you bitch!” Brian slapped her with his injured hand. “You’re dead, whore!” Then he felt pain in his side and thought he had been shot. His body jerked in an unnatural way while he screamed.
“No! She’s pregnant!” Alex let Brian go and turned around. “He’ll kill her.”
Both security guards moved in and pulled Brian off Danielle, and then tossed him on the ground face down. Then Brian was hit again by the other guard’s Taser. The new round of spasms made them smile. Their story would be that he resisted. Neither of them could stand abusive men.
Alex cradled Danielle again. “I’m sorry. I thought he passed out.”
Danielle was exhausted and clung to Alex. “Please don’t let go. Please!”
“We need paramedics up here,” one of the men said into his radio. Then he turned to Alex. “How’s she doing?”
With a glance up, Alex replied, “Terrified and bleeding. I have to get her checked out at the hospital.”
“All taken care of.” Nathan came in the room and put a hand on his little brother’s shoulder. “I already called 911. Ambulance is on its way.” He looked down at Brian, who was handcuffed and struggled to get free.
Alex met his brother’s eyes. “Thanks.” He brushed Danielle’s hair with his fingers. “He’ll never do it again. I promise.” He hated that the last time he promised that, he failed. She needed to hear it, though.
Chapter 24
Worn out, Danielle tried to grab Alex’s hand, but she had no strength. He felt the movement and took her hand in both of his. Alex stood back as an orderly brought in a sonogram machine and left the room. While Dr. White moved the device closer, he lifted Danielle’s hospital gown. He knew how tired she was. He tried to keep as much of her lower body covered with the sheet as he could.
from Pain to Pleasure (Gainesville Book 1) Page 21
