Steeling herself, she pushed up off the floor in a final attempt to get out of the house. Biting back the tears as she winced from the pain, Raeve let her fear drive her. Sucking in the last of her need to survive, she pushed past him, running around the corner of the kitchen. Her knee screamed and agony ripped through her, but panic as, he followed in pursuit, drove her to run harder. It wasn’t until she tasted the coppery tang of blood and waited for the stars to stop spinning did she realize she was lying face down on the cool tile floor. Struggling, Raeve pulled her body up to the table, hoping for a small reprieve from his onslaught. His chaotic pacing made her dizzy as his stream of threatening curses poisoned the air. Eyeing the slider door, Raeve slowly stepped around the corner of the table hoping she could make it out. He rounded on her, as her pulse tripped over itself. Lunging for the door, the bitter sting of bone on bone connecting ripped away the last of her hope for getting through the doorway.
David’s fist had landed a solid punch to the back of her skull, knocking her back over the chair. Her legs tangled with the tumbling wood as when she fell to the floor again. The dull aching in her back and shoulders started to throb with a burning sting since her last encounter with the tile. She tried to convince herself that he would give up and walk away. That his anger had played out and she could crawl into the spare bedroom and nurse her wounds, but the look on his face as he spit on her left no comfort that this was over. Rolling over, her muscles seared, begging for a reprieve as she picked herself up again.
“Get the fuck away from me!” she shrieked, but the deafening sound of his voice screaming another round of curses drowned out her demands.
Fear bombarded her because she knew from experience he was just getting warmed up. The feral look in his eyes confirmed the truth she already knew. “Oh shit,” she cried, hauling ass for the front door. Raeve grabbed for her purse knowing that is where her keys were, only to have him grab ahold of the strap, pulling her back in a harsh thrust. She fell into the side-table, nailing her hip and knee. As another round of pain exploded, she saw the delight he took in hurting her. While she lay there, he made sure she watched as he threw the purse down the hall toward the back door.
“You wanna leave? Try and walk out that door, stupid bitch. Go ahead,” he taunted.
A choked up scream begged to be released but nothing could break past the lump in her throat as he stalked toward her.
The crushing grip of his hands around her throat, suffocating every last breath of air from her lungs, made depth of his fury and raw hatred for her shine to life. He wanted her dead. This desire had been expressed too many times right to her face, however this time the evil behind his madness sent a wave of panic down her spine. He wasn’t going to just toss her aside as he had down other times. No it was there, in his soul that screamed that he had no intention of letting her live past dawn. Raeve found herself lifted off the floor once again, until not even her toes touched the tile as she tried in vain to peel his hands away from her neck.
“You’ll never leave me, cunt.” His words burned like acid in her ears. Her eyes, watered as she watched the veins in his arms bounce and writhe from his hold. Every muscle in his chest went rigid as his cock pitched a tent displaying his sick fantasy. He was getting sexually excited by her hurting her, watching her struggle for life. With a hard slam, he drove her head through the drywall, knocking her momentarily unconscious.
The throbbing ache in her head blurred her vision as she tried to stay alert. His hand crushed her windpipe, while moments of blackness clouded what little vision she had. Raeve fought to focus, counting the seconds until he released her. His voice was littering the air with another stream of curses and insults as he coldheartedly dropped Raeve to the floor and walked away from her motionless body like a champion prize fighter. A few long moments passed as she slowly peeled her eyes open, catching a glimpse of her cell phone just inches from her. The back was popped open, and the battery had spilled from it. Carefully she pulled the small device to her, replaced all the pieces, and booted it up. She prayed for a single minute with him in another room to make a run for it. She listened intently, trying to determine his whereabouts. From the sound of things, he was in the bathroom still mouthing off about how horrible she was, and how she got what she deserved. Raeve gathered up every last ounce of courage left inside her battered body, and carefully climbed to her feet. It was now or never, and never wasn’t an option.
Her heart thundered, and blood roared in her ears as she ran for the door, throwing it open wide. Every survival instinct she had poured out. Raeve had known this night was coming because his usual cycle of violence had increased during the past year. In the weeks prior she had made it a point to learn the back alleyways, and memorized them by heart. She knew where each entry into a neighboring yard was and also the location of ample hiding places. She had barely made it ten steps when she heard his voice coming after her. High-tailing it, her body screamed as she took off down the dark alley. She had no idea how far she’d make it before he caught up to her, but stopping to see if she was clear of him wasn’t an option. Her heart pounded with each footfall as she punched 9-1-1 into the small cellphone. Hastily she slid through a battered wooden fence and made her way across the yard of a vacant house Fear covered her as breath sawed in and out of her lungs.
“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” a nasal, male voice asked.
“Please help me,” she cried. “My husband is coming after me again. Please!”
“Okay, miss, calm down, and please tell me what happened.”
“He hit me, throwing me into a wall. Please! He’s coming after me again. Please send someone.” Tears streamed down her face as she rattled off the address and her information.
“Okay, miss, an officer will be there shortly. Are you hurt, do you need an ambulance?”
Running her hand over the back of her skull, she felt the lump that had started to protrude, but denied the EMT’s assistance. She wasn’t new to this. Bruises, broken bones, and concussions…this wasn’t her first rodeo, but it would be her last. “No, I’ll be all right.”
“Okay, is there anyone you can call to come stay with you?” Sure there was, and he would board a flight at a moment’s notice if she asked him to. It was a call she needed to make, but a new fear welled up inside her.
“Yes,” she said softly. “I’ll call now.”
The operator said good bye, and reassured her that she’d be okay. Wanting to take comfort in those few words, Raeve flipped through the contact list in search of the one person she needed to hear and the only voice that would replace her fear with hope as she broke down. Looking at the screen, she saw the time and cursed softly when she realized he wouldn’t welcome the wakeup call. Before she gave it a second thought she hit send.
“Hello?” Aidan’s groggy voice mumbled.
“Aidan.” She was breathless as the tears started to roll, the uncontrollable sobs took over before she could say another word.
“Sweetheart, what happened? Where are you?”
“He―he hit me again.”
The snap of his jaw nearly deafened her. “Oh god, Aidan, I thought he was going to kill me.”
“I’m coming, sweetheart. I’ll grab the first flight out of Richmond.” His words were rushed as he listened to her sobs.
“No, don’t be silly. I’ll be all right. Don’t waste your money.”
“It’s not about the money. You need me, I’ll take care of you, love.”
Her heart broke again, as his words filled with complete sincerity settled over her. “No, Aidan, it’s okay. I’ll be okay, please, there isn’t anything you can do. I’ve already called the police. They should be here any minute, just stay on the phone with me…please.”
“Where are you? You’re not still inside the house are you? Where’s he at?” The rush of questions, as she tried to collect herself were almost too confusing to focus on.
“He’s still inside. I ran down the alleyway. He started to fo
llow, but I cut down a couple of yards and doubled back when I realized he wasn’t following me anymore. I’m safe now. I can see the house, and the street, but he doesn’t know where I am.”
Flashing lights in the night sky littered her road as the boys in blue pulled up. She slowly came out of the alleyway, covered in dirt and shaken.
“They’re here. Lemme go talk to them. I’ll call you back.”
“Okay, sweetheart, remember, I’m with you. You’re strong, don’t forget that. Call me when they leave.”
“I will.” Clicking the phone off, Raeve limped from the darkness to greet the police with a watery gaze and fresh bruises.
“Did you call about the domestic?” the first officer asked.
“Yes that was me. My husband is inside. Please, I don’t want to go back inside,” she pleaded, as she wrapped her arms around herself to ward off a sudden chill.
“It’s all right, miss. Is that his handy work there?” he asked, while pointing to the angry red mark and swelling on her face and throat.
All she could do was nod. Words were lost. “Okay, miss, please stay here while we go speak to your husband,” the officer ground out, acid leaking out with each word.
“Thank you,” she murmured, before sinking down to the sidewalk. Her heart thrummed against her chest as she awaited what would happen next. The night grew longer and colder, but she was finally on her way to being free. It was the last time he would put his hands on her, and that was a promise to herself she refused to break.
Chapter Fifteen
So much had happened in a year’s time. So much had been learned and discovered, Aidan thought as he sank back into the leather couch, watching Raeve with a curious eye. He had seen her blossom from a shy, fear-filled girl to a strong, thriving woman. She won her freedom, and had the scars to prove it.
In just a few short days, she reminded him with each passing second why he adored her. The days had passed in a blink of an eye, ending each day in the blissful rapture of entangled moments. It was moments like this that made his impending departure that much harder to think of when the idea of staying with Raeve and living the life he had dreamt of felt more enticing than shooting bad guys in a sweltering desert. Saying goodbye to Raeve, the one woman who had given her heart solely to him, was going to play Hell on his emotions. She was so easy to love, and she didn’t ask for anything in return. He could barely remember anything they had done, and time was waning as he looked at the clock.
Even as he saw the residual nightmares break her from sleep, when she woke up screaming and fighting, he wanted to protect her even from herself. Still, he respected her for all she had done to free herself from the past. She had come back only to find him and ask for his forgiveness, but he hadn’t expected her to want the one thing from him, which he always desired. From the moment she had first contacted him up until now, Aidan hadn’t expected his love for her to grow beyond what a single word could suggest. It was so much more than a word could explain, more than a feeling could designate. She had awakened a part of him that had suffered from a black void.
He honestly thought he was her beacon of light in the dark night that plagued her, but in truth, it was she who was the guiding light bringing him back from the brink. Leaning against the doorjamb, he watched her with intent eyes, focusing on her lithe body as she leaned over the railing. The hot desert breeze captured small tendrils of hair sending them dancing around her head. The silvery rays of moonlight changed her sun-kissed skin to a smooth ivory as it sluiced down her arms and back.
His breath caught when her profile turned toward him, exposing the sinews of her neck and curve of her spine. She was breathtaking as she closed her eyes, and let the summer winds caress her with its loving touch. The hunger he felt grew, but no amount of food or drink would quench this desire. He needed her, needed to touch her, and needed to brush his fingertips down the sinuous arch of her back and over the supple curves of her hips. Licking his lips, his body sizzled at the sight of her, burning with the heat of an inferno she ignited in him.
Even in those moments when the past haunted her, when she pulled into herself to hide the pain, he never felt more alive than when she let him see her so vulnerable. She needed him, and she knew it. As she stared out into the endless sky, Aidan sensed where her mind was, and it was a dark place that she frequented too often. He had hoped she would move on, but the impact of the past was just too great. And here he was, about to leave her for two years, and possibly never return. He shuddered to think of the aftermath should fate decide to permanently end things. It wasn’t that he feared for himself, but rather the pain it would cause her.
None of that mattered. Not now. Not this night, she had fought hard to get him back in her life, and all he had to offer her was this one last night. He wouldn’t let her suffer the pain of the past, when the future held the dreams of tomorrow.
Slowly he stepped closer. She didn’t stir as he quietly stalked her from across the balcony. His heart raced and his lips ached to kiss away her pain. The aching in his jeans agreed kissing her was the only way to smooth things over and start the process of saying his goodbye. If this was to be his last night with the woman of his dreams, then he wasn’t going down without a fight, he was going to take her to unimaginable heights and beyond.
“Raeve.” Her name slid past his lips. He hadn’t meant to speak it, but he couldn’t help himself. Yet she didn’t respond. Maybe she hadn’t heard him. His fingers curled into tight balls at his sides, as they ached to caress her soft skin and trace down every line and curve of her naked body.
***
Raeve felt the air change around her as Aidan closed the space between them. His body covered hers as she leaned over the railing. His chest gently pressed against her back as he slid his arms around her small waist.
“Sweetheart, I would never hurt you like he did.” His deep voice was as soft as a feather sweeping across her skin. “I love you too much to ever see you hurt. I know I’m not perfect, but I’d rather cut off my hand than ever raise it to you in anger.”
It wasn’t a question in her mind. He had been the only one, even in the dark recesses of her mind that hadn’t hurt her. Not with hands, nor with words. Her hands covered his as she sank back into his warmth.
“I know. I’ve always known that.” It was there in his touch, something she had never felt before, the soft caressing love, that promised her the world and that he would fight with everything he had inside him to give it to her.
“I really wish I had made the right choices back then. I still feel the weight of regret for hurting you like I did. I was callous with you, and I don’t deserve an ounce of your forgiveness. I just hope someday I won’t feel this way.”
“You shouldn’t carry that burden with you. It’s over, and we’re here today because of you.”
Raeve felt a small ounce of relief as he smirked at her. Looking deeply into his eyes, she saw all the love her body could hold, had been filled by him.
His lips pecked a soft kiss against her. “You know you ruined me for other women, right?”
Cocking her head back, her small smile danced up to his. “Good, but for research purposes, how did I ruin you for other women?” She laughed softly. “I know you’ve had a few girlfriends since me.”
“Yes, I have,” he said flatly. “I used to lie awake most nights, thinking about you. Wondering where you were and whatnot. I actually found you on the internet nearly a year ago.”
“Really? Why didn’t you email me, try to contact me?”
“Because your page said you were married. When I clicked on it and saw who you were married to, well honestly I just about hit the roof. Of all the people you could’ve married, you chose him.” There was no hiding the disdain in his voice. Raeve felt the rush of heat rolling off him as he spoke each word with an edge of acidic fury.
“I only chose him because he was the complete opposite of you. I couldn’t handle any reminders of what I gave up with you.” Her hear
t started to flutter as his fingers tightened around her waist. She could sense his apprehension, even as he subtly pulled away just an inch. “My life with him was never complete. I felt the heavy curtain of guilt each and every day. I lived a lie because I gave you up. I made wrong decisions and ruined three people in the process. I’m a walking disaster!”
Aidan spun her around, locking her between his arms as he pressed her back against the railing. “Listen to me, you screwed up. I’ll give you that. And yes you did ruin me for others, but that’s passed. And honestly, I don’t give a fuck if you ruined him. Raeve, after everything that bastard did to you, don’t you feel one shred of guilt for him.” He softly cupped her face in his warm hands, coming a breath away from her lips. “Stop beating yourself up.”
Raeve felt the longing in his kiss as he caressed her lips.
“Let me in, Sweetheart.” he whispered into her mouth. She didn’t resist him as he sliced his way in, instead she melted into him. Her fingers climbed up his chest, tangling together behind his neck. Words didn’t matter, not when he had her here, like this. Her body pressed against his as small mews flowed from her lips.
“I love you,” she breathed against his lips.
“I know, sweetheart.” Aidan sank into the depths of her mouth, and she was immediately grateful that he wasn’t about to waste another minute thinking about the past. He slipped his hands around to the small of her back, sending an instant flash of goosebumps abrading across her skin. A small gasp burst from her mouth as his hands cupped her ass fiercely, lifting her higher against him. There was no denying it. There was a fever in their veins, intoxicating her with the liquid fire of her addiction. Even as a single crystal tear trickled down her cheek, she didn’t bother to wipe it away; instead she allowed the salty droplet to linger on her lips. His kiss grew more urgent as he carried her to the door.
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