Doing an about face, I go to make a run for it when the bottom of my heel snags a piece of carpet causing me to stumble forward. Regaining my balance, I push through the doors of the ballroom. I hear everyone behind me and know they’re shocked at my actions and my quick departure. Making my way down the stairs of the grand staircase and through the casino, I walk quickly as innocent bystanders look at me as if I’m crazy. Some take pity on me trying to ask me if I’m okay. Why would anyone think I’m okay? Here I am a blubbering crying mess who’s trying to speed walk in five-inch heels through a casino. Looking back over my shoulder, I see Derrick, chasing after me and yelling for me to slow down. I quickly decide to sprint the rest of the way.
Sliding into the revolving door, I push on the damn thing urging it to go faster. I can see Derrick running through the area where the slot machines are located. Frantically he looks all around for me. I feel a sudden bit of relief knowing he didn’t see me exit the casino. Breaking out of the door panting, I look to my left and then to my right trying to gauge which direction I should go. The air is frigid my teeth are chattering and goose bumps immediately cover my skin. I begin rubbing my hands up and down my arms for warmth. A woman approaches me and asks me something, the drumming of my heartbeat in my ears drowns out what she’s saying. All I can think about is what direction I need to go in.
Deciding to walk the path of least resistance, I go right. I don’t have anything on me. I left my keys and cell with Dean since he had pockets. It’s damn cold and I’m walking in the opposite direction of the casinos. Honestly, I just want to walk around to the back of the building to the parking garage and sit in my car. Thank God, when my parents bought it, it came with a keyless entry. Folding my arms across my chest and cupping my hands, I stroke my arms for warmth. Tears begin to flow like a raging river down my face. The ice-cold air pierces my lungs as I strain to take deep breaths trying to calm myself down.
Arriving at the end of the casino, I veer to the right. It’s dark and there’s an eerie vibe in the air, but all I can think about is making it to my car. I can hear Derrick screaming my name looking for me; right now, I just want to be left alone. I don’t know how Landon knows Derrick or how Derrick knows Landon, but I could see the recognition on Derrick’s face when I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Landon’s. I knew he’d figured out whom I had fooled around with. Fuck, I even told him it was a guy from the city and that he didn’t know him. Of course, he knew him; somehow, some way, he knew Landon. Out of all the millions of people in New York City, why did he have to know him?
Lost in my own torment, I’m half way down the road when a strong calloused hands wraps around my elbow scaring the shit out of me. Yanking me into an alley, I let out a blood-curdling scream. I can vaguely hear Derrick screaming that he’s coming. I don’t know whom it is that grabbed me, but my knees begin to buckle as panic and anxiety floods through my veins and visions of my past come back tenfold.
The stranger’s grip tightens as he forcefully shoves me up against the brick wall in the alleyway. “I told you I was watching you.” The smell of his rancid breath causes a wave of nausea to roll through me like a tidal wave. As the contents in my stomach threaten to expel, I close my eyes, desperately trying to think of a way to escape. I am not, nor, will I ever be a victim again. “I also told you that they couldn’t protect you, and I was right.” His tone is menacing, and his laughter is one of pure evil.
Finally being able to focus, I ask in a shaky hushed tone, “What do you want from me?”
Snapping his eyes to mine, they’re cold, flat and dark—void of any emotion. A sliver of moonlight makes its appearance, offering a brief glimpse of the person standing before me. Gasping in recognition, I can’t believe it. Ryan. “Oh see, you are a smart girl. You knew I was pissed when you got me kicked out of the bar.” Pounding his fist against the brick wall next to my head panic seizes me forcing me into flight or fight mode. Yanking my arm from his grasp, I push him away with as much strength as I can muster. Stumbling back a couple of paces, I make a run for it. Patches of hair rip from my scalp and my ankle rolls. One of my heels flies off when Ryan yanks me backwards. Falling in a heap to the ground, I scream as he tries maneuvering himself on top of me. Flailing my arms about in a panic, I scratch, punch, buck my hips. I do anything and everything I can to get away, until I feel a moderate amount of pressure applied on my throat.
My dress hangs from my body torn and ragged, my bra is the only thing left covering my breasts. My legs and back are battered and tender. I can feel trails of warm blood oozing out of my cuts, turning the skin in its path a crimson color. Pulling me off the ground by my throat, my height is uneven with only one heel left on. My body screams out in agony when he slams me up against the brick wall knocking the wind out of me. Gasping for air, I try to reason with him.
“Please….please Ryan…you don’t want to do this…please,” I beg. Beg for him—for me. Beg for what I’m afraid is about to come—I beg for my life. Hot tears flood my face spilling over his calloused chapped hands and onto my breasts.
Leaning in he runs his tongue along my jaw line. “If you would have just given it up when I asked for it, we wouldn’t be here right now. You know Blake baby you really are a tease and you brought this all on yourself.”
My name rolling off his tongue floods my veins with venom. Taking his other hand, he begins scrunching up the hem of my dress to rest above my hips. Kicking my legs in protest, he squeezes my throat tighter. At least if I pass out I may not feel or know what’s happening to me—but I don’t pass out, he leaves me barely aware of what’s about to happen. Scorching bile rises up the back of my throat when I feel his fingers slip into my panties. Pain sears through me as he forcefully thrusts them inside me. He hisses through clenched teeth. In a rough, hushed tone against my ear he says, “Damn Blake you’re so fucking tight! I always knew you were a fine piece of ass. Your tight ass pussy is going to fit like a glove around my big hard cock.” Pulling his fingers out of my panties, he begins tugging at his pants while looking into my eyes. Maybe he likes to see my torment, maybe he likes to see the fear pouring out of me or maybe he’s just a sick bastard who gets his kicks off on raping young women.
In a cold flat menacing tone he says, “I might just take you in that tight little asshole of yours too. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Do you want to scream my name while I shove my cock in one hole and then into the other, taking turns teasing your pussy and then your ass?” He turns his concentration back to pulling his pants down with one hand. Thinking I’ve found my reprieve, I start kicking at him with my sore legs breaking a toe in the process. Sucking in all the air I can as his grip lessens around my throat, “PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP ME! PLEASE!” I scream from the very depths of my soul.
My vision begins to blur in and out of focus as I struggle to breathe. In a frenzy, I claw away at the hands that are strangling me. Pieces of flesh collect under my fingernails as the pads of my fingers mix with the warmth of his blood. “YOU FUCKING BITCH!” He screams in my face, but I can barely register what he’s saying as consciousness starts to escape me. I crash to the ground on my knees when his hand drops from around my throat.
Gasping in a lungful of air, I see the shadow of a shoe connect with my face. Sharp spurts of pain radiate throughout my head and a ringing in my ears commences as it connects with the brick wall behind me. Blood immediately pools down my neck and onto my back. My voice cracks as I scream one last time, “PLEASE!” My head slams into the brick wall again. Internally I can hear the cracking of my skull. Light begins to fade as the darkness slivers around me threatening to pull me under. My body crumbles with dead weight to the ground, colliding with the hard, cold, jagged pavement beneath me. My brain barely registers the sounds around me when I hear the faint whispers of a man speaking against my ear, “Baby…love…please…leave…Blake…,” I know it’s Derrick, but I can’t speak as the darkness closes in pulling me under until I feel nothing—only peace.
&nbs
p; Bursting through the doors of the casino, so many emotions flood through my veins. Seeing the way Blake and Landon were looking at each other, I didn’t get it at first, but now I do. The look on their faces gave them away. I just wanted to talk to her, and now here I am, bursting through my casino doors like a mad man chasing after the woman I love—pissed as hell. Pissed at the fact that she didn’t bother to tell me whom she’d fooled around with. Pissed that Landon never mentioned it either. Pissed that Dean and Rachel, whom I’ve just met, seem to know what is going on. I look like a fuckin’ fool right now.
Bumping shoulders through the throngs of people, making it outside, I barely catch Blake turning the corner. I take off in a sprint, trying to catch up to her, but when I round the corner of the building, she’s gone. Trying to gauge where the hell she went, I hunch over with my hands on my knees and attempt to catch my breath.
“Please . . .”
Fire courses through me and without thinking, I run toward her screams that are wrenching at my heart. Blake. Running faster than I’ve ever ran before, all I see is red. Her screams amplify the closer I get—then silence. Coming up to an alley that I probably would have bypassed, I see a man with his pants down to his ankles and Blake lying unconscious with blood lying everywhere.
Rage ignites me like I’m having an out of body experience as I run up to the guy, squaring my hand into a tight fist, and land the first blow to his face. The guy staggers back a couple of steps before I attack again and again, landing blow after blow to his face, his ribs, his gut. I don’t even realize that the guy is unconscious as I continue to whale on him. I see blood all over his face, my hands, our clothes—everywhere. Snapping out of my haze, I stumble back before rushing over to Blake.
I crouch down next to her as warm tears begin to stream down my face. Her clothing hangs from her, ripped and tattered, and there’s blood everywhere. Placing my ear next to her lips, I feel the faint breaths she takes against my cheek. “Baby, I love you please don’t leave me. I need you Blake.” I repeat this mantra to her over and over again while I reach back and pull my cell out of my pocket, and with shaky hands, dial 9-1-1. I focus on watching the rise and fall of her chest as I run my fingers through her bloody hair. I whisper reassurances to her that she will make it and that the ambulance is on its way. Hold on, baby. Do not leave me. I’m right here with you, baby. The screaming sirens of the ambulances envelope the night as they approach. I hear the slamming of the doors when I lean over her barely breathing body and place a light kiss to her lips and whisper, “I love you.” As the paramedics are pulling me away, all I can do is pray that she’s going to be okay—all I can do is have faith.
August 2013
For more information, check out the Luck and Faith page on Goodreads
We have so many people that we want to thank. The biggest thank you that Ashley, and I can give is to our kids. This process has been crazy and wonderful, and we love you all very much. To our fabulous friends, thank you all for the encouragement and the push we needed to make this dream of ours a reality.
Amanda Mossgrove, what can we say girl…thank you! Thank you for shoving a book in our faces and making us read it. Ashley and I will forever be grateful to you for so many things. You lit a spark in us, and now that spark has turned into a flame that’s burning brightly. Allison Guevara, you literally saved us with this book. You had so much faith in us that you wouldn’t let us quit.
Author Marie Coulson, I don’t even know where to begin. You’re truly an amazing woman and an extremely talented author. Thank you so much for offering words of advice when we were out of places to look. You’ve helped us so much, and we’ll forever be in your debt.
To our amazing editors, Tanya Keetch and Katie Mac. You ladies are amazing; Ashley and I don’t know where we’d be without you. Thank you both so much for everything you’ve done for us. Thank you for your words of encouragement and helping us to become the writers that we both knew deep down that we were.
Mary Kelley! You’re fucking awesome, and one of the best mentors Ashley and I could have ever dreamed to have had. HA!! There are so many things that we can thank you for, but that would probably take up two pages in itself. I know that I can honestly say, that no matter where this journey takes us we will always be friends.
We’re sending out a huge thank you to Sarah Hansen for the design of our cover. Your talent knows no bounds, and we feel so blessed for it. Keep on making kick ass covers girl!
Aerie, from Aerie Book Promotions thank you for designing our awesome website. You do amazing work and we cannot wait to work with you in the future.
Julie from JT Formatting, what can we say…thank you so much for working with mine and Ashley’s crazy ass schedule. We are so grateful for the wonderful job on formatting that you did, and we are so excited to work with you in the future.
To our beta readers and every blogger who has helped us, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You are all truly amazing, and we will forever be eternally grateful for all you have done for us. Thank you for giving us the insight that we needed to make this book perfect. Last but not least, our fans. Without you, none of this would even be worth it. Ashley and I truly love writing and are so happy and excited to share what goes on in our crazy minds with you all.
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Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Epilogue
Luck of Love Page 24
