He smirked, the same smirk he always gave me when he knew something that I didn’t. “Just wanted to check out your new place.” He stepped forward, picking up the little trinkets I’d placed around the apartment, but he wasn’t really looking at them.
I backed away, my instincts kicking in and telling me to get as far away from his as I could. “Leave. Now.”
He tilted his head to the side and frowned. “That’s not very welcoming now, is it, El?” He chuckled and dropped the candle he’d picked up. It barreled across the small table in front of my sofa and smashed as it hit the edge. “You can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can’t take the trailer park out of the girl, huh?”
My back collided with the wall, and I slapped my palm down onto it, using it to guide me into the kitchen. There were weapons in there, weapons I could hold up to get him to leave. “I mean it, Knox. You need to leave. A-Asher will be back any minute and—”
“Asher? That his name?” He lunged forward and I squealed, but I wasn’t quick enough because his body slammed into mine and he boxed me in against the wall. “Moved on real quick, didn’t you?”
I squeezed my eyes closed at how close he was, but it was a mistake, a big mistake. I flinched as his hand trailed over my chest and made its way to my throat. I pushed at him to stop touching me, but it did nothing to deter him. His hand grasped my throat with so much force the back of my head smacked off the wall. And I knew then it wasn’t going to end well. He could contain and control his anger, but his rage? His rage was a beast in itself.
“Don’t fuckin’ touch me,” he ground out.
I wanted to retort the same damn words, but his grip was so tight I could barely breathe. I clutched at his arm, not heeding his warning, and tried to push him away.
“You’re a fuckin’ whore.” He reeled back, and I flinched as wetness flew over my face. Did he spit on me? “You’re worth nothing. Nothing.”
“Then why are you here?” I lashed out, my words coming out broken. “Why are you here if I’m worth nothing?”
“Because!” he roared, moving his hand off my throat and clutching the T-shirt I was wearing. His other hand wrapped around my head and he yanked me off the wall. “You’re fuckin’ mine!”
I gasped for breath, feeling the burning in my throat, and I was sure he’d done more damage than ever before, but I wasn’t going to back down. I was going to fight, not for anyone else, but for me.
“No, I’m not!” I stared into his dark eyes, seeing the rage so clearly and uncontained. He was too far gone. “I’ve never been yours, and never will be—”
Stinging ricocheted across my face, and it was only a second later I realized he slapped me. But once wasn’t enough for him. He followed it up with a backhand, making sure the ringing in my ear was well and truly there. I felt the blood burst into my mouth, and I licked at it and laughed. He didn’t have anything on me. Not anymore.
“You can hit me until I’m covered in bruises from head to toe.” I straightened, showing him I wasn’t the weakling he thought I was. I was strong. I’d always been strong. I just hadn’t known it. “It doesn’t matter what you do. You’ll never have a piece of me.”
His chest heaved with each of his breaths, and I was sure I saw smoke coming out of his nose at how angry he was, but I didn’t care. I’d told him the truth. It didn’t matter what he did to me because I’d survived him already. I’d come out on the other side and—
“That’s where you’re wrong.” His fingers clawed at my hair as he yanked on it. My scalp burned as he pulled me across the living room and toward my half-open apartment door. “You’ll never be done with me. Never.”
“Get the hell off of me!” I screamed, not liking that he was trying to get me out of my apartment. What was he trying to achieve? Why had he come here? I clawed at his arm, digging my nails in until I drew blood, and finally he let go of me and threw me down onto the floor. My forehead smacked off the table and everything went blurry for a couple of seconds, but I knew I couldn’t keep my back to him. I couldn’t let my guard down. I turned, letting my ass hit the carpet just for one second so I could get my bearings.
“Fuck!” He roared, a literal roar. “You’re gonna pay for that, bitch.” I pushed my hands into the carpet, trying to get up, but I wasn’t quick enough. He flung himself at me, his head down and shoulders out, and his body slammed into mine, his shoulder barging into my chest and winding me.
My breath whooshed out of me and I couldn’t get it back. It was stuck and I was starting to panic. Everything was happening too quickly. My head spun and pain exploded over my face as his fist slammed into my cheek, causing me to stop fighting for a second. But that second was all he needed to get me exactly where he wanted me.
“You need to be put in your place.” He lifted up a little, his face so close to mine I could feel his breath fanning over my skin. His hands grasped my waist and I finally gasped a breath. “And it looks like it’s gonna fall on my shoulders.” His gaze met mine, and there wasn’t a trace of the Knox I’d grown up with. Gone was the loving boy who stuck up for me to everyone, and in his place was evil—pure evil.
His hand wormed its way down my body and the sound of a zip rang out. It took me a second to understand what he was doing, and I panicked. “What—” He gripped the waistband of my jeans and yanked them down in one swift motion, exposing me to him. “What are you doing?” I panicked, my hand reaching for the material, but I couldn’t gain traction. They were gone before I’d even gotten the chance. “Knox, stop it!”
I tried to crawl backward, but his heavy body was on top of me and I couldn’t move a muscle. I couldn’t get away from him, no matter how hard I tried. I slapped at his face and used all my strength to push at his chest, but one grip of my wrists was all it took to hold them above my head. I was trapped with no escape in sight.
“Please, don’t,” I begged. “Please, please, Knox.”
“Fuck yeah, beg me,” he groaned out, and a sob built up in my throat. He wasn’t going to back down. He wasn’t going to get off me. He wasn’t going to—
The room spun as he lifted his hips, and in my subconscious I knew what he was going to do next. I knew I should have fought like hell. I knew I should have done anything and everything to stop him, but my mind shut down. My brain tried to protect me from what was about to happen, but it had no influence over the physical pain I felt.
He pounded into me, and I screamed out as he tore me apart. I wasn’t ready for him. Not like I had been with Asher. God. Had that only been twenty-four hours ago? How could I have been the happiest I’d ever been one minute, and then the next…this.
Maybe Knox was right. You could take the girl out of the trailer park, but you couldn’t take the trailer park out of the girl. He was showing me what he thought of me. How he viewed me. Maybe I deserved this. Maybe this was what my life was meant to be. I’d been shown a glimpse of a better life today, but it was an illusion. An illusion I could never be a part of.
I rolled my head, my gaze connecting with the kitchen counter where I’d been the happiest. His fists hitting my ribs didn’t gain a reaction out of me, and neither did his painful grasp of my hips. Nothing mattered to me anymore. Nothing.
I’d been wrong when I’d told him he’d never own a piece of me.
He’d stolen the last piece of the puzzle. A piece I’d never be able to get back.
The story continues in Deep Burn!
Acknowledgments
I’m not sure where to start with these acknowledgments because so much happened while I was writing this story.
My first huge thank you needs to go to Paige. You’re the most awesomest Alpha Reader and PA. Thank you for loving my stories as much as I do, and generally just being you! But most of all, thank you for reading these on a time constraint. I’m not sure what I’d do without you!
Thank you to my husband and two awesome daughters who never fail to make me smile and continue to support the crazy road that i
s being an author. I love you all lots and lots like jelly tots!
My next thank you has to go to Jenn, my editor. I swear you saved my life and I appreciate so much you understanding everything that has been going on and still fitting me in. You’re the best Canadian a girl could ask for!
Linda. I swear I’d be lost without you! Thank you soooo much for everything you do. You’re always there no matter what, and I’m not sure what I’d do without you! You push me when I need to be pushed, and tell me to slow down when I need to stop. You save my ass more times than I can count, and I love you!
My proofreader, Judy. Thank you for putting up with me! Thank you for switching dates with me constantly. I swear, one of these days I’ll be on time. Never leave me, because I’d be lost without you!
I’d liked to say a huge thank you to my BETAs readers: Nikki & Yvonne. You ladies are amazeballs and I couldn’t do this without your continued support.
My second thank you needs to go to my husband and daughters. This book became such a huge part of my life, and I can’t thank you enough for putting up with my weird ways.
To my ARC team. You ladies are simply amazing and I love for each and every one of your messages! Thank you for taking the time to ready my stories, I appreciate so much.
To the bloggers who help share EVERYTHING. I love you so much, and I can’t put into words how grateful I am! You are a special bunch of people who continue to put a smile on my face.
To all the authors in the community. You continue to support me and I can’t thank you enough for that. I love our little slice of heaven, and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!
Lastly, I want to say thank you, to you. Thank you for taking a chance on this book. Thank you for reading. And thank you for being awesome!
Also by Abigail Davies
MAC Security Series (Alpha Security/Military)
Book 1: Fractured Lies
Book 2: Exposed
Book 2.5: Flying Free (Standalone Spin-off)
Book 3: The Distance Between Us
Book 4: ReBoot
Book 5: Catching Teardrops
Six Book Boxset
* * *
The Easton Family
Fallen Duet (Forbidden Angst)
Book 1: Free Fall
Book 2: Down Fall
Fated Duet (Student/Teacher Angst)
Book 1: Defy Fate
Book 2: Obey Fate
Bonded Duet (Age gap/Forbidden Angst)
Book 1: Torn Bond
Book 2: Tied Bond
Burned Duet (Age Gap/Forbidden Angst
Book 1: Fast Burn
Book 2: Deep Burn
* * *
Confessions Series (Romantic Comedies)
Book 1: Confessions Of A Klutz
Book 2: Confessions Of A Chatterbox
Book 3: Confessions Of A Fratgirl
* * *
A. A. DAVIES (Darker, alter ego)
Verboten (Extreme Taboo. Inferno World Novella)
* * *
Broken Tracks Series,
(co-authored with Danielle Dickson)
Book 1: Etching Our Way
Book 2: Fighting Our Way
* * *
Destroyed Series,
(co-authored with L. Grubb)
Destroying the Game
Destroying the Soul
About the Author
Abigail Davies grew up with a passion for words, storytelling, maths, and anything pink. Dreaming up characters—quite literally—and talking to them out loud is a daily occurrence for her. She finds it fascinating how a whole world can be built with words alone, and how everyone reads and interprets a story differently.
Now following her dreams of writing, Abigail has found the passion that she always knew was there. When she’s not writing: she’s a mother to two daughters who she encourages to use their imagination as she believes that it’s a magical thing, or getting lost in a good book.
If she’s doing neither of those things, you can be sure she’s surfing the web buying new makeup, clothes, or binge watching another show as she becomes one with her sofa.
Connect with Abigail
Reader group—Abi’s Aces
Newsletter
www.abigaildaviesauthor.com
Fast Burn: Burned Duet: Book One Page 22
