WickedSeduction
Page 16
“Hey Marn,” Ethan said.
Her heart caught. Everything else went quiet, the breeze, traffic, voices. For a moment, she wasn’t sure the guy facing her was Ethan. His hair was nearly black—not sandy blond—and long, the ends grazing his forehead and curling around his ears. Couldn’t be him.
Wait. He’d called her Marn. No one else had ever used that nickname.
She suddenly noticed his cold eyes and cruel smile. Exactly what she saw in her nightmares of him.
Unable to speak, Marnie stepped back.
Ethan approached with ease as he always had when he’d had her trapped in their apartment with nowhere for Marnie to run. She should have screamed but couldn’t get enough breath. The moment was beyond comprehension. Had he been waiting outside all day, hoping she’d come out?
“I wondered where you’d run off to,” he said quietly so only she could hear. “None of your relatives or friends seemed to know. Maybe because you left so unexpectedly.” He edged closer.
Marnie stepped away again.
He followed, his smile wider. “Finally got around to talking to the woman you worked with in the cosmetic department. She remembered telling you about this area, about how much she liked visiting here. I began to wonder if she’d given you ideas about taking off.”
Marnie backed up again, flinching as she bumped into a planter of flowers on the walk. “Leave me alone.”
“Why would I do that?” He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “I’ve been looking for you ever since you left. When I heard one of my mechanics was coming here with his wife, I asked him to see if you were anywhere around. Gave him your picture. What do you know—he said he saw someone who looked like you in a giftshop. Didn’t take much to find out which one. I called the place a couple of times, hoping to speak to you, but an old lady kept answering so I kept hanging up. That’s when I decided to come out myself.”
He stopped smiling. “Who’s the prick you’ve been hanging out with? Called him too but he didn’t pick up. Wanted him to do a tat for me on his day off like he did for you. Isn’t that something, little Marn got the balls to get herself inked. Where? Your scars? I don’t blame you. Sucks to be ugly, doesn’t it?”
Marnie sidled away from the planter and turned around, backing toward the parlor until she considered what getting Tor and the others involved would mean. She didn’t want Ethan hurting them. “What do you want?”
His features contorted in a sudden rage she was painfully familiar with. “What do you think, dummy? You’re coming home. We have a lot of catching up to do.” He moved closer.
Marnie tried to run.
He caught up easily, grabbed her arm and pulled her into him. “You don’t leave me ever,” he said through his teeth. “I throw you away when I want to, got it? I’m not through with you by a long shot. Make one fucking sound and I’ll kill you before anyone can help.”
Tor capped the bottle of disinfectant, nearly finished with his cleanup.
“Oh my God,” Jasmina said from the hall. “He’s the one who came in that Wednesday asking about a tat with Tor.”
He looked over.
“His hair’s different,” Jasmina said, “but it’s him.”
“Tor,” Lauren hollered.
He bolted down the hall. “What?”
Jasmina pointed to the outside. “Him. Ethan. He’s with Marnie.”
“I’ll call the police,” Lauren said.
Tor ran outside and around the crowd. Marnie kept hitting Ethan’s chest, trying to get away. He backhanded her, his slap making her head jerk back.
Everything went white hot for Tor, a surge of rage propelling him forward. He grabbed Ethan’s throat and squeezed. The prick’s hand fell away from her. Tor shoved him back. Once they were well past Marnie, Tor punched Ethan in the jaw and stomach.
He staggered from the blows but didn’t go down. Tor ducked Ethan’s first swing. The second clipped his shoulder, the pain not registering. He turned quickly to dodge the third, catching a glimpse of Marnie, Jasmina, Lauren and the others watching. Jasmina had her cellphone up as though she were recording what was happening.
Ethan lunged for Tor. He responded by slugging him again. Ethan lurched back but remained on his feet.
“Fuck this,” Van Gogh suddenly said, joining Tor.
Ethan backed up. They followed.
“Go around him,” Tor said to Van Gogh. “I don’t want him running away.”
“Fuck you,” Ethan shouted. “You’re the one who’s going to run.”
He threw a wild punch. Tor sidestepped the blow, his fist connecting with Ethan’s jaw again. A string of blood flew from his split lip. Van Gogh rammed his fist into Ethan’s gut.
He doubled over but didn’t retreat. With his head down, he butted Van Gogh, both of them falling to the walk. Before Ethan could land a punch, Tor pulled him off Van Gogh and hit him once more.
A siren blared as the patrol car approached.
Two officers in their early thirties got out.
Ethan shouted, “These bastards attacked me.”
“I’ll kill you if you ever come near Marnie again,” Tor growled.
Van Gogh tried to pull Tor away. He shook off Van Gogh’s hold.
This time, Ethan backed up. Tor followed, both of them slowly circling each other.
“Enough,” the blond cop said. “No one moves.”
Marnie went to him and the dark-haired cop, her lip bloody, cheek bruised. She pointed at Ethan. “He hit me when I tried to get away from him. He told me if I tried to leave, he’d kill me. Tor was only trying to help. He was protecting me.”
Jasmina joined them, putting her arm around Marnie’s shoulders. “I recorded everything,” she said to the cops and held up her phone. “It’s just like Marnie said. He was attacking her and Tor stopped him.”
“You two,” the blond cop said to Tor and Van Gogh. “Step over there.” He gestured to the left.
Van Gogh had to pull Tor back. So much adrenaline was pumping through him, he was ready to go again.
“How did this start?” the cop with the dark hair asked.
“They fucking attacked me,” Ethan said, wiping blood off his mouth. “I was minding my own goddamn business, talking to my girlfriend and—”
“I’m not your girlfriend,” Marnie hollered, tears running down her cheeks. “I loathe you. You’ll never hit me again.”
“She’s fucking lying,” Ethan said to the cops. “I never laid a hand on her. She hit me. Look at my goddamned face.”
Tor wanted to tear him apart. He pointed at Marnie. “Look at her face to see what this coward did to her.”
Ethan’s expression got even uglier. “You piece of filth, I’ll teach you to call me a coward.”
He lunged for Tor. The blond cop grabbed Ethan’s arm, dragging him back. Growling, Ethan struggled out of his grip, turned, and threw a punch, catching the cop’s ear.
His partner rushed up. Within seconds, they had Ethan on the walk, the blond cop’s knee on his back, the other cuffing his wrists and panting.
“You’re under arrest for assaulting a police officer,” the dark-haired cop said.
Despite the restraints, Ethan kept trying to get free. “Fuck you.”
“You,” the dark-haired cop said to Tor. “Over here.”
The blond pulled out his cuffs.
“Wait, please,” Lauren said. “Do you officers know Dante Avana? Has he spoken to you recently?”
Both men nodded, a sudden look of understanding crossing their faces. “This is Dobbs?” the blond asked, gesturing to Ethan.
“Yeah,” Marnie said. “How did you know?” She looked at Tor.
“I didn’t want him hurting you again,” he said.
“That’s a fucking lie,” Ethan shouted. “I never touched her. Her face was like that when she came outside. Ask her what happened in the parlor before I even got here.”
Both cops ignored him. The blond turned to Jasmina. “You said you recorded what
happened here?”
“Everything.” She handed him her phone.
He regarded her for a long moment then looked at the others. “We’ll have to take witness statements.”
Many of the gawkers turned away, obviously not wanting to get involved.
“Ask me anything you want,” Tor said. He went to Marnie, gathering her in his arms. “After I take her to the ER.”
“Go on,” the blond said. “We’ll get your statements later.”
Tor nodded, grateful that Dante knew these guys. They’d cut him some procedural slack because of that acquaintance. With his arm around Marnie’s shoulders, Tor led her away.
Ethan hollered, “Whore. I should have killed you years ago.”
She stopped, stiffening against Tor. He held her closer.
“Your lip’s bleeding.” He gingerly stroked her cheek. “Are you all right?”
“Are you?” Marnie touched his knuckles, scraped from the fight, and his shoulder where Ethan’s blow had connected. “You’re hurt.”
Tor was still too wound up to feel anything except lingering rage. He forced a smile. “I’m fine.”
“So am I,” she said. “I don’t need to go to the ER. I’ve been through this before. I’m so sorry for bringing my problems into your life.”
“They’re his problems. He brought them, not you. Please, let’s go to the hospital, just to make sure everything’s okay.”
She turned, watching the cops pull Ethan to the patrol car.
Tor guessed what was going through Marnie’s mind. Creeps like Ethan always slipped through the cracks and never had to pay. After a few hours in jail, he’d be out, heading for her, his anger tripled and deadly.
“Don’t worry,” Tor said. “He won’t get away with this. This time, there are too many witnesses. He also hit a cop and threatened you in their presence.”
Ethan was still shouting what he wanted to do to all of them, each word digging him deeper.
“It’s over,” Tor said, easing Marnie into him, holding her with care. “You’re finally free.”
Epilogue
Four months later…
The weather was perfect—mid-seventies, the humidity blessedly mild, the sky clear, clouds and rain taking a day off.
A good omen for the future as far as Marnie was concerned, especially today. She was in Lauren’s wedding party, along with Jasmina, Tor’s sisters Sofia and Gaby, and the girlfriends of his brothers Miguel, Angelo, Juan and Eduardo.
Each of the guys wore a tux. The bridesmaids had chosen pale-yellow pantsuits, everyone agreeing the outfits were far more sensible than expensive gowns no one would wear again.
Although Dante was really bringing in the bucks with his law practice, and the parlor was doing well enough for Lauren to raise everyone’s salaries, she and Dante had planned their wedding with love, not as a means to impress. Their reception was in the backyard of their modest home, the area decorated by Tor and Van Gogh with a white gazebo, yard lanterns and tons of flowers.
A local Spanish band played a spicy salsa tune. Guests helped themselves to countless dishes at the expansive buffet courtesy of Castillo’s Cuban Cuisine. Gaby and Sofia danced with their boyfriends who’d served as groomsmen, the same as Van Gogh. He sat next to Jasmina, with neither of them having hooked up with anyone. Yet.
Marnie saw how Kyle Loring and Noah Guzman kept sneaking peeks at Jasmina even though the two had brought dates. Dark-haired Noah and blond Kyle were great-looking men, both of them potently virile. A woman would feel safe around them.
Marnie finally had. Kyle and Noah were the cops who’d arrested Ethan.
He was still in jail, awaiting trial, unable to make the hefty bail the judge had ordered thanks to Ethan’s continuing threats against everyone who’d dared to stop him. Several times in the past months, Marnie learned of the other trouble Ethan had gotten into. Fights with inmates, mouthing off to the guards, refusing to follow any rules. His anger was so out-of-control, he didn’t try to game the system as he’d done in the past by pretending he was the victim. Marnie sensed her escape was the ultimate flashpoint for him. Until she’d come along, he’d always gotten his way and had the last word.
Not any longer.
Dante had said Ethan was looking at a lengthy prison sentence. The only way to reduce the old and new charges against him was to plead out in return for less time. Ethan refused. He wanted his day in court.
So did Marnie. No way would she run from the truth any longer and try to hide the abuse because she was ashamed or scared. Testifying against Ethan didn’t frighten her. Marnie was a different woman now and had Tor at her side.
“I see caramel flan way, way, way up there,” he said, pointing his fork. “Nice. I know how much you like dessert.”
“You too.” Caramel, whipped cream and chocolate was their favorite bedtime snack—to eat off each other. “Hope there’s some left by the time we get over there.”
The line in front of them was composed of forty, possibly fifty people, all taking their time piling food on their plates.
Tor gave her a wicked grin. “There’s always stuff to eat at home.”
She smiled. What a beautiful word, home. Marnie had moved in with him several weeks ago, right after Tor had declared his love, saying he couldn’t hold back any longer.
Neither could she. Marnie had opened her heart fully to Tor that night, confessing her feelings.
Alice couldn’t have been happier to lose her as a tenant and had adjusted Marnie’s schedule so she could attend classes at the university. Tor had helped her get a used car so she had wheels.
“Freedom,” he’d said.
That and a man she wanted to come home to every night because she trusted him.
A life her mother had never known. Marnie wished her mom could have enjoyed these days with her and Tor. She would have loved him.
At her gravesite each Wednesday, Marnie and Tor told her mother what had happened during their week, sharing their lives with her.
The line inched forward again and stopped abruptly.
Tor sighed. “At this rate,” he said sotto voce, “we’ll starve.”
“You’re the best man,” she whispered. “You have clout and should cut in line.”
He wagged his fork at her. “Are you being bad again?”
Marnie certainly wasn’t following rules blindly as she had in the past, keeping quiet, doing what she’d been told no matter how much she hurt.
She backed into Tor, discreetly pressing her ass against his cock. The precious thing blossomed quickly, getting humongous.
“Bad like that?” she whispered.
Tor chuckled. “Careful.” He spoke as quietly as she had. “There are cops and an attorney out here.”
Noah and Kyle were too busy watching Jasmina to notice anyone else. Dante leaned into Lauren, saying something that had her grinning. He looked nearly as handsome as Tor. Lauren was beautiful, her bridal gown a confection of lace and seed pearls.
“I don’t think they care what we do,” Marnie whispered. “We could probably slip under the buffet tables and not be missed for hours.”
Mischief flared in Tor’s eyes. “Great idea, except for one thing. My mom would know. She has some kind of weird radar for bad behavior.”
True. She and Tor’s dad were already keeping an eye on their daughters and the girls’ dates, making certain no one’s hands trespassed. “Guess we’ll have to be good until we get home.”
“Hours and hours from now. Possibly days or even a week.”
Poor baby. Marnie stroked his smooth cheek, disappointed he’d had to shave. She liked his stubble. “Don’t worry. Lauren and Dante will shoo everyone out of here long before then to take off for their honeymoon.” She ran her fingertip over Tor’s bottom lip, loving its softness and heat. “As far as you and I are concerned, whatever we want to do we have plenty of time.”
“Yeah.” Tor grinned and slipped his arm around her waist, drawing Marnie close. “We hav
e the rest of our lives.”
About Tina Donahue
Tina Donahue is an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic romance, and an admitted chocoholic known to down semi-sweet candy bars in grocery checkout lines. She lives with her family in Palm Springs, California, where tires melt in the 120-degree summer heat and an occasional earthquake puts everyone on notice to bolt things down. When she’s not writing her steamy stories, trying to stay cool, or crawling beneath her desk during a trembler, she loves shopping, eating at her favorite Mexican restaurant and meeting other authors. Before she wrote romance, Tina was the editor of an award-winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.
Also by Tina Donahue
Adored
Appointment with Pleasure 1: Claiming Magique
Appointment with Pleasure 2: Losing Control
Appointment with Pleasure 3: Illicit Intent
Appointment with Pleasure 4: Seven Sensuous Days
Carnal Takeover
Deep, Dark, Delicious
Erotic Takover
In His Arms
Lush Velvet Nights
Sensual Stranger
Sinfully Wicked
SiNN
Take Me Away
Taking Eve
Wicked Delights 1: Wicked Takeover
Print books by Tina Donahue
Adored
Appointment with Pleasure 1:Claiming Magique
Appointment with Pleasure 2: Losing Control
Sinfully Wicked
SiNN
Take Me Away
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Wicked Seduction
ISBN 9781419994302
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Wicked Seduction Copyright 2015 Tina Donahue
Edited by Jill Noelle
Cover design by Allyse Leodra
Cover photography by Allyse Leodra
Electronic book publication July 2015