With Every Heartbeat(145)

Ten nodded and glanced past me, scanning the room. “Right, so…Ham. Cora fucked with his phone too, but he figured it out and has been trying to call you anyway.”

I frowned until I realized the unrecognizable number that had been showing up must’ve been from him…not my father. I closed my eyes and covered my face with my hands. “Is he here?”

“Yeah. He said he was going to stop by your place on the way over, so you must’ve just missed him. He’s probably here by now, though. You go that way, and I’ll go this way. One of us has to run across him.”

I nodded, grateful I had Ten to help me search now. “Okay. Thank you.”

I made it through two rooms, looking for Quinn before I bumped into Cora. Literally.

“Oh! Sorry—” I started before I looked up and realized it was her. She hadn’t even tried to conceal her black eye, and I tried not to feel bad about giving it to her, but I still kind of did.

She grabbed my arm. I began to recoil in horror, but she just smirked and dug her fingers in harder. “This way,” she called over her shoulder.

I resisted, but she tightened her grip. Not sure where she was trying to take me, I finally gave in. Both Quinn and I knew she was up to no good. She couldn’t do anything to hurt us. And maybe, hopefully, she was taking me to him. But the room she led me into was empty.

I sighed, tired of her games. “Cora—”

“Now, now,” she chided pleasantly. “Don’t start with me in that tone. Not when I have a present for you.”

“I’m not interested,” I said dryly.

Eyes lighting with devious inclination, she asked, “Are you sure? You were so eager to scoop up my leftovers when it came to Quinn. Don’t you want to taste someone else I’ve already had?”

“No.” I started to turn away, but a dark figure filled the doorway, blocking the exit. I backed up a step before the guy entered. It took me a second to recognize him. Cain Belcher, the guy Quinn had pushed against the wall the first night I met him, leered at me, taking me in from head to toe, as he stepped into the room.

“Cora told me you wanted to ride my cock, pretty girl. Well, here I am, willing and ready.”

“What?” I spun to her, my eyes wide with horror. But she was already on the other side of the room, opening a door to a second exit.

She paused before leaving. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I already told him how rough you like it, and how much acting like you’re resisting turns you on.” Then she slammed the door.

I raced to it only to find it locked. I pounded on it. “Cora! This isn’t funny.”

Her muffled laugh came back to me, telling me how much she disagreed.

A hand gripped my waist from behind. I yelped and whirled around, backing into the door.

“She lied,” I rushed out, gaping up at him with wide eyes. “I don’t want you. I don’t want this at all.”

But he looked too glassy-eyed and drunk to care.

“As long as I get some pussy, you can fight as much as you want, honey.”

“What? No!” I pushed against him, but he didn’t seem deterred. “Stop!”

He kissed me hard, smelling like garlic and sweat, and tasting like beer. I struggled against him, gagging and hitting him on the chest, then the side of his head.

He cursed and hit me back until I saw stars.

I checked out long enough for him to get his pants undone and try to stick his tongue down my throat. I bit it and he hit me again. The hitting I could take. My father had acclimated me well to that kind of pain. It was the added worry of being raped that freaked me out.

Fighting as hard as I could, I bit and scratched and tried to scream again until he clamped a hand over my mouth and kneed me in the stomach. When he began to rip open my jeans, I shook my head frantically, trying to beg him with my eyes. He had no mercy. He jammed his fingers down the inside of my pants and cupped me hard between the legs, making tears spill from my eyes.

I squeezed my lashes shut, trying to cope with reality. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe Cora would—

“Blondie? You in here?”

The door opening across the room, letting in noise from the party raging outside, startled my attacker into taking his attention off me. I wiggled my leg free enough to hike my knee up and catch him as hard as I could in the nuts.

As he groaned and doubled over, I escaped from between him and the wall to launch myself as a dumbstruck Ten stood frozen in the doorway.

“Ten,” I sobbed.

“Holy shit.” He shook his head and caught me, dragging me behind him before he looked down at Belcher, who was curled up on the floor in the fetal position, cradling himself and gasping.