Able to think of nothing else, Lilly bit down. Crandall let out a muffled cry, and the metallic tang of blood flowed across her tongue.
He jerked away from her, cursing as he wiped blood from his mouth. “So, you like it rough? Vicky was never into that, but it could be fun.”
Crandall shoved her hard into the wall and came at her again. His hungry mouth traversed her face and neck. He grasped her breast, squeezing before moving on to stroke her neck.
Lilly pushed at him, shaking too hard to be effective. Tears blurred her vision. “Somebody help me!”
Crandall slammed his hand across her mouth. “Why the hell are you calling for help? I just want to love you.” He cocked his head toward the door.
Soft sounds drifted into the room from the party. Lilly’s heart sank—there was no way anyone heard her plea. She’d have to get away from him on her own.
Crandall released her mouth and smiled. “Good, no one’s going to interrupt us.” His hand trended downward to rub against Lilly’s crotch. “I want you so bad. Should we do it here in the library? Just think how horrified those rotten women would be if they caught us.” He laughed. “It’d serve them right for being rude to you.”
Frantic, Lilly shoved his chest as hard as she could. Crandall stumbled back a step, and Lilly rammed her knee into his groin. Her leg exploded with pain, but Crandall dropped to his knees, clutching himself and groaning.
Heart hammering against her breastbone, Lilly turned to flee. She stumbled when her left leg took her body weight, slowing her. Behind her, she heard Crandall move. She lurched a few more steps. If she made it to the next room, surely she could scream loud enough to get someone’s attention.
Crandall’s fingers cut cruelly into her flesh as he grasped her elbow and whirled her to face him. “I try to be nice, and this is the thanks I get? We can’t be together if you don’t behave.” He sounded almost joyful, and a smile crossed his face as he raised his fist. “I’ll have to teach you a lesson.”
Lilly’s head rocked back from the blow. Hot pain exploded against her cheekbone, and stars of light obscured her vision. Unsteady legs wobbled beneath her, and she slid to the ground, stunned.
Crandall jumped on her. His hands wrapped around her throat, and he slammed her head against the floor. Pain erupted all around, as her cheek protested the renewed assault.
“Why are you making me do this?” he asked.
Lilly cried out, and Crandall’s hands tightened around her throat, cutting off her air. She fought to twist her body beneath his, desperate to throw him off. The edges of her vision started to gray, and she felt herself weaken. Her chest burned as her lungs cried out for oxygen.
“I will be with you. We’re meant for each other.” He released her throat and kissed her softly. “We’re soul mates.”
Lilly gulped air in shuddering gasps as her vision slowly returned. Her throat felt raw as small bursts of air rushed down it.
“I wish you hadn’t made me do that.” He stood and extended his hand toward her. “I’ll help you up.”
Lilly pulled her knees to her chest and circled them with her arms to form a barrier between herself and the monster in front of her. The back of her head and her cheek both throbbed unbearably. She wondered if he fractured any bones.
“Lilly?”
Crandall froze and looked toward the doorway.
“It’s Sarah,” Lilly rasped. She sounded far away, perhaps in the hallway, but what if she headed to this room?
“Lilly?” she called again. “Where are you? I need to talk to you about Zach.”
Her voice was closer. She would walk in any moment. What would Crandall do if Sarah caught him? Lilly had to find a way to protect her.
Crandall’s eyes shifted between Lilly and the door. “I’m so sorry, my love. I didn’t mean to lose my temper. You have to forgive me.” He helped her up and manhandled her to the couch. “Please, don’t make me angry again.”
Lilly fought waves of nausea as he threw her against the cushions.
“I’ll come up with a story, don’t worry.” Crandall sat next to her. “All you have to do is go along with it. You wouldn’t want me to lose my temper around Sarah, would you?”
Lilly sucked in a breath as tears slipped down her cheeks. She didn’t know what he had planned, but she refused to put Sarah in danger. She would agree with whatever Crandall said.
Sarah stepped into the doorway and stopped walking when she saw them on the couch. “What’s going on in here?”
“Lilly’s hurt badly.” Crandall caressed Lilly’s hair and looked up at Sarah. “I found her at the bottom of the wine cellar and carried her here.”
“Oh, goodness.” Sarah rushed into the room. Her eyes welled up with tears. “What happened, Lil?”
Lilly tried to smile at Sarah. The motion set off a flare of pain in her cheek. “I thought I’d take a peek at your parents wine collection,” she lied. “I must’ve stumbled and fell down the stairs. I think I hit my head a few times. I’m lucky Crandall found me.”
That didn’t sound realistic. Somehow, she had to be more convincing. Crandall was crazy. If he would attack her like that, when discovery could happen at any second, rationality had little place in his thought process. What might he do if Sarah didn’t believe the lie?
She smiled at Sarah again. “You know how clumsy I am on stairs with this leg. I fall so often now. I really don’t know what I was thinking.”
Sarah studied Lilly’s face for several breathless moments, and then flicked her gaze to Crandall. “You can leave now.”
He shook his head. “Why don’t you run and get someone who can help. Isn’t Bridget’s dad a doctor? I’ll stay with Lilly and make sure she doesn’t move around. Head injuries can be very dangerous.”
Sarah wrung her hands together and shook her head. “I don’t think you should be alone with Zach’s girlfriend.”
“It’s alright,” Lilly protested, anxious to get her away from the monster. “Crandall can watch me until you come back. It’ll be okay. Please, get Zach. I need him.”
Sarah’s hands twisted a few more times. “I’m not sure where Zach disappeared to, but I’ll find him.” She shot one more disgusted look Crandall’s way as she walked from the room. “Don’t you touch her.”
“Why are you doing this?” Lilly demanded as soon as Sarah was out of earshot. “Was it you who followed Zach and I to Portland?” Though Crandall terrified her, Lilly's courage returned enough to question him. Zach was on his way, and he would protect her.
Crandall laughed and patted her face, eliciting another wave of pain and nausea. “You think I’m the stalker? That would make your life easier if it was true.”
Lilly shrank away from him. It
would
have made things easier, but that didn’t make any sense. How would he know about Charles and how he made her say ‘always and forever?’ Lilly trembled violently. It was all too much to handle. Now she had to worry about Charles
and
Crandall.
“I can protect you though, if you just agree to be with me.” Crandall leaned down to give her another kiss.
Lilly forced herself to endure without moving. She simply needed to hold on until Zach arrived, then everything would be okay.
Crandall pulled away, his blue eyes full of concern. “Don’t fight me next time. I can’t control myself when these rages take over. I really don’t like hurting you.”
Lilly nodded. “I promise it won’t happen again.”
“That’s my girl. I need you to listen closely, love.” Crandall grasped her face in a vice-like grip and yanked her head toward him. She whimpered against the pain, and Crandall’s eyes softened. “Am I hurting you again?” He squeezed his fingers inward. “Tell me how sorry you are and I’ll stop.”
“I’m sorry, Curtis,” she whispered, trying not to cry out and give him the satisfaction of knowing how bad he hurt her.
He released her, seeming satisfied. “I want to make sure we have an understanding. If you tell anyone what happened, I’ll deny it. Everyone will believe me, and I’ll become the victim. Think about it, my love, even Zach’s mother doesn’t want you around.”
“I won’t say anything.”
He laughed. “Why am I even worried? Really, who’d believe you? Tommy and his family love me—they’ll stand by my side.” His eyes met hers. “I won’t go to jail for assault, you know? Not on the word of a suspected killer. Besides this was your fault for attacking me.” He caressed her hair, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. “And if you tell Zach about this, I’m going to say you keep coming on to me and won’t leave me alone. In fact, maybe I should tell him that anyway. He’ll dump you for good, and we can start our life together.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. Crandall was a well-respected member of this community. A lot of people cared for him. Lilly’s interactions with Bridget’s family tonight had proven who people would listen to.
On top of that, she didn’t know if Zach would believe Crandall or not. Sure, they were enemies, but Zach’s experience with women taught him they cheated. Certainly, Patricia would happily urge him to believe the worst. She couldn’t bear the thought of Zach thinking she cheated on him with Crandall. It would break his heart.
“I won’t say anything, but I’ll never forgive you for this. We will not be a couple. And if you say anything to Zach, I’m telling Tommy what you did with Victoria.” Lilly cowered away, certain he would hit her again for speaking that way, but unable to stop herself.
Instead, he laughed. “You’re so beautiful when you’re angry. I know I messed up. I shouldn’t have hit you.” He shook his head. “I am sorry. You need to behave and these things won’t happen. I’ll make this up to you and change your mind about me, I promise.”
“I will
never
love you.”
The back of Crandall’s hand connected to Lilly’ cheek again and she whimpered in pain, shrinking back from him. If only Zach would get there. Sarah had to have found him by now.
“Shit!” Crandall punched the back of the couch. “Why did you make me do that?”
The pain in her face throbbed with the beat of her heart. She’d do anything to avoid him hitting her again. “Please, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”
Crandall took her hand in his. “This wasn’t what I had planned for today. But if you don’t love me yet, we may have a problem.”
Lilly shrank back against the couch, unable to stop herself. She knew how men like Crandall resolved problems.
He grasped her face in his hand once again, his fingers digging into her cheeks. “You might be thinking about reporting this to the police, so I’m afraid you need a little incentive not to.”
She squirmed under his touch, trying to block out the pain. “I promise I won’t say anything.”
“Lilly!” Zach’s voice rang out from the dining room. He would come through the door any second and get Crandall away from her. Everything would be okay.
Crandall glanced at the doorway and released her face. He put his mouth close to her ear. “If the cops visit my house, my love, and I have to convince them this never happened, I’ll kill Sarah.”
He jumped away from her as Zach entered the room. “Do you understand?” he mouthed.
Pain knifed through Lilly and she nodded. She would never tell anyone about this. Crandall covered every angle. Lilly remembered how convincing Charles could be, how everyone believed his word over hers. Things would be no different with Crandall. “I promise,” she mouthed back.
“Baby, what were you doing on the stairs? Sarah said you fell.” Zach headed for the couch, bumping Crandall out of his way. “I’m sorry I left you alone. I went for a walk. I needed to think, but I should have been here. Sarah sent Bridget’s dad for his medical bag.”
Lilly looked into his concerned eyes and tears flowed once more. “I’m sorry for everything, Zach.”
Forget fighting with him; forget breaking things off. All Lilly wanted right now was to feel his strong arms around her, shielding her from Crandall.
***
Bridget’s dad came into the room, carrying a bag in his hand. “Glad I brought this along. I never really expected to need it. Habit though. You never know, do you?”
“No, doc, you never do,” Zach replied.
Zach’s parents and Crandall clustered around the back of the couch, watching over Lilly. Sarah and Steven hovered by the fireplace. Steven’s arm wound around Sarah, and she dabbed intermittently at her eyes with a tissue.
Upon looking at Lilly’s bruising face, Zach wanted to cry too. He’d felt so righteous in his anger. He’d felt justified in leaving her alone—his petty punishment to her, since she refused to talk to him. What made the situation even worse was Crandall had been the man to rescue her. Zach knew it was small of him to be upset about that, but he couldn’t reason with his caveman instincts.
“What happened to your neck here, Ms. Price?” Doctor Stern asked.
“I’m not sure.” Lilly bit her lip and tightened her arms against her body. “I don’t remember much of the fall.”
Doctor Stern inspected her neck a bit more, and his eyes moved to Crandall. “This wasn’t caused by a fall. What happened?”
Crandall shifted diffidently behind the couch. “I really couldn’t tell you, sir. I walked by the doorway and heard her call out. She was in an awful state when I went down there.”
Zach craned his head to get a better look at Lilly’s neck. There were some red marks surrounding it, looking perhaps like rub marks.