Freedom to Ride (Ravens MC) (18 page)

“
If it makes you feel better go have a quick word with Gavyn. I’m sure he’ll put your mind at rest. He won’t let me out of his sight and I’ll be surrounded by people. I’ve just got to finish this order and then I’ll go over to the house. Your mum’s over there now looking after Holly. Just go and stop worrying.” Deanna wrapped her arms around him and he buried his face into her curly hair, breathing in her delicious vanilla scent.

“
Okay, but call me later? I love you,” Nate said giving in, cupping her face in his hands.

“
I promise. Love you too,” she said, reaching up to kiss him.

Nate had to tear himself away as things started to get heated, giving her a final gentle kiss before walking out the door. Deanna grinned as she heard him issuing instructions to Gavyn outside, warning him that he
’d better do his job or he’d kick his arse. Deanna returned to her typing just as she heard Nate’s bike roar away.

As she eventually closed her computer down she heard a strange noise coming from outside. She was just about to investigate when the office door suddenly slammed open and framed in the doorway was her ex Lee, glowering insanely.

Deanna sucked in a horrified gasp and screamed loudly as he staggered into the room and grabbed her, his hand wrapping around her throat as he hauled her over the desk, papers flying everywhere. Fighting and clawing at his hand in panic she struggled to breathe as he tightened his grip and pulled her to her feet, dragging her against his body.

“
Shut your mouth, bitch. I’ve been waiting for this moment for weeks and you’re not going to spoil it. Don’t make a fucking sound,” he hissed at her.

Twisting her head to face him he dropped his hand and just as she was about to scream again he punched her hard in the face. Deanna saw stars as her vision blurred, head ringing from the contact. She fell to her knees in shock, whimpering as he wrapped his hand tightly into her hair and painfully yanked her head back.

“I fucking hate you, you slag. You are mine and you’ll feel real pain for daring to leave me. I’ve been watching you play happy families with that fucking Neanderthal. He wouldn’t leave your side he loves you so much. Ugh, it’s fucking disgusting, makes me sick. When I heard about the plans for tonight I knew I had my chance to give you what you deserve.” The hand in her hair tightened even more and she felt a few strands rip free.

“
I hate your fucking hair. I told you to keep it straight. All these disgusting curls are a constant reminder of your bastard father,” he snarled in her face.

The admission stilled her in shock. She had told Lee little of her dad and he certainly didn
’t know what he looked like. Lee sneered at her wide-eyed expression.

“
Yeah bitch. I fucking knew your father. That bastard ruined my life. Shagging my mum then dumping her as soon as he saw your mother. He left my mum devastated, she couldn’t handle the rejection. My mum hated my own father and just wanted some attention, but your dad was so blinded that he just upped and left her. She took an overdose. I was only four and left with a cold ruthless prick of a father. I found letters she’d written and when I got older I came looking for the man who ruined my life. Saw you three. You were so happy I hated you all. But I finally caught up with your father.” Lee smiled evilly at her angry face.

“
What the hell are you talking about? What did you do?” Deanna shouted, strength returning as anger filled her.

“
Your father begged me to leave you and your mother alone. I laughed in his fucking face. I’ll never forget the look on his face when he understood what I was planning to do. I watched you both struggling to live with his loss. It was hysterical when people accused him of running away with another woman. Police were fucking useless, they didn’t even investigate properly. When I decided to finally act I’d left it too late because your mother was dead. You were left completely alone, so pathetic. So I left you to suffer all alone like I had to do, but when I found you years later I could see you were happier and I couldn’t have that. I needed revenge, to punish you. So I approached you in the bar and started planning. Drugged your drink one night so I could knock you up after poking holes in all the condoms. I had you just where I wanted, living in my house and making your life a misery. But that fucking brat spoiled everything. She had to come out looking like you and your bastard father.” He paused, breathing heavily, his memories fueling him on.

“
I couldn’t contain my fury any longer. Fuck, I enjoyed smacking you about, it gave me such a thrill. But then you ran away and all my plans were ruined. I tried finding you but you just disappeared, taking that little shit with you. I couldn’t believe my luck when that silly bitch turned up at my door whining about you stealing her man and ruining her life. I just lost it, and the stupid cow came running back here. Didn’t even check to see if anyone followed her. Lost sight of her in the city but at least I knew whereabouts you were. So here I am finally, darling, to finish what I promised your father. Have you missed me?” His features contorted with his uncontrollable hate.

“
You fucking bastard.” Deanna’s temper erupted as she tried to grab him but he slapped her about her face over and over again, still holding her by the hair. Reaching down he pulled a long curved blade from his pocket, the sight causing Deanna to stop fighting and shake in fear. She flinched when he brought it towards her face.

“
I fucking hate this hair,” he said, spit running down his chin as he salivated with thoughts of what he was about to do to her.

Before Deanna could pull away he started hacking at her hair, the tip of the blade catching her face repeatedly. She yelled and desperately tried to remember what Ethan had taught her as she reached forward to gouge at his eyes, but ended up digging her nails deeply into the skin just below them. Lee screeched in pain as he tried to pull away but she pushed deeper raking her nails down his face, satisfaction filling her as she watched blood pouring from the savage wounds.

Filled with overwhelming madness he grabbed one of her wrists as she continued to struggle and he twisted sharply, causing Deanna to scream when she felt the bones crack. She clutched her wrist, crying out in pain as Lee drew back his fist and punched her hard twice in the face, blood erupting from her nose and mouth.

When she fell to the floor, Lee scrambled on top of her and used the knife to slash and rip open her dress. As she lay there before him in just her underwear, Deanna tried to squirm away from him but her body was unresponsive and aching. When the darkness started to overtake her she felt a stinging slap to her cheek.

“Oh no you don’t,” he taunted. “You’re going to feel every second of this.”

Deanna moaned at the throbbing in her face and wrist, fighting to stay awake. She winced as she felt the knife running down her stomach repeatedly, the blade slicing into the skin. When he dragged the blade deeper she screamed behind his hand that was now wrapped around her mouth and she struggled to breathe, her whole body shaking uncontrollably as shock consumed her.

From somewhere outside she thought she heard running footsteps approaching and just as Lee raised the knife, the door burst open. Deanna slowly turned her head to see a man dressed in police uniform run into the room just as the blade penetrated her stomach. She cried out pitifully at the pain.

Feeling Lee
’s weight lift from her body she heard him yelling insanely as two police officers restrained him, grappling to cuff his hands as he snarled and spat at them, and she recognised one of the officer’s as Cameron.

Focusing her eyes she was relieved to see Nate pushing Ethan out of the way as he charged into the room and dropped down beside her.

“Oh God, baby. Deanna . . . Fuck . . . What did the bastard do to you? Hold on babe, the ambulance is on its way,” Nate pleaded frantically, stroking the blooded hair from her face, suddenly noticing he was crouched in chunks of her red curly hair. 

Nate
’s hands shook as he took his shirt off and pressed it against her bleeding wounds. Looking her over he was filled with blind rage when he saw her lying there bleeding and beaten in just her underwear, her dress ripped from her body.

Nate looked up sharply and jumped to his feet as he stalked towards Lee, towering over him with a murderous glower. He was proud of Deanna when he saw the aggressive nail scratches she
’d inflicted on his face. When Lee grinned maniacally at him Nate couldn’t keep his anger under control, his jaw tensing as he slammed his forehead into Lee’s. Nate felt brief satisfaction when he saw Lee’s eyes roll back in his head and he went limp in the officer’s arms.

“
Nate,” Ethan shouted. Ethan realised his brother needed to vent his anger against Deanna’s bastard ex but he was more concerned with how much blood she’d lost. Nate ran back to Deanna, whispering soothingly to her, pressing his shirt over the worst of her injuries.

As the police hauled an unconscious Lee from the room, Logan appeared with a breathless Heather at his side, both horrified at what they saw. Heather quickly knelt by Deanna helping Nate and Ethan to stop the bleeding. The wail of sirens announced the arrival of the paramedics and a moment later they rushed into the office to attend to Deanna.

Ethan and Heather moved aside but Nate stubbornly remained by her side, gently stroking her tattered hair and gripping her hand fiercely in his. Her pain-filled eyes stared back at Nate and he couldn’t hold back as a tear ran down his cheek. Deanna tried to smile at him comfortingly but she was in too much agony.

The paramedics lifted her onto a trolley and pushed her towards the waiting ambulance. Nate saw his mum standing near the ambulance with tears streaming down her face, holding a sleeping Holly in her arms. He ran over to give her a quick reassuring hug before climbing into the ambulance as it drove away.

At the hospital, the ambulance doors swung open and Nate ran beside the stretcher refusing to let go of her hand. He panicked when her grip went limp and her eyes slid shut.

“
Deanna? Baby, wake up,” he shouted in alarm.

“
Please move back Sir. We need to get her into theatre,” one of the paramedics told Nate.

He watched helplessly as Deanna was wheeled away until the doors swung shut in his face, blocking her from his sight.

Deanna slowly came round, looking about the strange room and the beeping of a machine close by and understood that she was in hospital. The previous pain she had felt had thankfully numbed, obviously she’d been given some strong painkillers, but she could feel something gripping her hand tightly, almost painfully.

As she slowly turned her head she saw Nate sat at the side of the bed tensely holding her hand as he rested his other elbow on the bed, his face buried in his hand. Deanna could hear his laboured breathing and she tightened her hand to show him she was awake.

He jerked his head up when he felt her grip and a relieved smile crossed his face, his eyes full of unshed tears, when he saw her looking at him.

“
Baby. Thank God you’re finally awake. How you feelin’? Can I get you anything?”

“
Water please,” she mumbled, her throat dry and her lips felt strange and swollen.

He jumped up and grabbed a glass of water from the side table, holding it to her cut lips with a straw. But as she tried to sit forward her stomach tensed as she pulled on the stitches and, wincing in pain, she leant back.

“Thank you,” she said after finally taking a sip, her face numb and her vision slightly blurred.

Nate sat back down and stared at her helplessly and as she stared back she understood the expression on his face. It was complete and utter defeat - he believed he had failed her. She reached her hand out to him as tears ran down his face.

“Deanna, I’m so fuckin’ sorry. I knew I shouldn’t have left you. Everything inside me was telling me to stay. The further I got away the worse I felt. I’ve failed on all the promises I made to you,” he said heartbreakingly in misery.

“
No honey. This isn’t your fault. You can’t make promises that you have no control over.”

“
Fine then. It’s your fault. You kept telling me to go. I’m never listenin’ to you ever again,” he tried to joke and she smiled lightly.

“
The only person to blame is Lee. We believed he’d gone back to England and that he was no longer a threat. Please don’t blame yourself Nate. You came back. How did you know? What happened?”

“
My ma. After I left, she saw a man in the compound creep up behind Gavyn. He was on his phone at the time and was bashed round the back of the head, taken completely unawares. She rang Ethan who thankfully wasn’t too far away. He then called Cameron and they raced here with backup. I was only a few minutes from the compound when I saw the flashing lights at the same time my phone rang. Ethan was driving towards the compound when he spotted me and told me what was happenin’. By the time we arrived the police had just pulled that fucker off you. You were . . . bleeding every fuckin’ where. I . . . shit . . . baby when I saw you lying there covered in blood, it just fuckin’ broke me. . . I’ll never leave you again. I can’t take this pain inside that I let this happen to you. I’m . . ,” he cut off, swallowing hard, his voice hoarse. She tugged on his hand as he rose from the chair and pulled his face down to kiss him tenderly, resting her forehead against his as he shook with emotion.