Infraction (18 page)

Things were going great. Nathan and I were happy. We were getting healthier every
day.

Inside I knew it would come crashing down on us, just who, what, where, and when were
the variables.

Our days were long again, and we were trying to get some ground. Owen was helping
us, spending half of his days on our workload and the other half on his own. He was
moved to the desk right outside our office, and I smiled every time I heard him recite
to one of the Boob Squad members the office dress code. When one would retort that
the men didn’t seem to be complaining, he would raise his hand. They would then shoot
back saying he was gay, and he would come back saying he had standards and skanks
were way below his line.

Nathan and I would laugh so hard sometimes we were almost crawling under our desks.
Depending on how far the particular member would take it before she found out she
was out-smarted, and they weren’t going to get a rise out of him in any way.

Needless to say, he was also a great help in keeping the Boob Squad visits down. They
would get so irritated by him at times they would forget why they were there and storm
off back to their desks.

Owen was a spectacular addition to our team.

He made my missing that Florida beach and my weekend getaways with Nathan that much
more bearable.

I turned to Nathan on a particularly harrowing Monday when the Boob Squad was in full
force and said, “What would we do without all this entertainment he provides?”

“Fuck on the desk in the middle of the workday and get caught.”

“Sick,” I said and chucked a pen at him.

Nathan caught it and licked the tip.

I quirked my brow at him. “Did you learn that trick from Tiffany?”

“No, I learned that one from you this morning, watching you on your knees in the shower
with my hands guiding your whore of a mouth.” He laughed when I swallowed hard and
gave him a warning look.

“I’m serious, Nathan. Owen’s really been helping out around here. It makes me feel
safer. I wish there was a way I could thank him.”

“Well, you’re not giving him the guy’s version of flowers, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
He smirked.

I sighed. “Always thinking with your cock.”

“Always thinking about your cunt,” he corrected me.

“Who’s cunt?” Andrew’s voice said before we saw him appear in our office.

“The one you need. Go find your own,” Nathan said and chucked the pen at him, the
one he licked.

“Gross!” I said under my breath.

“It’s just a word for pussy,” Nathan said, teasing me.

“The things you guys talk about during work hours.” Andrew rolled his eyes and shook
his head.

“Yeah, and you wish you had it.” Nathan chuckled and leaned back in his chair, looking
pleased with himself.

“Is there a reason you’re here?” I asked Andrew. “I mean, I know you two are buddies
again, but you know Nathan doesn’t really like you hanging around me a lot.”

Andrew winked, then closed the door. “I know. I just stopped by to tell bozo here
you guys need to be more careful. Jennifer’s spreading rumors about you two.”

I rolled my eyes and groaned.

“And it’s not pretty,” Andrew added.

“That’s because it’s coming out of her. Pretty and Jennifer don’t mix,” Nathan said.
He gripped the back of his neck.

“What’s she saying now?” I leaned forward in my seat.

“Actually, I phrased it wrong. She’s saying that you, Lila, have been coming on to
Owen; that she’s pretty sure she saw you both kissing in your office. I think she’s
trying to get you and Owen fired so she can have Nathan all to herself.” Andrew pointed
at Nathan. “I’m thinking it’s because she’s caught on that you two are interested
in each other, so she’s doing what she can to get rid of the competition.”

“Shit. She knows I’m interested? But Owen’s not even my usual type – I figured no
one would pick up on the sexual tension,” Nathan deadpanned. “He’s not as tall and
handsome as you are, Drew.” He batted his lashes like a dork.

They both laughed, but the knot in my stomach prevented me from doing more than smile
a little. Shit. We were failing in the acting department. It was getting harder every
day to keep from showing on my face exactly how much I adored Nathan and how much
he meant to me.

A few long days later, I returned home after work and moved to the kitchen to see
what I had available to make for dinner, knowing Nathan would be here soon. There
was also a chance he would have Andrew in tow, so I needed to find something that
was enough to feed four to five people. I pulled out some ingredients to make a salad
and chicken to cook up. There was always something to make with chicken.

I was contemplating a side dish or two when I was interrupted by a knocking at the
door. My brow scrunched in curiosity as to why Nathan was knocking.

“Why aren’t you using your key?” I asked as I walked to the door, shaking my head
and smiling. His hands were probably just full of something.

My hand twisted the knob and swung the door open. I was about to tease him for not
being able to open it on his own, or something to that effect, but was stopped by
the person on the other side.

My smile faded, my eyes widened, and terror filled my being.

“Long time no see, sis,” Adam said from the other side of the threshold.

C
HAPTER
18

A
dam found me.

Adam was in my doorway, standing much closer than the restraining order I once had
on him ever allowed.

In that second of recognition I hated the judge, who decided four years without contact
from him was enough for it to be lifted. I always knew it was nothing more than a
threat, but I also knew that, with its protection, I could have him arrested if he
ever came near me.

But that no longer mattered. What did matter was that he was standing at my door,
and I was alone. His figure seemed to take up the bulk of the door frame, standing
over six feet. He’d grown since I last saw him. Everything else was the same: brown
hair, brown eyes, and a hatred for me.

After he spoke, it only took a fraction of a second for my arm to swing the door back
in his face. Inches before the door seated, Adam’s arm and foot stopped any progression.
He pushed back, hard, and I stumbled from the force.

I’d taken self-defense classes long ago, but they could never have prepared me for
the emotional response I would have to seeing him again. A feeling of absolute dread,
which I hadn’t felt in over ten years, took hold, clouding my mind, and I couldn’t
remember anything.

He stepped inside and slammed the door behind him, his arm reaching out and locking
the deadbolt. I searched around, frantic for something, anything I could use as a
weapon or throw at him. Running was no good; he was standing between me and the only
way out.

My panic rose, calling out Nathan’s name in my mind over and over again, as if he
might hear my distress. I didn’t even have my phone on me, so there was no way to
call for help. All of it was futile anyway because Adam was on a mission, and I knew
he was unstoppable when he was determined to do something. He stepped toward me, and
I fruitlessly stepped back.

“What are you doing here, Adam?” I was trying to stall what I could feel coming before
I reminded him. “You’re not allowed to be anywhere near me.”

His eyes became slits, his muscles clenching, the hatred rolling off of him. I was
crumpling inside against it, just as I did when I was younger.

“Oh, no, little sis. It’s been almost ten years since that stain was removed. However,
this one,” he sneered, pointing to me, “still remains.”

I swallowed hard. “You need to leave.”

He laughed at me. “Leave? Oh, I think not. Do you have any idea the damage you caused,
you little fucking bitch?”

My body shook as I inched back, but his eyes were trained on my every move.

“I was the victim.”

“You fucking asked for it,” he spat. “You know, in a small town, gossip spreads. Like
wildfire. When I returned to school the Monday after the court ruling, everyone knew.
You fucking aired our dirty laundry, made yourself out to be some fucking helpless
little girl and me out to be a monster!”

He lashed out, his hand grabbing at the decorative vase on the entry table and hurtling
it across the room. It shattered against the wall, and I jumped, my chest tightening.
I was scared and saw no hope of the situation ending well. I owned a gun, but it did
me no good thirty feet away in the bedroom with a lock on it and unloaded. There was
no way I would have the time to get to it and get it prepped.

“Girls don’t like guys who are described as monsters, Delilah.” He took slow, meticulous
steps toward me. “Adults don’t like thugs, and colleges don’t like guys who already
have restraining orders against them and are in anger management courses. I was labeled
a bad seed.”

“You
are
a bad seed,” I whispered, trying to stand up to him, but knowing he physically would
crush me, just as he was emotionally.

It didn’t matter, because I knew.

Adam was here to kill me.

It wasn’t his intent, but there would be no one to stop him this time. My father was
always there in the past to make sure it never went that far. After all, he couldn’t
ruin his reputation with the town by being implicated in any way with the death of
his own daughter.

“What the fuck did you say?” There was a burning, furious flame in his eyes.

He stomped toward me, and I tried to step away but his arm swung back and then forward.
I managed to dodge his attack, but didn’t see when it swung back a second time. The
back of his hand collided with my jaw, and I stumbled to the ground.

“It was all your fucking fault! You fucking asked for it!”

The taste of blood invaded my mouth. My mind was screaming at me to run as it mapped
out different routes I could maneuver in order to get around him.

Before I was even able to stand, his hand reached out, his large fingers circling
around my throat. I clawed at his fingers in an effort to get him to release me. It
only made him angrier; he pushed me toward the wall and slammed my head against the
mirror that was hanging there.

The sting from the glass shards as they cut into my scalp caused me to scream out.
Warm beads of blood began to run down my forehead. My vision distorted for a moment
from the blow, and I was having trouble telling how close he was to me.

I didn’t waste what little breath I had on screaming. There was no one around to hear
me anyway.

“I never did anything,” I managed to choke out, stalling again as I tried to find
an opening.

“You provoked me, and you know it!” He pushed me harder into the wall. My nails dug
into his forearm and hand, but he still wouldn’t release my throat. “Always walking
around like you were better than me when
you
are nothing.”

My breaths were becoming shallow and my vision was beginning to fade. He must have
noticed because his grip relaxed. This gave me enough clarity to see the angle of
his body. My leg swung out, landing right between his.

He howled in pain before pulling me away from the wall and throwing me down to the
ground, venom spitting from his lips. “Fucking worthless cunt! You’ll pay for that.”

I coughed on the ground as I tried to regain my breath, but I didn’t get very much
time before his boot collided with my stomach. I cried out in pain, stars dancing
across my eyes, and begged for him to stop.

“Stop? Oh no. You made my life a living hell. You took everything away from me, and
I’m here to repay you.” He delivered another swift kick.

I screamed in pain, curling up into a ball and whimpering. Tears spilled from my eyes.
I was no match for him.

I’m sorry, Nathan. I love you.

His footsteps grew closer, so close I heard his rapid breaths. I opened my eyes and
watched him squat on the floor next to my head. He grabbed hold of my hair and pulled,
maneuvering me until we were eye to eye.

All I saw was an animal playing with its prey, bent on tearing me apart, breaking
me before delivering the final blow.

“I saw you in the ally in Noblesville,” he said through clenched teeth. My eyes widened.
“You were sucking that guy’s cock before he fucking rammed it inside you. You were
moaning like the whore I always knew you were. You always acted like such a prude,
but I knew you couldn’t wait for some dick.
My
dick.”

His gaze moved down my body, his tongue peeking out to wet his lips. My panic rose.
Killing me was one thing. I always knew if I died by the hands of another, it would
be Adam. Raping me before he finished me off was something that had never entered
my mind.

My legs began to kick and my hands scratched at his, trying to get him to release
my hair.

It worked, and I scrambled to get up and away. I only got one step before he grabbed
my ankle, and I fell back down to the floor.

“No!” I tried to kick him off as he pinned me down.

I managed to get one punch across his face, but it wasn’t enough for him to even notice.
I thought I was gaining traction, my screams deterring him. Then his fist met my face,
and I quieted down.

I still pushed against him, still fought. I would never let him have me. I would die
before I let that happen.

There was a tug at my chest; it was followed by the ping of the buttons from my blouse,
plinking on the hardwood floor. I reached up and scratched his face, breaking skin
and leaving trails that began to seep blood.

“You fucking bitch!” He grabbed the sides of my face and slammed my head into the
floor. His hand trapped my wrists and pinned them above my head.

My head lolled, my mind fighting for balance in the spinning room.

He reached down to the hemline of my skirt, and I shrieked, my legs kicking wildly.
“No. No! Stop! No, no, no. Don’t!”

It didn’t deter him, and his hand continued its way up, pushing my skirt up my thighs.

My hips tried to buck him off, while my legs kicked, trying to squirm away. My heart
was racing and my vision was blurring. At that rate I was going to blackout before
he killed me, never knowing if he raped me before I died.

There was a growling sound and air whooshing past as the weight and hands that had
me pinned down were removed.

My head moved to the side, and in my blurry vision, I saw two people fighting. The
sound of flesh hitting flesh filled my ears.

“Lila!” a familiar voice called out.

Andrew was leaning over me, and the struggle that was across the room was escalating.

“I’m okay,” I managed to croak.

He nodded, then headed over to the two fighting figures. Nathan was cussing before
each crunch, and I knew he had the upper hand.

“Enough!” Andrew said. “I’ve got him. Go to her!”

There was a grumble of defeat from what I knew was Adam and watched the figure get
up and run to me before Andrew sat down on Adam’s stomach.

Adam groaned from Andrew’s weight.

“Keep it up, asshole. I’m more than happy to pick up where Nathan left off.” Andrew
slammed his fist into Adam’s face when he tried to punch him. Adam howled in pain.

Nathan ran toward me, a loud gasp escaping him as he took in my appearance before
he fell to the floor beside me.

“Lila, baby, are you all right? Oh, God, you’re bleeding…
a lot
,” Nathan said in a panic, his fingers ghosting over my skin.

I smiled up at him, my head leaning into his touch as the tears fell from my eyes.
“You came, you made it.”

“Always. I’ll always protect you.” His voice was wavering. A tear slid down his face
and landed on my cheek, making my heart clench for him. “I can’t lose you.”

“I was so scared!” I cried out and began sobbing, my fingers clenching around the
fabric of his jacket.

Nathan leaned down and scooped me up into his arms. “I know, Honeybear. I’m here now,
I’ve got you. He won’t hurt you again, I promise.”

There was an edge in his voice, and I believed him. Nathan would do anything to protect
me. Andrew’s voice rang around the walls as he contacted 911 and then called down
to the front desk to inform Mike of their imminent arrival.

I started to shake, the shock of everything settling in.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here earlier.” Nathan kissed my forehead while his fingers
stroked my hair.

My eyes closed as I hummed in reaction to the comfort that helped me to forget about
the pain I was in. His lips lightly brush mine, and I smiled.

“Move in with me,” he said suddenly, and my eyes fluttered open as I tried to focus
on him.

“What?” I was confused by not only the question, but the timing.

“We already spend every night with each other, why have two places? Plus, I would
feel better knowing you’re as safe…well, as safe as you can be with me.”

It made sense. He hadn’t been to his place in months, and I had a feeling I wouldn’t
want to stay here anymore.

“Okay.”

“Okay? You’re not going to fight with me on this?” Shock of my acceptance was evident
on his features.

I shook my head, but stopped when it felt like my brain was jiggling. “You’re right,
and I want to live with you Nathan. I love you.”