Series: Unhealthy Obsessions Series by Sam Crescent
Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
She didn’t say anything, attempting to walk past him, but it was too dark, and he grabbed her arm. This time a lot tighter than he did back in the bar. She let out a cry as he suddenly shoved her across the alleyway, her back hitting the brick wall. She tried to stop her fall, and in the process scraped her hands down the rough, brick surface. The reality of what could happen hit her hard and she started to panic. Callie whimpered in pain and fear.
He didn’t stop there as his knee came up against her stomach and she dropped heavily to the ground. She tried to gasp for breath. He grabbed her hair, pulling her head back, and she screamed.
“You’re not too good for me. I’m going to own your pussy, Callie. You’re all mine now.”
He lifted his hand as if to backhand her, and she braced for it, but it never landed. In fact, the grip he had on her lessened and she saw he was held captive by the man she talked to at the bar earlier. She couldn’t remember his name, but then she quickly recalled he’d not given it.
“I thought I already told you, that’s no way to talk to a lady?”
She heard the distinctive sound of the bone snapping, and then Mitch was too busy hollering in pain. The man in the suit dropped him to the floor, stepped over his writhing body, and moved toward her.
He crouched down, hiding Mitch from her gaze.
She flinched as he put a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head back. “Are you okay?”
Tears filled her eyes. She was in pain but she never asked for help. It was one of the few things she had learned as a young person—to never ask anyone for anything, that way she wouldn’t be disappointed.
“Th-thank you,” she said.
“I’m not going to leave you alone, Callie. He won’t hurt you again. No one will ever hurt you again.”
She wanted to call him a liar, that someone was going to hurt her, they always did, but there was something in his voice, she wasn’t sure what, but it made her pause. This time when he touched her, helping her up, she didn’t flinch. His touch was soft, gentle.
There was still pain in her stomach, and she put a hand on it. Evander captured her wrist and moved her toward the light, and she saw that her hands were covered with blood. She’d hurt herself more than she realized.
She was just about to warn him that blood made her faint, but the world went dark before she got chance to utter a single word.
Chapter Two
Evander watched Callie sleeping in the hospital bed. She looked so peaceful and innocent. Her blonde hair, even in disarray, was beautiful. Everything about her brought out his protective instincts. Normally he was inclined to kill, but with her, all he wanted to do was protect.
He checked his watch. She’d been out for a couple of hours now, but he’d had his nurse put a little something extra in her IV to keep her rested. Evander hadn’t wanted things to move this fast, but he wasn’t about to let that asshole hurt her more than he already had. It still pissed him off that he hadn’t gotten around to the back in time to stop him from hurting her at all.
His friend and colleague, Bastian, peeked in the doorway again. “Still out?”
He nodded. “She’s just exhausted. She’ll come to anytime now.”
“Then what?”
Bastian had been on him about not obsessing over the girl. She’d been all Evander wanted to talk about lately, and his friend was getting concerned. He’d never been attached to anyone or anything in his life. He was afraid of nothing, which meant no one dared to fuck with him. The fact he was showing his softer, twisted side seemed to freak out those who knew him well.
“I’m not kidnapping her.”
“You sure about that?”
“Look, I already explained I had no choice in the matter,” Evander said. “I’m not an animal.”
Bastian crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe. “You could have easily dropped her off at the local hospital, but instead you brought her to your private clinic. This place is supposed to be off the grid.”
“It’s not like she was conscious when she came here. She has no clue where we are.”
“So, you’re okay with her returning to work at that strip club tomorrow? Same shit. Same assholes. You can’t watch over her every second, and you’re already behind on your contracts.”
“I have two outstanding, and I’m dealing with them. And guess what, Bastian, my caseload isn’t your fucking concern. Worry about your own hits.”
He began to walk away. “I’m starting to think you just liked going there every night to look at the naked bitches.”