Page 77 of Cheap Shot

“Well, well. You want to play, don’t you?” His free hand pulled my wrists together and held them over my head. “All you had to do was ask, baby girl.”

He started kissing along my jaw, and bile rose from my stomach. I jerked while trying as hard as I could to free my hands.

“I knew you were freaky.” His voice was breathy, and I gagged against his hand. “Shhh I’ll take care of you.”

The pain in my arms dissipated enough for panic to take over. He was vile. Disgusting. Dangerous. I had to get away from him before he did whatever he was planning. I bucked my hips again trying to throw him off balance, but he just took that as encouragement and dropped his hand as he moved his lips to mine.

He moaned into me and I tried to turn my head so I could scream, but he gripped my chin with more strength than I thought possible. The flash of pain made me pause, allowing him to get a better grip.

I whimpered, and the sound filled me with shame. I couldn’t give up. I refused to let him touch me, not after I escaped him twice. He couldn’t win.

My legs were in no position to kick or injure him, my hands were pinned, and any movements of my torso only encouraged him.

I opened my mouth to bite him, but he took the opportunity first, taking my bottom lip between his teeth with so much pressure I cried out.

“Oh, you like that?” His voice was even huskier.

I had to get away.

My only other option was to make this as hard as possible for him. I relaxed my entire body, becoming a deadweight for him to have to hold up. The move caught him off guard and he released his grip on my hands and chin to catch me, but I was ready.

I shoved against his chest as hard I could. That surprised him, and he stumbled back, enough that my legs were free. I debated for a half-second about kicking him in the groin but didn’t want to wait any time or get closer to him again so I turned and ran as fast as I could toward the player entrance, praying it was unlocked.

“Help!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, but the word came out as more of a gasp.

He cursed behind me and the pounding of his footsteps pushed me to run faster. I made it around the corner, searching for anyone to help me. The crowd from the game had already dispersed.

“Come back here!” Jay’s voice was too close. He was going to catch me, and I knew he wouldn’t let me get away again.

“Help!” I screamed again. There was no one here, but I had to keep moving. The door was only a few yards away.

Please be open.

I reached for the handle and pulled with all my strength, stumbling as it opened, and I flung myself inside. The hallway lights were dimmed, and I took a second to look around for help when a body collided with mine.

No!

Chapter 26

Reid

I wasn’t expecting to get hit by a freight truck when I turned the corner in the hall, but my reflexes worked faster than my brain, and I kept myself—and my assailant—from falling to the ground.

I grunted at the impact of hitting the brick wall behind me and tightened my arms around the body against mine. It took several seconds to realize that this wasn’t one of my teammates or a serial killer. It was a small female that felt all too familiar.

“Haley?” I pushed her away from me, holding onto her shoulders so I could look her over.

“Are you okay? What’s going on?”

Her eyes were full of terror, flicking from one side of the hall to the other. “Is he gone?”

There was no one else here. I had to stay late to get a very long, uncomfortable lecture from the coaches after everyone else was long gone.

“Who? What are you talking about?”

“Jay, he was here. He attacked me.”

Ice shot through my veins, and I looked her over more closely. I slid my hands over her arms and lifted them so I could see better in the dim light. Angry red marks at her wrist had my stomach twisting. My eyes roamed over her body, neck, and face. More marks and her clothing was rumpled, the neckline of her shirt torn.