Page 14 of Stained Honor

Oh, Giorgio. If he just knew the truth, I’d wish I’d seen a ghost instead of this man.

With trembling fingers, I grab my drink and somehow force myself to take a sip, but from the corner of my eye, I see the monster heading toward our table. And this time, my entire body actually shakes.

Before he even reaches us, I hear Giorgio’s chair scrape harshly against the floor as he shoots to his feet and steps in front of me. His voice turns glacial.

“Back the fuck up before I rearrange your face.”

The monster lets out an amused chuckle. “Easy there. I just wanted to say hello to the lady. She looks real familiar.”

That deep voice.

That strange accent I still remember too well.

Cold terror crawls down my spine hard enough to make my entire body tremble.

Without changing his tone even slightly, Giorgio answers, “The odds of lightning striking your balls right this second are higher than this woman knowing a fucking gorilla like you.” He takes one slow step closer. “Now move your ass somewhere else before I put you through that fucking wall.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot two more massive men swaggering toward our table. Probably friends of the rapist. And if this turns into a real fight, there’s a very good chance Giorgio ends up dead while I end up dragged somewhere screaming.

The second the bastard asks if Giorgio’s my fucking legal guardian, I throw back the rest of my drink and force myself to stand.

I run my hand slowly down Giorgio’s arm, trying to calm the situation while speaking to the monster in a voice I pray doesn’t shake.

“My boyfriend’s insanely jealous and overprotective. Please don’t mind him. He’s just a little too in love with me.”

I glance at Giorgio, whose face remains perfectly unreadable while he keeps staring at the bastard like he’s already deciding where to bury the body.

“And to answer your question,” I continue carefully, “I really don’t think we’ve met before.”

The rapist studies me with calculating blue eyes while his two giant thug friends stop behind him, looming like a pair of attack dogs. The look crawling across his face makes my skin prickle with disgust.

Right then, the waitress arrives with our food, but Giorgio immediately tosses a few bills onto the table before grabbing my hand.

“We lost our appetite,” he says coldly. “Might wanna start being more selective about the kind of trash you let into this place.”

Without waiting for a response, he pulls me toward the exit.

But another bald bastard covered in tattoos suddenly blocks our path, a gun hanging loosely in his hand.

Every hair on my body stands on end.

Then behind me, I hear the rapist’s disgusting voice again.

“Funny how tastes change over the years. Back then I liked loudmouth girls like your little friend.” His voice drips with filth. “Now I’m more into obedient ones.”

The memory of that night, of what he did to Jill, pushes the fear back just enough for anger to flood through my veins instead.

Then I hear the rest.

Slow. Lustful. Sickeningly familiar.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. You deserve a hell of a lot better than getting fucked in some dark alley.”

“Fucking bastard.”

The words explode out of my mouth before I even realize what I’m doing. Something inside me snaps, and I spin around fast enough to sting my own neck before slapping him across his disgusting face with everything I have.

His answer comes instantly.