Page 82 of The Jellybean Dilemma

The smell of alcohol hit me, even through his hand, and his eyes had a glassy quality to them. I struggled to process his words over the tightening grip of my panic. But I needed to stay in the present, and I searched for an opportunity to scream or kick as he prattled on.

He swayed as he stepped closer. “Have you been enjoying my pictures?”

I glared at him, summoning my anger to burn through panic’s grip.

“Ah, there’s the fight I want to see.” His dark gaze raked over me, and I squirmed. His leering smile sent a shiver through me, and I struggled to get away. He tightened his grip. “That’s right. I always did enjoy the spunky ones, not that you ever lived up to that.”

He leaned into me, his stale breath hot against my cheek. “You took everything from me, Rhonda. I came home from a wonderful vacation with a new life all planned out. Only to be served a summons for a lawsuit on sexual harassment by my bitch of an ex-fiancée.” He brushed back my hair, exposing my neck, and running his fingers down my cheek.

I yelped into his hand, jerking and trying to get away from his iron grip. I had nowhere to go, stuck between the wall at my back, the sink to my left, and the toilet on my right.

His menacing laughter was colder than the winter air. “Not only that, but your brother’s lawyers saw to it that my new girlfriend just got taken for a hefty sum, leaving us practically penniless.” His voice turned to steel. “Is that your new man out there?”

He must be drunk if he didn’t even recognize Greg. Although he was used to seeing Greg in a uniform, and Kevin never had been one to pay hired hands much attention. Unless they were female.

“I saw him put his hands on you,” Kevin growled. “I watched you lean into him. He got you all warmed up for me, huh, Rhonda?”

As he pressed against me, a new hardness against my hip had me fighting even more. I yelped against his hand, and he slammed my head back against the wall, hard enough that I saw stars.

“Shut up, you bitch. You owe me, after everything you’ve put me through.” He fumbled with his belt, cursing under his breath when the buckle caught.

His hand dropped from my mouth, and I took full advantage of the moment. Fighting a wave of dizziness from the blow to my head, I braced myself against the wall, sucked in a full breath then screamed at the top of my lungs.

Kevin backhanded me before grabbing me by the throat. “You—”

A heavy fist pounded on the door. “Rhonda!”

Greg. I sagged with relief, even though I could hardly breathe around Kevin’s tight grip.

“Rhonda, answer me!”

When I didn’t, the door shuddered, once, twice, before it splintered open at the doorknob. Greg lowered his leg mid-kick. When he took in Kevin’s hold on my neck and his partially undone pants, the fury on Greg’s face hit me with a surge of raw gratification. He was here. His hand shot out so fast, I almost missed it, but I heard the crunch when it connected with Kevin’s nose.

Kevin’s head snapped backward, and his eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed onto the toilet. I sucked in air, even as my knees gave out. But Greg was right there to catch me. I opened my mouth, then closed it, burying my face in his shoulder as the tears leaked out. He picked me up, carrying me into the hallway, where our group of friends waited.

Derek was right there. “Is she okay? Is she hur—?”

“Kevin was in there with her.” Greg nodded. “Good thing I went to check on her, or else I wouldn’t have heard her scream.”

Derek’s jaw dropped.

“Is there an office or back room or someplace I can take her? Someone needs to call the police. And Kevin’s going to need some medical attention.” Greg’s calm, no-nonsense tone was my anchor even as I trembled in his arms.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Gina pulled the office door shut behind us. Greg carried me over to the high-backed chair and sat down, cradling me on his lap. Great big gulping sobs erupted from me as I buried my face against him.

He rubbed my back, murmuring until I finally started to calm down. “It’s okay, Jellybean. I’ve got you. Are you hurt? Did he…?”

I shook my head gingerly, wincing at the movement. I explained haltingly, “He slammed my head against the wall, and he backhanded me.” Greg went deathly still beneath me. I knew if Kevin hadn’t already been knocked out, he would be for what he’d done to me.

“He blamed me for all of it. He was going to—” I stammered over the word, “r-rape me, but he couldn’t get his buckle undone.” I pressed my face into Greg’s soaked shoulder again, trying to hide from the fresh horror. I took a moment to compose myself then sat up once more. “He said I owed him, for pressing charges and for our family lawyers taking away his new girlfriend’s money.”

Greg went pale at my words. His jaw clenched, and it was a long moment before he spoke. “I’m so sorry, Jellybean.”

I sniffed, frowning at the guilt in his face. “No, Greg. You saved me. Thank you.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, needing his closeness. His arms tightened around me as I sat there, just breathing him in. His cedar and peppermint scent enveloped me, calming me even more. The dark memory played out, but there was light at the end of the tunnel. I remembered Greg storming in, and I pulled back.

---