Page 20 of Baja
I am so completely immersed in my own little world that I don’t hear the car pull up in front of the house or the slamming of a car door—a grave mistake on my part. But I do, however, hear the squeaky hinge of the greenhouse door, alerting me to an unwelcome presence. Instantly, my senses are set on edge, and I turn to face my unannounced guest,Ricky. And I know right away something is off.
“What are you doing here, Ricky?” This time, when I speak to him, there is no masking the tremble in my voice. The first thingI notice is his bloodshot eyes. Ricky is a drunk. Each breath I take feels like I’m choking as my heart races.
“Told you I’d be back.” Ricky takes a few steps in my direction.
“I want you to leave, Ricky, or I’m calling the police.”
Ricky tips his head back and roars with laughter. “The police won’t do shit. You forget who the fuck I am, bitch, and who you are.” He continues toward me. “You think the police will waste their time on a cop killer?”
My eyes flick down to where Ricky’s fists are balled up at his sides, and then I survey my surroundings for anything I can use as a weapon. I spy a pair of shears on the workbench about twenty feet away. When I look back at Ricky, I watch his gaze following mine.
He shakes his head and tsks. “Don’t even think about it, you stupid cunt.”
I ignore his threat and run toward the bench. I’m a few feet away when Ricky’s solid, six-foot form tackles me, and we both crash. All the air is knocked from my lungs when he lands atop me.
Immediately, I go into fight mode. “Get the hell off me!” I scream as I try to kick my way out from under him. Using my elbow, I land a blow to his temple. Ricky’s drunken state has made him a little off-kilter, and I’m able to get myself free and start to crawl away. Unfortunately, Ricky recovers quickly, wrapping his hand around my ankle and pulling me back. Twisting around, I kick Ricky in the chin with my other foot. Blood flies from his mouth as his head snaps back. However, he doesn’t let go, and before I know it, he’s straddling my hips.
“You’re going to pay for that, bitch,” he sneers before his fist connects with my cheekbone. He rapidly delivers more punches to my face, causing stars to fill my vision. Suddenly, a pain like I’ve never felt before shoots through the left side of my body,causing me to cry out in pain. My face is throbbing, and my mouth fills with the distinct metallic taste of blood.
“Ricky, stop,” I beg, but my voice sounds like it’s coming from far away. I know I’m seconds away from losing consciousness, yet I still use what strength I have in me to fight. Through blurry vision, I bring my hands up and claw at Ricky’s face. The move only serves to piss him off further, and my actions earn me another punch to my face. Blackness creeps in as I hear the sound of fabric ripping. My skin suddenly breaks out in goose bumps as cool air assaults the bare skin of my chest.
“It’s time I teach you a lesson, Alice.” Ricky grunts as he roughly palms my breast over the cup of my bra.
Bile rises in my throat.
There is pain.
So much pain.
My head tells me to keep fighting, yet my body is unwilling to move.
Rough fingers scratch at my flesh as Ricky grabs hold of the waistband of my leggings and yanks them over my hips. My lungs burn with each breath, and I feel myself slipping.
My thoughts drift to Sukie.
Oh, God. I don’t want my girl to find me like this.
That is my last thought before I’m thrust into darkness.
10
BAJA
There is a vehicle I don’t recognize parked close to the side of the house as I roll to a stop in Alice’s driveway and kill the engine.
Suddenly, a wave of unease washes over me, twisting in my gut.
Something feels…off.
I barely have my leg swinging over the bike’s seat before hearing a muffled crash, like glass breaking.
“Alice.” My chest constricts, and pressure builds inside me. I don’t think I just move, boots hammering against the gravel, closing in on the source of that damn noise. It’s pulling me in, a raw instinct taking over.
A nightmare is unfolding in front of my eyes as I round the corner of the house, and the greenhouse comes into view. Inside, I can see Alice on the ground with a man twice her size, pinning her to the floor.
Rage floods my veins as I sprint across the backyard, closing the distance and bursting through the opened door. The motherfucker doesn’t notice me until I’m grabbing him by the collar and wrenching him away from Alice. I throw him against the greenhouse wall, his impact shattering the panes of glass.
I drop to my knees next to Alice, who is unconscious. A heavy knot twists tight in my gut as I take in her battered, blood-soaked face and the torn remnants of her clothes. A fierce, primal rage erupts in my veins, sharper than anything I’ve ever known, as I turn my head and lock eyes on the bastard who did this.
