Page 76 of The Bodyguard
“Help me!” I screamed, not having any sense of where we were. But as I was running I could see there was nothing around us. Just this narrow road and the flat Texas earth. I pushed myself harder and resisted every urge to turn around and see if he was following me, knowing that it would cost me time.
Only without shoes and running in this stupid dress, I could hear him catching up to me and then his arms were reaching for me. At least this time I could fight. I used the shoe I hadn’t realized I still had clutched in my hand and tried to stab at his face with the heel.
“Fuck, Sabrina, stop. Don’t do this! I love you! Aren’t you listening to me? I LOVE YOU!”
I didn’t listen to him. I wouldn’t listen to him. I broke away and started running again, but this time he tackled me to the ground. He was trying to get on top of me and somehow I knew that if I let him, it would be over. He would rape me and I didn’t think I could survive that.
I pushed at his face, and there was spit coming out of his mouth as he shouted at me to stop fighting him. But I didn’t and I wouldn’t. He was pushing his legs between mine. I heard the dress rip up the seam. I tried to scream again, but he covered my mouth and nose with his hand.
“Stop fighting me!”
I would soon if he didn’t take his hand away because I couldn’t breath now. I could see dark spots in front of my eyes.
And then, suddenly, his weight was being lifted from me. I didn’t know if he was getting up to undo his pants. I only knew I could breath again. Immediately I scrambled away from him, thinking I could run again. And that’s when I saw him.
Garrett.
He had grabbed Danny by his shirt. He turned him and I watched as Garrett raised his fist and brought it smashing down into Danny’s face. Once, twice and again until Danny collapsed at his feet.
I don’t know why. It was like I couldn’t think straight about anything. But seeing Garrett there, knowing what almost happened, I started to run again. I ran hard and fast. I didn’t even know what I was running from or where I was running to, I only knew I needed to run. Because that was the only way I could stop thinking and I didn’t want to think about any of this.
But just like last time, I wasn’t fast enough. Garrett had his arms around me and was picking me up. I struggled and fought him, too, but he was too damn strong.
“Sabrina, listen to me.”
“No! I will never listen to you again. Put me down! I hate you! I hate you!”
“Sabrina! Stop it. Stop it now!”
It kind of sucked that I was such a pushover for this man, because when he raised his voice at me I was helpless to resist him. I stopped struggling, but he wouldn’t put me down. Just held me against his chest with his arms. Like I was some toy doll of his.
“Now listen to me. I have to take Danny into town so I can book him properly. You are going to sit quietly in my truck while I do that. Then I will take you back to The King’s Land and we will talk. Do you understand me?”
I understood he needed to arrest Danny. I understood I needed a ride back to the ranch.
“Where are we?” I asked. My voice was hoarse from shouting.
“We’re on the access road behind your property.”
“You can take me to the ranch, then. Drop me off first and then do whatever you need to do.”
He hesitated and I knew it was because I’d made sense. “I need you to make a statement.”
“That doesn’t have to be tonight. I’m the victim of a crime. I assume there would be some consideration for that. Sheriff?”
I was right again. And that meant I would only have to spend the time it took for him to drive me back to the ranch with him. Which was already too long.
He set me on the ground, but only so he could pick me up again in his arms.
“Put me down,” I said tightly.
“Not until I see what you did to your feet,” he said back, just as tightly. He eased me into the passenger seat of his truck and lifted my foot. He sucked in some air through his teeth and I could feel from the wetness coating them that my soles must be bleeding.
He pulled off his T-shirt and I forced myself to look away. I didn’t want to see his chest. I didn’t want to be reminded of the week when I had been able to touch it and kiss it and snuggle up against it.
Gently he used it to clean the bottom of my feet, then he wrapped the shirt around my right foot, which must have been in the worst shape. Then he tucked me into the car, pulled the seatbelt across me, and buckled me in like I was some kind of child. Once the buckle was in place he lowered his head and took in a deep breath. I had this instinctive urge to run my fingers through his hair and tell him that it was going to be okay.
That I was okay.
