Page 85 of Broken By Silence
I claw at his hand, choking, every nerve on fire. His weight pins me, crushing my chest. The world narrows… blurred light, the taste of blood, his voice dripping venom.
How many girls don’t get up?
I slam my palm into his throat. His choke loosens for half a second… just enough. I twist my hips, roll us. His knee slips. I slam myelbow into his temple, again and again, until his grip breaks completely.
I scramble to my feet, shaking, vision spinning. He reaches for me one last time, but I grab the pepper spray from my bag and blast him in the face.
He screams.
That’s my cue.
I run.
My breath burnsmy lungs as I sprint across campus, dodging startled students. My arm throbs, my ribs ache, and my throat feels like it’s going to close, but I don’t stop until I reach the admin building. I slam through the front doors and stumble down the hall, nearly colliding with Will’s secretary.
“Lottie?” she stammers, eyes wide. “What?—?”
“Will—” I choke out. “Where is he?”
She points down the hall, and I’m already moving, half limping, half running.
His office door is open.
Will is inside, standing by his desk, reading something on his laptop. He looks up when he hears me, and freezes. “Lottie?” His voice shifts from confusion to alarm in seconds. “What happened?”
I open my mouth, but the words won’t come. My knees buckle. He catches me before I hit the ground. His hands are steady, anchoring. “Hey, hey… look at me.” His voice drops, calm but fierce. “Are you hurt? Who did this?”
My throat works uselessly. My breath stutters. I can’t talk. My throat aches too much.“Lorenzo,”I use my hands, signing slowly.“He’s found me.”
Will goes still. For a moment, the whole world holds its breath. Then his eyes harden. He pulls me up, settling me in the chair by his desk, his hands on my shoulders, checking me over. “Did he touch you?” he asks quietly.
I nod, trembling.“But I fought him off.”
Something like pride flickers behind his fury, but it’s fleeting. He exhales sharply, muttering something under his breath, and picks up the phone. “Stay here.” He dials, voice low but lethal. “Get eyes on Lorenzo Valen. Now. Campus perimeter, parking lot, west exit—anyone matching his description, you stop him.” He pauses. “No. Youdetainhim.”
He hangs up, then kneels in front of me. His hands cup my jaw, gentle now. “You’re safe,” he says, steady and sure. “You did good, kid.”
I swallow, tears burning.“He called me Little Bird.”
Will’s jaw tightens. His thumb brushes a smear of blood from my lip. “He won’t call you anything again. I’ll make sure of it.”
The words land heavy, not as a promise of vengeance, but of safety. For the first time since I ran, I let myself breathe.
He stands, grabs his phone again. “Archer,” he says as soon as the line picks up. “Get to campus. Now. It’s Lottie.”
I can hear Archer’s voice faintly through the receiver—sharp, panicked.
“She’s alive,” Will says. “She’s safe. But she was attacked. Lorenzo.” A pause. “Yeah. Bring the others.”
He hangs up, turns back to me. “They’ll be here soon. You need a medic?”
I shake my head.“No. My throat hurts. Maybe a sprain and some bruises.”
He nods once, then sits on the edge of his desk, arms folded, staring at the floor. For a long moment, he doesn’t speak. The silence hums with restrained violence. Finally, he says, “You shouldn’t have been alone.”
“I know.”
“And I know you needed to be. You’re not a child, but if that bastard’s willing to come here, it means he’s desperate. Dangerous men get sloppy when they lose control.”
