Page 2 of Sweet Temptation (Men of Honor 2)
He begins pounding me with fast fists, hitting me in the stomach, arms, face, anything he can reach, and then suddenly stops.
“Uhhh,” I groan in pain, trying to remain conscious. Big, rough hands grab the V- neck of my shirt and rip it open, exposing my white lace bra. He gropes my breasts painfully and grinds his erection against me.
I start to snap out of my painful haze when he fumbles with my spandex cheer shorts, trying to pull them down. I buck, attempting to fight him off, but have little success.
“Stay still bitch; this will be over quickly.”
When I don’t submit to his command, he backhands me again. The painful force makes my ears ring and has my head snapping to the left. It’s then I see my pink baseball bat from Little League lying under my bed. He doesn’t notice me reach for it, since he’s too busy tryin’ to force my clothes off. As soon as I’m able to grasp it, I firmly wrap my hand around the rubber grip, and drag it out from under my bed. Bringing it up, I swing with every bit of strength I have left and make solid contact against the side of his head.
Grunting, he falls to the side. Quickly getting to my feet I swing again, bringing the steel against his back.
“Shit, Emilio, man, we need to get the fuck out of here. Cops are coming, I can hear the sirens.” The other guy rushes into my room with a bloody knife and sees his friend on the ground, struggling from my blow. “You stupid fucking whore,” he screams while charging at me. Before I can swing the bat at him, he punches me in the side of the head. I catch sight of a tattoo on the inside of his wrist before the force of his blow sends me flying into the wall.
He stares at me in rage as I struggle for breath. I can tell he wants to finish what he’s started but knows he doesn’t have time. Turning around, he quickly helps his friend to his feet. “Come on, man, pull it together. We have to get the fuck out of here.” They quickly stumble out the door, Emilio practically being carried by his friend.
As soon as I hear them land at the bottom of the stairs, I manage to pull myself up, on shaking legs, and race to my mom’s room as quickly as my beaten and broken body will allow me. My vision is blurred from the blows to my head, and the tears that cloud my eyes.
I falter as soon as I enter my mother’s room. My heart shatters and bile fills my throat when I see her lying naked on the floor in a pool of her own blood.
“MAMA? Oh god, oh no!” Racing to her side, I slip in all the blood, landing on my knees. I reach down and cradle my mother’s lifeless body to my chest.
“It’s okay, Mama, just hang on, help is on the way.” I sob hysterically. My tears fall into her beautiful golden hair that’s now stained red from blood. Even though I plead with her to hang on, and tell her that everything is going to be okay, I know it isn’t. Deep down I know she is dead, but my heart refuses to believe it.
“Oh God, Mama, I’m so sorry, so sorry. I love you so much.” Leaning down, I kiss her bloodstained forehead and bury my face into her hair while I rock her. Seconds later, chaos erupts around me.
At seventeen years old I had managed to live through what was the worst day of my life. One would think this is where my torment ends, but it doesn’t, because I was then sent to live with him… the devil himself.
Three Years Later…
“Order up!” My tired aching feet scream at me as I rush over to grab the two hot plates filled with burgers and fries.
Lord, it’s only lunch and my feet are already givin’ up on me. Probably doesn’t help that I worked a twelve hour shift yesterday.
“How are you doing out there, darlin’?” Mac asks, as he flips burgers.
I give my boss a bright smile, “You know me, I’m doin’ great. No problems here.”
He grunts, “Yeah I do know you, and if you weren’t okay you still wouldn’t tell me. I’m scared that one day I’m going to look out there,” he points his massive flipper to the diner behind me, “and find you passed out, sleeping on my damn floor.”
“Now, Mac, I barely get any sleep in my own bed, there’s no way your floor is gonna cut it for me,” I tease.
He grunts again and shakes his head. I take that as my cue and walk away to deliver the waiting couple their meals. I know Mac is worried about me, with how much I’ve been workin’. But he needs the help, and I need the money. So it’s a win-win situation for us both. Even though this is definitely not my dream job, I am lucky to have it, and to have met Mac. The big, rough-looking man with dark hair, brown eyes and a bunch of tattoos, is nothing more than a giant teddy bear. I’m grateful for everything he has done for me.
After I deliver the couple their meals, I walk to a few other tables and refill their drinks. Out of the corner of my eye I see two people walk in and take a seat at the back.
My heart skips a beat and awareness strikes deep inside of me. The room suddenly feels smaller and the air becomes hotter. I already know who it is before I look over… Sawyer.
Damn! Why does the arrogant, sexy son of a gun have to come in here and eat all the time? Why can’t he go somewhere else? Feelin’ frustrated at myself for caring, I pull it together, and try not to look directly at him; otherwise I will only make a fool out of myself for the deep blush that will take over my face. As I make my way over to their table I look only at Cade. Not that he isn’t sexy too, because boy is he ever, but he’s also darn scary. He also doesn’t make my heart pound, like it wants to fly out of my chest, the way Sawyer does.
