Vicious Little Darling (Love So Cruel #3)

18. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

EMBER

D on’t let him get to you. Don’t let him in.

But even as I chant the mantra in my head, my body disagrees with me. His cock is buried inside me, hitting a spot so deep it sends waves of pleasure I never knew existed. He grinds his body into mine, and I breathe in his masculine cologne. There’s something familiar about it—but I can’t place it.

I hate that I’m so fucking turned on.

I open my mouth to protest, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I can’t bring myself to say anything at all to him. Arousal floods my mind, a lustful haze encompassing my consciousness. I tip my head back as Skull-face buries his face in the nape of my neck, taking long deep breaths, as if he’s struggling with the same feelings as me.

An orgasm looms over me, as with one more thrust, I come, crying out in pure fucking ecstasy. It’s everything I never wanted tonight from him, and as my eyes shut, Xander flashes in front of my eyes. For some reason, that draws it out longer, imagining him between my legs.

Maybe I’m not as fucked up as I thought.

But as my eyes flutter open, I suddenly can’t fucking breathe. I gasp for air, but something is blocking the oxygen from reaching my lungs. Oh my fucking God. What’s going on? My vision begins to blur, my hands flying up to a heavy pressure clamped around my neck.

It’s his hands.

“Wh-what are you…” I can’t get the words out, my eyes wide at the mask peering down at me. I feel his cock pulsing inside of me, his cum filling me.

Maybe he’ll stop once he comes… But I know it’s a pipe dream. I don’t know why I’m surprised. This is what sadistic fucks do. They kill you. Tears slip down my cheeks, as I conjure up the courage to fucking fight.

If I can make it through this, this fuck is never getting back in here.

I drive a knee upward, hitting his rock-hard lower stomach, and he jolts, but then laughs.

“You’re nothing for me, Little Flame.” He squeezes tighter, and I throw an arm out, knocking over the busted frame. It splinters even further, a shard of glass cutting my hand. I would cry out, but I can’t.

Because I can’t breathe.

My arms weaken as my vision slips into darkness, my hand lying atop the shattered glass on the nightstand. I’m dying. I’m really fucking dying. My lashes flutter, pain now searing around my throat. It feels like my skin is on fire. However, the burn is just enough to wake rile my senses.

With one last burst of a renewed will to survive, I wrap my fingers around a shard of glass from the frame, my hand numb to the way it slices my palm. With all my fucking force, I sling my arm right into Skull-face’s side. Much to my surprise, my shank lands on his lower side, where his hoodie has ridden up.

And I fucking bury it in him.

He lets out a howl, so deep and disturbing that it seems to rattle the walls. His grip loosens, and I suck in a lungful of oxygen, igniting my adrenaline. I fly into motion, rolling out from under him, and grabbing my T-shirt.

“You fucking cunt, ” he shouts, leaning over and grabbing his side. I don’t give him any time to react, before I race from the bedroom. I reach the exit before he can even clamber off the bed. I use my good hand to unlock the door and, within seconds, I’m in the hallway. I run straight for Rose’s door, and beat my fists on it.

Luckily for me, it swings open within seconds.

“What the—”

I nearly run her over as I shove past her.

“Just lock the fucking door,” I rasp, my throat on fire from fear and dread. It hasn’t even really registered with me that I’m naked, but Rose’s wide-eyed gaze is a quick reminder.

“I’m so sorry,” I mumble under my breath, beginning to shiver and shake. I glance back at the door, expecting him to come back for me, finishing both of us off.

She’s already dictating the address into the phone to someone who I presume is a 9-1-1 operator. I glance down at my hand and see that blood is rolling down my arm and dripping onto the floor. A few splashes land on the top of my foot, a stark contrast to the paleness of my skin.

What the fuck happened tonight?

I can hardly comprehend what Skull-face tried to do, with me being so fucking turned on the entire time. I can still feel him there as I force myself to pull on my T-shirt, relieved that it covers my ass fully.

“The police are on their way,” Rose says, setting the phone down on the kitchen counter. Her apartment mirrors mine, although hers is more completely furnished and smells of musty lavender.

“I take it you had a date go horribly wrong.” The judgment in her gaze is unsettling—as if it’s all my fault.

But maybe it is?

“It was something like that…” I can’t find the words, unsure of how she’d take me mostly willfully fucking my stalker—until he started trying to strangle me. Why do I feel sharp pangs of pain knowing that he tried to hurt me? Well. He didn’t just want to hurt me. He wanted to kill me. The ache I feel shatters my soul into thousands of pieces, and I shut my eyes as my head grows light. I'm so pathetic…

“It’s okay,” Rose finally lets out a sigh. “Let’s just get you set down, so I can start working on that hand.”

She pulls out a rickety kitchen chair, and guides me to it, forcing me to sit down. “I’m sure the guy is long gone now. Hopefully, you know his name.”

I blink a couple of times, and then shake my head. “I don’t know him at all. I’m being stalked.” I don’t know why I give her that information, after already reminding myself that she—nor the police—are going to buy any bit of my story.

“Hmm,” she hums, staring down at my hand. “Wouldn’t happen to be that creep I saw hanging around outside the apartments the other night, would it?”

Relief fills my chest. “It might be. I noticed that my apartment had been broken into, but… I don’t know.” I avoid telling the whole truth and tell myself I’ll do the same with the cops.

“They’ll want to do a rape kit,” Rose says. The r- word jolts my senses.

I wasn’t raped though… Or was I? Fuck, my head is a wreck. I feel lost in the moment, and out of pure desperation, I get to my feet. “I need to get my phone.”

“No, you can wait on the cops.”

“ No, I need to call someone now.” I stand up, and push past her, slinging the door open. My heart thumps in my chest as I make my way down the hallway to my own apartment. The door is wide open.

Rose curses under her breath as she stumbles after me, but I ignore her and step inside, trying to ignore the way it makes my stomach do somersaults. I go to my bedroom, half expecting him to come out of nowhere. It’s stupid to be back in here without the cops, but the cool breeze coming from the open window helps me relax a little more.

I pick up my cellphone, and hurry back out to where Rose is standing in the entryway.

“Sorry, I just… I really need to call someone.”

“Uh huh,” Rose mutters, shaking her head and leading me by the elbow back to her apartment. “If you’re gonna live in this big city, you’re gonna have to have more sense about you.”

I grit my teeth as her comment adds insult to injury. I know I’ve been stupid, and that exact thought is the reason I cancel the call to Josh. He’ll force me to stay with him. I need someone else… Megan? I check the time, shaking my head. Embarrassment floods my system. Is there anyone I can call? I swallow hard as I scroll to Xander’s contact, sent to me in an email from Josh, which contained all employees’ numbers.

Can I trust him with this information? It feels stupid. But again... I don’t want Josh to have some sort of reason to be any more protective and controlling than normal. I hit the call button and put the phone to my ear.

On the third ring, it connects.

“Hello?” Xander’s voice comes over the line, sounding groggy and out of focus. I open my mouth to say something, realizing how well we don’t know each other. I suddenly feel like I’m going to be a nuisance. “Ember?” My own name jolts me. “Hello?”

“Um, sorry,” I mutter. “It was an accident… I didn’t mean to call… I… Um…” My face floods with heat.

“Is everything okay?” he immediately asks, concern tinged in his groggy tone. “You sound shaken up.”

“Something… Um… Something happened.”

“Do I need to come get you?” His voice sounds much clearer, as if he’s waking up more and more.

I hesitate, eyeing Rose, who seems completely unenthused. “Um, the police will be here soon…”

“The police?” He sounds shocked. “What the hell happened, Ember? Are you okay? What do you need from me?”

“I don’t know,” I breathe out. “I’m so sorry for calling. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ll see you at work—”

“No, just tell me what you need, and I’ll be there. I promise.” His tone is so calming and comforting, smoothing out my frayed nerves.

“I don’t know, I have to see what the cops want to do…” My voice trails off just as a loud knock resounds on Rose’s door. “I have to go. I’m sorry.” I hang up immediately and set my phone down on the table.

“Get ready for a worthless shit show,” Rose warns me in a low tone as she goes to the door, frowning just before swinging it open and pasting a smile on. “Good evening, officers.” She gestures for them to come in. There are two of them.

“We already checked out the apartment number you called in, and it seems like there was a struggle. Perp isn’t there,” says the tallest and oldest-looking one. He looks like he’s straight out of a movie and his expression isn’t the least bit welcoming as he turns to me.

“What happened?”

I stumble over my words then, doing my best to tell the tale in the most truthful way, while also leaving out the fact that I started out as a willingly participant. However, the longer they listen, the more I feel like a liar—the more I feel like I am the one to blame for everything that happened.

“You have a nasty cut on your hand,” he points out. “You stabbed him, yeah?”

I stare down at the cut. “Yeah.”

“I think we need to take you to a hospital,” he replies. “They’ll also want to do a kit on you as well. There’s always a whole damn list of offenders walking the streets. Never know which one it might be.”

I grimace, hating the idea of going, but… I also know I want this to stop before I end up on the other side.

“Okay. I’ll go,” I agree finally.