Chapter 2 2

Mara's pov

My stomach dropped, betrayal cutting like a knife.

Why?

I'd begged him to hide me, and he'd just given me away.

Ross's footsteps came closer, his voice low and dangerous. "Mara? Are you in there, sweetheart?"

The bathroom door flew open really fast and hit the wall hard. Ross looked right at me, and his eyes were full of angry fire.

His face was red and angry, he looked at me like I was trash. I wanted to run to the window, but he made me feel small and weak again.

"You stupid bitch," Ross said meanly, coming in and grabbing my hair. He pulled me hard, and my head hurt a lot. I stumbled, and the cold floor hurt my bare feet. "Think you can run?" he spat, his words like tight chains around me.

Ross threw me down on the rug, and my knees got blisters. "You had to run to another man?" he yelled.

He punched my shoulder hard, I curled up in a ball, putting my arms over my face.

Then he hit my ribs, and I couldn't breathe.

Luca's eyes got wide, and his chest went up and down real fast. His hands made fists but he didn't make a move, didn't expect him to after all he sold me out to Ross.

"You think you can run away, Mara? You're nothing without me." Then his voice got soft and sneaky, every word felt like a chain. "I gave you everything; clothes, a house, a life. You'd be a homeless person begging for food if it wasn't for me, and you know you have no one else. Your family? They're done with you. Your friends? They like me now. If you leave, you're nothing, and you'll come crawling back to me, begging me to help."

I bit my lip so hard it bled; my body shook right there. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

The words came out weak and sad.

My mom's voice yelled in my head: Say you're sorry. Be good.

I hated myself for saying it.

His words made me feel small and like I was the one who did something wrong.

"Sorry?" Ross laughed in a cold, mean way, then he punched my cheek hard. It hurt so much, and I saw stars. "You don't get to make me look like a fool. No way! You're going to walk down that aisle, Mara. I own you, I always will." He kicked my leg with his boot, and I flinched.

I felt more ashamed than hurt.

He was right-I had nowhere to go and no one who cared about me, but I wasn't nothing.

"Stop it!" Luca's voice said loud and angry, raw with shock. He stepped forward, his shoulders square, his eyes blazing. "What the heck, Ross? She's not your punching bag."

Ross turned around and looked at him in a mean way. 'Stay out of this, Luca. She's mine to deal with."

He kicked my side again.

I gasped and curled up tighter, my cheek was throbbing and blood dripped onto the rug.

Luca's betrayal mixed with the pain.

Now he wants to play hero? Too late.

But his voice came again, sharp and angry. "You're pathetic. Hitting a woman? That's not a man, that's a coward. Let her go you jerk."

Ross pounced, pushing Luca back, his face full of rage.

"You want her? She's damaged goods, a slut who will ruin you too."

He swung his fist at me, grazing my jaw, sending me falling, pain spreading through my head as I hit the ground.

"Enough!" Luca roared, tackling Ross and slamming him into the wall.

Bottles fell off the table and broke into pieces. Luca's fist hit Ross's jaw, and I heard a sharp crack.

Ross tried to hit back, but the stranger was faster, he held Ross down, his muscles looking strong under his shirt.

My body felt hot watching him, it was a mix of fear, anger and wanting him that I could not understand.

Luca kicked Ross hard in the side. "You don't put hands on a woman, that's the rule. Stay down, jerk."

Ross groaned and held his ribs; his face was twisted in pain, blood on his lips.

Luca turned to me, his eyes looked angry but also a little bit soft around the edges like he saw me, not just the broken bride.

"Get up, we're leaving."

I stood up slowly, my legs were shaky, and my cheek burned. "No," I said sharply, my voice was rough. "You told him I was here, why should I trust you?"

I snapped looking at Ross spitting blood on the carpet, and something inside me broke free.

I wasn't his, I wasn't anybody's.

He grabbed my wrist tightly and it sent a shock through me. "You want to stay with this douchebag?" he growled, looking right into my eyes. "He'll kill you if you don't leave."

I pulled my arm back, but he didn't let go as he pulled me toward the door. "Let me go," I whispered angrily.

My voice shook but he was stronger, pulling me into the hallway.

The air was cold, Ross's groans got quieter behind us.

My bare feet made slapping sounds on the stairs as we ran down a back way, his grip was steady.

At the bottom of the stairs, he pushed open a door to a narrow street behind the hotel.

The city lights were bright and harsh, he let go of my wrist, and I felt like I lost something as my skin went cold.

"Do you have anywhere else to go?" he asked.

I looked at him then looked straight ahead because I didn't have anywhere to go to, I was basically homeless and had nowhere to call home.

He leaned against a shiny black car; his breathing was so loud I could hear it. "Get in," he told me, opening the driver's side door.

I didn't move right away.

Why should I trust him?

Why should I go with him?

But Ross's words echoed in my head then I looked back at the hotel, then at the stranger.

He looked tense, and his eyes were locked on me like I was important.

I got into the car; the leather seats felt cool on my legs.

He slid in next to me, then started the car, the rumbling made me shake.

He drove away fast, and the city lights blurred.

My eyelids grew heavy as pain and adrenaline crashed, the world shifted as darkness crept in, and I slumped against the seat, his scent the last thing I felt before everything went black.