The Quarterback's Love Child (A Secret Baby Sports Romance Book 1) (9 page)

Chapter 3

Two hours later, I was regretting my decision. I wanted just to go home and put on some underwear. It was awkward as fuck being inches away from that kind of exposure. And no, you can’t buy me a drink, and no, I don’t want to dance, oh and if you don’t mind not sitting so close to me.

All of the guys felt like creeps, and I’d lost all interest in becoming a slut.

Brandy was kissing some guy, giving him tongue as they dirty danced to the electronic beat.

"Unce, unce, unce, unce," thumped the beat of the music, each new song exactly like the last.

I just sat at my table alone, wishing I’d never come. Every two seconds, I checked my phone, trying to tell myself that it was late enough, late enough to convince Brandy that we should leave.

Brandy didn’t look like a girl who wanted to go anywhere, so I made the decision to leave without her, if necessary. I was just about to figure out how to download that catch-a-ride app myself, and leave without her, when I saw something that made my heart leap in my throat.

Giles and a group of his friends had just wandered into the club. Some hot brunette, skinny as a rail, with perfect skin, was hanging on him like he was the pole and she was the exotic dancer. She reached her hand up to his face, and he bent down, rewarding her with his tongue.

I wanted to puke.

“Another drink?
”
a cocktail waitress asked as she appeared before me, blocking my view of him. I sat up in my seat and bent over to look around her just in time to see my stepbrother squeezing the slut’
s
tiny ass.

To hell with going home, I’d show him.

“Three tequila shots!
”
I said, and five minutes later, the waitress returned and lined them up in front of me.

I took the first one and downed it. It burned and made me shiver. I liked it.

“Whoa!
”
I announced to no one in particular, then repeated the process.

I was reaching for the other one, when a hand pressed on my wrist, pushing it away from my next drink.

“Cherise, what the hell are you doing?
”
Giles asked.

I jerked my arm away from him, grabbed the drink and downed it before he could stop me.

“What does it look like I’m doing, hot stuff?" I retorted, glaring up at him defiantly. "I’m getting drunk!”

Then I shimmied out of the booth and stormed away from Giles.

“Wait,
”
he called out, coming after me.

I kept moving away from him.

“Cherise, wait!
”
he cried out. He wanted me to wait? Well, it was too late. Too late!

I turned towards him. Hot tears filled my eyes. I didn’t want to tell him how I felt about him. Not here. So I lied.

“Leave me alone. I never want to see you again! I hate you!"

I was shocked at the words that came out of my mouth. But, I could see that my words had hit Giles even harder. He was standing there, frozen in place, the multicolored strobe lights flashing all around him. Bodies gyrated into him, and he didn't move. He just looked at me for a moment like I'd tortured and killed his dog. Then his shoulders slumped, and I saw sadness and hurt, sorrow and pain, and insecurity. I’d never seen him like that. His cocky smartass demeanor was cracking like chocolate dip on an ice cream cone.

I couldn’t look at those eyes anymore. I felt guilty for hurting him, but it was true. I did hate him. He’d never cared about me, so why should I care about him?

I turned my back on him and lost myself in the crowd. I’d come here to start my career as a slut, so it was high time to implement that plan. The alcohol was having its effect on me, but I'd need more. I'd need a lot more if I was going to follow through with my plan to find solace in the arms of another.

I went to the bar and ordered three more shots. I downed them in quick succession, then turned around to scan the room for someone to go home with.

I didn't have to look very hard.

Chapter 4

“Hey, how are you?
”
I turned. A guy stood there, yelling. Yelling was the only way to be potentially heard in a club like this, even at close quarters. I turned and looked up at a big man, had to be at least twenty-five, but he wasn't unattractive.

“Hi,
”
I said back at him, smiling my sexiest smile. I had to start somewhere. I hoped that Giles was watching; I turned around a bit to try and see and felt a little dizzy. I'd keep my head pointing straight for now. I moved my body to face my admirer, and gave him the fish eye. I looked up at him, then lifted my hand to jab my index finger against his chest.

"You’re kinda cute,
”
I said, my words coming out rather soggily. “You wanna fuck?
”
I asked, getting straight to the point.

“Uh, ah, well, yeah, sure,
”
the man said, his eyes lighting up with delight and surprise. “But can I buy you a drink first, and maybe get your name?”

“Yes, and yes!
”
I replied. Another drink sounded good. My face was flushing with embarrassment from my forward pronouncement, but the guy didn’t seem embarrassed at all. Just interested in directing the production.

“Let’s dance,
”
he said, pulling me off of my bar stool and holding my arm, guiding me towards the dance floor.

What happened to the drink idea?

What about finding out my name?

When we reached the dance floor, I stopped to start, well, dancing, but he grabbed my arm, saying “not here.
”
He guided me to the other end of the dance floor to a door that led out into an outdoor patio. Several people were outside, smoking, but one end of the patio was empty, save for round tables. Except for a glow from street lights, the patio was shrouded in darkness.

“Where are we going?
”
I asked, suddenly feeling afraid. I tried to pull out of his grasp.

“You said you wanted to fuck, well, I’m taking care of that for you,
”
he said, leering at me. Then he nodded towards the darkest part of the patio. I could see the vague outline of dumpsters and detritus silhouetted in the dark. My fear turned to panic. I dug in my heels to stop allowing him to guide me forward. He yanked on my arm and squeezed it harder. “What’s the problem little lady, changed your mind? Don’t want to fuck me anymore?”

“Stop it, you’re hurting me,
”
I said, as he squeezed my arm so hard I could feel bruises forming. He was a strong man who wanted me to know he could overpower me.

Oh shit, oh shit, my mind reeled. He was going to rape me.

“Help!
”
I started to yell, but he pulled me to him and bit down my cry for help with his mouth. His lips and tongue forced themselves inside me, hurting me with the force. There was nothing arousing about it. This man intended to rape me. But I’d asked for it.

Holy shit. Holy shit.

I gritted my teeth and tried to keep my lips shut against his onslaught, and then I felt his hands gripping my ass. A moment later, my short dress was lifted and he released my mouth long enough to let out a yell of triumph.

“You are a little slut,
”
he announced viciously, as his hands groped me about my sex.

“Stop it, help!
”
I tried to yell for help again, but that pissed him off. "Ah!" I yelped in pain as he back-handed me across my face, and the force of it sent me sprawling onto my ass.

He hauled me up by my arms, squeezing them so tight I wanted to cry.

“Shut up you stupid bitch, or I’ll hit you again,
”
he hissed as he shook me.

My face was burning from where he’d hit me, and I could taste blood on my lips, and salt from my tears. The man had total power over me. He scared me shitless. I couldn't see anything more than his threatening presence. He dragged me around the corner, and then it was too dark to see anything. I wanted to scream, but if he hit me again like that... I was terrified, helpless, tears gushing out of my eyes.

He pushed me onto the floor.

No, I couldn't just accept this.

I tried to scramble to get to my feet and run away, but he shoved me down again and kicked me hard in the boob.

"Ouch!" I groaned curling up in a ball. That hurt like a motherfucker!

"I told you to stop fighting me, you stupid cunt," he hissed angrily. "I’ll teach you to be a tease with me, you filthy whore! You try to make one more sound, or try and fight me again, and I swear I’ll kill you!”

I didn’t doubt him. Not for a second.

“I'll snap your neck and then I’ll fuck you,
”
he continued, warming to his subject. I could see from the flash of white in the almost total darkness. He was smiling. He was enjoying this.

Snot mixed with my tears and dripped into my mouth. I tried to wipe away the snot, but just smeared around the blood. He’d split my lower lip and it throbbed with pain as blood continued to gush out of it.

The man suddenly laughed, a shrill insane sound that made my blood run cold. Terror gripped me like a vice, and I couldn’t move a muscle.

“Either way you look at it sweetheart,
”
he giggled, enjoying the mirth of the situation, “I’m going to fuck you. Dead, alive, doesn’t matter to me.
”
I felt bile rise in my throat.

“But,
”
he said, as his tone became more serious, “If staying alive matters to you, then don’t make a sound, and don’t struggle. Do you understand, whore?
”

I forced myself to nod.

“Answer me!
”
he barked and my whole body jerked. “Do you understand me?”

“Yes,
”
I croaked out, as tears flooded out of me.

I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to get raped, either, but better raped then dead.

“Good,
”
he grunted and then he was moving towards me, hands reaching for my tits. It took an extreme act of will to stay put, to not back away from him. I could smell his sweat, and his vile breath, and the stench of his power of me. I hated him. I girded myself. In a moment, he’d be inside of me, forcing himself on me, hurting me, violating me, ruining my life.

No, no, I’d survive this. I told myself. I had to. I prayed to a God I barely understood to let the nightmare end quickly, to not hurt too much, to not let him kill me.

I heard the snap of his trousers and the sound of his zipper coming down. I heard myself whimper.

“I told you to shut up!
”
he roared. I squeezed my eyes shut and threw my hands up to protect my face from another strike.

But, instead of feeling the impact of his rough hand against my face, I heard a surprised grunt and opened my eyes in time to see a dark figure slamming against my assailant. The two men went flying to the ground, then started pounding on each other. I couldn’t see who was who, but one of the men got heaved into the dumpster, and crumpled to the floor.

“Run!" Bellowed the man who was still standing. I knew that voice. Giles!

“Get up, Cherise, get out of here!
”
Giles shouted again.

I knew I should get up and run, but I was still too afraid. I was still frozen to my spot on the ground. Still afraid to move. Still afraid to die.

In the dim light, I could see Giles moving towards me. He wanted to help me to my feet, help me get away. His back was turned on the man at the dumpster, so he couldn’t see the dark shadow getting up, he couldn’t the glint of steel.

But, I did.

Suddenly, I was on my feet, racing towards the man sneaking up on my stepbrother. “No!
”
I screamed as I flew through the air towards the man with the knife, hurtling my body like a soccer goalie, determined to keep the other side from scoring.

I only had one coherent thought. No one hurts the man I love, no one!

Giles realized what was happening and tried to get to the guy first, but it was too late. I screamed as I felt the sharp blade tearing into my flesh and I crumpled to the ground. If the knife was in my body, then that meant it missed Giles, and that was all that mattered. With a shaking hand I found the hilt of the knife, lodged into my shoulder. With another gasp of pain, I pulled the blade free. I was in agony, but I was satisfied. I hadn’t allowed my stepbrother to get stabbed in the back.

“You bastard!
”
I heard Giles roar as he realized what had happened. We’d moved out of the shadows and I could make out more details. I looked up in time to see Giles spin his body and deliver a brutal kick hard against the bastard’s face. There was a gratifying crack of bones cracking, as Giles’ foot broke his nose. The wimp cried out in pain, and grabbed at his nose, but not before I felt a cloudburst of warm blood rain all around me.

But breaking his nose didn’t stop the crazed psychopath. If anything, he was just madder. It was like trying to stop a bear with a BB gun.

“I’m going to kill you!
”
The man ran towards Giles, shoulders down, like a bull charging a bullfighter, arms out like he was tackling the quarterback.

I wanted to help Giles, but I was too weak. I was losing too much blood. I felt like I was swimming in a thick black fog. Using his lacrosse attack skills, he dodged the man, spinning around him, then executed another spinning kick, this time delivering the blow to the back of the man’s knees. The man’s legs collapsed and, as he fell forward, his head hit the edge of the wooden table, and I heard another sickening crunch.

This time his body slumped to the ground and he didn’t move. I hoped the bastard was unconscious, although dead would be fine too. I couldn’t put much energy into worrying about it. Giles was okay. I needed to close my eyes and lie down. I needed to take a nap.

“Cherise, oh my God, Cherise,
”
Giles said running over to me. He pulled me off the ground. I winced when his hand touched near my injured shoulder. “Oh my God, you’re bleeding,
”
he said, then continued to help me up, pulling me against him for support, taking care not to touch my injured shoulder. I leaned against him, sobbing, I felt lightheaded, going into shock. I could feel myself sliding into unconsciousness. Giles grabbed me in time. Then I felt his hand pull back in surprise as it made contact with my bare ass. I looked up at him, my eyes accustomed to the dim light, and I saw shock register on his face. Then I saw the regret in his eyes.

“I’m so sorry, I let this happen to you, I’m so sorry,
”
he whispered painfully into my hair, his wet tears puddling against my scalp. I turned my head toward the sounds of voices nearby. We were not alone anymore. Several people had entered the patio area, milling about, talking amongst themselves, speculating on what was going on outside in the patio while the party raged on inside the club.

Giles saw that I was looking elsewhere; he turned to the people.

“Get an ambulance, call 9-1-1,
”
he roared, shocked at the apparent indifference of these clueless bystanders. He waited until someone grabbed their phone, then he made an effort to pull my dress down as far as it could go to protect my privacy.

He turned back, and instead of making the call, the guy appeared to be filming the incident.

"You fucking bastard," Giles roared and grabbed the phone out of the guy’s hand and threw it over the fence out onto the road. Then he reached into his pocket and used his phone to call for help.

The guy who'd just lost his phone borrowed his friend’s phone as he complained about Giles' actions. He appeared to be making a call. Great - I thought, call the cops ‘cause someone destroys your iPhone but take a video of the girl bleeding to death? Suddenly, I became aware of the fact that I was losing a lot of blood. I could feel blood pumping out of my arm, to the rhythm of the electronic beat on the other side of the wall. I felt dizzy. Giles was holding me, supporting me against him, but someone finally gave a shit and brought over a chair. Giles helped me into it, and we waited for the ambulance.

But I was too tired to stay awake.

"Giles," I said, trying to get his attention.

"What, Cherise? What is it?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"I love you,
”
I croaked weakly, trying to smile, but not quite managing it. And then my eyelids shuttered closed and I knew no more.

The next thing I remember was laying on a stretcher in an ambulance, a thin sheet covering my body, my stepbrother Giles near the foot of the bed, and two medical techs hovering over me. I lifted my head to make sure my dress wasn’t riding up. I couldn’t see the yellow dress, just a white sheet. A white sheet covered in blood.