Chapter 36


    Would he follow me? Is he going to hurt me?


    “What could my mother have to say to you after all this time?” I spit, edging toward the door slowly, but


    keeping my gaze firmly on him as I near him. Untrusting. He smirks and, in that look, a light switch


    goes on in my head.


    Surely not? She wouldn’t do this to me, even the way she is, she wouldn’t take back Ray after what he


    did to me and have a rtionship with him again, would she?


    The confusion, anger, and panic whizzes through my head at a hundred miles an hour; obvious he


    sees the realization dawn on my face and grins in that lop-sided sneer he has. He’s the one she’s been


    with, the one who beat her to a pulp. It shes like a spark in my head pushing all rational and logical


    behaviorpletely out of sight.


    “You bastard!” I scream and lunge without thought, fueled by hatred. My nails and keys slicing at his


    face as I attempt to kick at him. He’s surprised by my fierce, impulsive attack, caught off guard and tries


    to shield his face as I rain my fists on his head. It’s a stupid insane move. His rage ignites, grabbing my


    wrists and thrusts me hard against the wall, knocking the breath out of me. He spins me and shoves


    me roughly into the cold concrete wall with enough force to almost break ribs and I gasp for air,


    adrenaline spiking with ferocity. Memories of his attack so many years ago sh through my mind and I


    fight back with all my might. Pure instinct of survival. Pushing myself back hard, using hands and knees


    so I collide with him. I elbow and stamp as he tries to encircle me, teen Emma in full rage and fight


    mode.


    I started this and I know I have no one to save me this time; he’s twice the size of me, multiple times


    my strength. I’m no match. He lifts me off my feet, squeezing around my pinned body with his huge


    arms so that I can’t breathe, and I begin to gasp. I can’t move. Nausea rises with the cknessing


    in around me, terrified I’ll pass out. I know what he’ll do to me if I do. I struggle to pull air into my lungs


    and focus on staying conscious, my voice lost in an effort to breathe.


    Then without warning, with a violent thud, he drops me on the ground in a heap and cackles as I


    crumble into lifeless submission. He kicks me with the tip of his boot, so I fall forward into a slump and


    walks offughing, amused at his conquest. Leaving me broken, devastated and huddled like a child.


    I break down and cry, crumpled on the ground. He’s achieved the humiliation he desired, satisfied with


    his little power trip and exertion over me. Showing me who is still boss while he goes on his way, giving


    himself a high five and I want to die. I want the ground to open up and swallow me whole.


    I crawl to my feet, falling against the front door weakly, sobs racking my body painfully as I pull myself


    up to rest against it and drag air into my bruised lungs. My forehead falling against the chipped surface


    as I try wildly to ground myself and bring some sense of calm back to my despair. Shame descends


    over me at my own defeat, my own stupidity. My fingers and hands sy across the door, trying to


    keep my body from self-imploding while shaking violently. I stand in the shadows gulping down air


    frantically.


    “Emma?” Jake’s voice is suddenly behind me then he’s around me, hauling me into the warm


    protective circle of his arms. A crazy surreal instance. His heady scent and warm body enveloping me


    into safety. It’s like being lifted into a bubble of protection, a homeing and all I can do is submit.


    Why is he here? Is this real? Where did hee from?


    Oh, my God. Jake … My perfect Jake!


    I don’t care right now, I just feel like I’ve been pulled into the warmth of my life, to beforted and


    protected. I love that he’s around me, I need him around me. Pulling me back from devastation.


    Concealing me from the world.


    Maybe I’m dreaming. I hope I’m not. I need him so badly right now.


    “Bambino! What’s happened? Is it your mother?” His husky smooth voice in my hair by my ear, his


    warm breath on my cheek bringing back the calm and sense to my inner world. My sobbing calming at


    the feel of him. He’ll always be my life buoy, my lighthouse in the dark.


    I shake my head, allowing my arms to creep around his waist and hold onto him tightly, clinging to the


    familiarity of his body and skin against me. I need him more than I need air right now.


    He came, he’s here, he ignored me telling him not toe … “Give Me A Reason”. It was about why


    he shouldn’te.


    It doesn’t even surprise me as Jake never follows the rules. I can’t even be angry with him, because


    he’s everything I want and need to pull me back from the darkness that almost consumed me moments


    before.


    “Talk to me, Emma … You’re scaring me.” His voice is raspy, wavering and I lift my wet face and


    swallow down my emotion. The genuine concern in his eyes, looking at me in a way I’ve never had


    anyone look at me. He has no idea how he makes me feel, no idea how much he has changed every


    part of me and my world. That I need him, I need his security, his calm reasoning and confidence. His


    way of making everything okay. My protector.


    “You just missed the man who tried to rape me at eighteen … He reminded me that I’ll never be able to


    match him.” I blurt out painfully, unsure why I’m even telling him this. I just need to. Because he’s really


    here. I think it’s shock and it justes out without filter as I begin to shake.


    “What?” His face breaks into something I never expected to see on him, his jaw tightening. Pure


    undiluted fury. He looks terrifying with instant aggression as my words connect with his brain.


    “Did he hurt you, Emma?” He snarls and the air around us is immediately charged with electricity,


    emanating from his pores. I don’t recognize this version of Jake. I nod, unable to say anymore, sure I


    must look exactly like Sophie did when she admitted her father abused her. Jake curses and lets me


    go, his body buzzing with tension and power. He tenses his jaw and paces across the hall. High voltage


    energy crackling.


    “I passed a guying in here … Tall, stocky, and tattooed with a shaved head … Is that him?” his


    voice gritted between his teeth revealing a venom in him I’ve never known him to possess. He scares


    me like this and all I can do is nod.


    “Mother Fu …” he turns and speeds into the stairwell, pursuing my attacker without a second thought.


    Oh, my God … No. Jake, no!


    ***


    All my vulnerable woe fleets away into panic as I realize what Jake intends to do. Jake boxes and


    practices martial arts as a fitness regime and he used to be a scrapper in his teens, always in trouble. I


    know he’s a fighter, but I’m still beyond terrified. Ray and Jake are equally matched in body size,


    almost in height and definitely in aggression so there’s no telling what the oue will be, and I can’t


    bear it.


    I run after him screaming his name manically; he’s much faster than I am and he’s already out of the


    building tearing off in the direction of a lone figure walking in the distance. Jake can run like the wind. I


    can’t even begin to catch up, throwing my stilettos off and proceeding barefoot, my body shedding


    adrenaline fast and I get a cramp in my leg so badly I fall. Panic sears through me as I try to get up,


    they’re too far from me to really see what’s happening but the figures have collided. They’re a jumble of


    blurry shapes, a joined mass of movement, armsing out and throwing back in with force.


    Oh, my god. Jake, no!


    One figure steps back holding the other by the throat, throws a punch with a short swing and the other


    hits the ground. Then the two are joined, rolling around once more.


    I feel sick. I’m trying so hard to get up, dizziness and nausea fighting with my mind to take over, tears


    pouring down my face. Full blown hysteria consuming me.


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    God please, don’t let him hurt my Jake.


    The cramp begins to fade, and I haul myself up and stagger toward them, looking for anything as a


    weapon to defend him. My bare feet making running almost impossible.


    I get closer seeing that Jake has Ray by the shoulders as he brings his knee into the man’s abdomen


    twice, the contact thudding as Ray snorts out with pain at every collision. Falling into a heap, Jake


    hauls him back up, delivers precise blows to his face, head, and body three times before Ray crumbles


    to the ground, lifeless. Jake in a powerful boxer stance, towering over him. ring with a fire I’ve never


    known from him.


    I manage to close the gap and throw myself at Jake desperately, my clothes dirty and ripped but I don’t


    care. I swing myself around his neck enveloping him. Grabbing onto him in despair and relief to shield


    him from harm.


    “No more … Please … No more.” I beg, feeling his heart pounding through his chest as we press


    together, his breathing shallow and he’s perspiring. His armse around my waist, pulling me in hard


    against his strong body and he turns me so I can look down at Ray Vanquis. He’spletely out cold,


    laid out on the damp dirty pavement, looking pathetic. This devil of a man looks almost pitiful now.