Total pages in book: 137
Estimated words: 132791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Never would I hear the sound of waves crashing on the shore.
Skip. Skip. Skip.
Never would I waltz to live band music.
Skip. Skip. Skip.
Never would I sing along to a familiar tune.
Skip. Skip. Skip.
Never would I kiss a stranger’s mouth, warm and soft and alive, feel their pulse beneath my palm, or whisper secrets into a lover’s ear.
The last rock sank into the water without skipping.
An angry roar ripped from my throat. Broken, desperate, yet I couldn’t even hear it.
Behind my back, there was a castle, and dancing, and lights, and life.
There were plans, hopes, and dreams.
There were people with agency over their own decisions.
Suddenly, a hand clasped my mouth from behind. I gasped, my eyes flaring in horror. An arm wrapped around my throat forcefully, dragging me backward. It was so unexpected, it took me a second before I dug my toes into the sand, bucking, fighting the intrusion.
Somebody followed me here.
And that person knew we were far enough not to be seen or heard.
Panic flooded my system and kicked my instincts into high gear. Whoever held me was male, strong and in a frenzy.
I bit the hand that clasped my mouth, sinking my teeth into his flesh until the metallic taste of blood detonated in my mouth. My attacker jerked, tumbling down to the sand and taking me with him. I fell against his torso, his forearm still pressing hard against my throat. Pressure filled my ears. I fought and kicked and clawed, thrashing and roaring, a wild thing; his fists came down on my face, my neck, blow after blow, making my ears ring. My fingernails punctured his skin, digging so deep they broke and splintered. Something long and thick swelled against my butt. It promised pain and punishment and made the blood freeze inside my veins.
No. No way. I won’t let it happen.
I writhed like a reptile, twisted sharply. I managed to bite his arm, sinking my teeth into his skin until it split, and managed to break free.
Air. I was finally able to welcome it into my searing lungs. I took a greedy gulp of it.
Looking back was a luxury my time constraint couldn’t afford. Instead, I army crawled across the sand, desperately blinking away the stinging blood from my eyes. My crown of roses fell to the sand. In the dark, I could see that the flowers weren’t white anymore. They were dark red. Drenched in my own blood.
My breath rattled in my lungs like a coin in an empty tin.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe.
He snatched my ankle, yanking me back with force. Flipped me to my back roughly, then used a knife to slash the front of my dress, leaving a trail of hot, searing pain across my skin. I arched, crying out in horror. I kicked and punched him, too panicked to take in his features in the dark. It felt like trying to fight my way out of a fishing net. He was everywhere, all at once, too heavy, too much.
Sharp, frenzy eyes flared in the dark, taking in my bare breasts, my nipples, my stomach.
I recognized those eyes. Had seen them before. Two barrels of a gun, staring back at me.
I cataloged him into memory. Filed every plane of his face, each individual hair in his eyebrows.
I’m going to draw you.
And then I’m going to find you.
And then I’m going to kill you.
If you are stupid enough to let me live after this.
As he pushed my panties down my thighs, a peculiar calm washed over me.
In order for him not to kill me, I had to pretend I didn’t know what was happening to me. If he thought he could get away with it, he’d spare me.
I stopped fighting, letting my muscles lax, forcing my mind to drift elsewhere.
Ischia sunsets. Boat trips. Busy markets. Books. Imma’s grilled prosciutto and mozzarella sandwich.
He pushed a chemical-soaked rag to my face, one hand pressing against my mouth. I held my breath while he slapped my right breast, laughing as his hand skated down to the space between my thighs.
Men are filthy. Mama’s words rang in my head. They make you suffer when they have their hands on you. Never let them.
A lifetime passed. And then another. I became dizzy with lack of oxygen. The rag pressed harder against my mouth and nose. Finally, my traitorous body took a sharp inhale of breath. The chemicals rushed into my system. My eyelids grew heavy, my body slacked. I became a rag doll.
Boneless. Weightless. Defenseless.
My body melted into the sand, my mind drifting to the clouds. I was far away now, somewhere he couldn’t hurt me, no matter how hard he tried.
The last thought to cross my mind was that this stronzo could still kill me.
My last hope was that he would.
CHAPTER FOUR
LILA
EIGHT WEEKS LATER
For the first few hours every day, everything was blurry.