Unattainable (Undeniable, #3)(16)
Maybe I needed…
Groaning, I slunk down in my desk chair and wondered if I could squeeze in a quick therapy session with my shrink before dinner. I’d even settle for over-the-phone head shrinkage.
Anything.
Something.
Fucking anything.
CHAPTER FOUR
Feeling stiff and sore, the open wounds on her body burning from the soap, Ellie stepped gingerly out of Dirty’s shower and blew out a deep, shuddering breath. Grabbing the folded towel off the toilet seat, one of two that Dirty owned, she used it first to wipe off the steam-covered mirror and then wrapped it around herself, wincing as the stiff material chafed against her damaged skin.
Then she turned back to the mirror and just stared. Stared at her split bottom lip, at the mottled bruising covering the left side of her face, at her left eye still swollen shut, at the angry red bite marks across her neck.
Feeling suddenly light-headed, her knees began to shake and she gripped the sides of the sink in order to remain standing. What would have happened if Dirty hadn’t shown up?
“You would have been raped,” she whispered to her disfigured reflection. “You would have been raped and more than likely killed.”
Killed, because she couldn’t fathom that the chief of police would rape a woman and then let her live to tell the tale. And considering how violent he’d been just trying to get her to submit to his advances, there was not a doubt in her mind that it only would have worsened.
How could he have possibly thought she’d want to have sex with him? And in an alleyway, no less? She barely knew him! For God’s sake, the only reason she’d kissed him was because of the amount of alcohol she’d consumed, clouding her better judgment. She didn’t kiss men on the first date and that hadn’t even been a date!
And, God, just the thought of that awful kiss…
Her stomach rolled remembering how he’d practically shoved his tongue down her throat while furiously groping her and then, after she’d tried pushing him off her, when he wouldn’t let go, his pawing worsened after she’d realized what was happening and she’d started screaming.
Ellie’s gut lurched and she dropped to her knees. She’d barely gotten the toilet seat up before her stomach emptied. She continued to vomit as the memories assaulted her—Daniel’s fist slamming into her face not once but three times, his hand wrapping around her throat, his other ripping at her clothing, and then feeling his penis pushing against her, unable to stop him, unable to do anything other than lie on the filthy ground and bleed.
She was still bent over the toilet, dry heaving, her stomach long empty, tears streaming painfully down her swollen face, when there was a knock on the door.
“Ellie?”
“I-I’m…f-fine,” she choked out, acid-flavored saliva dripping from her mouth, obscuring her words. But she wasn’t fine, she was so far from fine. She felt disgusting, violated, and utterly terrified. Who did you go to when it was the police who hurt you? What was left?
As it was, Dirty had already attempted to blow the man’s head off. What if Daniel had recognized him as he ran for safety? Was he going to come for Dirty?
One thing was for certain, she had to get out of Miles City as quickly as possible and back to her life in Bozeman. But what if that wasn’t enough? What if Daniel was hell-bent on silencing her and came after her? Then what? Daniel came from a powerful family with loads of money. He would undoubtedly have connections within the law, probably even countrywide.
Oh God, what was she supposed to do now?
“Are you sure?” Dirty asked.
Gripping the rim of the toilet bowl, Ellie pushed herself to a semistanding position and glanced at her pile of torn, bloodstained clothing. She sure as hell wasn’t putting that back on. In fact, the first chance she got she was going to burn it all.
But she absolutely was not going to prance around in only a towel in front of Dirty, an aptly named pervert who’d once demanded she get on her knees and suck him off. Never mind the criminal aspect, she’d never liked going to the club with Danny for the sole reason that all the men there were foul-mouthed and disgusting.
Yet Dirty had saved her, and not just from being sexually assaulted but from being killed as well. And so far, since she’d woken up, he hadn’t said more than three words to her. He’d kept his distance and, strangely enough, looked more uncomfortable with her presence than she felt.
What choice did she have? At the moment, she needed his help. Who knew what Daniel was doing at that very moment? Was he at her parents’ house looking for her? She closed her eyes, suddenly very grateful she’d planned on surprising them.
Suddenly, her rental car came to mind. It was still parked outside the high school just begging for a ticket, and if she got a ticket her name would pop up, and if her name popped up…
Frantic, she grabbed for the doorknob and flung the door wide open, revealing a startled Dirty. “My rental car!” she cried out. “It’s parked outside the school.”
In the process of backing quickly away from her, Dirty paused. “So?” he asked.
“It’s going to get ticketed. And Daniel will know I’m still here! He’ll find me!”
Dirty blinked. “Daniel,” he said slowly and Ellie realized, in her panic, she’d just given the name of her attacker away, something she’d planned on keeping quiet in order to protect herself.