“I know you were leaving your house,” he says, “and you were on your way to do some shopping. It was approximately three-thirty on a Saturday afternoon. I know they were waiting for you outside and dragged you into a van.”
“Yes.” I clear my throat as the memories surface. “Someone came up behind me and threw a bag over my head then put his hand over my mouth. I tried to scream, but there wasn’t anyone outside to hear me. I heard a sliding door open, and my leg got scraped when I was shoved inside. The van started moving right away as I was pushed down to the floor.”
“I don’t know exactly how many there were—at least four—plus whoever was driving. One of them held my hands up above my head, and two others held my legs.”
“You don’t have to give me the details,” he says. “Don’t put yourself through that.”
I nod, feeling tears coming to my eyes as Falk’s arm slips around my waist.
“I recognized Hudson’s voice right away. I’d only met him in person a couple of times at the office, but he did all these employee engagement videos, so I knew his voice well. He was…he was between my legs. He kept saying how much I had fucked over what he was doing, and how he was going to fuck me over as payment.”
“He was…really rough. He wanted me hurt. They said I had a lot of lacerations when I went to the hospital. A lot of bruises, too. When he was…was about done, they pulled the bag up so he could come on my face.”
Falk tenses behind me. I can feel his hand shaking slightly.
“It felt like it was all over me,” I say. “I kept spitting, trying to get it away from my mouth, and then someone else was holding my legs up, and he started…”
I take a gasping breath.
“He must have been the one holding my arms before. I don’t know if they thought I was broken already or what, but no one grabbed my hands again. I pushed at him, but he just laughed. I reached out, just trying to find something, and came up with a piece of metal—I think it was a tire jack. It was heavy, anyway.
“I hit him with it, right across the face, I’m sure. He started screaming, and I got the bag off my head. The van wasn’t moving—I think it was stopped at a traffic light. I was kicking and screaming—I know I hit more than one of them. I don’t know if my reaction surprised them enough that they didn’t know what to do or not. I only know I grabbed the door handle and ran off into the woods nearby, and no one followed me.
“My panties were wrapped around my ankle. I got them back up as I was running, but I only had those and my shirt. I saw those blue signs with a big H on them and followed them to the hospital. I told them I was raped and did the whole rape kit thing.”
“That was almost the worst part,” I say, remembering. “It was like it was happening all over again. I think I was in shock.”
“You probably were.”
“So, that’s basically it.” I take a long breath. “The police came. Hudson was found at his home with his wife and kids, and the media circus began. You probably know the rest.”
Falk starts to pull his hand back, and I reflexively grab his wrist to keep it where it is. He stills for a moment, then turns his hand over, lacing our fingers together.
“Beck grabbing you made you think about it,” Falk says. “That’s why you were starting to panic.”
“I guess so.”
“The same way you did when I was trying to fix your leg.” He grips my hand slightly. “I’m sorry about that. I should have thought about it. I think I was on automatic.”
“I know,” I say. “It’s okay. You were just trying to help. Beck wasn’t trying to hurt me either.”
“Beck is an ass,” Falk says. “He’s also dangerous.”
“He isn’t one of the men who attacked me,” I point out.
“That doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous.” Falk shifts, moving slightly closer to me. I can feel his leg up against mine. “He needs to be put in his place.”
“‘I will smack your cock-holster closed?’” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“It got my point across.”
“A little homophobic, don’t you think?”
“No,” he replies, “it has nothing to do with being gay. It has to do with who is on top and who is on the bottom. He’s military even though he lied about what he did. He’s heard it before.”
“What did he lie about?”
“He lied about his service.”