He grabbed the front of her shirt and ripped it apart, sending buttons flying. He tried vainly to open the front clasp of her bra, but when his frantic fingers couldn’t manage that, he impatiently broke the plastic fastener.
His mouth crashed down on hers. His thick lips pulled at hers, and, when she bit them, he raised one hand and slapped a stinging blow across her cheek.
Her tender breasts were exposed to his rough handling. Katherine cried out in pain as he scratched them and kneaded them with bruising pinches.
When his lips left hers to bury themselves in her neck, she screamed with her last ounce of strength. The piercing sound was joined with that of breaking glass and splintering wood.
Over Ronald Welsh’s bulky shoulder, she saw Jace’s booted foot give one final kick, and the door swung open under the impact. He was on Ronald in three long strides.
Grabbing the other man by the collar of his coat, Jace pulled him off Katherine and flung him into the opposite wall.
“You bastard!” Jace growled as he crammed his fist into Ronald’s stupefied face. Katherine heard the sickening crunch of a nose breaking and saw blood spurt out of the smashed feature.
She sobbed hysterically as Jace continued to pummel Ronald’s sagging body. He was no longer coherent and slowly slumped against the wall, supported only by Jace’s grip on the front of his blood-splattered shirt.
Jace shoved his fist into Ronald’s belly one last time and then let him go. With a deep, animal moan, Ronald collapsed into a heap on the floor.
Jace stood over the still form, his chest and shoulders heaving in exertion. He raked one sleeve across his forehead and then slowly tu
rned toward Katherine.
She managed to sit upright, but felt that at any moment she was going to start screaming and never stop.
Jace knelt down in front of her and smoothed back the tangled hair from her white face. “Katherine?” he asked softly. “Katherine, are you all right?” His face was filled with such anxious concern that when she saw it, she was unable to contain the tears that flooded her eyes, and they spilled down her cheeks.
“Y-yes,” she nodded. He wiped the tears away with his fingers and rested his palm against the red mark on her face. His lips formed a hard, grim line.
“I’ll be right back. I want to get—” He made a motion to get up, but she clutched his shoulders with desperate hands.
“No! Please, Jace, don’t leave me alone in here with him. I can’t stand it. Please.” She was becoming hysterical and couldn’t stem the flow of words.
Jace pulled her to him and cradled her head against his shoulder. He stroked the back of her head reassuringly.
“Hush, hush. It’s okay. I won’t leave you, Katherine. I promise. Hush now. I was only going to find something to write on. The president of this august institution is going to hear about this tonight. But I guess a telephone call will be even better.”
Jace maintained his hold on her as he drew her up. He balanced the trembling body against his as he picked up her purse on the desk, then swept her into his arms and carried her out of the building into the quiet evening. It was already dark and the campus of Van Buren College was deserted.
When he had her settled in the jeep, he fumbled through the myriad articles stashed in the back of it until he found what he was looking for.
“Here, Katherine, put this on.” She recoiled from the hands that reached toward her ripped blouse which she clutched together in an effort to cover herself.
Patiently he stated his motive. “Katherine, if Happy sees you like that, you’ll have to make a lot of painful explanations. Slip into this T-shirt and maybe we can get you into the house without attracting her attention. If she comments on the shirt, I’ll tell her you spilled ink or threw up or something. Okay?”
She nodded and didn’t resist when he gently eased her out of the torn, ruined blouse. He tossed it to the floor of the jeep. Although cocooned as she was in apathy, Katherine blushed with embarrassment when he slid the straps of her bra from her arms.
“Goddamn him,” he murmured when he saw the welts and bruises on the smooth breasts. With infinite tenderness, he touched one of the deeper scratches with his fingertip.
Katherine watched his face, incredulous that she should see such emotion there. The warmth of his hand was transmitted to her and his touch seemed to heal her from the physical pain of the assault and the emotional upheaval of the trauma.
Jace’s teeth clenched and he hissed harshly, “I ought to go back and kill that sonofabitch!” Trying his best not to cause her more pain, he slipped the T-shirt over her head. It was far too large for her, but the soft cloth felt good.
When he was assured that she was comfortable, Jace straightened in his seat and started the jeep. He drove without undue speed, and, when they reached Katherine’s yard, he cut the motor and got out of the jeep without speaking. Katherine noted with relief that Happy’s car wasn’t parked in its usual spot.
He didn’t allow her any time to protest but carried her up the stairs. He looked at her inquiringly, and she indicated Allison’s room.
He deposited her on the twin-size day bed that she slept on.
“What can I do to help?” he asked. “And don’t give me that crap about not needing my help.”