He grabbed my hair and forced my head beneath the water as I clawed at anything I could get to. My lungs began to burn as my oxygen ran out.
He was going to kill me. I was going to die.
Help! Dominic! Vinny! Levin! Please, Fallon! Someone help me! Help me! I’m sorry, God, someone…
I grew weaker, my struggle ending. Just when I thought it was over, he yanked me out of the water and struck me across the face so hard my vision doubled. With a growl, he hauled me out of the tub and pushed me to the floor. I fell and tried to crawl away, the blood dripping off my face like a damn river as I coughed.
My vision blurred, my chest ached, my body screamed at me to just give up, but my soul demanded I fight.
I had to fight.
He landed a kick in my ribs, sending me toppling to the floor. I forced myself back to my hands and knees and continued my bid for escape as he laughed.
“Where are you going?,” he called out, following me. I urged myself forward. The door was close. I knew I wouldn’t make it far, but I had to try. At least if I died, then I’d tried. He wouldn’t be able to take that away from me. He may have taken my will, but I’d fight until the death.
Another kick. A sob.Please, God, help me. Dominic, help me! Dom… Dom…I’m sorry.
Tate fisted my hair and shoved me onto my back. I stared up at him, my chest heaving as I tried to breathe. I knew he’d hurt my ribs.
He went to his knees between mine.
“Let’s end the night on a good note, eh, Bianca?”
I clawed and bucked at him, my body screaming for mercy as his hard dick threatened my entrance. I continued to struggle, desperate to not let him win.
“Stop fucking fighting,” he snarled, breathlessly, his nose bleeding from the hit I’d managed to land on him. “You always take my cock like a good girl. You’ve been doing it for weeks now. Tonight is no different.”
I screamed until my voice cracked and broke. Until I had no voice left. Until I only had my silence and thundering heartbeat.
“It’s our anniversary! It’s supposed to be our last night!” he shouted. “You’re ruining it. Fuck, Bianca. I didn’t want it like this!”
“No,” I rasped, my voice barely audible. “Stop!”
“I can’t,” he choked out. “Not when it comes to you.I fucking can’t.”
He stared down at me, his eyes dark.
“You think you can leave me? Run away? Forget about the time we spent together?” He cried out, striking me again.
“You think you can erase what we had? We are forever, Bianca!”
He released my arms and smashed my head into the floor over and over until my ears rang and my vision dotted with sparkles. My arms fell limply to my sides.
I was dying. I was going to die. I was sober enough now to know this wasn't a game of pretend. No one was saving me. Another strike to my face.
“Together, Bianca. Me and you. The baby. We’ll go together.”
My body jostled roughly as he pushed forward into me, taking what I’d given my kings, his grunts loud, his breathing heavy. His blood dripped onto my chest, mingling with mine.
I lay there, staring at the crack in the wall. It snaked up and split off in such a way that it reminded me of a butterfly with a broken wing. I focused on the butterfly.
I was a butterfly too. I was broken like the butterfly on the wall.
Fly, butterfly, fly…
He groaned as his release spilled out of him, filling me.
I watched the butterfly, my vision blurry from both tears and the swelling.