Loving Bad

by Regan Ure

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Taylor

  Horror gripped me as I began to twist to break free while his lips crushed mine. I winced in pain at the pressure of the cut on my lips. I tried to move my head to the side, but his hand held my chin and forced it back. Adrenaline began to pump through my veins and I began to fight him as hard as I could.

  For a moment I felt relief when the weight of his body eased from mine, but that relief vanished when I saw the evil inside of his soul. His fist connected with my cheek and I was momentarily stunned. It hurt and I lifted my hand to my face.

  "Behave," he instructed fiercely, "or I will make you."

  He was going to hurt me either way. It was the second time I'd ever seen evil in the form of another human being. My cheek throbbed. I'd never been hit before.

  Taking advantage of my sudden shock, he began to pull at my shirt. The abrupt action pulled me out of my daze and I tried to stop him by holding onto the shirt. When he couldn't pull the shirt over my head successfully, he ripped it with his hands. I tried clutching the shirt, but another fist hit my right eye and the pain that exploded in my head made me scream out in pain as both my hands released the shirt to cover my eye.

  "This is going to hurt if you keep fighting me," he warned in a deadly voice and I knew he meant every word, but it wasn't going to stop me from trying to stop him. Tears squeezed from my eyes as I began to struggle to get free. Another hit to my face made me cry out as I struggled to fight off the darkness that wanted to protect me from what was to come.

  I felt him tug at my sweatpants from my legs before I had a chance to fight back. I was missing half my clothes and my face was pulsing with pain. He held my gaze as he stood before me and took off his shirt.

  Oh no!

  I had to do something now or else it was going to be too late. I scrambled off the bed and stood beside it, putting myself on the opposite side of Eric, but the problem was that he was blocking the main exit out of the room. I felt a moment of dizziness before I gritted my teeth.

  Somewhere deep inside of me the little girl who had survived the horrific slaughter of her parents rose up in me and gave me the strength I needed to keep fighting and hold on to the hope that I would make it out.

  He smiled at me and my blood ran cold. His eyes told me that we were far from over and there would be plenty of pain to come. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my eyes focused on him, which was becoming harder because my one eye was swelling shut.

  He laughed when he walked closer and I jumped onto the bed. I shot a side-glance to the door to calculate how far I was from the door, but before I could even try and make a dash for it he was in front of the door. He locked it and put the key in the pocket of his jeans.

  "You are not going to leave," he said when he turned to face me, leaning against the locked door. He said it with so much confidence that I was starting to believe him.

  The only other exit out of the bedroom was a window. I jumped off the bed and went straight to the window to try and tug it open. Horror filled me when the window wouldn't budge. Frantically, I tried to see if it was locked, but I felt hands grab me and toss me back onto the bed. Before I could try and get off, he held my body down with his.

  "I don't know why you're fighting the inevitable," he said, breathing hard.

  "I will never be yours," I spat back. I knew saying it would only anger him, but I didn't want him to think that for a second I was going to let this willingly happen.

  "But you can't stop me," he reminded me with a smile and I began to struggle again. He lifted himself off me and he punched me in the stomach. Winded and startled at the sudden pain, I clutched my stomach.

  "I wonder how much longer you’re going to fight me," he murmured, looking down at me like I was some sort of experiment that he was studying. There was no connection between his conscience and his actions.

  "Until I can't fight you anymore," I said fiercely, struggling with the pain I was in. The blow to my stomach had been a direct hit to my already tender bruises from the accident.

  He grabbed my hands and pulled them above my head. I whimpered from the pain as his mouth covered mine. He pressed his body against mine and I felt his excitement. Tasting the metal taste of my own blood I felt the sting of tears.

  This couldn't be happening.

  I struggled against him and he let go of my hands to grab my hips and pull them firmly against his as his mouth slid along my throat. Through the blur of my tears, I saw the lamp beside the bed. It was just out of reach, but if I could just move a little closer I would be able to reach it.

  As his hand covered my bra-covered breast, I inched my fingers toward the lamp, moving slowly so he wouldn't realize what I was doing. His hand squeezed my breast and I felt only revulsion at the act.

  I wanted to push him away, but this was the only opportunity I would have to escape. I needed to stay calm. I was going to make it out of here, I swore to myself.

  My eyes went back to the lamp and I inched closer. The moment my fingers touched the lamp, I wanted to cry out in relief.

  Eric was trying to unclasp my bra so he never saw it coming. My hand wrapped around the lamp and, with everything I had, I swung it against his head.

  "Ahh!" he yelled as he rolled off me and onto the floor with a thud.

  "Goddammit!" he yelled as he held his head. Adrenaline pumped through me. There was no time to waste. I scrambled off the bed, my pain forgotten as I kicked into survival mode.

  My eyes shot to the door. He had the key in his pocket so there was no way I could get out that way.

  The only other option was the window that wouldn't open. I had to break it.

  I grabbed the lamp and I swung it against the window, looking away. The window shattered. The groan that came from my injured kidnapper reminded me I was running out of time.

  Frantically, I tried to clear as much of the broken glass as I could so I wouldn't cut myself too much while trying to climb out. I glanced back quickly to see Eric get to his knees, but he was still clutching his head and groaning.

  I couldn't waste any more time so I put one leg through the broken window and I held onto the top of the window frame to keep my balance. Freedom was within my grasp.

  More groaning from behind me made me panic, and as soon as my foot touched the ground outside, I pulled my other leg through. I winced as pain shot through me. My skin had caught a jagged piece of glass.

  The sight of Eric getting to his feet and looking in my direction made me pull my leg through despite the pain from the glass cutting through my skin. No pain could compare to the pain he would inflict on me if he caught me now.

  Once I was out, I tried to get away as quickly as I could. I couldn't run—I was too injured. It was dark, but the soft light that illuminated from the surrounding houses was enough for me to see where I was going. I stumbled a couple of times, scraping my knees. No matter how bad the pain was, I got back to my feet and kept going. My face, stomach and leg hurt, but I couldn't concentrate on that pain.

  I brushed my face and looked down to see dark liquid on my hands. It took a moment to register that it was my blood. The fear that Eric was just behind me kept me going even through the pain. I felt the blood run down my leg as I hobbled along.

  I didn't know where to go and a wave of dizziness hit me. The world began to tilt and I dropped to my knees on the road. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment before I opened them, hoping everything would remain still.

  "Hey!" I heard someone shout and fear gripped me as I looked up to see car headlights. A car had stopped with a screech just a few feet away and a guy got out. My blurred vision meant it was hard to make out his features and I cowered away from him.

  "I'm not going to hurt you," he assured me as I felt his hand on my arm.

  "Please," I whispered as I looked up at him. There was so much packed into that one little word.

  "What happened?" he asked as he looked at my battered face.

  I
swallowed hard.

  "He...Eric..." I couldn't say any more without the emotion of what had just happened to me pushing through to the surface and I felt the tears begin to run down my face.

  "It's going to be okay," he assured me softly and I felt the warmth of a jacket enclose my shivering form. I wasn't sure if I was shivering from the fear or the cold.

  He wasn't Eric, but I still didn't trust him.

  "I'm going to pick you up and put you into the car so I can take you to the hospital," he told me as I felt his hands underneath me.

  "No," I tried to argue, but I was already in his arms and he was carrying me to his car.

  "I won't hurt you. It will take time for an ambulance to get here. It will be quicker if I drive you to the hospital," he tried to explain.

  Logically, what he said made sense, but I was so freaked out that it was hard to trust anyone. I pressed my limbs together to try and deal with the pain as he sat me down gently onto the passenger seat of his car.

  The adrenaline that had pushed me began to dissipate and suddenly I felt so tired. The full force of the pain hit me and I tried not to give in to the darkness that was waiting for me.

  I needed to feel safe before I'd let go.

  The car started up and I heard the roar of the engine. It felt like forever but was probably only ten minutes before the car stopped. My eyes were closed, but I opened them to see where we were and relief flooded through me when I saw the fluorescent name of the hospital shining down on me like a beacon of hope.

  The stranger opened my door and I looked at him. For the first time, I could see his features perfectly, my blurred vision gone. He looked mean, with his head shaved and various tattoos on his neck and arms. He looked like the type of guy who should be responsible for the shape I was in.

  "Thank you," I whispered hoarsely. There were still good people in the world and, with that thought, I began to lose consciousness, giving in to the darkness. For the first time since Eric had kidnapped me, I felt safe.

  When I began to stir, I felt stiff and sore. I groaned as I opened my eyes. I felt disoriented and was trying to piece together where I was.

  The dark memories from my kidnapping rushed back. It was then I remembered getting away and the stranger who had helped me.

  I was in the hospital, the beeping monitor and bed confirmed it.

  "Taylor," I heard a familiar voice whisper and then I felt a hand hold mine.

  My eyes settled on the familiar face of Connor looking at me with happiness mixed with concern. One of my eyes was swollen shut. I was safe and I felt the tears begin to run down my face.

  "It's okay," he soothed, his voice hoarse with emotion. "You're safe."

  He leaned forward and I closed my eye as his lips feathered a kiss to my forehead.

  "I love you," he whispered like he was scared he wouldn't be able to say it to me again.

  "I love you too," I whispered hoarsely. My throat was sore.

  There had been a few times when I'd been sitting in the basement wondering if I would ever see the people I loved again. He helped me sit up and tried to make me comfortable.

  "I'm sorry," I murmured hoarsely, my throat burned with pain.

  "What are you sorry for?" he asked, looking at me.

  "For everything," I managed to say before a sob tore from my chest.

  "Shh," he soothed, pulling me into a gentle hug. My body was sore, but he was gentle.

  "Eric is in custody."

  I tried to remember if I'd told the stranger who had attacked me. Then something dawned on me.

  "How did you know I was here?" I asked, missing that piece of the puzzle.

  "The guy who brought you in knew who you were."

  Had I told the stranger my name? As much as I tried to remember telling him, I didn't. Had I forgotten that I'd told him? There seemed to be no other explanation. I tried to keep my fear under control. Eric’s uncle's actions had taken years from my life and I refused to allow my fear of Eric to do the same to me again.

  "You really hit him hard with that lamp. He had to have stitches," he informed me. I couldn't help but smile at the satisfaction that I'd given him a taste of his own medicine.

  "I'm sorry," he said.

  "You have nothing to be sorry for," I stated.

  "I'm your older brother. It’s my job to look after you."

  "You did everything you could," I assured him. He'd hired a bodyguard. Then I remembered Matthew and the accident.

  "Is Matthew okay?" I asked, fearing the worst.

  "He is fine. He took your kidnapping pretty hard," my brother revealed. "I still can't believe the guy was Sin's roommate."

  "Eric has been after me for years. It’s no one's fault. He would have done anything to get me."

  I was just glad that he hadn't killed anyone trying to get me. I had enough to deal with as it was. I didn't need the added guilt. I shrugged.

  "I don't understand," he asked, sitting down in a chair beside the hospital bed.

  "He is the nephew of one of the guys who killed Mom and Dad." I dropped my gaze to my hands as I heard the sharp intake of breath.

  "I had no idea," my brother mumbled.

  "Neither did I."

  I'd been so excited about having a chance to live and experience things I'd never done before. There was no way any of us could have foreseen what would happen. It wasn't anyone's fault.

  "How do I look?" I asked after a few minutes of silence. Connor reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze.

  "You have a few bruises and a cut on your leg," he assured me. "The doctor says the bruises will fade in about a week."

  I didn't need my brother to tell me about my wounds. I remembered how I'd endured every blow and cut. Dropping my gaze to my hands, I tried to build up the courage to look at what he'd done to me.

  "There won't be any permanent damage," he said. He must have been able to read my thoughts. Tears seeped from my eyes despite my attempts to keep my emotions under control.

  "Don't cry, Tay," he pleaded softly. "You are safe now. Eric will never get his hands on you again."

  Being safe didn't erase the details of my ordeal. They would be forever imprinted into my memories. I brushed the tears from my face as I took a shaky breath.

  "Please get me a mirror," I asked.

  "Okay," he answered, standing up. "I'll be back soon."

  The door closed shut as he left to find me a mirror. Minutes later he returned with a small compact.

  "I got it from one of the nurses," he told me as he placed it in my open hand.

  "I need to be alone for a minute," I told my brother, holding the compact tightly in my hand. I raised my eyes to his.

  "I don't know if that is a good idea."

  "I'm not asking, Connor," I told him. I needed to do this alone.

  He studied me for a moment before he gave me a brief nod. As soon as he left, I opened the compact and looked at my reflection. I gasped and raised my free hand to cover my mouth.

  The eye that was swollen shut was badly bruised. My whole face was one massive bruise and there were a few small cuts. I swallowed hard as I took in Eric's handiwork.

  Having seen enough, I closed the compact and dropped it into my lap. Feeling the fear and anger begin to build up inside of me, I took a deep breath to try and keep the options under control.

  I'm safe, I kept repeating to myself over and over again.

  I closed my eyes for a moment and all I could see was the monster’s face who'd put me in the hospital. I knew from the therapy that I had received after my parents died how to cope with all the feelings that were tearing through me.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Taylor

  Fifteen minutes later, my brother returned. He scanned my features for any sign of how I was feeling, but I kept my emotions bottled up. I wanted and needed the time alone to be able to work through them and there was no way I was going to do that in the hospital with people constantly coming in and out my room.


  "There are a few people who want to see you," Connor told me as he walked closer.

  I wasn't sure I was ready to see anyone, but the look my brother gave made me bite my lip.

  "They've all been waiting in the waiting room anxiously to see you since we got here yesterday."

  It was hard to believe I'd been out of it for so long.

  "Sin is here too."

  That statement cut straight through me, down to my heart, and for a moment I was short of breath. I tried to disguise my shock, but my brother never missed a thing as my eyes shot to his.

  "He came back as soon as he found out you were missing," he informed me. I dropped my eyes and refused to look at my brother as I dealt with that information.

  My heart began to beat faster and my palms became clammy at the thought of seeing him again. I wasn't sure if I was ready to face him.

  "Did anyone get the name of the guy who brought me to the hospital?" I asked, remembering how relieved I'd been when I'd realized he was a good guy. I owed him my life.

  "Yeah, his name is Jeff. He works for Sin," he revealed and my mouth dropped open in shock.

  "He works for Sin?" I echoed, a little shocked at the revelation.

  "Yes," Connor confirmed. But how was that possible? Sin was a college student like me. What my brother was telling me didn't fit with the Sin I knew.

  "I don't understand," I said, voicing my confusion.

  "That isn't my story to tell. You'll have to ask him," he said, holding up his hands. "He isn't as bad as I thought he was."

  I couldn't believe the difference in my brother's attitude toward Sin. He'd been the one to do the background check to warn me about Sin and now he was admitting that he'd been wrong?

  What the hell?

  I felt like I was in an alternate reality to the one I had lived in. I arched an eyebrow at my brother, but he just shrugged in response.

  "Sometimes there is more to a person than what’s written on paper," he tried to explain. I honestly didn't know how to respond it that. Never in a million years would I have expected this.

  "The nurses said it was okay for you to have visitors," he told me, pulling me out of my stunned thoughts. I didn't want to see anyone.