Forever Branded (Billionaire Love Series #1)

by Jessa Eden

  “He deserved it. He wouldn’t give me a pop.”

  “He shouldn’t have to give you a pop. You can pay like everyone else. He was just doing his job,” I said, getting a few steps closer to freedom.

  “Don’t care. He disrespected me.”

  I tried to keep my voice calm as my eyes darted in his direction. “I can understand that you felt disrespected. But Jonathan loves everyone. You didn’t need to hurt him.”

  “Maybe if I hurt you, I’ll feel better.”

  More fear raced down my spine. “That’s not going to solve any of your problems, Jeremy. It’s just going to make new ones.”

  He seemed to think about that as I crept toward the door.

  I was so close, just a few more feet to go.

  He continued to track my movements as he stood at the foot of the bed, still between me and the door. It would be a fight to get out, but I was gonna give it everything I had.

  Moving quickly, I sprinted toward the door and got there just as Jeremy did. As I pulled on the handle, his arms wrapped around me, pulling my body violently away as if I were a rag doll.

  He laughed in my ear. “You thought you were going to get away. But we’re just getting started.”

  I screamed at the top of my lungs as he put his hand over my mouth.

  I bit his big mitt as hard as I could, which made him even madder. “Ow! You bitch!” he snarled as he let me go.

  I scrambled toward the door again, but his big hand popped me across the back of the head and I crumpled to the ground, hitting my forehead against the doorframe.

  He picked me up like a sack of potatoes and dropped me onto the bed. I was dazed, seeing stars. But my survival instinct kicked in and I struggled to get up.

  “NO!” I shouted as he climbed on top of me.

  He grabbed my arms and twisted them above my head.

  Oh, my god, this wasn’t really happening!

  I continued to fight him, twisting and turning in his firm grip.

  His brown eyes shadowed with a twisted malice that made my blood curdle. “Oh yeah, get feisty. I like a feisty girl, so much more fun to break.”

  “NO! NO! NO!” I struggled against his bigger bulk, clawing at his hands.

  He let my arms go as his legs urgently pressed mine apart. He brutally pushed against me as I beat against his chest, trying to get him off of me.

  I shut my eyes as I screamed and fought, hoping against hope he wasn’t really pushing up my skirt and reaching for my panties.

  His weight held me down, smothering me, making it hard to breathe. The familiar smell of his Old Spice deodorant, coupled with the stinky odor of beer on his breath and the foulness of his spirit almost made me vomit. I pushed with all my might, hoping for a miracle.

  I couldn’t believe this was happening.

  I bucked even harder, determined to get him off me as he fiddled with his pants.

  “NO!” I screamed again at the top of my lungs, desperate for someone to hear me.

  Suddenly I could breathe, Jeremy’s heavy bulk gone.

  I sucked in air, thankful for the oxygen filling my lungs. I breathed in big over and over, trying to get my bearings again as I sat up.

  “What the fuck, dude?” Beau hollered as he wrestled Jeremy away from the bed toward the dresser.

  Jeremy smirked. “She deserved it, man. I wanted a piece of the pussy that’s got you so whipped up.”

  “You son of a bitch!” Beau shouted as he walloped Jeremy in the face. “Don’t you fuckin’ talk about Marla that way!”

  Jeremy staggered back as Beau hit him again, unleashing his fury on Jeremy’s face and body. They crashed to the floor as the-would-be-rapist tried to put up a fight, getting in a few jabs here and there, but it was no use. Beau continued to wail on him, his fists moving quickly as he unloaded punch after punch on Jeremy’s sadistic body.

  I’m not gonna lie. It was a beautiful thing to watch Beau beat the living shit out of Jeremy.

  But I wasn’t about to stick around to see how it ended as my survival instinct warned me to get out of that room. I pulled up my panties and tore out of there, wide-eyed in fear, my body in fight or flight mode, my hair wild from thrashing about on the bed.

  I only had one shoe on as I shot down the hallway. My only objective was to get somewhere safe. I searched for a familiar face, someone to help me. I saw Stacy in the crowd which had gathered at the top of the stairs.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, coming forward to meet me.

  “Stacy, I need your help!” I begged.

  “Oh, my God, Marla...what happened?” she asked in a panic, taking in the gash on my forehead and my ripped skirt.

  “Uh...Jeremy attacked me,” I answered quietly in a daze, shock overtaking me.

  Her gaze burned with rage. “That son of a bitch! I’m gonna kill him!”

  “Don’t worry, Beau is already taking care of it,” I said, trying to stay upright.

  “All right, Beau,” she said with admiration in her eyes.

  “Can you take me home?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “What happened?” Ashley asked with her hands on her little hips, her aquamarine glance wide with feigned innocence.

  “Did you have something to do with this?” Stacy asked icily as she turned toward her.

  Ashley shot me a devious smirk. “We all know Marla gives it up. What’s one more guy?”

  “Fuck off!” Stacy shouted, reaching for her.

  Ashley’s talons came out as she glared at me. “I told you not to mess with me! He’s mine!” she screeched like a deranged demon.

  I plastered myself against the wall, already in overload as I watched this showdown.

  “Stupid bitch!” Stacy slapped her so hard, the crack vibrated down the hallway.

  Angry, Ashley tried to hit Stacy, who moved out of the way before she grabbed Ashley by her hair and brought her to her knees.

  “Nooo!” Ashley screamed as she tried to stand back up.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Stacy asked, twisting Ashley’s hair, making her head pull tight to the left.

  “He’s mine,” Ashley meowed.

  “No, he isn’t, you worthless cunt,” Stacy said, scratching her nails across Ashley’s face.

  “Ow!” she whined as her cheek dripped with blood.

  Stacy got in her face. “Stop your complaining, you malicious twat! You deserve a lot worse! If you ever bother my friend again, I will do a lot more to mess you up. Now, leave Marla alone.”

  Ashley nodded meekly as Stacy left her there, cowering on the ground, the threat to do more damage sufficient to keep her quiet.

  “Come on, Marla,” Stacy said gently, helping me down the stairs.

  Onlookers and gawkers stared at me, feeding their fuel for gossip as we walked down the front hallway. That’s all I needed, more people speculating about what happened to the girl whose mom died.

  God, what a nightmare.

  Once in Stacy’s car, I curled up on her front seat, my legs tucked against the front of me as I wrapped my hands around my calves.

  I couldn’t stop shaking.

  We didn’t talk much on the ride over to my apartment as I shook like a leaf, wondering how I was ever going to trust anyone again.

  Stacy kept glancing at me, worry in her alarmed gaze. I put my forehead against my knees, just willing the fresh memory of Jeremy attacking me to go away. We pulled into the parking lot of my apartment complex and I lifted my head slowly, looking around in a daze.

  Stacy turned toward me, concern etched across her pretty features. “I’m so sorry, Marla. I had no idea.”

  “I know you didn’t. Nobody knew,” I said quietly.

  “How can I help you?” she asked as she cut the engine.

  “There isn’t anything to do. I just want to shower and go to bed.”

  “Marla, I don’t know if it’s a good idea for you to be alone. Shouldn’t we call the police? The paramedics?”

  �
�No. Plus, I don’t want to get Beau in trouble.”

  “He’s not going to get in trouble for defending you. That scumbag Jeremy deserves to be in jail for what he did to you.”

  “I know, but I can’t focus on that right now. I just want to feel safe.” I twisted toward the door, my body protesting in pain. “Ow!” I cried as I put my hands over my ribs and bent forward.

  “Here, let me help you,” she said, opening her door.

  “Okay,” I agreed, feeling like I couldn’t get up to the second landing on my own.

  She pulled me out gently and put an arm around my waist. We slowly made our way up to my apartment. With each labored step, the pain of my attack increased. Once inside, she helped me sit down on the couch.

  “What do you need?” she asked.

  “Nothing. I’m okay. I just need time, Stacy,” I said, exhaustion filling my bones.

  “I don’t like it, Marla.”

  I didn’t like it either. But the truth was I didn’t want her to see me fall apart. Tears were threatening to bust out of me at any moment.

  I just needed to be left alone.

  But she wasn’t going to go away without some reassurance. So, I gave her a comforting grin and hoped she would believe me. “How about I call you in the morning and let you know how I’m doing?”

  I could tell she was thinking it over. “Do you promise?”

  “I do.”

  “Okay, but if I don’t hear from you by eleven, I’m coming over.”

  “Okay,” I agreed.

  She reluctantly left after extracting a promise from me to call her if I needed anything, even in middle of the night.

  After I locked the front door, I went into the bathroom and stripped. The physical violence I’d suffered was already evident. Bruises were forming on my torso and arms, and my thighs throbbed from being wrenched apart.

  I got in the shower, scrubbing myself down while I tried to let go of the trauma I had endured. The hot water beat down on me as I wished I could erase Jeremy’s touch from my body and soul. It was a fight not to give into the terror lurking below the surface.

  I couldn’t.

  Emma would be home tomorrow and I needed to be strong for her.

  I would survive this....

  After my shower, I fixed a cup of tea and curled up on the couch in the dark, listening to the whoosh of cars going by. It was oddly comforting.

  The evening had started out with such promise and possibility. All I had wanted to do was have fun, to be a teenager for once.

  That desire had royally backfired on me.

  My mind churned as I thought about Jeremy holding me down, ready to hurt me. If only I had gotten to the door sooner or managed to get away somehow. If only I’d stayed with Stacy instead of racing to an empty bedroom. I tried to remind myself I had been lucky, that Jeremy hadn’t actually raped me.

  But it didn’t really matter.

  I still felt…

  Unsafe.

  Violated.

  Alone.

  The tears came bubbling up at that point and I let out a long wail, wishing my mom were there to comfort me. If she were alive, I probably wouldn’t have been at that stupid party. Sobs shook my body as I grieved for all I had lost.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Beau:

  My favorite steakhouse was a bit of a hole in the wall, but it served the best rib-eye steak on this side of the Atlantic. Patterned after a log cabin, it was a jumble of knick-knacks on shelves with red and white plastic checkered tablecloths. It had a homey vibe and I came here when I wanted comfort food.

  One night in late July, I sat at my regular table near a window.

  “Here you go, Beau. Cooked medium rare, just the way you like it,” the waitress announced as she arrived with my steak.

  “Thanks, Pepper. It looks delicious,” I said as she put my plate in front of me.

  I threw my napkin in my lap and dug into my steak. Bernie, the owner, dry-aged the meat for weeks, making it tender and more flavorful. It melted on my tongue as I savored the garlic and salt coming out in the meat.

  I had just taken a drink of beer when a commotion across the restaurant caught my attention. A large man dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans was harassing one of the other waitresses, Jeannie.

  “Don’t tell me that!” he yelled, grabbing her arm and making the tray of drinks she was carrying tumble to the floor with a loud crash.

  The busy steakhouse, full of chattering patrons, suddenly grew quiet as this drama unfolded. I casually threw my cloth napkin down on my plate and stood up.

  Violence against women wasn’t something I stood for.

  The out of control man didn’t let go of Jeannie as she cowered under his aggressive actions. She was a sweet lady and didn’t deserve whatever crap this loser was dishing up.

  I quickly strode across the restaurant. “Jeannie, is everything all right over here? Do you need any help?” She glanced at me, her brown eyes wide with fear as tears streamed down her face.

  “No! She doesn’t need help! Mind your own fucking business!” Wife-beater snarled at me, looking red-faced with drink as he staggered a couple of feet away from his victim after he pushed her to the side.

  Good, now he was all mine.

  I smiled as I took off my jacket. “I’m gonna give you one more chance to apologize and leave her alone before I kick your ass.”

  “Who do you think you are? Jackie Chan?” He gave a hard laugh at his lame joke.

  “You’re about to find out.”

  He glared at me, his little eyes dull with anger.

  I put one foot in front of the other, creating balance as I lowered my core. Smelling like a cheap brewery, he curled his fists, ready to strike. He threw the first punch, swinging wildly at my head, clumsy in his alcohol-induced state. I ducked and punched him squarely in the gut.

  A whoosh of air escaped out of his mouth as I moved forward swiftly and attacked him in the Adam’s apple with a quick throat jab. As he staggered backward, I quickly swept my leg behind his, making him fall backwards onto the hardwood floor.

  I leaned down as he struggled to breathe with his throat temporarily lodged in his spine. “You don’t touch a woman, dude. If I ever catch you harassing Jeannie again, I won’t be so nice.”

  He nodded quickly, his beady glance full of real fear.

  “I need to hear you say it.”

  “I’ll leave her alone!” he coughed out. His vocal chords were definitely compromised.

  “Now apologize,” I demanded as the cops showed up.

  “I’m sorry!” he whispered at Jeannie, who was standing behind me.

  The officers quickly interviewed me and a few eager witnesses, before they handcuffed the drunk loser and hauled him away.

  “Now, Jeannie, if you have any more trouble with this guy, let me know,” I said, handing her my business card.

  Relief filled her hazel gaze. “Thanks, Beau. He’s been terrorizing me for weeks. I can’t believe he just showed up here.”

  “Guys like that, don’t go away quietly. Call my lawyer. Tell him I sent you and I want him to help you out,” I said, writing my attorney’s number on the back of another business card.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. That guy needs to be locked up.”

  She threw her arms around me. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. Don’t hesitate to call.”

  “I won’t.”

  I made my way back to my seat and realized my food was gone.

  “Your steak got cold, so I brought you a new one,” Pepper informed me as I sat down.

  “Thanks,” I said as she put a fresh plate of steak in front of me.

  “This one’s on the house. Thank you for helping Jeannie out. She should have reported him weeks ago.”

  “Yeah, she should’ve. He won’t change.”

  Unfortunately, I’d learned that lesson the hard way when I was in high school. For too long, I had ignored the warning signs that Jeremy wa
s a cruel guy who could beat up special needs kids and rape women.

  That all changed that night at Chad’s house. I charged up the stairs after Marla witnessed Ashley kissing me. I checked a couple of rooms, before I heard a scream and ran toward it. When I opened the door, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Jeremy was on top of Marla, attacking her.

  “Jesus Christ!” Rage swept through me as I tossed him off her. “I told you not to fucking touch her, man!” I bellowed as he crashed into the dresser.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  He gave me some bullshit answers, inciting my fury more.

  I caught him with a right hook, knocking the evil smirk off his face. He stumbled back, falling to the carpet. I landed solidly on top of him, unleashing on his sadistic ass.

  I wanted to kill him, tear him limb from limb.

  But I settled for annihilating him as I rained down punches, blood spurting from his mouth. He put his hands up trying to ward off my punches, but I just kept hitting him. My fists were moving so fast, he didn’t have a chance.

  By the time I looked up, Marla was gone.

  Using the last shred of my self-control, I got up and walked toward the door to track her down. As my hands dripped with Jeremy’s blood, Ashley DeGraw sauntered in acting as if she owned the place.

  “What happened in here?” She cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms as she saw Jeremy passed out on the floor. “I told you Marla was trouble, Beau.”

  There was something off about the way she said those words. I wouldn’t have put it past her to put Jeremy up to hurting Marla.

  This girl was wretched and I wasn’t about to let her get away with it any longer. She already has a red handprint bright across her cheek along with some fresh fingernail scratches. I bet Stacy had gotten to her first.

  I approached Ashley with a smile, letting her think I couldn’t see through her bullshit.

  Her aquamarine eyes glittered with desire as I came within striking distance. “Oh Beau, I knew you wanted me.”

  I grabbed her by the throat, pushing her against the wall next to the door. “That’s what you have to say?” I asked. “What fuckin’ planet do you live on? I don’t know what sick, twisted part you played in this whole thing, but we aren’t happening. You are going to leave Marla Matthews alone, you bitch!”