**
Mitch unlocked the apartment door and sighed with pleasure at being home. It had been one hell of a day, and all he wanted was to eat something and get in to bed.
Reena was standing in the kitchen with her back to him. She didn’t turn around when he walked in.
“Hey, Reena,” he said, dropping his gym bag on the floor as he took off his leather jacket and boots. “How’s it going?”
She didn’t answer.
He glanced over at her. “Reena?”
Still nothing. He noticed that she was holding on to the counter very tightly with both hands. Puzzled, he crossed the living room and went in to the kitchen. That was when he saw the destruction next to the sofa: the candle holder broken in half, the smashed vase and broken wine glasses. And – was that blood?
“Hey, you OK? Did you cut yourself?”
She turned around now and Mitch stopped in shock. Her face was bruised and bloody, her lip was split, and her shirt was ripped all the way down the front, exposing her bra and most of her shoulders. Horrified, he took a step towards her. Fear flashed across her face and she moved away from him and he stopped again. He’d had far too much experience with abused and assaulted women and he knew it was all about waiting until they were ready; they had to trust you enough to let you in to their personal space. He backed off right away and she relaxed.
“Reena? What happened?”
She blinked at him, looking totally dazed. Her eyes were unfocused.
He stared back at her, wondering if she was in shock. His eyes moved to her slim throat and he saw the bruises there. His stomach clenched.
Finger marks. What the fuck happened to her? Who did this?
He kept his rough voice pitched low. “Reena? Can I come closer now?”
She looked at him, unmoving. He waited for her answer; he wasn’t coming one inch closer until she said so. Finally, she nodded.
Slowly, Mitch approached her, watching her beautiful blue eyes watch him. Every natural instinct in his powerful frame told him to reach out and hold her, to pull that small body in to his huge arms, to keep her safe and near, to make her feel protected. But he resisted it, he fought it down. She looked like she’d lose her mind if he touched her, so he kept his distance.
“I’m going to get some ice for your face. Alright?”
She nodded again.
Mitch opened the freezer and took out one of his ice packs, grabbed a dishtowel to wrap it up in. He looked at her, saw that her eyes were more alert. “Come lie down on the sofa, OK?”
Reena was sure that her legs wouldn’t move as far as the sofa; they were barely holding her up now. But Mitch was right – she should lie down. She was weak and dizzy and she was afraid that she was going to fall at any second. She held out a trembling hand to him and he stepped forward to help her.
Mitch got to her just as Reena’s legs gave out. He caught her and picked her up easily, gathering her tightly in his arms. She groaned in pain as her cheek made contact with his muscled chest and he lowered his lips to her hair.
“It’s OK, babe,” he whispered. “It’s OK now. You’re safe, I’m here.”
He carried her to the sofa, laid her down. He grabbed the blanket from the armchair and covered her body. She closed her eyes and sighed as his large hands moved carefully over her, tucking the edges of the blanket under her legs and shoulders. He knelt down next to her and brushed her hair off her face, exposing the full extent of Reena’s injuries. She had three large cuts on her left cheek; her split lip was swelling badly; some bruising was already coming up around her right eye; the finger marks on her neck were a livid, ugly purple and angry red. He pressed with his fingertips on her cheek, checking for breaks.
Nothing broken. Thank God. But fuck, I’ve come out of some matches looking better than she does right now.
“OK, this may hurt a bit…”
He set the ice pack on her delicate cheekbone and she started at the shock of cold. It jolted her to awareness and she opened her eyes again, taking Mitch in fully for the first time.
“Mitch?” Her voice was hoarse.
“Yeah. It’s me, sugar. How you doing?”
“I – I don’t know.”
He moved the ice pack a bit. “Tell me who did this to you.”
So I can fucking rip his head off with my bare hands.
Her eyes teared up. “Simon.”
He froze. “Simon?”
That fucker is more than twice her size and when he hits me, it hurts. Jesus Christ.
“Yes.” Reena’s lips trembled. “I broke up with him and he got so – so angry and said that I had to give him what he wanted before he left. I told him to stop, but he wouldn’t… he just wouldn’t stop…”
Mitch thought about her shirt almost ripped right off her body and he was very still. “Did he – get what he wanted?”
She shuddered.
“Reena?” He touched her uninjured cheek, afraid to hear her answer. “Did he?”
“No,” she whispered. “I stopped him.”
A sob broke out of her now, deep and harsh. Tears slid down her cheeks and she turned her face away from him, embarrassed, as her whole body started to shake with delayed shock and fear. Her sobs were being ripped out of her, and the pain and confusion he heard in those muffled sounds sliced right through him.
With a low groan, Mitch sat on the sofa next to her and lifted her to his chest. She resisted him at first, her arms flinging out and pushing against his hard body, trying to hold him away so he couldn’t see her tears.
“Come here, Reena. Don’t fight me, babe.” His voice was soft. “Just let me hold you, OK? It’s me… Reena, it’s me. I’m not going to hurt you.”
Despite his soothing words, when he wrapped his arms around her, she stiffened for a few seconds, a feeling of panic rising in her at his size and strength. But he was gentle and tender, and she slowly relaxed in his embrace. She settled on him, let him rock her back and forth, and she just held on to the front of his shirt and shook, tears running down her face. She couldn’t seem to stop them, and they were burning hot on her cold cheeks.
Mitch ran his rough fingers through her silky hair, wishing that he could make it all go away for her. “Shhhh. I’ve got you, sugar. He’ll never touch you again, OK? I won’t let him anywhere near you, I promise.”
He felt her nod against his chest and relief moved through him. She’s back with me now. She’s going to be OK.
They stayed like that for a long time, just holding on to each other and breathing together. Reena stopped shaking and her tears slowed, and she nestled closer to Mitch, accepting the warmth and comfort he was offering. When she was completely silent and still, he held her away from him and took a look at her.
God, she looked so… damaged, and he wasn’t just thinking about the bruises and blood. Her face was streaked with tears and terror, those clear eyes haunted and hurting, and he wanted to just take her away from what had happened, take her someplace safe and close the door on the whole world. This was the sweetest fucking woman he’d ever met, and right now she looked like she’d never talk to or trust anyone ever again.
“Reena?” He lifted her chin to meet his gaze.
She stared up at him.
“I’m taking you to the hospital, OK?”
She shook her head. “I want to stay here. I want to go to sleep.”
“Babe, we’ve got to get you checked over. And we need to call the police.”
She jumped in his arms, startling him. “No!”
“Yes, Reena. We have to file a report.”
“But they’re going to say that it was my fault…”
“Why would they say that?”
“Because I invited him here, and we were drinking wine. They’re going to say that I led him on… that I changed my mind, or that I deserved it somehow. Something I did, or what I was wearing…”
Mitch looked at her battered face, and his chest ached because he knew she was right. He knew too man
y women who had been hurt by men, and then the women had been blamed for what had happened to them. They were drunk; they were flirting; they were in a short skirt; they had gone home with him, so what did they expect? It seemed that when a man was determined to hurt a woman badly and get away with it, the things to shame and blame her with and for were unlimited. In Mitch’s experience, quite often, it worked: she dropped the whole thing, just sat down and shut up. And he got away with it.
“Babe, nobody deserves this.” He held her eyes, determined for her to believe him. “Nobody, and that includes you. OK? You did nothing to ask for it.”
“But the police will say –”
“The police will treat you with nothing but respect, Reena. I’m going to be right there with you the whole time, and if anyone dares to suggest that any of this is your fault, I’ll straighten them out. You hear me?”
She was quiet.
“Reena?”
“Yes. I hear you.”
“Do you want me to call anyone? Mia, Katie, Maggie? ”
“Oh, no.” She wiped her eyes. “No, not now. Please. I don’t want all the fuss… I’ll call them tomorrow.”
“You sure you’re fine with just me?”
“I’m sure.”
“OK. I’ll call a taxi and we’ll get you to the hospital. We’ll take it nice and easy, and I won’t leave you for one second.” He stroked her hair. “Trust me, sugar. Alright?”
She looked up at him. His face was surprisingly gentle, and she found herself believing that he could and would take care of her.
“Alright.” She gave him her hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. “I trust you.”
Chapter Six
Mitch was in Reena’s bed, holding her as she slept. Well, he wasn’t convinced she was sleeping so much as passed out: he recognized the painkillers that she’d been given, and he knew from personal experience that they were hardcore. She hadn’t moved an inch since her eyes had closed two hours earlier, and her breathing was deep and slow.
He cradled her close, examining her face in the half-light coming from the hallway. God, she looked so bad, now that the bruises had fully come up. Even with all the blood gently wiped away by a kind nurse, she still looked worse than she had when he first saw her in the kitchen.
The hospital staff had been great, and the police had been nothing but supportive of Reena. They took her initial statement and told her that they’d be picking Simon up as soon as they could find him. Mitch had nodded, but he knew full well that Simon would be walking out of jail as soon as his lawyer arranged payment of his bail. He was a pro boxer, a man with lots of money and influence, and guys like that never stayed locked up, no matter how much they deserved to be. The truth was that Simon was going to get away with this and get a slight tap on the wrist. He probably wouldn’t even get that much.
No, Mitch hadn’t pushed Reena to press charges and file a report to get Simon locked up; he’d pushed her to do it for herself. She had been attacked in her own home, beaten up by a man she’d allowed herself to trust, and he knew that when something like that happened to someone, they had to regain some measure of control and power. Reena was a victim of a violent crime, and right now, she was afraid. Mitch wanted her to feel strong about some parts of this – the parts that she could actually do anything about. The rest of it he’d help her through, as best he could.
Suddenly, she moved in his arms and he looked down at her. She moaned and tensed up, her hands clenching. He rubbed her back and whispered to her that she was safe now. Reena twisted hard, turning away from him, fighting to get free of his embrace. He let her go and she jerked away from him, clutching the bedsheets around her. She lay on her back and moaned again, her head shaking from side to side.
“No,” she muttered. “No… no. Stop.”
Mitch watched her closely but didn’t touch her. He waited to see if she’d calm, or if she’d become more agitated. He was pretty sure she wouldn’t wake up – the drugs would keep her out for hours longer. But that worried him even more: he thought she might be trapped in the nightmare of what happened to her, unable to break free of the drugs holding her under. In every way, it would be better if she would wake up so he could bring her back to the moment, convince her that it was really all over.
Reena took a deep breath and then exhaled. Her whole body relaxed, her face softened. Mitch waited a few more minutes, then he moved towards her. He touched her gently, and she sighed. He pulled her back in to his arms and she turned to him again, burying her face in his chest.
“Mitch,” she breathed.
He glanced down at her in surprise.
“Mitch,” she said again.
“I’m here, babe.” He ran his fingers over her cheek. “I’m right here.”
“Stay. Please stay with me.”
The exact words she’d used when he had tucked her in to bed two hours earlier. The drugs had already taken effect and she had been groggy and only half-conscious, and she had gripped his hand and whispered for him to stay with her. He had looked down at her for a long moment before climbing in to her bed and stretching out next to her.
Reena had sighed with relief, then snuggled in to his chest. Her curves completely melded against his planes, her softness just sank down and into his hardness. She simply became a part of his body, a natural extension of himself. He felt like she’d been curled up against him like this for years; it was like she belonged right there. She was the most precious, beautiful thing that he’d ever held in his arms, and his heart squeezed with the desire and want to keep her close and safe.
“I’ll stay, Reena,” he had said then, and he whispered it now. “I’ll stay with you.”
Now, she sighed again and seemed to fall more deeply asleep. He held his breath, then raised his hand to stroke her strawberry-blonde hair. She didn’t move when he touched her, and he was sure that she was out cold. He held her against his body, inhaling her sweet scent, and he knew that he was in big trouble. He wasn’t just physically attracted to her anymore; now he was sure that it was much, much more than that. He was completely, totally, helplessly, in love with her.
Fuck me. I’m dead meat.
**
The first thing that Reena felt was pain. Her head and cheekbone ached terribly and she groaned. She raised her hand to touch her face, but something stopped her. She forced her eyes open and blinked in surprise. Mitch was lying down next to her, and he was holding her hand gently.
“Don’t touch it, sugar,” he said. “Don’t touch your cheek, OK?”
She gazed at his face, totally confused. Why is Mitch sleeping in my bed? Then it all came back to her and her stomach tightened up with fear.
“It all happened, didn’t it?” she asked. “It wasn’t a dream?”
“No, babe, I’m sorry. It wasn’t a dream.”
“He really – he hit me? He tried to – to…” Her voice trailed off.
Mitch nodded, his eyes holding hers.
“You stayed with me,” she said. “Didn’t you?”
He nodded again.
“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you for being here when I needed you.”
“Anytime, Reena. Just ask.”
They stared at each other now, and Reena was suddenly very aware of the fact that his massive, muscular body was with her, in her bed. After she took that pill, she didn’t have one second of memory from the night before, but she knew that Mitch did. She found herself wondering what she might have said or done: did she cry again? Sleep in his arms all night? Press herself against that broad chest? What did she tell him? Did she even want to know?
She looked down, embarrassed and shy. He saw her face and tried to think what to say or do to set her at ease again.
“How are you feeling?” he asked. “Do you need another painkiller?”
“I think maybe I do.”
“OK, hold on.” He got up and she watched him leave the room. He was wearing boxer shorts and a blue t-shirt and he just looked so achin
gly healthy and gorgeous, her throat closed up with want. The thought that she’d been in those arms all night made her dizzy.
I just wish I could remember it. I bet he felt amazing.
Mitch came back with another pill and a glass of water. Carefully helping her to a sitting position, he held her shoulders while she drank. Then he eased her back down and looked at her, trying to gauge how she was doing.
“OK?” he said.
She shook her head.
His face softened. “You want me to hold you, babe?”
Tears slid down her pale cheeks. “Yes.”
He got back in to bed and pulled her to him, her head tucked under his chin. “Goddammit, Reena. I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
She cried now and he held her until she fell asleep again, shattered and hurting and exhausted. He waited until he was sure that she was totally out, and then he went to his bedroom and found his cell phone. He called The Rock and asked Gavin to get Adam and Nick on speaker right away; that it was an emergency and it was bad.
**
Adam and Nick were waiting for Mitch when he got to the gym. They marched him down to Adam’s office and their handsome faces were tight with anger as they listened to him tell them what had happened. They knew most of it already, of course, because Mitch had asked them to get Mia, Katie, and Maggie to the apartment to stay with Reena. The women had shown up, taken one look at Reena’s battered, sleeping face, and gotten back on the phone to the guys. But they wanted to hear it from Mitch again.
There was a long silence after he had stopped speaking. Then Adam stood up and walked to the door of his office.
“Gavin!” he shouted.
Gavin was there within ten seconds, looking taken aback. “What’s up, boss?”
“You said that Simon was waiting outside when you opened this morning?”
“Uh. Yeah. And his head was all bandaged up – he looked pretty bad.”
Fighting Love Page 7