Chapter 5
The street outside was deserted; a police car drove slowly by. The officers inside the car checked along the street for any signs of trouble as they passed at a glacial pace. Karina crossed at the intersection and made her way east toward Ella’s apartment. As she turned the corner of the first block she felt a presence behind her. A loud erratic thrum beat in her chest, her legs froze to the spot as she turned quickly. Nothing, exhaling loudly she started walking a little faster, clutching her handbag closer to her side. She was almost at the next corner when she heard footsteps. Turning again she saw three men on the opposite corner. They all were wearing dark jeans and black leather jackets. She recognised the motorcycle club badges on the front and knew they would have been at the pub not so long ago. Probably involved in the fight too she thought to herself. These were not the type of men Karina wanted to have following her, so she quickened her pace until she was almost running. One of the men wolf whistled at her and adrenalin mixed with fear surged through her. “Hey pretty lady, wait up.” She heard one of the men call after her as the other two laughed. Karina didn’t bother looking back as she started running. The footsteps behind her quickened as she rounded the corner and cut through the now deserted car park. The parking lot was plunged into darkness, only the street lights cast large looming shadows along the ground. Karina could see the alley approaching, should she take it? Ella’s street was on the other side which meant she would be safe soon, but if these men caught up with her in the alley, she would be all alone and at their mercy. Should she go around the block? It was longer, but more public. With her heart pounding wildly in her chest she decided to go for the alley. Slowing to turn into the alley a man stepped out and grabbed her by the upper arms. Karina screamed and kicked at her captor, trying to free her hands so she could claw at his face but his arms had moved around her holding her tightly to his body. Her mouth was muted by his shirt as he held her to his chest. Karina started sobbing uncontrollably at the sense of hopelessness. “No, please don’t hurt me,” she tried to make out, but it was no use. She heard the approaching footsteps slow then come to a complete stop. “Hey buddy. The girl’s with us let her go.”
Karina still couldn’t move or see anything that was going on. Every muscle in her body was tensed with fear, threatening to unravel at any moment. All she could hear were the men breathing heavily behind her from the chase, and now, a low grumbling noise coming from the chest of the man holding her. She felt his grip relax and she pushed herself away, not looking back as she ran down the alley. “You want her, you have to get through me first,” she heard a deep voice say, one she knew. Karina slowed enough to glance over her should and see Xavier facing off with the three bikers who had been chasing her. Reluctantly she stopped and looked back, pressing herself against the wall so no one could sneak up on her. “Look pal, you can have her when we’re done.” One of the bikers said as he tried to side step Xavier, who pushed him in the chest. The biker fell back into his two companions. Then all three men approached Xavier at once. Two held him by each arm while the leader of the trio punched him in the face and stomach over and over. He grunted as he accepted his punishment, sweat and spittle spewed from him with exertion and force. Xavier fell forward onto all fours and was kicked in the face. Karina was frozen with fear, she could see the blood spraying in the air with each kick and his head lashed back violently. Desperately she wanted to go to Xavier’s aide, but by doing so would put herself in danger again. These men looked like they would kill him without a second thought. Xavier’s body fell lifelessly to the ground, one of the men started to kick him in the stomach. Xavier no longer made a sound as they continued to beat him viciously, all now taking part in the assault. They kicked over and over, a man who was long beyond the point of defending himself.
The second man laughed as the third took a knife from his pocket. The biker leading the assault stepped back as the one with the knife knelt down beside the near lifeless body. Blood was now pooling beside Xavier’s seemingly lifeless form. Karina held her breath as her body shook violently with fear, her hand clasped to her mouth so not to let out a scream that was building inside her. Her eyes misted with tears and she blinked them back furiously. When all hope was gone Xavier suddenly reached out to the throat of the man with the knife and pulled him to the ground. Karina cautiously stepped forward and squinted, her brain must have been deceiving her, she believed she saw Xavier lift himself up with renewed strength and drag the writhing body with him. The weapon tumbled from the bikers hand with a metallic tink as it hit the ground. From her hiding spot Karina could make out the man being held by Xavier was choking. His face was a violent shade of crimson and his hands clutched at Xavier’s hand around his throat. Xavier seemed to lift the man so effortlessly and throw him away as though he were a piece of rubbish. His body skidded through the gravel and was stopped by the street light which shook with the impact. A distorted rocking light was cast over the parking lot. The other two men both came at Xavier at the same time. He batted one away with the back of his hand and he hit his head against the brick wall of an apartment building. Karina heard a crunch and watched as the biker’s body slumped down the wall and onto the ground leaving a smear of blood in its wake. The final man standing, Xavier punched him forcefully and he catapulted backwards, rolled then landed on his stomach. Xavier knelt over the limp body and repeatedly punched. Karina’s fears started to subside and she tentatively stepped toward Xavier. He stopped and spun around defensively when he heard her approach. Xavier’s eyes flashed a murderous amber colour in the lamplight and his face was contorted with a rage that left him beyond recognition. Dark shadows haunted his usually handsome face. He was no longer the gentleman she was speaking to only moments earlier over dinner. He was a monster she did not recognise, a monster that seemed to risk his own life for the sake of hers. Karina’s instincts told her to run for her life. Xavier looked away in disgust and dropped to the ground panting, his body shaking furiously. Slowly Karina approached Xavier and put her hand on his shoulder, his breathing was ragged. “Go!” he ordered.
She knelt beside him and tilted his face towards hers. Her fear had disappeared, she knew she was safe. A deep cut above Xavier’s eye bled heavily and his right eye was beginning to swell. There were cuts to his face and arms. Her hand hovered warily over his face “You need to go to the hospital,” she said.
He flinched at Karina’s words. “No!” his voice panicked.
“You’re bleeding pretty badly, you need stitches.”
Xavier turned his face away and dragged himself to a stand, stumbling backwards. “I’ll be fine. Are you ok?” his voice was full of concern for Karina.
Karina nodded as she stood, holding Xavier by his ripped shirt to steady him. “I am now. I’m staying with a friend around the corner, at least let me clean you up.”
Xavier agreed without argument and followed Karina, stumbling occasionally. She put her arm around him and tried to bare some of his weight. Once they reached the door to Ella’s apartment Karina started knocking uncontrollably. Xavier was turning paler and he had to lean against the wall of the building for support. A trail of blood droplets ran along the hallway and was now pooling outside of Ella’s apartment door. After a few moments Ella came to the door, shouting along the way. “Ok, ok. What’s the emergency? Oh ...... Karina what happened?” she opened the door and helped Xavier inside. The two women led him to the kitchen where Karina helped Xavier slip into a chair at the table. Ella ran to the bathroom and came back with an array of first aid supplies which she sprawled across the kitchen table. The two women quickly turned into business mode and started putting gloves on and pouring saline solution over swabs to clean Xavier’s bleeding face and body. Karina held a suture between her thumb and forefinger looking hesitantly at Ella. “Do you have an anaesthetic?”
Ella put her hands on her hips and frowned at Karina. “Of course I do, because I don’t need my job.”
“Why do you have
a suture then if you have no anaesthetic?” Karina let out a long sigh as she looked from the needle to Xavier’s face. “What alcohol do you have? The stronger the better,” Xavier’s head was now lolling from side to side with delirium and sweat beaded his brow. Swelling and bruising was masking his face, blood stained his shirt which was ripped across the front. Karina could make out the muscles defined on his chest. Focus, she told herself as Ella scoured her cupboard for hard liquor; she came back to the table with tequila. “This is the strongest I have,” her face had a sense of hopelessness about it. Karina unscrewed the lid of the bottle and turned to Xavier. “That cut on your head needs stitches Xavier. You’re bleeding badly; I really think you should go to the hospital.”
“No, no hospital,” he moaned as his hand clutched painfully at his side.
Karina took a deep breath to steady herself, she could not believe what she was about to do. “I can suture it for you, but we have no anaesthetic.”
Xavier’s delirium seemed to clear and his eyes focused on Karina’s. Those dark chocolate coloured eyes that you could lose yourself in. “Ok,” he said as he took the bottle of tequila and drank a few mouthfuls. He shook his head with the after taste then focused on what Karina was about to do. Ella leaned closer to Karina and whispered “What the hell are you doing. Have you ever done sutures before?”
Karina took the bottle from the table and took a swig herself. The clear liquid burned like fire as it went down her throat and Karina wanted to gag. She had never tasted tequila before. “I’ve seen it done thousands of times on the ward,” she assured Ella as she took a deep breath. Slowly the needle moved towards Xavier, his eyes intently locked on hers, not on the needle, not on Ella panicking, nor on anything else, but Karina. She knew he had put his faith in her, he trusted her to take care of him. She would not let him down. Karina slowly applied pressure with the needle until it pierced the skin, she didn’t know how hard to push or how long the skin would take to give. Xavier winced slightly but this did not diminish Karina’s determination. Once the needle was through she found it easy to continue, it glided effortlessly in and out along the line of the cut. “Are you ok?” she asked, not taking her eyes away from what she was doing. “Fine,” Xavier answered in that smooth silky voice that Karina liked, the voice that made her think wicked thoughts about him. Thoughts about what he looked like under that shirt and how his skin would feel against hers, about running her fingers down his back and having him touch her in ways she had never been touched before.
Before Karina knew it she had sutured Xavier’s eye. She admired her handy work, any doctor in the hospital would have been proud of her efforts. As she snipped the end of the suture, Ella was waiting with a dressing for the wound. Xavier did not take his eyes from Karina and now she stared back at him. Did he share the same thoughts about her? Karina had just come out of a five year relationship. Surely there was a grieving period she had to observe? Sorrow was not something she was feeling at this very moment. There was a fire burning inside her and she liked it.
Ella cleared her throat to remind them she was still there “Is someone going to tell me what on earth happened?”
Karina broke away from Xavier’s gaze and into the face of the panicked Ella “Xavier got into a fight.”
“Those men were about to attack you!” Xavier interrupted his voice firm and protective.
Ella looked between the two with uncertainty. “Right, so anyway. Hi I’m Ella,” she put her hand out for Xavier.
He took her hand and shook it politely “Xavier.”
She then looked back at Karina and gave her a cheeky smile. “It sounds like you two need to sort your story out so I’m going to bed now. Good night, nice to meet you, yadda yadda yadda,” and she retreated to her room.
Karina followed Ella with her gaze until she heard the bedroom door click closed. Turning her attention back to Xavier she assessed his injuries, her finger moved slowly over his swollen eye. His skin was hot under hers. “I should check you for other injuries.”
Xavier looked at Karina cautiously. “I’m fine,” he assured her.
“Can I check your ribs?” Oh! I can’t believe I just asked that. Karina thought to herself.
“Sure.” Xavier obliged as he took off his ripped and bloodied shirt, throwing it to the floor. Karina noticed a deep red scar that ran along Xavier’s right shoulder above the collarbone, disappearing over his back. She pretended not to see it as she ran her hand over Xavier’s left side where he had been holding. She tried desperately not to look at his muscular torso. She pressed lightly in certain areas that looked red, Xavier winced. “So, you’re a nurse?” he asked through clenched teeth.
“Ella and I work in mental health together,” she answered trying to avoid his eyes. She could feel herself blushing, she had to be. Her body was hot and as much as she tried not to, Karina was having those thoughts of Xavier again. Now he was sitting in front of her, shirtless and vulnerable. Her knee was only inches away from his “It looks like you have a few broken ribs. You won’t know if there’s internal bleeding unless you have an x ray.” She tried to tell herself to focus and stay professional but could feel herself fighting a losing battle. When she got the courage to look again into his smouldering eyes he assured her “Trust me. I’m a fast healer.”
“You should still have an x ray, to be on the safe side.”
Xavier tucked a lose strand of Karina’s hair behind her ear and whispered “I’m more concerned for you.” His breath kissed her face and she felt her control rapidly slipping away. She leaned forward, closer to Xavier. Xavier answered her unasked question, pulling Karina’s face toward him, their lips meeting as he kissed her passionately. She in turn moved forward, Xavier lifted her skirt over her thighs and she straddled him. Xavier’s hands moved around her waist as he pulled her closer to him. Karina felt a flood of hot, sensual emotion bursting inside her. Her fingers combed through his hair as he kissed slowly down her neck to her chest. Karina let out a soft moan as his hand caressed her then started to undo the buttons of her blouse. Slipping it over her shoulders he gently kissed her neck and throat sensuously and Karina arched her back in pleasure. Her hands ran up Xavier’s hard muscular arms and along his broad defined shoulders, her fingers brushing over the raised scar that ran along his collarbone. A deep groan came from deep within Xavier’s chest and Karina quickly moved her hand away. Xavier’s hands ran gently up her thighs and Karina sighed as she pulled him to her. He lifted her effortlessly and moved down the hall toward the bedroom. The two fell onto the bed and Karina groaned with excitement as she undid the zipper on Xavier’s jeans, pulling them down until he kicked them to the floor. “I want you,” she whispered to Xavier as he undid her bra, exposing her breasts. His fingers glided gently over her nipple and Karina could no longer control herself, something wildly erotic she had never felt before exploded inside her and she forced Xavier onto the bed, restraining his hands above his head. She liked this new found sense of being in control. Holding Xavier down, she slowly and seductively rubbed her body against his, he watched her every move not taking his eyes from hers with a look of burning desire. She teased him with her body for as long as she could stand then slowly removed her underwear. Xavier picked up Karina and threw her back on the bed then thrust himself inside her. He was now doing the dominating, but Karina didn’t seem to mind. She wanted Xavier to be rough. She ran her nails down his back and he let out a deep moan as he arched his back then kissed her with a heat and fever she had never felt before. Karina pulled Xavier closer to her with her leg, curling it around his waist and crying out in pleasure at the deep penetration she was experiencing. Xavier’s hands slowly and affectionately moved over Karina’s body, his thumb ran over her nipple and she cried in pleasure, Xavier in turn kissed it gently and Karina screamed her satisfaction. He sat up pulling Karina on top of him, the two moving in time with each other’s urges. Xavier playfully bit Karina’s neck and she felt her body shake all over with anticipation.
Something deep inside Karina was being wakened; her sexual being rising to the surface. She moved faster as Xavier thrust harder and deeper inside her. The pair screamed as they climaxed together then fell back in breathless ecstasy. Every muscle in Karina’s body tingled, aching for Xavier to touch her again. He wrapped his arms around Karina and held her protectively to him. “Wow!” Karina exclaimed when she regained her breath.
“Wow indeed.” Xavier mumbled as he kissed her forehead.
The Beast Within Page 5