“Rape? They’ve never…” Horror scalded her. “Ever. Get away. You’re not touching my baby! Or me.”
“The procedure won’t hurt,” he promised as if physical pain was her primary concern. “Come with me. We have almost an hour before Hammerman and O’Neill know you’re missing. I’ll have you far away from them by nightfall.”
He was serious and he had a plan. Fear screeched inside her.
“If I needed protecting from anyone, it was Bill. But you weren’t there to save me or Rowan.” She shook her head and tugged harder against his grip. “No. I want this baby. I love Liam and Hammer. They’ve given me everything and made me so happy.”
“Being used and abused? How have they convinced you that’s happiness?” His eyes narrowed as anger filled his big body. “You just don’t know any better. Do they tag team you? Does one hold you down while the other rapes you? You’re such a little thing, storm cloud. Do they get their kicks overpowering you? Do you call that love?”
“What the hell are you—”
“They probably shove their dicks into you at the same time and… Fuck. Just the thought makes me angry and sick.” He shuddered as if he had to shove down his rage. “That terrible part of your life is over. You’re coming with me, and once you see what vile scum they really are, you’ll thank me.”
Raine wrenched against his hold now. She couldn’t fight him off physically, and as far as she knew, no one else was in the spa except the receptionist, who had sold her out. She had to talk her way out of this.
“I’m not fucking going anywhere with you.”
“Don’t be afraid. It’s okay. I don’t think less of you. I’ll have to kill those two freaks, but—”
“They’re not freaks. I’m not brainwashed. I’m in love! Will you shut up and listen?”
His face filled with pity. “We’ve already wasted ten minutes. I’m getting you out of here.”
River tugged her toward the door. Raine dug in her heels, but he was so damn big and strong.
“Stop! No, you can’t do this… You’re totally misunderstanding the situation.”
“Let them prove it to me. Until then, my priority is your safety.”
Raine didn’t like the resolve on his face. She opened her mouth to scream, but he spun her around, dragged her back against his chest, and planted his hand over her mouth in one quick move. Barely a moment later, he lifted her off her feet and hauled her out of the room.
Panic iced her veins. She struggled, kicked, grunted, even tried to elbow him. His abs were hard as stone, and her blows bounced right off him.
He was definitely stronger than their father had been. If River managed to drag her off, she could only imagine how difficult he would be to escape. Granted, he wasn’t plotting to rape and kill her. At least he hadn’t sounded like that sort of lunatic. No matter what, she could not let him haul her away and rip her child from her womb. What that would do to Hammer and Liam was unthinkable.
Raine wrestled hard for freedom. River simply clamped his arms around her more tightly and headed down the hall, toward the exit at the back.
Someone had already propped the door open. Her brother didn’t look surprised, merely put his shoulder into it and burst out into the sunlight.
Ten feet away, she spied a black truck with dark-tinted windows. He pinned her under one beefy arm and worked a hand into his pocket. A moment later, a beep and the flash of headlights told her the vehicle belonged to him.
River was planning to toss her in it.
Sheer terror flashed through her system, roared in her ears. She broke out in a sweat. Her heart chugged so hard it hurt. She couldn’t breathe.
This is really happening.
No. No. No!
She redoubled her efforts, kicking his shins, pummeling his middle with one punishing elbow after another. She screamed again, cursing the fact that his hand muffled the sound. God, how was she going to stop him?
“Stop fighting me. It’ll be over soon.”
What the hell did that mean? Why did this shit always happen to her?
Never fucking again. She refused to be anyone’s victim.
Raine bit down on his finger until she tasted blood while blasting her heel back into his knee.
He dropped her with a curse and an incredulous glare, sucking his offended finger into his mouth. “Goddamn it!”
She didn’t stay long enough to discern the consequences. Instead, Raine turned and ran for the open door to the spa. If she could get through it, kick away the block of wood propping it open, then slam the portal behind her, it would lock automatically. She could be out the front again, maybe hiding somewhere River wouldn’t find her until Hammer returned. Anything that would get her away from her crazy brother.