“Theresa, what’s wrong? Where are you!?”
“Where the fuck did you go, bitch?”
“Is that Ike?”
“Hollis he’s here. He’s here, and he’s— Ike, stop!”
“Hold on, Theresa, I’m coming!”
My phone fell to the floor as Ike shoved the couch off into the corner. He grabbed me by the throat again, and I started coughing. He barreled me into the wall knocking the breath out of me, but when he pressed his lips against mine it filled me with a rage I’d never felt before.
I bit down on his bottom lip so hard I drew blood and he wrenched his head back. I clamped my hand down around his wrist. I shoved him as hard as I could and made my way into the kitchen, but he reached for my hair and pulled me back. I stumbled to the ground as he fell on top of me, his knees pressing into my thighs so hard it made me cry out.
“Hollis! Help!”
“No one can help you now,” Ike said. “Only I can. I did for eight years, and this is how you repay me? If you liked it rough, you should’ve told me. You could’ve been my little whore instead of his.”
I put my arms in between my body and his, but no matter what I did, I couldn't free my legs. Tears were streaming down my face as sirens blared in the distance, and I was scared Hollis wouldn’t get to me in time.
Then, suddenly, the door to my apartment burst open, with a thunderous crash. A shriek left my lips as Ike clamped his hand over my mouth. But before he could get any farther, I heard footsteps rounding the corner to where we were.
“You son of a bitch,” Hollis said.
I watched my brother crash into Ike as his partner helped me off the floor. I was sobbing. My legs were aching, and my back was throbbing, and it was hard to swallow. Hollis’ partner was trying to get me to look her in the eyes, but all I wanted to do was get to my phone which was ringing.
I pushed her away and ran back to the couch before I picked up the device.
Grant was calling, but I knew I couldn’t take the call. So instead, I pulled up a text message. Tears were dripping onto the phone. I had no idea what to say.
Honesty.
It was always the best way with Grant.
I need you.
I sent the text message off before a pair of hands descended onto mine. I jumped and cried out, then whipped around and saw my brother. His eyes were wide with anger as his gaze fell to my neck. He reached his fingertips up to feel the bruising I knew was already marking my skin.
“Did he—?”
I shook my head as my face crumpled.
“Come here,” he said breathlessly. “I’ve got you.”
I fell into my brother’s embrace, and he gathered me up in his arms. He carried me out of my apartment and down the stairs, then set me on the edge of the back of an ambulance. People were looking me over and shining lights in my eyes as I recounted what happened. I saw his partner going into my apartment with people who held cameras and plastic bags and all sorts of other things.
“They’re collecting evidence,” Hollis said when he noticed me looking. “Just start from the beginning.”
I rattled off what happened, and Hollis almost couldn't contain himself. His head whipped over to where Ike was sitting in the back of a cop car with his hands cuffed behind his back. He was staring at me with that angry look in his eyes, and Hollis yelled to get him out of here.
Though he didn’t use such kind words for it.
“You need to go to the hospital,” Hollis said. “I’ll be over as soon as I can.”
“I don’t have to go. He didn’t finish what he was trying to do to me,” I said.
“It doesn’t matter. If you’re hurt, the doctors have to chart where you’re hurt and match it up with your testimony. It keeps you from having to go to court and provides further evidence as to what happened.”
“I don’t want to go, Hollis.”