She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not (The American Soldier Collection 8)

“You’re coming with me,” he stated with his teeth and mouth against her neck and hair, sending chills through her body. She was crying, shaking, trying to get up enough courage and anger to defend herself and stop him from taking her. The sirens grew louder, and she knew help was coming. Somehow, it had to be for her. As he released her hands and sucked hard against her neck while fondling her breast, she made her move. She shoved her fingers into his eye sockets and then raised her knee up hard and fast. He roared in anger but released her and she started to run, he grabbed at her dress, ripping the material, causing her to fall to the hard wet ground and right into a puddle of water.

“Help!” she screamed as she struggled to get away from his hold when suddenly he released her.

Turning back, she was shocked to see Hunter on top of Paul punching him and then pulling his arms behind his back. Police cars were pulling onto the scene, men in uniform, and Lionel was there pointing, running to her. She saw the police officers grabbing Paul from Hunter’s hold and cuffing him as Mace ran to her and squatted down next to her. He cupped her face between his large hands and she felt him shaking. “Are you okay? Oh God, you’re hurt.”

She cried out as Mace pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She clung to him, climbed up his body, and squeezed his neck as she continued to cry hysterically against his neck. She needed him. The safety and security of Mace’s big, strong arms, the scent of his familiar cologne to block out everything that just happened.

She felt Hunter behind her, covering her with something, a blanket, a poncho, she didn’t know and she didn’t care. She kept inhaling against Mace, trying to make his scent, his masculinity take away Paul’s saliva against her skin, the smell of his sweat, his evilness. Mace squeezed her to him and carried her away and into the office building.

“Baby, we need to l

ook you over, to see if you need medical attention,” Hunter whispered as he caressed her back.

“No. No hospital. Please just hold me. I need you. I need both of you. I want to go home.” She could hear their cell phones ringing and Hunter cursing behind her. He was scared, angry, and upset. He and Mace saved her. They got to her in time. She realized in that moment when Paul was grabbing at her body, threatening her, and trying to weaken her resolve, that she was a different person than a year ago. She was a different woman than weeks ago. She was a fighter. She was also in love with Mace, Hunter, Seno, and Justice. She could have lost the opportunity to love them and to see where their connection led. All because of Paul, and the control he still had on her until tonight.

She closed her eyes and took a deep, unsteady breath. As she looked around her, she saw Hunter and Mace, then the police, Lionel and other staff members including her boss, waiting to see if she was okay.

“I want to go home. Please, Mace, Hunter, take me home.”

* * * *

Mace carried Ellie up to the bedroom. After filling out the police report and pressing charges, they were relieved that she was safe and that she accepted their desire for her to come back to their place tonight. She was resistant until she spoke with her roommates and they insisted she needed to feel safe and protected. She clung to him now, still shaking, but no longer crying. She refused to go to the hospital to get checked out. She had a nasty bruise along her jaw, and red marks against her neck and chest that led under her ripped blouse. He didn’t even want to think about how far Paul had gotten in assaulting her.

He thought about what he and Hunter saw as they pulled up into the parking lot at her office building. A man dressed in black had her pressed against the side of a car, her arms pinned above her head and then his mouth against hers. When they jumped out of the car and saw her fighting him off and then trying to run, screaming for help as he grabbed her making her fall to the ground, he had never been so angry and scared.

Slowly he lowered her to her feet, and she shivered.

He cupped her cheek as Hunter and Seno watched her reaction.

“We need to get these wet things off of you. Seno can get the shower started, nice and warm to heat you up. Okay?” He reached for her sweater. She shook her head and clutched it tightly.

His heart ached. “Baby, you need to. Do you want to go into the bathroom and do it yourself?” Hunter asked her. She looked at him and shook her head.

“What do you need us to do?” Seno asked her. “We’ll do anything.”

“I can’t stop shaking. I need you to hold me.” A tear rolled down her cheek.

“We’ll help you,” Mace said just as they heard the heavy footsteps. Justice ran into the bedroom.

“Ellie?” He said her name and went to her then paused a few inches in front of her.

“I’m okay, Justice.” She stepped closer and he hugged her tightly.

A few seconds passed and he pulled back holding her by her arms. “You’re soaked. You need to get out of these clothes or you’ll catch a cold.”

“I know.” She didn’t move and they all just waited to see what she wanted them to do. She reached for Justice’s hand and pulled it to her cheek. She closed her eyes and hugged it to her.

“Help me, Justice. Help me feel safe, please,” she said.

* * * *

Ellie needed them. She wanted their touch, their mouths on her, their caresses and bodies. She wanted to soak up their cologne, their manliness and wear them like body armor. It was so wild and crazy, but she did. She felt almost desperate now. It was like she could have lost the opportunity to get to love them if Paul had been successful.

Mace, Seno, and Hunter stood around her, and Justice began to undo the small buttons on her sweater. The others helped pull off the wet material and drop it to the rug. Behind her Hunter unzipped the dress and lay soft kisses on her bare, damp shoulder as he peeled the material away. She closed her eyes and kept her arms at her sides as they removed the dress.

“Damn it,” Justice whispered and she popped her eyes open and saw him staring at her chest. She looked down, chin to chest and saw what appeared to be finger marks, just as Hunter unclipped the bra. The garment fell to the floor as did the remainder of the dress. Now she stood in thong panties, and her very high heels.

Justice leaned forward, gently cupped her breast, and kissed where the marks lay.