Moving Objects

Chapter 15

"Rose?" Dimitri called out as I got the door. I turned to face him while tightening the towel.

"I need to run down to the main resort. I got a message from Mama but I can't get enough service out here. I'll be back soon, hour tops," he said, but I could hear a twinge of panic in his voice. I nodded and told him to take his time and that I was going to have a shower. He gave me a smile and kissed my head before heading out. I walked into the suite and made my way to the bathroom, stripping off the towel and the bikini top. I sighed in relief as I washed the salt from my hair and skin, lathering the body wash over me. After deeming that my curls were smooth enough from the conditioner I got out, drying myself off. I ran the towel over me as I walked back into the main room. I heard the door creak open gently as I approached the dresser.

**

"Dimitri?" I called out as I rubbed the towel against my hair and then dropped it to the floor. It's not like I needed to cover up around him, and everyone else knew better than to come in without knocking. I rooted through the dresser and pulled on some underwear and a bra when a hand touched my back gently, fingertips moving up between my shoulder blades. But the sensation of the fingers was...off. I spun around to find not Dimitri, but Howes standing there. I quickly ducked to grab the towel to cover myself but as I came back up his fist came down on my face. It was a hard hit and the burst of pain along my cheekbone and behind my eye made me sink to my knees.

Howes put his weight against me and forced me onto the floor, my face pressed against the wood. I pushed against him and tried to get my hands free of his grasp as he held them tight against my lower back, but it was pointless. The only thing that was going to happen there was me dislocating my shoulder.

"It will be easier for you if you don't struggle," Howes said using his hand to crack my head down on the floor. Alright, that mixed with the few drinks I had did not go well together. I groaned as the world before me spun, but a faint noise that set everything straight. The sound of him undoing his pants. It's like the sound snapped something in me and I wiggled violently under him, trying my best to get him off of me. I managed to buck myself up to knock him off balance but the sickening crack of my shoulder made a scream slip through my lips.

I used the moment of him being unsteady to roll under him, ripping my hands from his grasp. I reached up and gripped onto his neck and butted my head against his as hard as I could. His nose cracked against my forehead and he swore, moving away from me to avoid the punch I aimed. It was sloppy, but I managed to clip his jaw. It was the split second I needed to scramble away from him, but I didn't get far, because he grabbed onto my foot and dragged me back to him.

"No!" I screeched, kicking out at him but he was smarter than he was before and clamped my legs together. I yanked as hard as I could but knew that he was going to use his weight against me, so I used the only advantage I had in this moment. I looked up at the heavy sculpture on the table and used every ounce of strength I had, hurling it at Jared, praying that it hit him. Weight was lifted off me and I crawled out from my spot, getting to my feet and moving across the room as fast as I could. I looked at him and watched, waiting for him to move but he didn't; he just laid there.

**

I grabbed the closest thing to cover myself and high tailed out of the room, running into someone immediately. I raised my hand to throw a punch but Guardian Tua gave me an alarmed look.

"Woah, Woah, easy kid. What happened?" he asked. I couldn't make any words come out over my heavy breathing and the onset of tears, so I just pointed shakenly to the room. My hasty exit must have drawn the attention of other Guardians because four more came around the corner along with Lissa and Eddie, Dimitri not far behind them. Lissa was next to me in a heartbeat, grabbing onto my shoulder, and I yelped in pain, forgetting about the dislocated shoulder. Dimitri came over and looked me over while Eddie followed the trail of Guardians into my room. Dimitri's face was stone-like as he palpated my shoulder, gauging my reactions before moving my arm into position to pop it back in.