Dangerously Beautiful

Chapter 15

     I walked outside of the warehouse and waited for Finn to finish up inside. I pulled out a cigarette and lighter while waiting underneath the only streetlight outside. I inhaled a lungful of smoke and blew out slowly looking out toward the pitch-black parking lot. My vision is still slightly blurry from the amount of alcohol I had earlier.

     As I took another hit and blew it out, a hand came around and clamped down onto my mouth, causing me to drop my cigarette. I screamed into the person's hand as I elbowed them in their abdomen. I heard a grunt as they loosened their hold on me just as another person came up and grabbed my waist from behind. I tried to push them off but the first man came back up and grabbed my hands and held them in front of me.

     "Aww. What's wrong darling? You're not so tough now, are you?" a smoker's voice spoke behind me as the other man chuckled. They pulled me out from underneath the safety of the street light. I was forced down onto my knees by one of the men while the other held my hands behind my back.

     "Don't worry sweetheart. We'll take real good care of you." The man in front of me said while he started unbuckling his pants.

     I looked up into the man's cold eyes and immediately went back into time to when I was only fourteen."Don't worry sweetheart. I'll take real good care of you." I felt tears stream down my face at the thought of the memory. I was helpless then and I'm helpless now. Was all these years for nothing? Am I still the same, broken girl that I was all those years ago. And if not, then what changed? I'm still alone now, as much as I was back then. Only now, I don't even have my brother to rescue me.

     I stayed there frozen and completely numb as tears silently streamed down my face. I was breathing hard as the man ripped my sports bra off and left me bare in front of them both. I struggled in their grip, trying to break free, but with two grown men, I was basically defenseless. I felt the man behind me, roughly grab one of my breasts in his rough, calloused hand. I cried out in pain as the man in front of me slapped me hard across the face making me fall to the ground. I felt so weak in that moment, living a woman's worst nightmare again for the second time in my life. I was openly crying now as the man grabbed me by the throat and lifted me up from the ground. I felt something trapped inside of me threatening to burst, and yet, nothing happened.

     I was so caught up at that moment, that I didn't even notice movement from my right until I heard grunts behind me. I stayed staring wide-eyed at the man in front of me who was still holding onto me by my throat. He was ripped away from me with a groan as he was thrown onto the ground. I collapsed onto the dirty parking lot ground as I stayed there silently sobbing. I was sitting there covering up my exposed breast when I heard a voice that I never thought I would hear.

     "Are you okay?" I stayed there silently looking at the ground covered in used needles and condom wrappers. "Kaia? Please tell me you're okay." I didn't move a muscle. I guess some may say that I was in shock. I was aware of everything going on around me but I was unable to respond.

     I heard footsteps approaching until my chin was being lifted. My eyes were met with worried-filled, forest green eyes. He looked at me with such sadness and regret. He moved his hand to the neck of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. I sat there frozen while he pulled the fabric over my head and pulled each of my arms through. "Kaia. Please, baby. Tell me that you're okay. Did they hurt you?" His voice was strained and laced with sadness and anger.

     I looked at him with a blank and numb expression even as tears were still streaming down my face. "I'm fine."

     "Kaia, you're not fucking fine! Why can't you just let down your guard and just be real with me for once? You are not fine, Kaia. It's okay to say it." I could see the tears forming in his eyes as he said every word. "Why can't you just say you're not fine?" He asked with hurt in his voice.