Page 19 of Enforce This

My epiphany was interrupted by the sound of his boots being discarded. They made a gentle thump against the wooden floorboards before he flicked off the light. I nuzzled around against the arm of the sofa, trying to get comfortable as I closed my eyes.

That was when I heard the subtle sound of his belt being handled. I mean, it should have been subtle, but to me… It was something else entirely. I hyper-focused on the faint jangle as he unbuckled it and my core clenched when the leather whispered through each belt loop. I wasn’t expecting him to just drop it on the damn floor.

The belt clanked and thudded, and I flinched and sucked in a breath.

“You alright?” he called, his voice ebbing with concern.

“Wha–? Yeah,” I scrambled to answer, as humiliation flooded my cheeks. “Just– You know when you drift off to sleep, and it feels like you’re falling.”

Thank God, I was a decent liar.

“Yeah. I imagine you are pretty exhausted,” he quietly mused, before his zipper sounded.

I ducked my face into the covers, never more thankful to be in the dark with a stranger. The mattress creaked beneath his weight, and I started to throb.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

I had to get out of here. I had to get back to normal. My mind and body were betraying me. Doug and Mom had insisted I see a therapist, but I was fine. I was fine. Dick was healthier than dope, right? I was discreet. It was fine for me to use sex as a coping mechanism, when there were clubs and college parties and a whole world to discover.

But it was the worst thing imaginable when I was facing this much and locked in a cabin with–Him.

I tossed and turned on the couch. Even if I got out of here… Where would I go? Mom was gone. I didn’t have a key to Mark’s ranch. I didn’t know anyone at his compound. And Doug… I bit my lip to keep it from trembling and the tears that those urges had been trying to keep at bay suddenly began to spill down my cheeks.

I lost control of them. I lost control of my breathing. I just held the fuzzy blanket against my lips and sobbed.

Chapter Ten

Trista

I awoke to the faint sound of rain splattering. Despite how fitting I found the weather, I couldn’t get back to sleep with the sound of the water running down the rickety gutter outside.

“For Pete’s sake,” I whispered, pulling the blanket over my ear.

All hell broke loose outside the window. A loud bang gave way to a high-pitched squeal and a whole bunch of crashing answered it. My tense body arched so hard I probably looked like a damn cat as I shot into the air. I gripped the back of the sofa and shoved, propelling myself over it. My feet hit the floor and I stumbled wildly into Eric’s bed, wholeheartedly convinced that the fucking mafia was here and my moments on this Earth were limited.

My knight in shining armor, wasn’t wearing anything but his boxers. I know this, because his eyes snapped open, and his hand darted for my neck. He clutched it, snuffing a scream in my throat and his body whipped, like a crocodile in a death roll. He hauled me beneath him in one smooth act.

There was a murderous creature staring down at me and his hand was still hugging my throat like he didn’t see me at all. My brain demanded I do something to save myself, even as my body fawned with its favorite trauma response.

Finally, he blinked.

“I’m a former marine. A dishonorably discharged soldier with a documented history of cocaine possession. What– In. The. Fuck. Would make you think it is a good idea to try and attack me in my sleep?”

His hand tightened on my throat and his eyes darkened.

“Answer me,” he demanded, with a growl.

Tears burned my eyes. My world blurred before they spilled down my cheeks and I finally thawed enough to shift my head in his grasp, trying to deny his accusation.

He sucked in a breath and his fingers loosened, allowing me the necessary air to finally tell him, “There’s someone outside.”

His expression fell and all six foot four inches of him ripped away from me as abruptly as he’d claimed me. He marched in nothing but his boxers toward the dresser and grabbed his gun. I heard it click as he marched toward the front door, threw it open and prepared to confront whatever was out there.

My mind was reeling in a million directions. I was about to die. He’d just been on top of me. Practically naked. My core throbbed at the memory of his flesh against mine, his body wedged between my thighs, even as I strained to hear.

These were my last few moments. This was it. I’d survived Doug and his brother, and escaped a life with a biker father, just to die before I finished nursing school.

I closed my eyes against the panic attack that was driving me over the edge and gasped for air.