Beast

  She almost didn’t, but the way the guy leered at her, had her rethinking whether she should panic and dial Leonardo or just relax and get past the guy.

  Trust your instincts, babe.

  Glancing down at the phone still in her hand, she used her thumb to tap on the icon she’d set as the speed dial for Leonardo. She prayed this guy wouldn’t hear it ringing or Leonardo’s voice if he answered. Deciding to keep going since he all but stopped, she took a few more steps until she was at the middle point with him that turned onto the next flight. He took a step in front of her, not letting her by. “What’s the hurry? I just wanna a moment with you.”

  Feeling her heart spike, Allison tried in vain to get around him because he blocked her again. “My hurry is my boyfriend is waiting for me up there.”

  “No, he’s not.” He stepped in front of her again, making her flinch and squeeze her phone even tighter. His big body seemed to expand, making it even harder for her to go around him. “I saw him leave.”

  “No, he didn’t.” Allison contemplated running back down the stairs. “He’s coming back, and he’ll be looking for me.”

  Her phone rang, but before she could bring it to her ear, the guy grabbed it, smiling when he hit something on the screen that made it stop ringing. Leaning into her, he stuck it in her cleavage, his fingers caressing the top of her breasts.

  “Maybe he is looking for you. Better make this fast.” The guy stepped closer to her, inhaling deeply, and Allison took a step back. “You smell that?”

  He kept taking steps closer even as he continued to inhale deeply through his nose. Allison stupidly stepped backwards until she realized he’d cornered her into the wall. That’s when she finally snapped out of her terror-induced trance and tried to push him away, but he was too big—too strong. He continued to do the exaggerated inhaling thing. “That’s the smell of another man’s pussy.” He lifted his hand against the wall next to Allison’s face. “And you’re the most satisfying kind. My favorite.”

  “Fuck you!” she finally said, trying to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist so hard she thought it might snap.

  “Oh, no.” He pressed his heavy body against hers. “I think I’ll fuck you.”

  She started to cry out in pain because he squeezed her wrist even harder, but he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked hard. “Shut your fucking mouth,” he said through his teeth as he spread her legs with his knee.

  The door at the top opened, making him freeze for a second, but he recovered quickly. He kept his body over hers and kissed her, rendering her voiceless. His disgusting rancid tongue violated every corner of her mouth. Whoever had opened the door must’ve changed his mind about coming down when he saw the two love birds going at it in the stairwell. “Guess fucking you right here might be too risqué.” He dropped her wrist only to wrap that hand around her neck instead, making her gasp. “Move or make a sound and I’ll snuff the life out of you right here.” An evil smile lifted the corners of his mouth when her eyes nearly popped out in horror. “Wouldn’t be the first time I had to do that.”

  Like in one of the nightmares she used to have as a child where she couldn’t move or make a sound, she stood frozen and mute as his hand continued squeezing her windpipe. She felt completely helpless.

  He pulled her dress up, smiling big when he realized she wore no panties, then squeezed her neck a little tighter when she began to cry.

  “Please don’t!”

  “Shut the fuck up,” he hissed, spreading her legs, then closed his eyes as his fingers grazed her slit. “Fuck yeah,” he said, dipping a finger into her.

  Allison cried at the horrendous sensation of another man touching her. “Stop!” she sobbed, but he only squeezed her neck more, and Allison only prayed she’d pass out now before he could do more. She’d rather die a million times than experience the rest of what he seemed to have in mind.

  Twenty-eight

  BEAST

  Not all were there. Of the faces Leonardo had told Allison about, the ones he’d thought and hoped he’d never see again, only a few were in the apartment with the others Martinez would be briefing. Which meant there were still some up there—with Allison.

  Pacing as they all waited for Martinez to get there, Leonardo debated whether he should just head back and have the guys fill him in on what he missed later. His phone ringing made him flinch. Seeing Allison’s name on his screen already had him heading to the door.

  “Where you going?” Orlando asked, but Leonardo just held up a hand as he brought the phone to his ear.

  “What’s wrong?”

  It was muffled, and for a moment, Leonardo actually felt relieved and slowed. He could hear footsteps echoing loudly. It calmed the alarm that Allison would only call if something were wrong. This sounded like she’d dialed him accidently. Then he heard it.

  “What’s the hurry? I just wanna a moment with you.”

  Leonardo froze in place at the sound of the man’s voice. It took a second, but he recognized that unmistakable smug accent of that fucking douche he thought he’d never see again. Hearing Allison’s response only made the heat rip through Leonardo’s body even faster.

  “My hurry is my boyfriend is waiting for me up there.”

  “No, he’s not.”

  The line clicked, and Leonardo nearly roared. Martinez and his entourage walked in the door just as Leonardo rushed to it. “You leaving?”

  “Yeah, I gotta go.”

  There was no time for explanations. He tore by him headed to the elevator as he dialed Allison back. After the second ring, the call was sent to voicemail, which only alarmed him further. He hit the up button for the elevator, looking up to see what floor the elevators were on, cursing under his breath. All three were near the bottom floors. Martinez’s luxury apartment was just three floors down from the roof. Fuck it. He’d take the stairs. Nine and Orlando walked out into the hallway.

  “What’s going on?” Orlando asked as Leonardo rushed to the stairwell door.

  “Allison,” he said as he reached the door. “That piece of shit DeMoss is with her.”

  “Who?”

  “The fucker who ran the Coyotaje rings down in Yuma.” Leonardo pushed the door to the stairwell open. “Flip nearly killed his ass when he caught him messing with one of the little girls he was supposed to be smuggling.”

  Leonardo started up the stairs, not sure who he was more pissed at: that fucker for approaching her at all or himself for getting Allison involved in his shit to begin with. The blinding rage only intensified with every step he took.

  He cleared the first floor up easily then turned the corner to the next, nearly colliding with Drew. She was on her phone—alone—which only confirmed that wherever Allison was with that prick she was alone too.

  “Where’s Allison?”

  Drew pointed up. “The restroom,” she mouthed then covered her phone with her hand. “My daughter’s in urgent care,” she explained. “I had to take the call in here so I could hear better.”

  Leonardo tore up the rest of the stairs, skidding when he heard Drew clarify that Allison was on the floor before the roof. Not on the roof.

  Opening the door to the last floor before the roof, he rushed into the empty hallway. There was no time for etiquette. He rushed right into the ladies’ room. “Allison!” he called out leaning over to see under the stalls.

  He didn’t see any feet, but he knew better, so he kicked them open, ready to kill if anyone was holding her in there. When it was clear she wasn’t in any, he rushed out into the hallway again. Nine was just walking out of the stairwell behind Orlando. There was another door across the hall from that stairwell with a window just like it. Leonardo hurried toward it, looking in the window. Another stairwell.

  The movement on the upper part of that stairwell caught his eye, and in the next instant, everything but a loud buzzing noise in his ears went silent. He didn’t remember smashing the door open or tearing up the stairs to pull the fucking animal off her.
He was so blinded by the rage he didn’t even stop to check if Allison was okay. All he knew was he’d forever have the image of that fucking bastard holding her neck with one hand and his other hand between her legs. Worst of all, the image of her horrified crying face.

  DeMoss was on the floor, and Leonardo had no recollection of how he got there. But the asshole’s face was already a bloody mess, so Leonardo could only assume he pummeled him the moment he was close enough.

  “Look at me, you piece of shit.” He lifted the guy by the shirt. “I’m the guy who’s gonna end your fucking life.”

  Leonardo spit in his face. Then just like when he’d done this to his own dad, he knew the moment he started bashing DeMoss’s face he wouldn’t stop until the guy stopped breathing. It didn’t take long. What took longer was convincing Leonardo that he was dead.

  The moments after they were finally able to pull him off DeMoss’s lifeless body were a blur. Somehow Allison got whisked away; though Orlando had to shake Leo to get him to calm the fuck down and listen to what he was saying.

  “She’s fine, damn it! Nine’s with her now. He took her to Drew and will make sure they get home okay.”

  He didn’t even remember taking his shirt off or who took it off him, but he assumed it was Orlando since he was now wearing Orlando’s shirt to cover his bloodied wife beater. He and Orlando were rushing down the stairwell with Orlando reminding him every few minutes under his breath, “Keep your fucking head down. Do not look up. There’s cameras everywhere.”

  When they’d gone down a few flights, Orlando finally walked out into the hallway as Leonardo followed, his adrenaline still pumping through him like water through a fire hose. Next thing Leonardo knew they were in a restroom with Orlando ordering him to wash his hands.

  His friend moved quickly, drenching paper towels and roughly cleaning off the splattered blood all over Leonardo’s face. As soon as Orlando deemed the cleanup good enough, they grabbed the elevator the rest of the way down.

  The moment they were in the elevator, Leonardo realized it all happened so fast it suddenly dawned on him that he didn’t even know for sure. “Did he rape her?”

  Orlando stared at him with a blank expression. “Dude, you killed the guy. What does it—?”

  Leonardo grabbed him by the shirt. “Did he fucking rape her?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so. But he sure as fuck was going to.”

  Leonardo let go of Orlando and brought his hands to his face instead. “Fuck!”

  An endless trail of expletives followed as he banged the walls of the elevator. Leonardo could kick his own ass for having brought her into this life. He’d known it was dangerous. He’d known he’d ruin anything he touched. His phone rang just as they exited the elevator.

  “Are you okay?” was the first thing he said after hitting the answer button.

  “I’m fine. How are you?” Allison may have sounded well enough, but there was a slight trembling in her words.

  “Baby, I’m so sorry.” Feeling his own words tremble and then the huge boulder in his throat nearly suffocating him, he kept walking farther into a corner of the parking lot instead of toward Orlando’s truck. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered even as Allison insisted it wasn’t his fault.

  Of course she would. She had no idea who that bastard was or why he’d target her. Swatting the tears in anger, he took a deep breath.

  “. . . didn’t do anything but touch me.”

  Even hearing the tail end of what she was saying so frantically made him want to kill the guy all over again. When he was finally able to breathe a little calmer, he took one big deep breath. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen, baby, but whatever does, just remember I love you.”

  “What do you mean?” She sounded even more frantic now. “You were defending me, Leonardo, stopping a potential rape. You did what you had to. Just turn yourself in and tell them that. I’ll testify on your behalf. But don’t run.”

  There were sirens in the distance followed by more and more. “Dude, we gotta go,” Orlando called out from inside his truck already. “We need to get you out of here.”

  Leonardo thought of what Allison had just said, but he knew he couldn’t chance it. “I gotta go, babe. I’ll get in touch when I can. I love you.”

  He hung up before she could say anything more, before she could try to convince him to turn himself in. Maybe someone with a clean past would get off. Not Leonardo. Not a former cartel member.

  He got in the truck. “Where should we head to?” Orlando asked. “I gotta hide you out somewhere then wait for Nine to call in case he needs a ride home from the hospital.”

  “Hospital?” Leonardo turned to him in a panic. “But Allison said—”

  “Not Allison,” Orlando clarified. “Drew’s kid, remember? Since Allison’s feeling okay and Drew was worried, they decided to go straight to the hospital first. Nine said he’ll let me know if it’s gonna be long or if Allison can just drop Drew off and bring him home. But I can’t take you home. That’s the first place they’ll come looking as soon as they get wind it was you who killed that guy.”

  Leonardo let his head fall back on the seat. He was so fucked now. On the run again, he had two choices. He could get on his bike and head back to where he said he never return. It’d be assurance of two things. He’d never be caught by the cops, and he’d never see Allison again, so he wouldn’t have to worry about dragging her into his shit again.

  His second choice would be calling his probation officer and explaining what happened. Lawyer up and pray for a miracle. If he beat the charges, he’d still have a chance to stay in Allison’s life. Be happy, but the risk of his past possibly catching up to him—yet again—and putting her in danger would still be there.

  “Just get me to my bike. I know what I gotta do.”

  Twenty-nine

  Allison

  The good and sad thing about a big city like Los Angeles is even big stories are yesterday’s news as soon as a bigger story hits the headlines. Allison had numbly watched the footage on the news of the videotape showing both the censored part where the man began to attack her and the part where the other man ran in and saved her, killing her assailant in the process. An assailant who was a registered sex offender. Needless to say, there was little to no sympathy for the deceased.

  The first few days they’d aired it time and time again. Thankfully, none of the footage had a clear shot of any of the heroes’ faces. Just as she’d thought when she’d first seen all three guys that evening, with their attire and the way they’d cleaned up, they looked so different from their norm she could only hope it was why they’d yet to have anyone identify them. At least nothing was reported about it.

  They’d also blurred out Allison’s face, who they believed hadn’t come forward for fear of her life. Allison assumed that was because evidence of the rapist’s past ties with organized crime had also surfaced. Despite all that, the broadcasts still urged her to do so. Little did they know, she had. Thankfully, with her gym bag she kept in the car, she’d been able to change into her gym clothes at the hospital when they arrived. She had to. Her dress was ripped, and she needed to get any smell of that filthy rapist off her.

  So, when she’d finally gone into shock and was forced to be looked at by the medical staff, she wasn’t in that same little red dress seen around the world in the footage. She admitted to being attacked. Only she claimed it happened while she was running by a total stranger and that she’d been able to get away before he’d actually raped her.

  They’d administered a rape-kit exam. There was obviously no semen since he hadn’t gotten that far, but there was evidence of injuries to her privates since he’d been so rough. Not that any of that mattered since the guy was dead, but she hoped the report might at least come in handy should she be able to convince Leonardo to turn himself in.

  But it’d been three and a half days now, and she still hadn’t heard back from Leonardo. She’d had enough of waiting on pins
and needles. She needed answers. She needed to know what he planned on doing? He couldn’t just run for the rest of his life. What about her? What about them? Did he really expect her to just forget about him so easily?

  Wiping away tears, she drove into his driveway. Only Orlando’s truck was in it. He walked out onto the porch before she even got out of her car. Allison tried to make out his deadpan expression.

  “How are you?” he asked as soon as she was out of her car. “I heard you went into shock.”

  “Where is he?” she asked, still wiping away at the corners of her eyes.

  Orlando shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  “Don’t lie to me.” She rushed toward him. “Of course you know.”

  “I don’t. I really don’t. He left that night, and all he told me to tell you was that he loved you but he had to go. He won’t be back.”

  Allison felt her brows pinch at the same time she felt something stab her heart. “What do you mean he won’t be back?”

  “How can he?” Orlando asked. “They’ll lock him up for good.”

  Shaking her head adamantly, Allison spoke; though she knew she’d barely be able to without turning into a blubbering mess. “No, they won’t. He was defending me. Everyone who’s seen the video agrees that monster deserved it. It wasn’t the first time he’d assaulted someone, and it wouldn’t have been his last. The world is better off without him. Even a judge would agree to that.”

  “He didn’t want to take that chance, not with his record.”

  “So that’s it?” she squeaked out the words. “He’s just gone and he’s never coming back? But he said he’d call me.”

  Orlando shook his head sympathetically. “He can’t, sweetheart. He left his phone here. Too easy to track him down that way. But trust me; no one’s gonna find him now.”

  Feeling completely sick to her stomach, Allison sat down on the porch steps, defeated, and cried. Orlando sat down next to her and hugged her. She cried against his shoulder for what felt like forever until she was finally able to get herself together and left.