That Man 3 (22 page)

The phone rang again as he eyed my exposed center.

“Now I’m finally going to get myself some of that sweet pussy of yours.” He jammed
a stout finger deep inside me, and I screamed out.

“Shut up, cunt. And spread your legs,” he growled as he yanked out his finger.

I couldn’t get my legs to move.

“Fucking do it, bitch!”

Slowly, I spread my shaking legs.

He laughed again. “This time your asshole boyfriend won’t be around to save you. Chances
are you won’t be around to tell him all about it. And if things go as planned, neither
will he.”

Reality hit me with the force of an avalanche. He was going to rape me and then kill
me. And then he was going kill Blake. Oh God. How could this be happening? The phone
rang again and I began to think it was my always worried parents. Tears stormed down
my face. I was never going to see them again. They’d never get over losing me. And
poor Blake!

“Please, please, don’t kill me,” I sobbed.

“Jesus fucking Christ, SHUT UP! If I hear you say one more thing, this knife is going
to be anchored in your heart after I shove it up your cunt.”

I pressed my lips together and wept, trying impossibly to soften my sobs.

Gripping the knife, my assailant lifted his sweatshirt over his head, exposing his
flaccid hairy chest and ugly paunch. But as he started to pull down his pants, someone
knocked at the door.

“What the fuck?” growled Springer.

The knocking morphed into banging, and with a loud kick, the door came crashing down.

“You motherfucker!”

Oh my God. It was Blake! Holding a vase of roses with a SpongeBob balloon.

“Say good-bye to your girlfriend, Burns.”

My eyes widened as Don lowered the knife to my heart, but just as it touched down
on my skin, it went flying. Blake had managed to kick it out of his hand just in the
nick of time.

“You’re going to pay for that!” Springer leapt to his feet and charged at Blake. I
was free.

“Jen, get away,” yelled Blake as he defensively hurled the vase at Springer. It hit
him in the chest and then landed in one piece on the floor. The water puddled around
the scattered roses and a note while the balloon soared to the ceiling. It said “I
LOVE YOU.” Oh, my Blake!

“You motherfucker!” screamed Springer as he lunged at Blake.

Frantically, I crawled to the couch. A new kind of fear rushed into my bloodstream.
As I watched Springer deliver one blow after another to my beloved, I feared for his
life. A tsunami of tears assaulted me. My heart was in my throat. I could hardly breathe.

Struggling to ward off his assailant, Blake managed to reach for his cell phone. He
tossed it to me, and it landed close to where I was stationed. I grabbed it.

“Jen, call 911!” he shouted.

I quickly did as he asked as Springer punched him hard in the face. I cringed, feeling
all of his pain.

“Fuck you, Springer,” growled Blake, delivering a blow right back at him.

Their life and death battle escalated. Blake was panting and sweat poured down his
face. The madman, for sure, had the upper hand. Oh God! I prayed for Blake’s life
and for the police to get here soon.

The loud blows went back and forth. Grunt and groans filled the room and mixed with
my shrieks. Ducking one of Blake’s blows, Springer grabbed the vase.

“Blake!” I screamed out. But it was too late. With a roar, Springer crashed it over
Blake’s head, shattering it to pieces. Dazed, Blake collapsed onto his knees, next
to my crutches. Springer kicked him hard in the face, and Blake moaned. Blood trickled
from his nose. I was sobbing. My poor baby! And then another kick. Blake, close to
losing consciousness, swayed on his knees.

I couldn’t take it anymore. Dropping the phone, I made a beeline for the knife on
my hands and knees, crawling as fast as I could. God, help me. I couldn’t let that
monster destroy the man I loved with all my heart. My desperate pants sounded in my
ear as I neared the grisly weapon. It was within my reach when suddenly it went sliding
across the floor. Springer had gotten to it first and kicked it away from me. He directed
another hard kick at me. Gripping my ribs, I recoiled and groaned.

“You little fuck,” he snorted. “You’re next.”

“Blake!” I cried out as I watched Springer spring for the knife. He didn’t respond.
I cried out his name again even louder.

Clutching the knife, Springer stomped back to Blake. With his free hand, he yanked
off his ski mask and hurled it across the room. The expression on his face was one
of pure evil. I bit down so hard on my lip I could taste blood. My heart thudded.

My darling Blake had his head bowed; his eyes were rolling back. Oh God. I was about
to lose him. “No!” I screamed out. Desperate, I crawled toward him, knowing in my
heart I couldn’t save him.

Springer, wearing that ugly smirk, snickered. “Say good-bye to your fucking life,
cocksucker. You only have one thing to look forward to. After I fuck your bitch whore
to oblivion, she’ll be joining you.”

My bleeding heart stopped beating as Springer crouched down, and the knife descended
in slow motion.
Oh no, no, no, no!

“Motherfucker!” Blake! To my utter shock, he snatched a crutch and, in the mere blink
of an eye, bashed Springer’s balls. With a loud groan, the monster cupped his groin
and dropped to his knees. The knife fell out of his hand.

“You fucker!” he shrieked.

“You won’t be fucking
anyone
again,” growled Blake as he whacked him once more in the balls.

Don cried out again, his ugly face contorting with pain.

Red with rage, Blake staggered to his feet, holding the crutch.

He spit at Springer. Venom poured from his eyes. “I’m not done with you, you fucking
animal.”

“This one’s for messing with Eddie.”
WHACK!

“This one’s for calling me a cocksucker.”
WHACK!

“And this one’s for touching my girl.”
WHACK!

Springer was crying like a baby. Relentlessly, Blake whacked him again and again,
moving from his balls to his chest and then to his head. Springer collapsed unconscious
onto the floor. Blood poured from his nose.

“Fuck you, you piece of crap!” Blake grunted. After one more forceful blow, Blake
flung the crutch and sprinted over to me. I was sobbing beyond control. As sirens
roared in the near distance, he lifted me into his arms. Wrapping my arms and legs
tightly around him like an inconsolable child, I sobbed into his chest. He smoothed
my hair.

“Shh, baby, it’s over. Are you okay?”

I nodded, the tears unstoppable.

“Talk to me, baby. It’s me”

“Oh, Blake, I’m so, so sorry.”

“Sorry about what?”

I met his gaze. Love so deep colored his eyes.

“About everything.”

He kissed away my tears and then pressed his soft lips to my forehead. “Baby, there’s
nothing to be sorry about. We’re alive and together.”

“Oh, Blake, I love you so much.”

“The same. Don’t ever leave me, my tiger.” As more sirens sounded outside, his mouth
consumed mine in a kiss I’d never forget.

Blake

I
carried Jen to her bedroom and helped her get redressed. I’d undressed a lot of women,
but dressing one was a first for me. She didn’t say a word as she let me pick out
fresh lingerie and a new outfit. I swear, I was going to burn whatever that sick animal
had touched.

She was in no condition to stand up, with or without her bad foot, so I’d set her
on the edge of her bed. I gently kissed her silky skin everywhere, hoping to soothe
away the pain Springer had cause her. Sweet little moans spilled from her lips as
I slipped a lacy bra on her and then helped her into a matching thong. Tears were
still spilling from her eyes.

“Baby, you’re still crying,” I said softly, brushing her them away with my thumbs.
“Do want to talk about it?”

She shook her head, and her vulnerable eyes met mine. “I just love you so much. When
Springer told me he was going to kill you, my life was over right then. Oh, Blake,
if something terrible happened to you, I don’t think I could live.”

I squatted so we were face to face, just a breath apart. I traced her tear-stained
face with my hand and gazed into her watering green orbs. “Baby, for you, I’m invincible.
I’m
that
man who’s going to take care of you. Protect you from the monsters of the world.
Slay them if I have to. And no one’s going to get in my way. Do you understand that?”

With a sniffle and a small smile, she nodded. She knew at this moment
I
was her superhero who would always be there for her. Not Superman, Batman, or Spiderman.
No, me. Blake Burns. Yeah.
Thatman.
I took her in my arms and passionately kissed her. Yet again. Her hot tears wet my
face as she melted into me.

After another soft exchange of “I love you,” I finished dressing her. I trailed kisses
up her smooth as satin legs as I inched up a full skirt and along her taut torso as
I helped her into a blouse. Her pink nipples peeked out from the lacy bra and I tenderly
nibbled them.

She was still shaking. I’d learned when my baby was traumatized, she got chilled.
After buttoning up her blouse, I put my jacket on her. It dwarfed her tiny frame,
but I found it so fucking sexy. She was lost in me. There was one last thing I had
to put on her.

“Don’t move,” I said quietly as I dipped my hand into the breast pocket of my jacket.
Her eyes stayed fixed on me as I removed the tourmaline pendant necklace. Passion
danced in her eyes as I hooked it around her slender neck. “My heart belongs to you,
tiger.”

She rubbed the heart-shaped pink gemstone between her fingers as if it were a magic
charm. Then, she cradled my head in her soft hands and whispered, “Only to me.”

The police arrived shortly. My brave little tiger told them everything. I was shocked
to find out that she was almost raped in college and to learn her assailant and Springer
were one and the same person. The sick motherfucker. A lot of girls had been assaulted
by him and could now have closure. I had slain the monster.

Charges weren’t going to be pressed as my actions had been in self-defense. There
would, however, be an in-depth investigation. Right now, the police were more preoccupied
with our well-being. One particularly compassionate female officer was concerned about
not only Jennifer’s physical stability but also her emotional state. She gave Jennifer
a card with the name of a social worker who dealt with victims of sexual assault.
With a faint but appreciative smile, my girl said she would definitely give this person
a call. And I was going to be sure she did first thing in the morning.

The paramedics also showed up and wanted to take us to a hospital. While both of us
were battered up, not to mention my big ass headache, we declined. They were especially
concerned about Jen’s foot and removed the dirty bandage. It seemed okay. She told
them to leave it uncovered as her stitches were coming out tomorrow. The pain I’d
caused her had already faded.

I had literally done what my father had told me to do. Knocked down her door. And
thank fucking God, I had. If I hadn’t gotten to her house when I did, that bastard
would have killed her. I would have died too because
her
heart belonged to me. All that remained from my flowers was the SpongeBob balloon
with the words I LOVE YOU. The vase was in smithereens, the roses crushed, and my
clever little note blurred beyond recognition in a puddle of water. It didn’t matter.
Actions spoke louder than words. When I devoured her mouth and held her in my arms,
I knew she was mine.

With the front door bashed in, there was no way Jen could stay at her house. Besides,
it was the center of a major crime scene investigation. There was only one place she
was staying. And with only one person. Forced to leave her crutches behind because
they were part of the crime scene, she let me take her to my condo. She didn’t need
her crutches anyway. She had me. She belonged in my arms.

With candles lit, we took a bath together, another thing I’d never done with anyone
but her. Her sculpted back against my chest, she sat in front of me, and we let the
jets of my Jacuzzi tub soothe away our aches and pains and wash away the bad memory
of Don Springer. I alternated between sponging her gently and smothering her with
kisses. I also washed her hair with the cherry vanilla shampoo I’d bought because
it reminded me of her. She moaned as my fingers massaged her scalp. The intoxicating
scent made me heady. My cock grew hard beneath her. But I didn’t want to fuck her.
She’d been through too much and was still too frail. Her fragility tugged at my heartstrings.
In the morning, she would hopefully feel stronger. I was eager to talk to her and
learn more about what had happened in college. There was probably so much I didn’t
know about my tiger, but I was determined to discover everything about her.

After rinsing her hair, I stepped out of the deep basin and then lifted her out. I
toweled dried her and then set her down on the double sink counter. I caressed her
breasts and ran my fingers through her wet silky hair. She smelled so good. So cherry
vanilla. Gripping the tourmaline heart in one hand, she stroked my face with the other
and then kissed me.

“Blake,” she breathed in my ear, “I want you.” She wrapped a hand around my thick
shaft and stroked it up and down. I moaned with unexpected ecstasy. I wanted her too.
And my throbbing cock, Mr. Burns, wanted her beyond words. But not here.

Lifting her again into my arms, I carried her to my bedroom—my sanctuary where no
girl had ever been—to the place where she belonged.

My big king-sized bed. I spread her across it. Even with her bruises, she was a sight
to behold. She looked like an angel. Love and desire glinted in her eyes. The fierce
eyes of my tiger. I crawled onto the bed and kissed her everywhere. From her foot’s
wounded sole to her soulful face. No licks, laps, or nips. Just kisses, but the tongue-driven
kind that let me taste every bit of her. She tasted fucking delicious. Trailing kisses
down her torso, I buried my head in her slick pussy and kissed her delectable clit.
Her body bucked just a little and she moaned.