Quinn

“You don’t know who you fucking messed with!” I jumped at the wicked declaration suddenly right behind me. I turned around to see Jillian standing with a knife pointed in my direction. Her dilated eyes revealed an evil inside. Drugs, alcohol, hatred, and a weapon made a deadly mix. My heart stopped as Jillian charged.

My head whipped back from the force of the blow. Blood shot from the corner of my mouth as Jillian’s knuckles made contact with my lower lip. The evil in her eyes shone in the dim light of the parking lot. The stench of her breath only added to the demon-like figure before me.

Swiping my fingertips over my mouth, I struggled to my feet, but Jillian was suddenly on top of me, her fishnet-clad thighs straddling my chest, pinning me to the cold asphalt below. I tried not to focus on the crazed face looming over me. Her face showed a fury that made me realize she would indeed try to kill me. She was too far gone to stop in her attack.

I had knocked the knife out of Jillian’s hand when she unexpectedly lunged at me. But the knife remained within my reach. If only I could stretch out my arm and—

“Stop fighting me, bitch! I’m going to show you what happens when you mess with me. Do you know who I am? How dare you punch me in the club! You’ll pay for that now!”

I blocked the pummel of hands, feeling Jillian’s skin beneath my nails as I clawed at her face. I let out a scream even though no one would hear. The music in the club was too loud. No one was there to save me. I had no choice but to save myself.

Jillian grunted, beads of sweat dripping off her forehead. I could feel Jillian’s strength weakening. Hope washed over me. I could still fight her off. I just needed to outlast her power. Stamina and sobriety could save my life.

Jillian was breathing hard, her scrawny body heaving from each jagged pant. She had me trapped on the cold ground, but I knew I had a chance to break free as Jillian’s energy faded. I struggled to draw air into my lungs, but Jillian’s weight on my stomach almost suffocated me. I couldn’t wrestle out from her hold, let alone take a breath. My own energy faded just as fast. I sucked in much-needed oxygen, refusing to look at Jillian’s disgusting face only inches from my own as she continued to punch at my head. From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of silver.

Her knife. I needed to reach her knife.

Reach for the knife.

I forced myself to be brave. I took a calming breath to steady my nerves. I breathed evenly through my nose, slowly counting to five. I could do this. I had to do this. I had to fight back, or Jillian would kill me.

Before Jillian could react, my hand reached out, fingers connecting with the silver handle of the knife. When Jillian realized what I was doing, she lunged for the blade. But she wasn’t fast enough. Her eyes bulged in shock just as I stuck the blade into her upper arm.

Jillian screamed as she glanced down at her bloody arm in horror. Her dark eyes flashed with rage as she knocked the knife out of my hand, sending it flying across the ground. Jillian grabbed a hold of my neck and squeezed with a renewed, superhuman strength. Struggling for air, I realized I was going to die by Jillian’s hand. I had missed my chance.

* * *

Axel

My chest felt heavy as I walked back into the club. The realization that Quinn had probably left by now made my throat tighten, but knowing I was the one who’d turned my back on her hurt even more.

Go to her.

Those three words repeated over and over again in my mind, screamed from my soul.

I walked halfway to the VIP area when I finally couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to see if Quinn was still out there. Maybe she hadn’t left yet. Maybe I still had the chance to make things right. I needed to make it right.

I threw open the back door and froze in place, panic rising in my body as I watched the scene before me. With a burst of rage, I charged toward Quinn. She lay flat on her back, with Jillian on top of her, choking the life right out of her.

Suddenly Quinn snapped into a state of alertness, landing a nasty punch to Jillian’s jaw. Quinn reached to grab a jagged rock near her hand, crashing it down on the side of Jillian’s head. The blow sent her into unconsciousness and she collapsed on top of Quinn.

The silence deafening, I surged toward Quinn. “God, Quinn! Are you okay?” I pulled her from under Jillian’s body.

* * *

Quinn

The sound of Axel’s voice brought tears to my eyes. He was here! Help… a miracle… Axel was here.

Almost instantly, my entire body began to shake. My breath came out in ragged gasps. Air. I needed air. Jillian was dead! I killed someone! I took another’s life!

“I’m here, Quinn. Everything’s going to be okay.” I felt Axel’s hand on my forearm. Blinking with confusion, I looked down and saw that my bloody hand still gripped the rock.

“I killed her! Oh my god!”

Axel placed his hand on Jillian’s throat and checked for a pulse. “No. She’s alive.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed 911. In a hurry, he explained the situation to dispatch and demanded they send the police and ambulance.

“It’s okay, Quinn. You were defending yourself.” The soft reassurance of his voice soothed me. I loosened my grip on the rock and let it fall to the ground.

“Are you all right?” he asked gruffly.

I stared into his dark eyes for a long moment before finally whispering, “No.” And then I threw myself at him, needing his strength.

I clung to him desperately as I sobbed for what felt like a lifetime. Weak from exhaustion, my body collapsed against his. The next thing I knew, I was in his arms, and he stroked my back with his big, warm hands. “It’s all right,” he said softly. “You’re all right now.”

He pulled back slightly, remorse clouding his shadowed eyes. “I’m so sorry. I should have never left you.”

Tears stung my eyes. “I’m sorry I put you in a situation that you felt you had to. I know you may never trust me again.”

Axel’s features creased with remorse. “I left you, and you got attacked. It’s all my fault.”

“You had no way of knowing.”

Axel looked ready to argue, but a shout from behind put an end to the conversation. I turned to see two police officers immediately hurry toward Jillian’s unconscious form.

“What happened?” the cop demanded, his steely eyes fixed on me and Axel.

In a calm yet firm voice, Axel told the officers everything. When he finished, he glanced at me and smiled. It was a smile that let me know it truly would be all right. Everything would be fine… with Axel.

After hours of answering questions and filling out paperwork, we were finally free to go. I felt relief when Jillian regained consciousness as the paramedics arrived. No matter what, I didn’t want to hurt her, and definitely didn’t want to kill her. The incident was the most terrifying experience of my life. I refused to press charges even though the police urged me to do so. At the end of the day, Jillian needed help. Not jail, but help with her demons, and definitely help with her addictions.

Axel escorted me to the limo and gently assisted me inside. “Do you hurt? You have cuts and bruises.”

“A little, but I’ll be fine.”

Axel watched me intently. His eyes shone with so much protectiveness. So much uncertainty. He reached out, cupping the right side of my face ever so gently in the palm of his hand. “We’re going to the hospital to get everything checked out.”

“I’m fine. Please, I don’t want to go to the hospital. I have some cuts and bruises. That’s all. The paramedics already checked me out. Please.”

Axel sighed. “Fine, but you’re staying with me tonight. Don’t even try arguing. I’m not asking, I’m telling.”

I blinked back more tears and he leaned forward and slowly, reverently, pressed a kiss to my bruised cheek. He repeated the gesture, kissing my cut cheekbone, then the bridge of my bloody nose, the curve of my beaten jaw, my eyelid. Finally, he found my mouth and pressed his lips to mine. I started to cry as he pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me.

“I’m not going anywhere, Quinn. I will never leave your side again.”

“Oh, god,” I said, my hands curling into the fabric of his shirt as I pulled him closer, almost as though I tried to merge my body with his. “You have no idea how afraid I was.”

Axel nodded. “I’ll never let Jillian near you again.”

I shook my head. “No. I don’t care about Jillian and that whole incident. It’s over. I was so scared of losing… you.”

“Never again,” he whispered as he dropped a kiss onto my forehead.

I leaned into him deeper. “You’ll forgive me?” I asked and rested my tear-stained face in the crook of Axel’s neck for a moment. His hand found my back and massaged it lightly in small circles for a long moment.

“I can’t stand seeing you cry.” He leaned over and kissed my damp cheek. “I love you.”

“Let’s go to your place and work things out. Let us start over, please. Let’s make us whole again,” I pleaded. “Forgive me and love me again.”