Page 43 of Brutal Truths

I move without thinking. Driving both knees up hard and fast. The hit lands exactly where I need it to. Right between his legs, busting his balls.

He gasps. His grip breaks, and he doubles over, folding in half.

My feet now under me, I stumble for a second before regaining my balance. It gives me another chance to strike. This is my one shot. I have to seize it now because my body is too weak to withstand another attempt.

I’m so glad Gabby drilled this into me. Learning how to maximize impact while absorbing the force through my heel was hard but necessary. We practiced for hours until I could do it without thinking.

Now it’s instinct.

I don’t hesitate once he’s down. Planting my back leg, I strike again. The hit sends him crashing to the ground, blood bursting from his nose.

Steadying myself, I move for the door, hoping this time it will open since it locks from the outside.

He had to leave it unlocked, right?

I’m inches away from my target when he grabs me from behind and rips me back, spinning me around to face him. Blood streaks down his face, fury twisting it into something vicious.

His hand comes out of nowhere, slapping my right cheek and sending a blinding wave of pain through my head as I go down.

I barely hit the floor before his foot comes crashing into my side, rolling me over. The force sharp and sickening, drives the air from my lungs. The agonizing pain is unbearable, and bile surges up my throat.

I can’t stop it.

The small amount I’d eaten comes back up, leaving a mess on his shoe.

“You cunt!” His booming voice fills the room, amplifying the pounding in my head. “You’re in for it now!”

I crawl across the floor, driven by sheer desperation, trying to put as much distance between him and me as I can. To my surprise, I make it further than expected, but it is only a ploy.

Seconds later, he snatches that hope away.

Pain sears through my scalp as his grip tightens in my hair, forcing me to my feet. In a moment of desperation, I reach for what I hope will be my salvation.

The rough floor scrapes against my skin as he pulls me along, my head snapping with every step, leaving me disoriented, unable to fight it.

“Remember, you have no one but yourself to blame for this. Fighting me only makes it worse on you.”

He grabs my left arm and uses it to toss me on the bed, where I land awkwardly on my right side.

I can’t move.

The pain locks me in place. My chest constricts, a suffocating pressure building as I struggle to breathe before he’s on me again. The taste of fear turns metallic in my mouth.

My vision blurs, my one good eye struggling to focus. Making it difficult to see what he’s doing.

The crack splits the air.

As his belt lashes my back, a cry tears from my throat, a sound I can’t stifle.

“I’m going to whip the shit out of you before I fuck you, you little cunt. Teach you a lesson about obedience and respect.” The air splits with the sound of leather right before the next strike. “You’ll burn for days. Perhaps next time you’ll think before making a foolish choice.”

I roll just before the strike lands, narrowly avoiding the impact. “Not a chance. I’ll kick you again if I get the chance.”

The belt slips from his hand, clattering to the ground as he lunges for me. His hands clamp around my throat, vise-like, cutting off my air until a desperate wheeze is all I can manage.

He’s right where I want him.

As I raise my arms, I hold on to him with my left hand and drive the hidden ceramic shard into his neck—straight into his jugular. Blood floods his throat, thick and hot, choking off his breath as his gasps turn into wet, bubbling sounds.