from Pain to Pleasure (Gainesville Book 1) (10 page)

Alex and Danielle sat at a table on the lanai next to the rectangular pool. It was bigger than most, but he had seen bigger. Dave came from money. They grew up in the same circles, which he kept from Danielle, so that she wouldn’t feel different. He never talked about his upbringing either. She didn’t need it thrown in her face that he came from a loving family, unlike her.

* * *

“I’m getting tired,” Danielle admitted around 2 a.m. She looked to Alex. “Can we go?” She had actually had a good time, overall; better than she expected.

Alex stood. “Sure, I’ll get Logan and Marie.”

When they got to their floor, Marie took Logan’s hand and winked. He hoped Alex would understand. “Hey, uh, Alex. You mind hanging out with Danielle for a few?”

Alex was glad for the reason to stay with her. “Sure.”

Danielle on the other hand, disagreed. “It’s not a good idea.” She worried someone waited in her room, to see if she came back alone. It would be easy to pick that lock.

“It’s late…” He almost told her that no one would check on her that late, but he wouldn’t put it past Brian. Finally, Alex said, “I’ll just go take a walk.”

* * *

Danielle lay in bed and listened to Logan and Marie moan. Technically, she didn’t listen, but they were so loud, she couldn’t hear the movie on her laptop over them. It made her wonder what sex with someone who cared was like. Alex told her it shouldn’t hurt, but she didn’t understand how that was true. Marie screamed sometimes. She shook when she heard that. Although, Marie didn’t seem to be in pain afterward.

When the noise died down, there was a knock at the door. She expected it to be Marie. Her eyes opened wide at the sight of Diego. “So, you went to a party with Alex, huh? Brian told you to stay away from him. Imagine what he’d say if I tell him where you were.”

“Please…” She backed up as he walked into the room. Her entire body shook with fear. “Please.” No other words came to her.

Diego closed the door behind him as he eyed her thin pajama top. He licked his lips while he watched her breasts move as she did. Then he slapped her across the face. “He told me to keep you in line. You know what that means, don’t you?”

Her eyes pleaded. “No. Please. No. Please. No.” Terror filled every inch of her. She backed into a dresser, with no way out.

He opened his belt and pulled it off. “I know how he punishes you. I haven’t gotten laid in a few weeks.” His hand moved to his button fly and tore it open. Then he pressed his body against hers. “I heard you got a nice pussy.” He slapped the belt against the bed. “It’s either the belt or my dick. Which do you prefer?”

Alex heard the crack of the belt from outside. He looked up and saw two figures through Danielle’s open curtains, one with short hair; not Marie. He hauled ass back to the building’s entrance, sure she was in trouble. His heart pounded; he was terrified Brian had returned. Brian would go ballistic if he knew they went out together.

* * *

Diego pushed Danielle onto the bed, face down while she trembled. Then he whacked the bed right next to her hip with his belt. She flinched, and he grinned. He wanted her to beg him to fuck her instead. Brian hadn’t actually given him permission to screw her, but he always said to do whatever made her comply with his rules.

Alex called Logan while he took the stairs two at a time. “Pick up the phone,” he begged as it rang. When he got voicemail, he tried again. Logan picked up. “Bust into Danielle’s room, now!” he ordered him.

“Why?”

“Now! Hurry!” Alex didn’t dare let Diego catch sight of him. He ducked into the bathroom.

Logan grabbed his pants. He and Marie were done but still in his bed. “Something’s wrong.” He told Marie while he pulled them on. He rushed out the door and flew next door. He shouldered the door open. “Hey! What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he screamed at Diego, who held his belt up, about to slap the bed again.

“Get out. We’re playing a game.” Diego had no idea who Logan was.

Logan stood his ground. “Danielle doesn’t play those kinds of games. She’s a good girl. Leave her alone.” He was shocked at the scene before him.

“She better be a good girl,” Diego growled. He heard more voices in the hallway and decided to cut his loses. “I’ll be back if you misbehave again.”

As soon as Diego was out of sight, Logan sat on the bed and rubbed Danielle’s back. She jumped, but he continued. “He’s gone. You’re OK.”

She crawled into a ball and cried. Flashes of her father’s belt on her skin went through her mind. “Please go,” she told him.

Alex walked into the room after he was sure Diego had left the building. “Did he hurt her?”

“I don’t know,” Logan admitted as he stood. “He was about to whip her with his belt, but I can’t see any welts.” He hesitated. “Alex, his pants were open, too. Is something going on?”

“I can’t say.” Alex waved at Logan to go, and then lay down next to Danielle. “Did he hit you?”

She pulled away. Brian couldn’t get involved or know that her own mind made it worse. “Just go, please.” She moved away from him.

He couldn’t just let it go. “It’s my fault. I’m sorry. I should’ve gone there alone. Did he see us together?”

“Yes,” she managed. His hand on her back made her cringe. She couldn’t deal with any more that night. “Let me go to sleep. Please?”

Alex knew when to give up. “OK. Knock if you need me.”

When the door closed again, Danielle sobbed. It was like she was in a prison, so much worse than if Brian was home. Maybe that’s what he wanted, for her to be happy only
he
hit her, only
he
punished her. Was he that calculating? That sadistic? She didn’t know but hated her life.
Hopefully, in the morning I’ll feel better and see it’s not as bad as it seems
.

Alex leaned on a wall in his room and listened to her cry, alone. He was powerless. It was the worst feeling. He wanted to know what Diego did and what he had planned to do if Logan hadn’t stopped him. Horrible images flooded his mind.
How far did Brian’s abuse go?
From her reactions, he was sure it mental, physical and sexual. He was the worst kind of abuser, with friends willing to do his dirty work.
How the hell am I gonna save her from him?

With a sigh, he pulled his phone out. It was early in California, so the late call wouldn’t disturb his brother. He quietly left the room and sat on the stairs at the end of the hall. Marie and Logan did not need to hear the conversation.

When Nathan answered, he closed his eyes. “I need to talk.”

Nathan walked outside and sat on a chair. “Sure, bro. What’s up?”

They were closer than most brothers. The three years that separated them were shortened in school. Nathan was held back in the fourth grade. More than that had made them so close.

“That girl I told you about. Danielle.” Alex sighed. “Her boyfriend has guys stalking her, basically. I need to do something about it.”

Nathan’s eyebrows scrunched up. “Don’t tell me you just wanna protect her. That’s not love.”

“I’m not stupid.” Alex shook his head. “This has nothing to do with how I feel about her. She’s terrified, and it’s killing me.” He knew that fear, although he rarely admitted it.

“Tell her what happened to you,” Nathan said quietly. “She’s gotta wonder why you never date. Tell her she’s helping you too.” He wished his brother had gone to counseling back then. Maybe then, he wouldn’t have become such a playboy. “You can’t say meeting her didn’t change you.”

Alex groaned. “It did. I can’t stop thinking about her.” He smiled. “I haven’t fucked anyone.”

“Wait.” Nathan’s mouth dropped. “You stopped having sex? Did you smash your head on something?” He laughed as he remembered the parade of girls they had in high school. “Never thought any chick could tame you.”

“Well, she has.” Alex chuckled. “My dick hates me, but I just can’t think of anyone else.”

Nathan was happy for him. “Tread lightly. She needs assurance.”

“I know that.” Alex exhaled loudly. “I’m supportive and shit. She keeps pushing me away.”

“You know why.” Nathan glared at the phone as if his little brother could see him. “You never let anyone in again.”

Alex nodded. “I know.” He leaned his head on the railing. “No one seemed worth the risk until her. If she breaks my heart, then… Well, then she does.” He closed his eyes against the memories he let go years ago.

“Tell her.” Nathan looked up when his wife called to him. “I gotta go. Seriously, tell her, and maybe she’ll see life can get better.”

When the line went dead, Alex shoved his phone in his pocket and headed back to his room. The couple on the next bed were asleep. He got in bed and breathed deeply to relax. Then he let the images come.

* * *

His freshman year of high school he was skinny and awkward with girls. The older boys taunted him. He had opted to go to the private school his parents had sent his older siblings to. Nathan was expelled the year before for fighting. Alex did not know how to fight back. Their mother forbade his brothers to teach him. She was somewhat of a pacifist.

He had a crush on a sophomore, who dated a senior on the football team. She usually ignored him. One day, she came onto him and promised to rid him of his virginity. He followed her to the boy’s locker room. It was empty.

After she had taken off her uniform, she stripped him naked. He stared at her frilly underwear. His cock was hard and ready, although even that had not fully developed yet. She kissed him and let him feel her up. However, she didn’t touch him.

Then suddenly he was pulled away. Four football players were there, including her boyfriend. She laughed at him and nodded at the boys. She dressed, and then took his clothes. He was beaten into unconsciousness and left on the floor.

When Alex woke up, he found a towel and called Nathan. He hid in his room for almost a week and said he was sick. His mother figured out what happened, though. When he went back to school, it was worse than the beating. Naked photos of him were distributed school wide. He was tormented daily. The girls made fun of him.

Nathan helped him convince their mother he should change schools. Then they started to work out together. Secretly, Nathan taught Alex to fight. He soon blossomed into a completely different person, who wouldn’t take shit from anyone. Also, he swore never to trust another woman.

* * *

His thoughts shifted to Danielle. “Until you.”

The last day of September came quickly. Danielle was in her room getting ready for classes that Friday morning. In the prior three weeks, she let her guard down even more, but only with Alex. She joined the therapy group he found for her on campus. The women there had also suffered abuse. She just listened and kept to herself, scared to open up to strangers. It comforted her to know she wasn’t alone, although none of them had endured what she had. She wasn’t sure what it would take for her to talk about herself.

The self-defense class was a different story, though. Alex took her to watch one day. She was amazed at all the ways an attacker could be stopped. Since she was so short, she feared she couldn’t thwart anyone. However, she joined anyway, hopeful. The second class they went to, Alex volunteered to be the one she defended against, so she wasn’t afraid. It worked. She actually got him with an elbow to the ribs. Guilt consumed her when he made a sound of pain, but his smile eased it.

Next door, Alex thought of the last few weeks as well. He was glad she sought out help but yearned to be closer to her. Even with the counseling and classes, she kept him at arm’s length, so to speak. She told him tidbits of her abuse when memories came to her. He controlled himself, but it wasn’t easy. She still had not explained why she covered up most of her body. However, she did divulge she had been beaten from the age of three by her father.

She also admitted that Brian hit her often before he had promised to change for the last time. He knew she was deluded in her belief he wouldn’t abuse her any longer. The visits from Diego and Jeff proved that. He didn’t have the heart to say it, though. At least her eyes told him she cared for him in some way. He vowed to show her she could move on from Brian, even if she wasn’t ready to tell Brian to fuck off. That part would be harder than accepting Alex’s feelings for her, and he knew it.

“You’re going, right?” Marie asked Danielle while she pulled a T-shirt on.

Danielle softly replied, “Yes.”

She was nervous about the trip to Knoxville to see Alex play. She didn’t miss a home game, but Diego had told her she couldn’t go. Brian had called the night before, in a good mood. He said she could go, as long as Marie was with her the whole time, Alex was not and she brought her laptop. She agreed. He had no clue Alex was on the football team. She was surprised no one had told him yet. The laptop request confused her, but he wanted her grades to be good.

“See you tonight.” Alex said to Logan as he left the room for his first class.

Alex sighed and lay back on his bed. He looked down his body at the erection that strained against his jeans. It had been almost six weeks since he had sex. He didn’t know how much longer he could take it.
Would it be so bad to fuck a random girl, to get some relief?

“Hell yeah it would!” he shouted at himself. Danielle meant too much to him.

He groaned, and then opened his pants. He took it out, held it up and imagined her on top of him. His hand ran up and down as he almost felt her wrapped around him. He sighed with just a little relief. The female voices next door fueled his desire.

“Danielle, bring a skirt.” Marie smirked. She tried to push her toward Alex and away from Brian. “There’s gonna be a huge party after the game. You need to look hot as hell.”

With a shake of her head, Danielle went to close her laptop. The camera was on for some reason. She closed the lid and put it in her bag without a second thought. “I don’t have any skirts.” She didn’t want to explain why she wouldn’t wear them willingly.

“Fuck,” Alex whispered to himself and went harder. Then he heard her voice through the wall. His breath caught in his throat, and his head went back. “Danielle…” He could see her ride him hard, could feel her hands on his chest. She laughed, and he lost it. “God…”