He kicked the door shut and carried her, thrashing and flailing to the bedroom.
His thumb covered her nose, making it impossible to breathe.Her heart jumped to her throat, cold panic swept through her veins.
He dropped her on the bed.His hand came off her mouth for a moment and she got a half-scream in before it clamped back down.
She kicked, aiming for his balls, but he jerked to the side in time to avoid it.He crawled over her and clamped his thighs around her legs to subdue her.
His hand slipped from her mouth and she screamed as loudly as possible.It only lasted a second before he cut off her air with his fingers closed around her throat.
Her eyes bulged.She thrashed underneath him.Thinking of the Marine next door, she reached out and slapped the bedroom wall.
Please hear me.
Alexander's fingers tightened around her neck.The edges of her vision turned black.Stars danced before her eyes.Light bled away.
God help her, he was going to kill her.
The apartment wallswere paper thin.He'd heard when Dimples brought a man home, their voices in the hall carrying into his apartment.
It shouldn't annoy him to hear a male voice.He didn't want to date Dimples.Even so, he wondered what kind of guy she'd brought home.A straight-laced salesman type.That was his guess.An accountant.A lawyer.His lip curled in a sneer.They'd marry Dimples because she'd look good on their arm, and they wouldn't deserve the purity of her heart.
He turned up the television to block out the sound.If they were going to have sex, he sure as hell didn't want to hear it.
He watched as Rick Grimes and his son killed five zombies onThe Walking Dead.That was what he felt like some days—a zombie.
He sat up and hit mute on the television.
Was that a scream?
He listened.
Nothing more came from next door.
Nah.He'd probably imagined it.
But then a thud sounded against the wall.
He stood up from the couch, his instincts kicking into high alert, adrenaline coursing through his body.
But no, this was probably more of his PTSD.The shrink said his body jumped into emergency mode too easily.Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.He walked out into the hall and listened at Kaitlyn's door.
Nothing.
He knocked.
Still nothing, and yet he was sure someone was inside.He'd just heard their voices in the hallway, hadn't he?
He tried the knob, but it was locked.Something crunched under his foot.He looked down.On the floor lay a crushed tube of lip gloss.Were those the contents of Kaitlyn's purse?He saw lipstick, and a phone with a pink butterfly protector.No way she would have left those there unless something had gone wrong.
Stepping back, he brought the sole of his foot to the door, right at the handle, splintering the thin wood.The door flew open.
Down the hall, the bedroom door stood open and Rob could see a guy was working his pants down with one hand, the other was clasped around Kaitlyn's throat.She lay on the bed, unmoving.
Shit.
The guy whirled, his look startled fury.
Rob pounded down the hallway and into the bedroom, his fist connecting with the guy's temple.
