“Get your fucking mouth off me, Niall. God knows where your lips have been.”
Niall staggered backward and laughed under his breath. Once he’d recovered his footing, he lunged at her, seized her forearms and pinned them to the wall behind her, his full height crowding her.
Panic swirled in her chest, her pulse thundering as he squirmed against him, doing her best to get away.
“Niall… Back the fuck up.”
Her heart hammered in her chest, her breath coming in ragged bursts. Every muscle in her body braced, the air charged with anger and desperation.
Niall’s grip tightened on her wrists, and she knew she had seconds before he’d pin her again.
She didn’t think, just reacted, lifting her knee with all the force she had. The satisfying thud of it hitting his groin made her pulse spike, a rush of triumph flooding her veins.
For that brief second, she was fighting back and winning.
He gasped, his grip loosening for a beat, giving her the opportunity to twist free. As she scrambled for the door, his fists came at her.
Even though his sluggish punches were all over the place, they still hit hard.
She’d let him push her around for too long, let him wear her down, let him break her spirit. But tonight? Tonight, she wouldn’t give him that power. The thought of it made her rage burn hotter, made her fight harder.
The adrenaline surged through her, fuelling every move as she squared up, fists clenched. Her body reacted before her mind caught up, throwing a jab at him with everything she had.
His nostrils flared, and his cruel smile only deepened. The punch hadn’t slowed him down. If anything, it only seemed to enrage him more.
She stood there, heart pounding, but now even more determined.
His fingers wrenched at her hair, yanking her head back. The rough floor met her body with a thud. Anger surged through her veins as her heart hammered in her chest.
He pressed her down, his hands yanking her dress up, his body grinding against hers as she fought beneath him. His low growl vibrated through the air, words laced with venom and manipulation.
“You know you want this,” he sneered, his breath hot against her ear. “You’ve been asking for it. Flirting with Mitch to piss me off, huh? Is that what this is? Trying to make me jealous? You think I don’t know what you’re doing?”
His hands dug harder into her skin, the pressure forcing her to swallow the bile rising in her throat.
“You brought this on yourself, Shannon,” he spat. “Don’t act like you’re innocent. You wanted me to come after you, wanted to make me lose my shit. Well, here we are. Don’t act surprised.”
His accusation echoed in her mind, threatening to undo everything she’d built around her. For a moment, her heart constricted, wondering if maybe he was right.
Had she brought this on herself? Had she pushed him too far? A wash of shame crawled up her spine. But no, she wouldn’t fall for it. She wouldn’t let him turn this around on her anymore.
Her fists clenched tighter as the adrenaline fuelled her fight, knowing deep down this was her moment to take back control.
Because in his world, everything was her fault, and she knew he wasn’t letting go until she understood that.
When he kicked her legs open, something snapped. She threw her forehead into his nose with all the strength she had left and panted when blood spattered across her cheeks.
At that moment, the door flew open and Harry charged in, his expression dark.
As Harry hauled Niall off her, Shannon’s first instinct was to curl up, but the shock of it all left her rigid. She should be grateful, but part of her wanted to scream at Harry.
How had it come to this? How had he turned a blind eye for so long?
“Who the fuck do you think you are, you little shit?” Harry gritted out.
“It was her, Dad…she started it.”
“Enough!” Harry bit out. “Get the fuck out of my sight, Niall.”
