Struggling Free (Hidden Secrets Book 5) by P. J. Belden Read Free Book Online Page A

butt. Jacob hurried off the couch toward me reaching out his hands.
    “No!” I stood and backed away from him. “No, don’t touch me.” Crouching down in a corner, my hands over my head as it rested on my knees, I kept repeating. “Don’t touch me. Please don’t touch me.”
    “Vicky?” His voice sounded muffled almost.
    I could hear the crashing of dishes again. The smell of alcohol was so strong that I almost gagged. The heavy staggered footsteps headed in my direction again. The blood trailed down my arm, I could feel the warmth it left behind. The heavy breathing mixed with the uneven thuds of the footsteps. It was building inside of me. I could feel it. If I could just keep quiet, just a little bit longer…
    “Vicky? Look at me. It’s Jacob.”
    “Jacob?” I breathed.
    “Yes, Vicky. It’s Jacob. Please look at me.”
    The breathing and footsteps slowly disappeared as I looked up and met the eyes of the one man that has made me feel safe. The relief that flooded through me shook me and I felt the room start spinning before it all turned black.

Chapter Six
    Jacob
     
     
     
     
    As Vicky collapsed in my arms, her words echoed in my head. Someone has hurt her. Someone has scared her. This pissed me off more than anything ever has before. I wasn’t even this pissed when one of the women I fucked on occasion tried to sell a picture of my dick to the gossip magazines. Thankfully, my lawyer caught it and killed it before the picture got out. Not that I would have cared honestly. I was proud of my manhood. Though I wasn’t keen on the world seeing it, but more important I didn’t want my family to see it all over the place.
    Carefully, I carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the king bed. Gently, I lifted her to pull the covers over her. She looked so small on the big bed. Everything in me wanted to lie next to her, hold her, keep her safe until every last fear disappeared. Reaching out, I moved the hair from her face. Damn was she beautiful. Witnessing what I just did, I knew my constant attacks on her spurred some kind of nightmare.
    A thought occurred to me then. Rex had sent her in a violent outburst. She didn’t react that way with me. Or at least I don’t think she did. God the sexual tension between us wasn’t just smoking or on fire, it was searing. Just looking at her searching the television room in her short shorts, tight tank top and the messy thing with her hair, had me hard again even after the explosive release I had in the shower. Damn, I shifted slightly before pressing a soft kiss to her temple and standing. I had just made it to the door when she started tossing and turning on the bed.
    “No! Stop! Don’t touch me!” She screamed loudly as her head whipped to the side.
    Moving quickly to the bed, I cupped her face in my hands. “Wake up Vicky!” I urged her.
    She continued to scream and thrash. Panic started to build in the pit of my stomach. Hell, I didn’t know what to do in a situation like this. I’ve never been close enough to someone to witness it. Kayla had nightmares when she was younger and all I had to do was lay down with her talking about nothing to give her the peace she needed to fall back asleep. Now she had Jason. Colleen had Carson. Mary had Tobey. If they still had nightmares, I didn’t see them. I didn’t know what I should do. So, I did the one thing that seemed to distract her.
    “Vicky, it’s me Jacob. I need to kiss you.” I ran my thumbs on her cheeks. “I need to taste your sweet, irresistible lips. Do you hear me, Vicky? I’m going to kiss you.”
    “Ja -Jacob…”
    That was all I needed to hear to know she heard me. I kissed her lightly at first. Repeated the soft kisses until her thrashing eased some, then I kissed her deeper until her body relaxed against the bed. It was only then that I forced myself to stop kissing her. Pulling back, I looked down at her. Her eyes were still closed, but she was breathing normal and there was a slight