The Prologue by Kassandra Kush Read Free Book Online Page B

arched in pain when Tony grabbed her here. On purpose. Because he’d put this mark here. “Tony did this to you?”
    “Get away from me!” Evie is fighting and spitting like a cat, and I finally let her back away. “Don’t touch me! Ever!” she says, her chest rising and falling with rapid speed. She’s backed herself into one corner of the stall, both arms wrapped around her waist, partly in defense, partly to cradle her ribs, no doubt.
    Her eyes are huge in her face, and I realize I’ve scared her, grabbing her like that. I lift up my hands and stay completely still. I try to control my shaking voice, and it takes a huge effort not to let it be deep and hoarse with rage. “How long has this been going on, Evie? Why are you letting him do that to you?”
    Her chest is still heaving, and tears are leaking out of her eyes. She lifts up a hand to wipe them away, but it’s shaking so badly that she barely pushes away any of the moisture. “N-n-none of your business,” she pushes out.
    “Are you kidding me?” I spit, and then close my eyes for a beat to try and gather my control. “Evie, you need to tell someone. You can’t let him do that to you. Your dad is still here, come with me and we’ll tell him.”
    “NO!” The word comes out instantly, loud and full of fear, and now it’s her turn to close her eyes for a moment and gather her control. “I can’t. Go away, Zeke. Leave me alone.”
    I’ve heard of the fear that holds victims of abuse, and always been unable to understand it. It’s incomprehensible to me how someone can stay with a person who hits them. Even with Evie trembling before me, I still don’t understand. I don’t understand why she doesn’t want to escape Tony, go somewhere safe. I’m not even sure why I’m pushing her, but I can’t get the image of that big bruise out of my head, the way Tony snapped from hitting her to cradling her, telling her that she had made him do it.
    “Evie,” I say, amazed at the calmness in my voice. “You have got to tell someone. They’ll go to the police, they’ll keep Tony away. With that bruise, he’ll probably go to jail.”
    “No,” she repeats. “I can’t. You don’t understand anything about this, Zeke. Go away. I can handle Tony.”
    “Like hell!” I spit out, and suddenly I’m enraged again. I start forward, not even noticing when she shrinks away from me. I grab her wrist and start pulling her toward the door. Even though in my fit I’m careful not to hold her too tight, Evie flips out when I have hold of her wrist.
    I mean flips out.
    She’s turned hysterical, fighting and struggling against me, her heels skidding against the hard floor of the bathroom. She’s actually spitting again, her hair flying everywhere as she fights tooth and nail to get away. I’m so startled by her reaction that I let go of her go, more out of surprise than actual intent.
    “ Don’t ever touch me ,” she hisses as she backs away.
    I’m still too fired up to care that she’s afraid of me. “You need to tell someone!” I insist. “I’ll get your dad and bring him in here if I have to, Evie.”
    “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she practically howls. She’s shaking again, but now I’m pretty sure it’s with anger toward me. “You don’t know anything about me, Zeke. Nothing at all. Get out. Right now. Get out, or I’ll tell someone that you had me trapped in the bathroom.”
    I stare at her in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”
    “ Get out !” she screams, pointing toward the door.
    I shake my head and slam the door open, the loud BANG giving me little satisfaction. If she won’t accept my help, than I’m out. I’m not going to try and reason with a crazy person. Because it appears that Evie is just as crazy as Tony, if she willingly stays in a relationship with that psycho.
    The last thing I hear as I continue on to the banquet hall are Evie’s sobs, echoing out of the bathroom. I don’t look