Tough Love

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

It's now Friday morning and this week has been absolutely awful. Cain has been on desk duty, which means he's found any and every excuse to be near my desk. He's asked me for help on basically everything, but there's always an ulterior motive when he's around. He's rude, aggressive and he keeps trying to touch or grab me. I've got a few bruises from him. I know I should tell Eli, but for me that's a lot of trust to put in someone, especially a man. I know I told him about my past, but we act like that didn't happen. We haven't really spoken about it and I don't really want to. The thing is, Cain is on Eli's team; they've known each other for a long time. I'm just the new girl and although Eli seems to like me that might all change when I report one of his brothers. If he doesn't believe me it'll break me all over again. It'll be another betray of trust, so as much as I know reporting it is the right thing to do, I just can't bring myself to say anything.

I'm sitting at my desk, running surveillance on a drug house that the team are supposed to be helping to raid. The Captain asked me to keep monitoring the house through satellite to see what the activity is like before the teams make a move. I'm guessing he wants to know what the busiest time is so they can make more arrests. As I stand up to take some information to the Captain, Cain appears by my desk. I drop the papers I'm holding and start to back off.

He grabs both of my elbows and holds me there forcefully, as he shakes me, saying, “It's all your fault I'm stuck in this office. I should be preparing for that raid, but because of all your lies I am stuck here with you and your stupid team...”

My breathing is ragged and my heart rate is through the roof. I'm about ready to pass out when I feel a slap across my face. I let out a whimper and start begging, “Please, please.... Don't hurt me.... Don't touch me.... Please...”

“I'm talking to you! You think your damsel in distress act is going to work with me?! I'm not a fool like the rest of the guys...”

I'm hyperventilating and I can't control my breathing or my heart. I'm absolutely petrified and there's no one around to stop this situation. I'm not strong enough to get Cain away from me. Eli and the team are on their way out to a fitness session, so there's no one around to help me.

The blackness is just about to overwhelm me, when Cain suddenly lets go of me and I drop to the floor. I scramble under my desk to hide and I work to calm myself down. I'm obviously not thinking rationally because if I was I would have run somewhere safe. Pure terror stops you from thinking clearly. All I can think about is how scared I am and how much I am struggling to breathe.

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(Eli's POV)

I get to the SUV, when I realize the Captain didn't give me the details for the raid. I say to Ash, “Hold up, I have to get the raid package from the Cap.”

“Can't you get it when we return?”

“Could, but it's a good time to get my head round the details while we travel. That way I can give you all the proper information quicker. I'll be a couple minutes, tops.”

I grab the elevator, barely noticing the flirtatious smile that the girl riding the elevator shoots at me. At least I get to check on Dani while I'm up here.

As I round the corner towards the Cap's office I hear Cain say, “I'm talking to you! You think your damsel in distress act is going to work with me?! I'm not a fool like the rest of the guys...”

I frown, not realizing the gravity of the words or the situation until he comes into my line of vision. I see him holding onto Dani by her elbows. She looks absolutely terrified, like she's about to pass out. I see red and I run towards Cain, body tackling him to the floor. I don't have time to worry about Dani because Cain throws a punch my way. There is no way I'm going to let him get away with that, so I throw a few punches myself. That causes a chain reaction, and we are rolling around on the floor hitting each other. I don't know how long this goes on, but eventually I pin him down with his hands behind his back and I slap some cuffs on him. That's the only way I know he won't be able to do anything else. He's cursing and throwing himself around, trying to get loose. As I'm catching my breath, the Cap comes out of his office asking, “What the heck is going on out here?!”