A Ride to Heaven and Back Ch. 06

Something crossed his face. "It don't matter what I think you are bitch. I like women who fight back, it makes me hot, and I was getting hot just looking at you. I was going to be nice, take you back to my room, but now, I can't wait..." Looking around he began to drag her off the sidewalk, and when she saw the alley she knew just what he had in mind.

Rape was something she had never faced in her life, never once had any of the truckers she met even made her feel like that might be possible, and now this man, he was going to make a woman's worse nightmare come true. That was it, if she survived this night; she was going home, writing her book and never stepping outside of her home again. But first she had to survive and that meant fighting all the way. And with a groan, she began to do just that. She yelled, she screamed, she kicked and she clawed and when he pinned her up against the brick wall of the alley, she kept at it, knowing all the time that she was doing nothing more than giving him what he wanted anyway. Still she had to keep trying hoping someone would hear her, that someone would come and help her.

Even as the man worked his hand under her dress and ripped away her panties, and began to feel his way around her she couldn't stop. Where was Dev, she needed him to come rescue her, how had she been so foolish to just walk off like that. Dev had no way of knowing where she was; neither did Jack or Annie. How could they know, she didn't know herself. God,he was choking her now, his hand around her throat; trying to stop her screaming at the same time he was opening his pants, freeing himself to violate her. As she began to black out she felt him touch her skin with the head of his penis and that was when darkness closed over her.

Devlin dropped to his knees and looked at Reni lying so pale and still on the ground. She hadn't come to even now that the man who had attacked her was in handcuffs and both Jack and he were battered and bloody from fighting him. Had they found her too late, were the paramedics lying to him when they said she was still alive, just in shock? They were taking her to the hospital, he could hear them coming back with the gurney and yet he couldn't leave her. This was his fault, if he hadn't asked her such a foolish question, if he had simply waited until they were back at Jack and Annie's to bring it up.

That man had put his hands on her had been ready to invade her body when they had spotted them in the mouth of the alley. He had choked her into darkness and now, now Dev was scared to death she might not come out of it. No, he couldn't lose her like this, not in some trash filled alley. He held her hand felt how cold she was, like ice. He wanted her warm and awake, and in his arms. "Damn it Reni, wake up, and don't let him win. Come back to me." His voice was hoarse and raw with emotion. He wanted to cry, could feel tears rolling down cheeks that had seldom felt them before. "Reni, I need you, please wake up..."

Her voice was little more than a barely audible whisper. "Dev...oh Dev..."

"I'm here baby, I'm here..."

Her eyes flickered as the paramedics began to put her on the gurney. "What took you so long...?" Then her eyes closed again and he knew she would be alright.

Jack and Annie waited with him at the hospital, and more than once Jack told him to sit down and relax, she would be fine. Just the shock of what had happened to her was the main problem and them finding her when they had had kept anything worse from happening. Which they would have done a lot faster if the guy at the restaurant hadn't had so much trouble running his credit card and having to do it twice. He should have just handed him the wallet and said fuck it. At least that was how it had felt to him. His main concern; not knowing which direction she had gone in. Only pure luck had led them to her.

"Mr. Morris, you can see her now..." the nurse looked at him with a smile.

He found Reni sitting up in the bed, her color was back and while her throat would carry the bruises from the attacker's fingers he saw no other injuries, at least none but what she might carry in her mind. "Reni..."

She looked at him and saw the tears well up in her eyes. "Dev, oh lord, Dev..." She began to cry and he cared about nothing but holding her close and letting her cry. They would talk about it all later, once they were alone and able to work this out.

"Shh baby, don't strain your throat...its okay, I'm here, and you're alright, that's all that matters." He looked up as the doctor came in. "When can she leave?"

The doctor looked at the chart in his hand. "We'd like to keep her over night, just for observation. There's no apparent damage except to her throat, and that will heal in time. I do recommend she not speak anymore than is necessary, we don't know if there was damage to the vocal cords or not...she'll need to see a specialist in the morning to be sure."

Dev nodded. "How soon before they move her?"

"We're getting a room made up now, you best bet is to go home, get some sleep and come back first thing..."

Dev shook his head, "Sorry doc, I got no intention of leaving her until we can go together. Not after what she went through tonight, it was my fault she ran off and I'm not going to make that mistake again."

"As you like Mr. Morris, I'll let the floor nurse know..."

He looked at Reni. "I'm going to tell Jack and Annie what's going on, I'll be right back..." She nodded and he bent to kiss her. "I love you honey, and I had my jackass moment for the damn century, it was a big one, but it won't happen again."

He went out and informed Jack and Annie what was going on, they promised to come back and bring a change of clothes for both of them once they had some sleep. Taking a fast moment, Dev walked with them out to the SUV, watched them leave, then flipped open his cell.

Noreen would be home, but he wanted to make sure everything would be taken care of first thing in the morning. She knew that it was part of the job, and when he told her what he wanted, she didn't mind being woke up in the middle of the night. "No problem Dev, I'll have Rusty fly down as soon as it can be arranged, a day maybe two at the most. Are you sure about this though? You've never let anyone else drive your truck as long as I've known you."

"Well get used to it Noreen, I don't think I'll be doing much driving after this run anyway. I'm finding out I am agreeing with an old friend, there comes a time in your life that you have to choose your priorities..."

To be continued...