Chapter 7

Emma was such a trusting person. That's how she got into this mess.

The stable hand who she was talking to at dinner, John, asked her if she wanted to go out to the stables and he could show her a few things about grooming Beauty. It had been a few days since she had gotten to see her horse, so she agreed.

She should have known something was off.

The stables were completely dark, so John lit a gas lamp and led her to Beauty's stall.

Beauty was restless, this much Emma could see in her eyes and her stance, and just her whole attitude. Her nostrils flared when John stepped into the stall with Emma.

The next thing Emma knew, the lantern was out and she was being pulled backwards out of her beautiful horse's stall. Suddenly she was on her back with the air knocked right out of her lungs.

Lips that smelled like the wine they consumed with dinner, crushed roughly down on hers and calloused hands molded her breasts roughly through her dress.

She kicked and lashed out and struggled as hard as she could, letting loose with piercing screams until her mouth was covered.

She knew what his intent was, knew it and couldn't stop it.

Suddenly she felt her nether regions exposed to the frigid night air and a hand slip between her legs. The rough fingers pressed cruelly against her most sensitive parts and she gasped in pain and struggled all the harder.

Suddenly the weight on her body was gone. The hand was gone. An instant later, there was a muted thud. A muffled curse.

And a scuffle ensued.

Once she got her wits about her, she gathered the sense to light the lantern.

What she saw terrified and amazed her.

It amazed her because she had never seen Burke look so alive, so real, as when he was pulverizing her attacker.

It terrified her because John's face was nearly unrecognizable, covered in blood. He was unconscious and Emma knew if she didn't stop Burke, he would kill him.

Emma ran, and threw herself on his back. "Burke!" He didn't listen, just kept pounding away.

She didn't know what else to do. She threw herself over John's body. And Burke stopped instantly. Emma almost giggled hysterically at the thought of protecting her attacker.

"What are you doing Emma?" he asked her, out of breath.

"You were going to kill him, I had to stop you."

"Would that have been such a bad thing?"

"Yes!" Emma half-shouted fervently.

His eyes narrowed between the slits in his mask, "Was this even an attack?" he asked, "Not some strange game you two play?"

Emma's mouth formed a little o of horror. She never thought she'd see the day that she would have enough courage to slap a man, let alone this man. But then again she never thought she'd see the day anyone would suggest she enjoyed being forced.

But both happened in that moment.

He asked her if she liked being attacked, and she reached up and smacked him with all the strength she could muster, and had the satisfaction of seeing a grimace of pain.

Reviews

[a]

i like that fact that she protected her attacker and that she slapped Burke. It shows that she hasn't submitted to Burke. Good going, because in the previous chaps i got the feeling that she was submitting to him.