Guest: Thank you so much for being the person to break my old review record! I'm glad that you're excited to see what happens next. Thanks for the review!
aliceindeepdarkwonderland: Frankly, I was surprised that I found a loophole as easily as I did. I haven't been planning ahead, so I'm glad I left myself some slack. Thanks for the review!
Son-of-hiddle: Mwahahaha, I'm evil, I know. I'm glad that you're excited for the next chapter. Thanks for the review!
I'm so sorry, you guys. I was at a friend's house on Friday and I completely forgot that I was supposed to post a new chapter. Please forgive me and stick with me :3 Also, I'd like to thank everyone that has read this story, especially those that left reviews. This is my most reviewed story now, and I never would have been able to do it without you guys. Thank you so much for making me feel like my stories actually matter to people. Seriously, you guys are the best, so thank you. Anyways, sappy moment aside, let's continue with the story.
Disclaimer: I do not own MARVEL or any of their affiliates. I am not making any money by writing this. It is for entertainment purposes only.
Chapter Twenty Seven
November 7th
Natasha's P. o. V:
All of the color drains out of Clint's face, and he looks at me, rage glittering in his eyes. "I'll kill the bastard," he growls, teeth elongating. I brush up against him.
"You can't let him know that you know, or he'll kill me and my baby."
"I'd like to see him try to touch you. You're my mate, and mine alone." Gently, he grabs my wrists, but I flinch and pull away. "Shh, I'm sorry, honey, I wouldn't ever hurt you. You know that, right?" I nod, but I can't push away the memory of Austin's hands pinning my wrists down.
Silent sobs wrack my body. Cautiously, Clint pulls me into a hug. I allow him to, trying to push away the memories. Clint would never hurt me. All he's done is protect me. "Can I see?" Clint asks, gesturing to my wrists. I nod, allowing him to gently push up my sleeves.
Dark blue bruises circle my wrists. Clint lightly peppers kisses along the injury, his touch so light that I can barely feel it. "I'll be right back. I'm going to run to the drug store and get you some aspirin." Clint slips away before I can protest. Just as he slips out the door, I remember that I already have aspirin.
"Clint, wait!" I yell out the window, but it's too late. Clint is already gone. Anxiously, I pace back and forth, waiting for his return. After an hour, I finally hear footsteps walking up my drive. The door opens and closes, then locks. Footsteps too heavy to be Clint's ring up the stairs, and fear shoots through my belly. Unconsciously, I shift into my wolf form and shuffle into a corner.
My bedroom door opens, and the scent of sweat and cheap aftershave washes over me. Austin. "Where are you, you bitch? Found a loophole, did you? Well, you're going to pay for it. Nobody crosses me and lives to tell about it. Your boyfriend may be tough, but he's not tough enough to take on three of my pack at the same time." With a snarl and a quickness that I didn't know I possessed, I leap out of my hiding place and latch my teeth around Austin's throat. A knife glints, and a stab of pain goes through my side. Thankfully, it is only a glancing blow.
I clamp down harder until Austin drops the knife. Blood streams down his neck, but I am not biting to kill, only to knock him out. At last, he collapses to the ground. Cautiously, I unclamp my jaws. When he doesn't move, I shift back to my human form and take his knife away. Then, I tie him up as best I can with the bed sheets.
Shortly after I secure him, someone starts pounding on the front door. "Police! Open up, or we'll be forced to break down the door!" I let out a jagged sigh of relief before running down the stairs to unlock and open the door. Clint is on the other side, I can smell him. As soon as I open the door, police officers swarm in, guns drawn. "Ma'am, are you okay? We received a tip that someone may try to break into your home today."
"He did, and he's upstairs in my bedroom. I tied him up as best I could." Two of the police officers run up the stairs, heading to my bedroom. Clint encircles me in a hug. His lip is split and bleeding, and he has a black eye, but other than that, he appears to be okay.
"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" I shake my head.
"He was going to. Clint, he had a knife. I just attacked, I was so scared..." Tears begin streaming down my cheeks as the adrenaline wears off.
"It'll be okay, honey. He's going to go away for a long time, along with his buddies. They won't ever bother you again, I promise." Clint leads me over to the couch, which I gladly collapse onto. A police officer follows us out.
"Ma'am, I know that you just went through an extremely stressful ordeal, but could you please tell me everything about your ordeal with this man?" I try to tell him about last night, but the words won't come. Clint offers him the drawing.
"He ordered her not to talk about it under the threat of death, but he kidnapped and raped her last night. She found a way to tell me, and I went to the police. Unfortunately, he anticipated this, and had several of his teammates waiting for me. They put up quite the fight, but gave up after I pulled a knife. After that, I ran to the police station and got them to send men here." The police officer turns to me.
"What happened tonight?"
"The door was unlocked, and he came inside looking for me. I could tell that it was him, so I shifted and hid. When he came into my bedroom, I attacked him and managed to take him by surprise. He managed to catch me in the side with his knife," I grimace, realizing that the wound is throbbing, and my shirt is plastered to my skin with blood.
"Thank you for your time and cooperation. There is an ambulance waiting outside if you wish to seek medical attention. I am sorry that this happened to you, and I can assure you that he will be punished for his actions. I'm sure that this isn't the first time he's pulled a stunt like this," the officer spits in contempt, before standing up and leaving. I snuggle against Clint's side, still shaking slightly.
"Come on, let's go get patched up." He helps me stand, and we both head out to the ambulance. I am examined carefully, and it is determined that I won't need stitches. The portable ultrasound machine shows that my baby is healthy and unharmed. Clint is given ice and some aspirin, and we head back into the house together. Two police officers escort Austin down the stairs. He is wearing handcuffs, and his throat is all bloody.
"I'll kill you, you fucking slut, even if it's the last thing I do," he promises, his voice low. The police officers jerk him forward, but a shiver of fear still runs through me. Clint pulls me close to him.
"If he attempts anything, he won't live long enough to regret it," Clint vows. A police officer comes up to us.
"That'll be all for tonight. We may call in the future, but for now, we'll be on our way."
"Could you please try to get my phone back? He stole it from me, and it makes me uncomfortable not to have a way to contact people when I'm not at home." The officer nods, tipping hat as he walks out the door.
"Will you stay with me tonight, since it's Friday?" I ask Clint, not wanting to be alone.
"Honey, it would be my absolute pleasure." With that, he presses a tender kiss to my forehead and leads me up the stairs to my bedroom. We both snuggle together in my bed, taking comfort in each others' presence.
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