Chapter 6

Randy leaned against the outside of Taylor's apartment. He heard the laughter inside and he put out his cigarette. John walked out and he delivered a strong punch to his head, sending him stumbling backwards. Randy stepped forward and hit him again, knocking him to the floor. Taylor sat wide eyed and the other girls screamed.

"What the hell did I do to you, man?" John asked holding his eye.

"No one touches my woman." Randy bellowed. John glanced at Taylor. Taylor just shook her head. She had not left the apartment and wondered how Randy had heard about John. All he had done was put his arm around her. Sure, he had tried to go to bed with her, but backed off the minute he realized Taylor did not do as her roommates did. The room was silent as Randy stood over John, holding their breath waiting to see what The Viper would do next.

Randy glared at Taylor angrily and he watched her breath heavily anticipating what he was going to do to her. Randy grabbed her hand. He had only attacked John to make an example out of him. He wanted the entire community to know he was serious.

Taylor was pulled from the apartment and down the stairs forcefully. Randy didn't speak to her. He did not give her a hint about what he had planned for her. The closer he dragged her to his apartment the more she begged him.

"Please, don't." she sobbed and tried to free herself of his grasp. But it did no good. He only stopped long enough to grab her by her waist and carry her with him. Everyone stopped and watched them.

Randy stopped near his door and Taylor knew what was coming. Only he didn't take her into his room.

"Sit down." He said and sat in his favorite spot outside the door. Taylor sat down beside him and he lit a cigarette and handed it to her before lighting one for himself. He then he draped his arm around her shoulders. "After work and until curfew, I want you here beside me. At all times."

Taylor nodded. He didn't give her a choice.

"I'm not the one you should be scared of." He whispered in her ear.

By the end of the week, Randy was still torturing her. He toyed with her like a cat would toy with a mouse before killing it. At work he stared at her with longing and at night he kept her at his side. His arm was always around her or his hand was on her leg. Sometimes he would stare at her and Taylor feared that he was done playing games and was ready to follow through.

"Come with me." He told her close to the end of their shift that weekend. There were several boxes stacked up on the other side of the belt and he hopped over the belt and she followed him. He stacked the boxes on a hand truck and she followed him over to the shelves. "All the seconds have to be placed here. We will have to organize this Monday." He spoke to her like their relationship was nothing out of the ordinary.

Randy looked over his shoulder and saw Officer Kenneth coming up the ramp.

Randy sighed. He stopped what he was doing and slowly walked towards Taylor. She backed up and began to cry; knowing what was on his mind. The closer he got to her the harder she cried.

"You need to learn to trust me." he spoke in a cool calm tone.

"No." she became hysterical. "Please just leave me alone." She backed up too far and found herself against a shelf. Randy dropped down and trapped her by placing his hands against the shelves.

"I'm trying to protect you." He touched her cheek gently.

"Please, I don't want to do this."

Randy touched his lips to hers for the first time and pushed his tongue between her lips. She pulled away and turned her back to him.

"It doesn't have to be a bad thing. If you just let this happen …" he kissed her again and tried hard to make her give in. Randy heard footsteps behind him, but he didn't pull away from Taylor. He pressed himself against her and ran his hands under her dress.

Taylor sobbed as Randy attacked her. He had her pinned and there was no where she could go. Her step uncle walked up to the end of the aisle and watched for a moment. He laughed and then walked away.

Randy heard the officer leave and was sure he was gone, but he had already lost control. He knew he was acting like a monster. He had never raped anyone as his record said. But being so close to Taylor when he had not touched a woman in so long was enough to turn him into what he hated.

Taylor grasped for anything within reach. She found a stick lying on the shelf behind her. It was cold. Made of solid metal. Perhaps a part of some kind. She grabbed it and in desperation she swung it, hitting Randy in the head. Randy stumbled back and grabbed his head. He felt dizzy. He held up his hands to surrender and stumbled away from the woman.

Taylor tried to catch her breath. Randy really did slither away like a serpent. Dazed and confused by what she had done. She tossed the stick down to the floor. There was blood on it and she was instantly reminded of what had happened the night her step father had come into her room.

Her mother had died in a car wreck three months before and he had become her guardian. That night was not the first time he had made a pass at her or had touched her inappropriately. But with no one in the house to hear what he was doing. Arman climbed into bed with her after removing all his clothes. She woke up with him on top of her, pulling away her clothes and threatening to kill her if she screamed. That was when Taylor desperately grabbed for anything in her reach just as she had done with Randy. Only she had grabbed a pair of scissors from her nightstand that she had used to trim her bangs with earlier that day. She slammed them into his head; not realizing it would penetrate his skull and kill him. She did not think she was strong enough to do so much damage.

She sunk to the cement floor and hugged her legs. She began to rock herself. What would they do to her now? No had believed she had killed Arman in self-defense and they wouldn't believe her now.


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