Disclaimer: SM owns all recognizable characters. No copyright infringement is intended. The plot herein is mine. No plagiarism!


EPOV

I huff out a breath and finally stopped running, hoping that I'm far enough from it all by now.

I see a bench and take a seat. After loosening, and yanking off my tie, I stuff it in my pants pocket and brace my elbows against my knees, hanging my head. I have to think. I can't stay out here too long, because this is New York. And I'm sitting in an area I don't really know. But I need this time myself.

Pulling out my cell, I contemplate turning it on. It's been off since I left home to go to the gala.

My finger strolls over the 'on' key, smiling as I think of how many calls I must be missing from Jasper and Tanya. But I need a little more time to myself.

I know when I get back, I'll have to stand Tanya being pissed off at me for running and I know Jasper will want an explanation. And I'll give him that after I call him to come and get me.

But not yet. I want to clear my head. There is too much up there and I love my boyfriend and friends to much to take this shit out of them. They did nothing wrong. In fact, Jasper stood up for me a lot tonight. He never faltered in his defense of our relationship once. He showed no fear and it made me love and respect him even more.

I'm determined not to let my parents' words get to me. My mother's especially. There were harsh and heartbreaking, but when I'm curled up into Jasper's arms, I'll allow myself to go over them.

One thing is certain though, I'm through with them.

It feels like long enough. I get up and start walking, letting the cool night air sweep across my face, relaxing me as I move to turn on my phone.

But just as I'm about to, I hear someone calling out to me.

"Hey!" I look up in time to see a car slowing to a stop and the man on the passenger's side, beckoning to me. "Don't I know you?" From where I'm standing, I can see the car clearly, but not the man. The sidewalk is pretty well lit, but way over by the car is dark, and I'm not about to etch any closer; although, I hate the fact that whoever they are can see me, but I can't see them.

"Don't think so!" I yell back. This asshole better not try anything. Not because I'm wearing an expensive suit doesn't mean that I'm some pansy ass who can't defend himself. I'd kick anyone's ass if they tried some shit.

"Yeah, I fuckin' know you!" His speech sounds slurred on that last part.

"Well, I don't know you so leave me the fuck alone!" I'm not in the mood to deal with this, I briskly walk off; a little angered by this punk while I turn on my phone.

But he isn't through.

"What did you say?" he questions, and I hear a car door slam shut. I stop and roll my eyes, with my back to him. Tonight is not the night for this shit. And if this drunken fuck is looking for a fight, I just might give it to him. All I want to do is call my boyfriend and get home.

"Listen, I don't know you," I turn and say strongly to the guy who actually looks vaguely familiar to me. But I just can't place his face.

"Yeah, but I know you," he smiles drunkenly and his breath nearly makes me stagger back. It's astonishing that he's even able to stand up, much less be capable of coherent speech. He's a little taller than me. Burly, with brown eyes, and a cropped haircut.

"Hey man, listen…" I start, only to be cut off by his revelation.

His eyes widened and he smiles broadly, "You're that hooker." My world comes to a screeching halt when he says that.

No, this can't be happening.

He turns back to the car while I'm lost in disbelief, shouting to his friend. "Hey, man, Fred! This is him!" He glances back to me and I try to act like I'm not shaken to my core by this. Of all the nights for my past to come back to haunt me, it had to be tonight.

Nonetheless, I'm not going to be defeated by this. I'm going to find a way out of this and get to Jasper. "You're mistaken," I say, trying to play it cool, but he looks at me like I'm crazy.

"No, I'm not," he almost growls. 'Fred' makes his way around the car, and over to where we're standing.

Fred is about my height, and my built, with sandy blond hair and beady gray eyes. The way he looks me up and down makes my fucking skin crawl, because all I can see in his eyes is unguarded lust.

"What are you doing out here, coming off a job?" Fred asks. They think I'm still a hooker.

"Man, don't tell the wife…" The first guy chuckles, "…but he's got one of the sweetest asses I've ever had the pleasure to fuck."

"It's that right?" Fred says lowly, and if possible, his gray eyes darkened with even more lust while he appraises me as I try not to visibly tremble.

I look around, wondering if I should make a run for it, but I don't see a safe place to go. It's mostly apartments around here. And it looks like the kind of area where nobody hears or sees shit until the victim is dead.

Since there is no Embry for me to signal for help, I improvise.

"Actually, I'm heading to a job," I say brightly; hoping that with enough conviction in my voice, it'll make them back off.

"Oh fuck! You're in house now?" My former john asks, but it's Fred's predatory looks that mostly holds my attention. "So you're like what? One of those five thousand dollar a night hookers?"

"Exactly," I try to smile, but fail miserably.

I'm scared, petrified, and pondering how the hell I'm going to get out of this.

"Well, we can drop you off," Fred offers with a leering smile.

"I'm not far from the place."

"Maybe we can walk you there," Fred insists, showing me that he's not giving up that easily.

I know these types of guys. Straight fuckers who'd kidnap your ass and fuck you at their leisure then head home to their wives or girlfriends like nothing happened. Tanya and I used to talk about them with others, and we'd warn each other about not getting into cars with them.

Run and scream 'murder' if you have to, but never get in their car. Now what the fuck am I going to do?

"Not necessary," I smile. "Actually, I'm late."

"I think he can wait," Fred says, stepping closer to me, and running a finger down my lapel.

"Whoa, Fred, what are you doing?" my former john asks in a panicked tone. I guess his friend's blatant move sobered him up a bit.

"Having fun," Fred says with his eyes solely on me.

Oh fuck! "I've gotta go," I say, backing away, but Fred grabs my jacket and yanks me closer to him with unbelievable strength and forces his lips on mine.

He bites my lip, moaning in my mouth as his crusty lips bruises mine. I shove him off, screaming, "You fuck!" and punch him in the face.

"Hey man, Fred! What the fuck?" the other guy yells; he's in a full blown panic now. "What are you doing? I just saw him and recognized him. Leave him alone."

But Fred and I aren't listening. We're eyeing each other furiously. Both our lips are bleeding; his from my punch and mine from his hard kiss and bite.

"Get the fuck out of here and leave me alone!" I yell.

"Oh really?" Fred challenges. "I want to know what my friend is talking about, and I'm gonna find out tonight."

"You're not touching me!" I seethe.

"We'll see about that," Fred growls, charging me.

He tackles me to the ground while his friend screams at us to stop. Fred hits me in the face and my head bangs against the pavement. I can taste blood in my mouth but I pay it no mind. I have to do this. I have to fight him off and get away. They're not raping me, not without one helluva fight.

I punch Fred in the face, and he hits me back. I grab his throat and he grabs mine. Fred matches me move for move. He's squeezing my neck hard, cutting off my air supply and making my vision blur, but I have to keep a level head. Somehow, I have to get away from them.

"Come on, man," my former john whines. "Quit! And let's just find another guy!"

"No!" Fred wheezes when I grip his throat tighter. "I want him!"

Fuck that!I punch him in the gut and then manage to get my foot out from under him to kick him in the chest, sending him flying off of me. But when I scramble to my feet, something heavy hits me over the head.

~~sjfm~~

I'm moving. I'm going somewhere. I'm in a car. In their car.

Slowly, I open my eyes and touch the back of my head only to feel a wet sensation there. I'm bleeding, but I don't want them to know I'm awake.

"I'm so sorry, Jasper." It's all I can think. I'm so sorry I ran away. I should've stayed, but it's too late. It may be unrealistic to think it, but I'm going to find a way out of this and back to you. I'm not giving up.

My injury is pulling me under. I feel like I'm floating or flying. I'm so dizzy. There are more than two people in the car and they are all discussing me.

"We didn't have to take him like this," the former john argues. "He's a fucking hooker; you could've just talked him into it! What the fuck are we going to do?! Let's just drop him off and find someone else."

"No! I want this fucker," Fred hisses. "I've got a few things to teach him."

"Damn, he's really good looking," The third guy says from the backseat with me; making me thankful that he wasn't paying attention to me a minute ago when I touched the back of my head. "Can a man be pretty?" he goes on, running a hand through my hair and I want to hurl. I don't want them touching me. This wasn't the life for me anymore. My life is by Jasper's side.

I can't listen anymore. I just want to escape. So I let the sleep pull me under. "I'm so sorry, Jasper." I think to myself before passing out.

~~sjfm~~

The next time I wake up, I'm being dragged somewhere. The first guy is still telling them to let me go, but Fred and the other guy aren't listening. And seeing as his ass is following them, that means he's still going to partake.

But all that pares in comparison when I realize where I am. I can never forget the smell or sound of this place. I glance up at the decrepit buildings as they drag me in an alley and think myself, "I'm back." And I am. I'm back to where I used to work every night, trying to earn enough to escape this life and trying to forget that I was ever a Masen.

"Listen, I told you guys where to go, but we don't have to do this," my former john pleads. "We can let him go and find another one. They're lots of them down here."

Fred and the third guy ignore him as I listened to the sloshing sound of my feet while they pull me further down into the alley. "Fuck that, man. I'm horny as hell," the third guy complains. "When are we doing this?"

"Now," Fred says, and they drop me. Now is the time. I've got to work up enough strength to fight my way out of this. "Let's just get him somewhere where we can start."

I can hear belt buckles being undone while Fred says, "I'll teach you a thing or two about fighting back."

I fight pass my dizziness, determined to find a way out. I probably have a concussion, but I can't faint just yet. Not again. I need to fight back.

"Now who goes first?" Fred asks.

"Me!" Third guy says enthusiastically.

"You?" Fred says with a smile in his voice.

"Yeah!" The third guy shouts in protest. "If it wasn't for me, he would've gotten away."

"I don't want any part of this," my former john says and I glance his way in time to see him walking away and Fred going after him.

"Hell no," he says to former john, slamming him into a wall, holding him by the throat. "You pointed him out, saying you knew him, saying you've fucked him once already. You're doing this! We're each gonna take our turn in his sweet little ass, and that's the last time I'm gonna say it!"

It's time to make my move.

Fred is about to say something else, when I quickly trip the third guy and spring up, making a run for it. But Fred anticipates me and he slams me to the ground hard. He grabs my hair roughly, yanking my head back but I take the pain, spinning around and hitting him in the throat, and he goes down, gagging.

I get back up and kick Fred in the face; he goes down and wheezes at first guy to grab me. But when my former john moves to grab me, I kick him in the stomach.

I try to escape again, but Fred is faster. The fucker has probably done this before and I don't see it coming until it happens.

Fred smashes a glass bottle across my face, blurring my vision and I fall to my knees, screaming. It's in my eyes and it burns. I know there is glass in my eyes. I can feel it.

Someone yanks me back by my hair, pulling me along. It's probably Fred as he drags me back down the alley.

"You son of a bitch!" Fred says hoarsely.

"Man, let's kick his ass," former john says. He sounds pissed off at me. But Fred wants more.

However, I wait until they are arguing again about who goes first, to make another move. Third guy comes forward, and though my eyes are burning like hell, I'm still using them, so when third guy gets closer, I kick him in the balls. He goes down hollering.

Fred punches me in the face and flips me over on my stomach. No! This can't happen to me. No! Fred is muttering angrily while he tries to get my pants off. But I push back on him, throwing him off. He growls and grabs me when I get up, slamming me into the wall and I hit my head again.

I slide to the ground with Fred over me, shouting at the others, "Don't just stand over there, fucking help me!" I wish someone could hear them and call for Embry. This is his area and he doesn't like trespassers. If Embry was here, they wouldn't make it out of here alive.

The third guy must have moved over to Fred willingly, because they're laying me down. I can't open my eyes anymore. It hurts too much so I try to plead, "Don't do this," I say when they move to take off my pants again. "Don't do this."

I'm growing weak. I know I'm going to pass out. I've used up all the strength I had. And I can't hold on to my consciousness anymore. But before I do, I hear a car pull to a sudden stop and Fred hissing in my ear, "I always get what I want."

~~sjfm~~

Jasper. I think I see Jasper. Maybe it's a dream. Maybe I'm being violated and I blacked out. But I think I'm looking at Jasper. I angle my head to try and see clearly, and Jasper just slammed the third guy into the wall and something cracks loudly. My eyes are still burning, and everything is blurry, but that's Jasper! "But it's all in your mind," I keep thinking. But I don't care. I'd hold on to any thought of Jasper forever. I don't care. I don't care if I'm imagining it.

Jasper pulls Fred off of me and I want to cheer. He lifts him over his shoulder and slams Fred down…hard. Jasper growls at someone who's telling him something and then I hear a gunshot. Embry! He's here too.

Tanya is over me. My head is in her lap, and she's screaming for Jake to help her. She's crying. "I'm sorry, Tanya." But Jasper, I want to see him. I want to beg Tanya to make me see him. I want to tell her that my eyes are burning me so bad. I hear a groan, only to realize it's coming from me.

"It's all in your head," my mind says. "I'm so sorry, Jasper." I want to say that out loud, but I can't. I'm falling into the dark. There are loud, angry grunts and then weak groans like someone is in pain. It's not coming from me but I don't know who it's coming from. And then someone lifts me up and all I can think of is how much I love Jasper.

I'm so sorry, Jasper.

I'm being moved. Someone has my head in their lap. I'm not dreaming. Jasper. He's here. There is another shot. Embry. He must have killed them. Jasper. He's in the front seat. Something is moving with me. It's another car. I'm not imagining it. I wasn't imagining it. Jasper saved me.

Then the lights. They are so bright. I'm being moved quickly. My eyes are burning but I'm trying to look at the light.

They're people, and they're shouting. Jasper. I can hear him; I can hear Tanya. The man asks him who I am. Jasper answers. But I can't hold on. I want to. So bad. But I can't. I'm so sorry, Jasper, and I love you.

Next: Jasper, Esme and the aftermath.