Page 18 of Bear Boss’s Mate (Pleasantville Shifter #1)

BEING SO CLOSE TO WORK , Marcy was home within five minutes.

She pulled into the parking lot and saw that there were no spots near the apartment building.

The only places left were at the farthest end of the lot.

The residents of the apartment complex didn’t have designated parking, so it was hit and miss how close she could get to her building.

Friday nights were a guarantee of no parking or only a crappy spot, which meant she had a long way to walk back to her building. The lot backed onto a park and a walking trail.

She had yet to walk it since regular exercise was not something she subscribed to. She’d also heard about people being attacked in the park. Another good reason to avoid exercising outside, by herself.

She turned off the car and grabbed her purse. Ignoring the shiver that crept down her spine, she got out of the vehicle. She hesitated when she heard quick footsteps from behind her on the footpath.

Too afraid to turn around, she began to hurry towards her building. She didn’t get far when someone was suddenly right behind her. A gasp escaped her lips as hands grabbed her hair. Her head flew back as her scalp seared with pain.

She tried to turn to face her attacker, but he pulled her back up against him. One arm thrust around her waist, gripping her with force. Her purse fell to the ground as she struggled.

Mick’s angry voice pierced the night air. “You keep ignoring me. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is?”

She squirmed in his grasp. Her stomach dropped. “Get off me, or I’ll scream!” She struggled to free herself, but his grip only tightened.

“Get off me,” he mocked.

Marcy kicked backwards into his shins, but it wasn’t enough to make him let go of her. She clawed at his hands unable to make him release his grip.

“You aren’t going anywhere. I told the guys I’d take care of you myself, and I intend to.” His body was still pressed up against hers.

Marcy began to tremble as adrenaline coursed through her body.

She tried to turn her head and was met with the reek of liquor as Mick put his mouth to her ear.

“You whore’s are all the same. Too busy dropping your panties for shifters instead of real men.

I tried to warn you. That’s what my friends and I have been trying to show you bitches.

You’ve all brought this on yourselves. Now I’ll have to teach you a lesson. ”

Her heart leaped into her throat. She regretted not having Austin drive her home. “You’re drunk. Leave me alone.” She grabbed at his hands again, pinching and scratching him.

He held her chin. Tilting her cheek toward him, he slid his tongue along it. Her stomach churned. “Stop it. Let me go!”

“What, you don’t like that?” Mick took a step back and fisted more of her hair, yanking her backwards. She tried to remain upright, but her feet slipped out from under her. She hit the ground hard at his feet.

The throbbing in her scalp and head was worsening, making her thoughts muddled. Her entire body shook as she tried to fight him off. “Why are you doing this?” she cried as her eyes flew open.

Mick glared down at her. “Because I’m sick of the women in this town choosing shifters instead of normal guys like me. All of you deserve what you get.” Going down on one knee next to her he grabbed each side of her head. She was helpless as he began smashing it into the pavement.

The warm sensation of blood oozed from her head, then sent a chill through her. The metallic smell reached her nostrils, making her nauseous. Her mind clouded, her breathing became jagged. Tears stung her eyes.

Mick stood for a moment and looked around. Then reached down again and grabbed a fistful of her hair, wrapping it around his hand. He began to drag her toward the nearby trail.

Marcy, thinking she was about to die, tried reaching for something to grab hold of. There was nothing but pebbles and pavement. It was no use; she was growing weaker by the minute.

“Please,” she begged.

Her body was scraped along the pavement. Marcy knew he would make sure she suffered before killing her. She continued to beg for him to stop.

There was no way to reason with him. He continued to drag her across the pavement. “Shut up. I’ll make it a lot worse if you don’t shut up. Got it?”

Tears flowed down her cheeks. He was going to kill her.

An image of a smiling Austin popped into her mind. Her heart clutched at the thought of never seeing him again. Never hearing his voice. Agony washed over her when she thought about what he would do when he found out she’d been killed by Mick.

She hadn’t even given Austin a chance and wished now that she had. She closed her eyes and waited for the end.

In the distance, she thought she heard a car door slam, but it was on the street. The car park itself was quiet.

Mick released her hair when they reached the edge of the path. He dropped one knee to her chest, knocking the wind out of her.

She gasped for air as several ribs cracked. Her body was pressed against the hard pavement. She tried to find the strength to fight him, but was too weak and broken. She’d never experienced such pain in her life.

A heavy blow hit her face, splitting her lip and causing her to cry out. She kicked her legs, grabbing at his knee, trying to push him off her chest. He only pressed harder against her, making it impossible to breathe.

Gasping for air and despite the pain and blurred vision, she fought back, kicking and flailing, with what little fight she had left in her.

“You bitch,” Mick seethed, and punched her in the face one more time.

Marcy’s head jerked to one side from the force of the blow. Mick’s physical assault continued.

Her vision dimmed while her mind ceased to work properly. She thought she’d heard a faint voice coming closer. It was familiar, yet she couldn’t recall why. The edges of her vision grew darker.

One final thought of Austin flitted through her mind. If only she’d given him a chance. As her eyes closed, hurried footsteps filled the night. Someone was coming. Suddenly, they were running.

Mick was standing next to her, kicking her over and over. Jabs of pain hit her like bolts of lightning, striking her head and upper body. It felt as though her skull had been split open.

She prayed it would all be over soon. Marcy tried to reach out with her arm, but he kicked her again.

Darkness finally took her.