Free A red tainted Silence by Carolyn Gray Page A

it was him.
    And his intention for Nicholas was clear as, with horrifying ease, he flipped Nicholas onto his stomach and, using a knife, cut off Nick’s leather pants despite his struggles.

    A Red-Tainted Silence
    43

    Panic flew through me. I looked around, frantic, sickened to my stomach. This couldn’t be happening. I heard another scream, and it hit me then exactly what had just happened.
    “Fuck, no,” I whispered, horrified, then shook myself into action. A two-by-four found its way into my hand. I moved to the edge of my hiding place, where I could see but not be seen yet -- except Nick’s gaze locked with mine as his attacker’s assault shoved his face over and over again into the dirt.
    The wild hope in his eyes at seeing me gave me the strength I needed. Roaring at the top of my lungs, I burst from my hiding place. Pulling on all my fear and hatred and disgust for what they were doing to Nicholas, I raised the board back and, just as Nick’s rapist turned his head and his cackling friend looked up, smashed the board across the back of his head.
    “Shit!” the other guy yelled. “Who the fuck are you?” My momentum carried me further than I expected, but I skidded to a stop and turned to face him. For a moment I thought he’d run, but I guess a skinny teenage kid in tennis shoes held no threat. He’d underestimated me, of course. I had an older brother who wasn’t always kind to me. I knew how to fight.
    He stood and charged, hitting me full in the stomach. We stumbled back and I hit the ground, hard, the breath swooshing out of me. I thought I was going to be sick. I couldn’t breathe, but I wasn’t about to end up on the bottom and at his mercy. I prayed the other guy was still out. As we struggled, I saw him lying still on the ground.
    But so was Nicholas.
    The guy’s fist found my face. The shock of the pain exploded through my head. I’d never felt such agony. But he’d made me mad, and as he pulled back to hit me again, I curled up my own fist and went for his balls with all my strength.
    He screamed, much to my satisfaction, even louder than Nicholas had. I pushed him off me and stood and kicked him, then fell on his shoulders and pinned him back, pushing my face into his. “Don’t ever touch him again, or I’ll kill you. Both of you,” I said, then spit on him. He collapsed and didn’t move.
    I pushed myself off of him and, pulling my ripped and filthy shirt off, stumbled toward Nicholas. He lay on his side, his pale bare legs pulled up to his chest, his blue eyes wide with pain and humiliation.
    “Nicholas, Nicholas, oh, shit,” I said, reaching for him, then pulling back, unsure if I should try to touch him. But he pushed himself off the ground and fell sobbing into the safety of my arms. I wrapped myself around him, holding on to him as tight as I could, ignoring my body’s protest as my own injuries made themselves known, horribly conscious that I was too late to protect him from what had happened.
    “I’m so sorry, so sorry,” I whispered into his ear, kissing him on the crown of his head, his forehead, his tear- and dirt-stained cheeks. “I should’ve gotten here sooner. I should’ve driven my car.”

    44 Carolyn Gray
    His hands clawed into my bare back as he sobbed. Behind me, his two attackers were starting to moan.
    “We’ve got to get out of here, Nicholas. Come on, can you stand?” I didn’t wait for an answer, but pulled him to his feet, keeping care to look away from his nakedness. I helped him lean against a trashcan. He was shaking so hard he could barely stand. I gave him my shirt, indicating how he should use it. His pale face flushed with embarrassment as he did so, then hurled the offending shirt away. Guess I’d owe Jonathan a t-shirt. I pulled off my shorts, grateful I’d worn boxers and helped him put the shorts on.
    Or tried. They didn’t fit. I was too damn skinny.
    “They don’t fit,” he said, despair lacing his voice.
    “Dammit,” I