Free When Night Falls by Airicka Phoenix

higher age group, huh? It always hits the newcomers extra hard the first time.”
    Using the wall as leverage, Scarlett pushed herself off. She staggered, but kept on her feet. “Hunter. I have to—”
    “Slow down, sweetheart.” Hurtful hands shoved her, sending her back into the wall. She collided and everything spun. “No need to hurry off.” Something fisted in her hair. Her face was yanked up. “I thought you wanted air.”
    His mouth closed over hers, choking her with the tongue he forced between her lips. The sour taste of candy filled her mouth, making her gag and try to twist away. Five blunt fingers curled around her throat, restraining her as she was mashed into the wall by a hard, grinding body. A knee was forced between her thighs and she was vaguely aware of something tearing. It sounded like fabric. Something forced itself beneath her skirt.
    “No!” She struggled against the numbness weighing down her arms.
    “Hold still.” His sweet breath washed over her face. “This won’t take long. You’ll like it.”
    He was right. It didn’t take long. No sooner had he touched her bare hip with his fingertips than her stomach revolted and they were both drenched in hot, sticky sickness.
    With a curse, he shot back. Removed of his support, Scarlett crumpled to the ground, choking on what little was left in her stomach.
    “You bitch!” Darwin snarled, using his hands to swipe at the slimy chunks clinging to his front.
    It would have been satisfying, even amusing, if she could stop the heaving, could stop the violent tremors that wrecked her body. But it was taking all her effort to keep from collapsing completely right there in the hallway.
    “What’s going on here?” The voice belonged to a third party she couldn’t see.
    Scarlett tried to twist her head around, but the simple gesture of raising it sent the walls and floors bleeding together and spinning. She shut her eyes and passed a shaky arm across her mouth.
    “Help…” she croaked, her voice hoarse.
    “Scarlett?” There was a scuffle of feet. Then someone was in front of her, taking her shoulders and pushing her back. Something solid and cold touched her back. “Scarlett!” Hairs were pushed off her face and her cheek was patted. “Scarlett, look at me!”
    Her eyelids parted and she blinked at the swaying figure inches from her face.
    “Rolf…”
    Rolf’s fingers tightened on her shoulders. “Did he hurt you?”
    Her head lolled forward, her chin nearly brushing her chest. She picked at the torn fabric of her dress, now damp with sweat and vomit, with two fingers.
    “He ripped my dress.” She let the soggy material drop along with the hand she could no longer support. “He wouldn’t stop.” She forced herself to meet Rolf’s brown eyes even though it felt impossible. “He was trying to … to—”
    “She’s lying!” Darwin’s hysterical exclamation echoed like a bomb exploding inside her skull. She winced. “She came on to me. She asked for it.”
    The hands holding her vanished.
    “You son of a bitch!”
    She had no idea where Rolf went, because he was suddenly gone, too. Then there was a crack, followed by a thud and more cracks. Disorientated, it took her a moment to turn her head in the direction of the noise. It took even longer for her fuzzy brain to make sense of the image unfolding before her.
    Rolf sat straddling Darwin, fists flying. Maybe it was her drug induced imagination, but they were blurs cutting through the air and slamming into Darwin’s already bloody and bruised face. There were four other people standing over them, grabbing at Rolf, trying to pry him off. They were shouting something unintelligible.
    Scarlett ignored them. Her head hurt, her tongue tasted funny, and she smelled gross; but most importantly she needed to get Hunter and go home. She didn’t want to be there anymore. Now if only she could find her legs. They seemed to be missing, or at least she couldn’t feel them if they were