“Pay?” He stood so close to her she could smell onions and hard alcohol on his breath.

“You whore. You think you can fuck the boss and the foreman, and I don’t get my share?” He snaked his arm behind her head and pulled her hair, yanking her head back.

She wanted to lift her head, keep her eyes on him, but he held her so tightly she could only see the ceiling. He scraped his nail down her throat, sending pain through her. “I’m getting my share. It’s just not fair that they all get a share of you and I don’t. You just look at me with those glossy, hateful eyes like you’re so much better than me. Well, sister, now you’re mine.” He crushed his mouth onto hers. His teeth scraped against her lip and his fingers continued to pull at her hair. She tried to turn her head, but he kept hold of her hair, tugging sharply as he pressed his unshaven cheek to hers.

He pulled her hair again, forcing her to bend backward over Zach’s desk as he released her mouth from his. His other hand clamped over her breast. When she whimpered, he tore open her shirt and clawed at her flesh.

“Stop! Stop!” she begged as he pushed his body up against hers. She tried to use her hands to force him away, struck at him with her fists, but he was like a bulldozer, ramming at her, yanking her by her hair until she couldn’t defend herself.

“Bitch!” His hands were on her skirt, hiking it up. She tried to push him away again, but he hit the side of her head. Her ear rang with the force of the blow, and then he hit her once more before he pinned her legs with his own. “This will only hurt a lot.” He licked her cheek and then bit her lip.

Regan’s lip stung and she tasted blood in her mouth. Her eyes throbbed from the blows he’d landed, and her head swam in confusion and pain. She knew she could survive the rape he was planning. She could block it from her mind as she’d blocked so many other things, she thought as she felt her consciousness slipping. But did the man really plan to walk away from her afterward? No, that wasn’t usually the case. Fear cramped her stomach. She turned her head away.

Roger gripped her chin tightly, forcing her to look at him. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of him while you’re with me.” He slammed the back of his hand across her cheek. She staggered as he unbuttoned his pants.

Her vision had gone cloudy, and the vile metal taste of blood filled her mouth. The room around her spun, and she was going down. She felt it. Damn it, she’d been in this position before. She’d lost consciousness at the hands of a man who’d meant to kill her. She’d be damned if she did it again. She wasn’t going down this time, not without a fight. As he pushed against her, she felt her way over Zach’s desk with her hand. There had to be a weapon.

When her hand came across the letter opener, she knew she had one. Right next to it was the key to the elevator she’d refused to take, which would be her escape if she could make it that far. She didn’t pick them up yet. When she did, she would need to take him by surprise.

When he pushed her back onto the desk, Regan casually slid the letter opener behind her back and closed her fingers around the handle.

He stepped toward her. Leered, breathing in her face. Shoved her skirt aside and braced one arm on the desk.

When he was only a moment from taking what he’d come for, she mustered all her energy and plunged the opener into his shoulder.

Roger pushed back with a scream. A red stain spread around the wound. “Bitch! You stabbed me!”

She took the vase of flowers from the desk and hurled them at his head. They hit him in the side and crashed to the floor. Glass shards shot out over them both.

Regan grabbed the key, ran for the elevator, and pushed the button, watching over her shoulder as Roger staggered to his feet.

As he found balance on his knees, the door opened. Regan fell inside, pushed buttons, and turned the key trying to get the doors to close quickly.

He was on his feet, the letter opener still lodged in his shoulder. He moved toward her as she pushed buttons and more buttons.

Their eyes met.

“Go to hell!” she yelled as the door finally moved. An unexpected strength welled up inside her. She had won, and now his gaze was fearful and angry.

The door closed, and the elevator began to descend.

Tears burned her eyes immediately. Her breath was escaping her. She looked at her arms. They were bloody from the glass that had flown from the broken vase. Her head throbbed, her mouth bled, and her vision was growing dark.

She slid down the wall of the elevator. Her mind focused enough to know she had to crawl from the elevator. She couldn’t lose consciousness. It would only be a matter of him hitting a button to have the elevator head back his way.

As the door opened, she worried that she would pass out before she could exit, so she hit the alarm to stop it from closing and carrying her back up to the office.

She saw a man’s shoes, and she crawled backward. Her vision fogged again. She had been so close to getting away. Footsteps pursued her into the elevator.

“Regan.” But it was Zach’s voice, not Roger’s. He dropped everything in his arms and rushed to her.

“Roger… Byers. Up in your office.” It was all she could say. The world slipped into darkness.

Zach gathered Regan into his arms, carried her to the car, and called security. Even before they left the parking garage, he could hear sirens from the building and from approaching police cars. The authorities would deal with Roger Byers. He'd see to that. He'd press charges, and he'd see that she pressed her own as well. No one would ever hurt her again.

How could he have let this happen to her, he wondered as he put her in the car. He’d carelessly sent her into danger. She’d never forgive him. He’d never forgive himself.

The emergency room was abuzz with chaos from an ambulance that arrived. Regan was groggy, in and out of consciousness as Zach carried her through the doors. Her eyes were swollen, her clothes a mess, and her lips were covered in dried blood. Certainly they wouldn’t make her wait to see a doctor.

When Curtis walked around the corner and saw him there with his sister draped over his arms, Zach’s heart leapt into his throat.

“Oh, God!” Curtis rushed to them. He called for nurses and was already pulling Zach through the secured doors toward a bed, where he laid her down. “Jesus Christ! What the hell happened?”

All Zach could do was watch as Curtis looked her over and nurses rushed to her. “I don’t know. I found her in the elevator like this. I was just on my way to pick her up.” He dragged his trembling hands through his hair as Curtis flashed a light into her eyes and she winced.