Military Man Pt 01A

"Ava?" The door slammed only reinforcing the fear the voice calling her name struck into her heart. "Ava? Honey I'm home, aren't you going to come greet me?"

She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He was at the front door, so he would still have to cross through the dining room, and the living room to get to their bedroom. She could run now if she left everything. She'd have to leave the bracelet her father gave her at her sweet sixteen, her favorite dress, everything. But if she could escape with just the clothes on her back, then she would survive. Anything was better than staying one more night with Julian.

"Ava, sweetheart I'm talking to you." His voice gained that warning edge that it took on when Ava strayed from his commands. He hated when she ignored him, which would make things even worse for her when he reached their room and found her packing to leave him. Looking to the 3-story window, Ava focused on the fire escape attached to the side of the building. She could do this. It was time to stop being afraid of him.

"Ava." Julian commanded again while Ava was at the window sliding it open and sticking her heel clad foot out of it and onto the cold black metal of the fire escape. She quickly realized she had wasted too much time thinking about her escape as Julian burst in the room. His tie had been undone and hung loose from the collar of his white button down and his pants were unbuttoned, clearly expecting something different upon his arrival.

Ava's green eyes went wide like a deer caught in headlights as she pulled her other leg through the window and onto the fire escape. Julian's anger flared as he took in the scene in front of him. Was she trying to leave him? "Where are you going?!" He shouted startling her back into action. Ava ran to the edge of the metal platform to the hole with a ladder leading to the ground, wishing she'd had the common sense to own a pair of sneakers. Just walking on the grates was cutting her concentration in half, but she managed to get to the ladder just as Julian made his way through the window. "You can't leave me Ava! I'm all you have!"

Ava tried to climb down the ladder quickly, but her heels were proving difficult and she was forced to kick them off onto the concrete below. Just keep going, she told herself as Julian called out to her again. "You won't get very far, Ava! I'll always find you!" He shouted as he followed her down the cold metal. The bars of the ladder were still wet from the afternoon's rain causing Ava to lose her footing when she was getting close to the ground. She fell on her back hitting her head hard on the black tar of the parking lot. "Oww," she groaned reaching a hand up to the back of her head feeling the warm liquid leaking out.

Julian had more luck maneuvering the slippery ladder landing on his feet next to his injured fiancé. He looked down at her and began laughing. "Now look what you've done to yourself, honey. You hit your head." Seeing her eyes beginning to close, Julian reached down and yanked her up onto her feet and into his arms. He pressed the side of his face to hers, ignoring the blood trickling down from the wound on the back of her head. "Now who's going to pay for you to go to a hospital? Me? When you tried to run from me!" Julian snapped and pushed her back against the brick wall of their building. He gripped her wrists in his, pinning them to the wall on either side of her face.

"Julian, please, you're hurting me." Ava cried, more for the pain she knew was coming than what she was currently experiencing.

"Maybe I should be hurting you. That seems to be the only way you understand!" Julian moved her hands above her head so that he could hold them both firmly in one hand. "Why do you make me do these things to you, Ava? Don't you know how much I love you? How much it hurts me to do this to you?" Julian ran his free hand down the hem of her red dress making her skin crawl underneath.

"If you love me then let me go. Please Julian, please," Ava begged with black tears streaming down her cheeks mixed with mascara.

"Let you go? Let you go? How is that love? Love," he leaned in close to plant a kiss on her neck, "is never letting go."

"Please, Julian—"

"Shut up!" He shouted following up with a swift back hand to her face. "I'm sick of this childishness, Ava! You are going to be my wife in a month, and I won't tolerate anymore of your temper tantrums!" He ignored Ava's protests as he reached a hand up her dress and ripped her panties from her body.

"No, no! Please, no!" Ava tried to wriggle free, but he was simply too strong, pressing his body into hers to hold her still through her struggle while he unzipped his pants.

"Oh stop it, Ava." He told her rolling his eyes. "You act like we haven't ever made love before."

"I'm not in love with you, you sick son-of-a—" Ava's voice lost the will to speak as he penetrated her. He felt like a knife stabbing her without being aroused, with her contracting as he thrust into her over and over. The tears were flowing clear now, all the mascara washed away by the salty liquid. She tried to focus on something else— anything else, but Julian's grunting and murmurs just wouldn't allow it.

"I love you so much, Ava. I won't let you leave me. You know that don't you?" He asked continuing his unwelcome assault on her body. Ava was too busy dying on the inside to answer him. He was right. This was her life from now on. Morning beatings, and dinnertime rapes— Julian was never going to let her go, not alive anyway.

"I hate you," she told him, the glare in her eyes only confirming the truth behind her statement. But she took it a step further by hocking a wad of spit in his right eye.

He growled with a vicious ferocity that made Ava believe he was going to kill her right there. "You ungrateful BRAT!" He lifted his hand to slap her again and Ava closed her eyes bracing herself for another blow, but it never came.

"Let her go, and I will let you keep one of your nuts." Ava opened her eyes to see a tall black man standing behind Julian with his hand wrapped around Julian's wrist. She used Julian's shock as an opportunity to wriggle free and knee him in his nether regions. The large man took it from there, grabbing Julian by his shirt and swinging him into the side of the metal dumpster just next to the fire escape. Ava watched as the large man pinned Julian against the wall like he'd done her and punched him hard in his face. She heard the bones in his nose cracking and part of her smiled inside when she heard him scream. The man punched him again and again until Julian's face was covered in his own blood and his eyelids looked too heavy to keep up.

Just when she thought he was done he turned and threw Julian on the ground and knelt down on one knee between his legs. The man reached behind his back and lifted the grey t-shirt that hung over the waist of his jeans, pulling a Swiss army knife from the spot it had been clipped on his belt. His flipped out the blade and pointed it directly at Julian's testicles.

"You think you can just take what you want because you have these?" Sweat beaded along Julian's hairline as he realized the man was serious about his threat. "You think it's okay to just violate someone because you have a fuckin' dick? Doesn't matter that she's screaming 'NO', DOES IT?"

Julian began whimpering and begging for mercy as the man grabbed his pant leg and pulled his pants down exposing his underwear. He could see the corruption in the man's eyes as his own darted back and forth in search of his own rescuer. The muscled man turned the knife over in his palm so that the blade pointed straight down in his tight fist. He could feel the demons he fought everyday coming to life as he cut through the air down in the direction of Julian's genitals making Ava's fiancé scream like a small child.

Ava wasn't sure whether to be horrified or ecstatic at what the man was doing. Everything was moving in slow motion as she watched the scene play out before her. She watched Julian squirm as the man spoke to him. Those brown eyes were hard and cold. She could see the frenzy burning through him reflected in those eyes confirming the seriousness of the words he'd said when he'd stopped Julian's assault. He was really going to cut off the man's genitals.

She gazed at the knife he had pulled from his pants and her conscience began to kick in. If she let the man proceed with his plans, Julian would most likely bleed out before an ambulance even made it halfway to him— if they even called one. The hatred she felt for him was unimaginable, especially in that very moment when she could still feel the pain from his penis ripping into her without any lubrication at all. She wanted him to suffer the way he had made he suffer over the past year, but she could not allow this man to be responsible for taking his life.

She took a step forward and placed a delicate hand on the dark skinned man's shoulder. The man looked over his shoulder at the poor girl realizing he was focusing on the wrong person. She needed medical attention, and he was wasting precious time with this sad excuse for a man. He flipped the blade back into its place and stood, taking a few steps forward to stand directly over Julian's head. "Count yourself lucky," he said before kicking him across the face and knocking him out cold.

He turned to the woman hoping he hadn't frightened her anymore than she must have already been. "It's ok, I won't hurt you." She didn't say anything, just stood there with her arms tightly wrapped around her small body. He nodded at her silence and went to dial 911. Ava's eyes went wide as she realized that he was calling the police. If the police came and found her there, it would be tomorrow's headline in the Times. He put the phone to his ear and without a second thought Ava took off down the alley and out to the parking lot. Without her heels on, running came easily to her as her bare feet pounded on the concrete.

"What the hell? Hey, wait!" The man was caught off guard by her reaction but he knew he needed to get the girl medical attention, and in order to do that he'd have to catch her.

"911, what's your emergency?" The operator answered the call.

"There's a very badly beaten rapist in the alley behind the Parkville apartments." He told the woman quickly and hung up the phone. With one last glance at the pervert on the ground, the man let out a deep breath and took off into the parking lot after the girl. Her blonde hair made her easy to spot flying behind her like a flag waving in the wind. She was fast, but he was faster with the long legs that came from being 6 foot 5 and his rigorously trained military body.

He caught up to her quickly and went to reach out and grab her, but then thought better of it. She was obviously scared enough, and after everything she'd just experienced, he was fairly sure she would not take kindly to him grabbing her.

So instead, he ran alongside her. "So, where are we going?" He asked as he gazed at her while they ran side by side, her running away from her fears and he jogging as if it were just another midnight run.

Ava turned seeing the black man easily keeping up with her and her steps began to slow. Confusion coated her features as she stared into those eyes that were so hard and cold only moments ago when he hovered over Julian, but now they were different. She came to a stop along with him breathing hard, but realizing there was no use in running anymore. They had cleared the parking lot and made it about two blocks down. "My name is Gavin," the muscled man held out a large hand to the blonde girl, finally able to see her in the lights that lined the sidewalk. She was beautiful. In those few moments of silence the two of them simply stood there taking each other in.

"Ava," she spoke her first words to the man finally allowing her eyes to see him. He was handsome, but not in the fantasy man, Edward Cullen way fairytales always made heroes out to be. He looked like he had been in his fair share of fights, especially with the long scar beginning behind his right ear then disappeared into the fitted gray tee. He had several smaller ones along his arms making her wonder just what kind of story his chocolate skin could tell her. She noticed how even though he dwarfed her— standing over 6 feet tall while she was a mere 5'5"— he had a gentleness to him that kept her from feeling the fear that was trying to grip her.

It was like looking at two completely different people. This man standing before her seemed nothing like the frenzied man in the alley. She realized then that she hadn't just run to get away from the police, but because she was afraid of him as well. Now staring at him she saw the softness in his eyes, the crookedness of his smile. His imperfections made her feel at ease and less self-conscious about what he had walked in on.

Realizing she was not going to shake his hand, Gavin let it drop focusing on the more important issue. "I really think we should get that head looked at, Ava."

Her gorgeous blue-green eyes went wide yet again thinking of the headlines in the papers. If she went to the hospital they would most definitely call her father and then all hell would break loose. "I can't go to a hospital." Ava sputtered the words out so quickly they all smashed together.

Gavin's brow furrowed with confusion, but there was no way he was letting this woman out of his sight without knowing for sure her injuries had been treated. He scratched the smooth skin of his head searching his brain for an answer. The only doctor he knew was someone he was less than interested in seeing and he knew they would feel the same, but what choice did he have?

"Alright, I might know someone that will see you now, no hospital." Ava tipped her head incredulously as the man pulled out his cellphone and dialed a number he hadn't used in 2 years. Come on pick up, he thought as the phone rang for what seemed like an hour. Right as he was about to give up a sleepy man's voice answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Darren, it's me."

"Seriously, do you know what time it is?"

"I know and I'm sorry I woke you, but it's an emergency." Gavin was really hoping he wasn't going to have to beg, but if it would help this girl he would bandage up his wounded pride later.

"What do you want, Gavin?" the man on the other line asked obviously annoyed.

"I need you to see a patient, a young girl. She has a pretty bad hit on the head and needs—"

"Take her to the ER," he cut Gavin's sentence short.

"If I could I would alright?" He looked up and found the girl staring off into the distance now lost in her own thoughts. "Darren, you know I wouldn't be calling you if I had another choice. Please. This girl needs help." He heard the man on the other line sigh and he knew he'd convinced him.

"Fine. Meet me at my office, ten minutes." With that the man hung up and Gavin silently thanked God that he'd even answered the phone.

"Alright I happen to know a doctor that will see you right now, but my car is this way." He pointed back toward the parking lot from which she had just bolted. Ava turned and faced him, panic in her eyes at the mere thought of going back to that place. "Hey," Gavin stepped toward her and she felt the panic inside rising off the meters, but it seemed to dissipate from her body when he took her small hand in his big bear claw. "I won't let him hurt you again. I promise you that."

Looking into those chocolate brown orbs she knew he was telling her the truth. As long as she was with him, she was safe— protected. Ava didn't speak, but simply nodded her head allowing him to take her hand and guide her back the way they'd come in silence. The entire time Gavin was worried she felt uncomfortable around him. That maybe his presence alone would just cause her to relive the horrifying events of the night.

When they approached the parking lot, Ava could see the police cars over close to the edge of the alley. "Come on, my car is over on the street." Gavin told her actually happy now that there had been no open spots in the lot that was also connected to the store he had been leaving earlier. He led her to a pristine black Nissan with shining rims. He pulled the keys from his pocket and unlocked the car, walking her over to the passenger's side. Ava was hesitant at first, but the headache that was beginning to kick in propelled her forward. If she couldn't trust the man that had just rescued her then all hope for the rest of mankind was gone.

Gavin helped her into the leather seat and shut the door behind her. Within a few minutes they were on the way downtown to a part of the city that Ava hadn't been to in years. She stared out the tinted window as they drove down Main Street in her old neighborhood. Things had changed drastically since her father's new job had enabled them to move to the opposite side of the city. While it had never been the nicest area, Ava noticed the increased amount of abandoned buildings with boarded up windows. There were more people walking around the streets clearly having no place to go, some with stolen shopping carts full of garbage bags, some with only the clothes on their back.

"Don't worry, the area the office is in is a little better." Gavin tried to reassure her as they made the left off Main and the right onto Crescent. He tried not to cringe as they pulled up to the familiar building that he used to visit almost every week. The red brick looked much newer than the rest of the buildings in the area and the sign that hung over the door was colorful and inviting.

Ryder Pediatrics, it read decorated with rainbows and bright pastel colors. Ava wondered exactly what kind of doctor this man knew seeing as she was clearly past the age of a pediatrician, but she didn't say anything as he stepped out of the car and ran around to help her out as well. Ava let him guide her into the brick building to a glass door that read the same as the sign in the front.

"I know this is a pediatrician's office, but he was the only doctor I could think of that would see us at this time of night." Gavin tried to explain, but Ava stopped listening when she saw the man sitting in the office waiting room. There was no doubt that the man— who she figured was the doctor since he was the only one there— was related to Gavin. The resemblance was uncanny. He had the same strong jawline, chocolate brown eyes, and smooth cocoa brown skin. Unlike Gavin, this man had a thin stubble that ran the length of his cheeks and chin and a short black hair on his head that ran neatly into his facial hair. He wasn't in as good of shape as Gavin, but he was still lean and trim. He looked exhausted having been called in at nearly 2am, but his eyes hardened when he looked at her savior as if he was realizing he had gotten out of bed for no reason.

"What the hell is this, Gavin?" He snapped, irritation ringing loudly in his voice.

"I told you I had a young girl that needed medical attention—"

The man shot up from his seat gesturing at Ava. "Are you kidding me? She's got to be at least 20 years old! I'm a damn pediatrician! You woke me up for this?"

"Darren would you just listen for two seconds? You were the only one I could call! Do you really think I would have brought her to you otherwise?" Gavin took Ava's hand motioning for her to come forward into the light so that Darren could see her head injury.

"Seriously? She's got to have a concussion and that's without an examination. Why wouldn't you take her to the ER?" Darren took a step towards her now intrigued.

"I told you, I couldn't. Look I'll tell you anything you want to know after you treat her injuries. She really needs help, Darren," Gavin pleaded.

Darren let out a deep sigh. "Fine, come this way." The two followed behind him to the first patient room where Darren instructed her to sit on the bench as he washed his hands and gathered his equipment. Ava watched as he grabbed that scope thing doctors always shoved in your face and ears with the light on it. "Look ahead," Darren reached out to lift her chin, but she flinched away from his touch. He turned to Gavin wondering what exactly he had done.