Promises and Pomegranates by Sav R. Miller

ones. And after, probably me.
I knew he could do it.
Even worse, I knew he would.
That’s the problem when you associate with men like him; the kind who
ooze power, know how to wield it, and know what to do to keep it. The kind
who will spit in your face, then offer a handkerchief to wipe it off, so you end
up owing him something instead.
The kind with very little to lose.
I haven’t had one of those nightmares since I’ve been on the island.
Maybe that’s because the nightmare manifested.
Whatever the reason, when I see Vinny pull out a similarly shaped object,
uncapping it with his thumb, my instincts kick into overdrive for the first
time since all of this began.
“Uh...” Gwen says, moving back down the bar toward us, eyeing the
needle in Vinny’s hand. “Did he tell you to drug her?”
Vinny scoffs. “He said to keep an eye on her. I can’t very well fuckin’ do
that if she isn’t here, now can I?”
“This is definitely not going to end well for you,” she mutters, shaking
her head.
But she doesn’t stop him.
He pounces like a hunter zeroing in on its prey, hands vying for my neck,
and I lean into the movement.
He’s stocky, but it’s clear the second I grab his wrists that he’s only
concerned with glamor muscles; he loses his grip easily, the syringe falling
from his fist and clattering to the floor. He bends to get it, shoving his elbow
in my face. It connects with my eye, and I stumble back from the sudden
brunt force, pain lancing across my forehead.
I can already feel the bruise, blood coagulating beneath the surface of my
skin.
Satisfaction rolls through me like a thick fog, settling deep in my soul as I
focus on the pain, using it to propel me into action.
Raising my leg, I kick upward, aiming for his groin.
When my shin makes contact, Vinny groans long and throaty, like a man
with sudden tonsil issues. He doubles over, losing the needle again, and I
kick once more for good measure, then walk around as he writhes on all
fours, gripping his ears with my fingernails and driving my knee into his
forehead.