‘You’re trying to confuse me and distract me. Your games aren’t going to work this time, Hannah.’ He gave a humourless laugh. ‘I’ve got you exactly where I want you. Remember that day out in the barn?’ He leered at her. ‘We can finish what we started. No one is here to stop us this time.’

Shit.

She reached again for the knot, but then he had hold of her ankles and was yanking her down the bed, and she cried out in pain as her arms were stretched above her.

He was back on top of her now and she bucked and writhed, trying to throw him off, screaming again when she felt his fingers unbuttoning her jeans.

‘No, please.’

Her heart was thumping as she fought against him. She would not make this easy for him.

He tried to hold her down, breathing heavily and cursing her, as he warned her to stay still.

Suddenly there was a thwack and she saw his eyes go wide. One moment he was looking down at her, his expression stunned, the next he had collapsed on top of her.

Behind him stood Rosie with Hannah’s heavy frying pan in her hand, the one Hannah had dropped, and she continued to smack it hard against Bill’s head, even after he had fallen.

‘Get off of her! Leave her alone.’

‘Rosie?’

Thwack, thwack, thwack.

With each hit, Bill’s face mashed against Hannah’s breasts.

‘Rosie. He’s unconscious. Can you please get him off me and untie me?’

Rosie wasn’t listening. Her sole focus on Bill.

Thwack, thwack, thwack.

‘Rosie! Please stop.’ Hannah was crying now. She just wanted this to be over.

Thwack, thwack, thwack.

Why wasn’t she listening to her?

‘Rosie!’ Another voice.

Hannah saw Liam enter the room, his eyes widening as he took in the scene before him.

He rushed over to the bed, one arm wrapping around Rosie, his free hand catching hold of hers and easing the pan from her grip. ‘It’s okay. You got him,’ he told her, easing her back.

‘He was attacking Hannah. I had to stop him.’ Rosie seemed dazed,

‘You did. He won’t hurt her again.’

‘I’m okay, Rosie,’ Hannah assured her. It was a lie. She felt anything but okay and was struggling to hold herself together.

‘We need to call the police, and an ambulance. Can you do that for me?’ Liam was easing Rosie onto the stool in front of the dressing table now.

She nodded compliantly, taking his phone, and he watched her just long enough to make sure she was calling the number before going back to Hannah. He pushed Bill off the bed, before using the kitchen knife to slice through the rope binding her wrists.

Hannah tried to roll over, crying out in pain.