Chapter 45
WRENCHED
Time protracted as she was ripped away. She hadn’t tried to run, but the asshole manhandled her until the metal prison, which had once abhorred, looked like sanctuary. There were women cowering in the cages I could see, and the terrified gasps coming from my right suggested there were even more I couldn’t see. Silence drenched the gray room as they dragged the brown-eyed woman from captivity, her fate unknown beyond the sickening words of the one they called Matt and the soulshattering scream she let out from somewhere out of sight.
“This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening!” a frantic voice panted from down the line.
“Well, it is,” whispered an olive-skinned woman beside the empty cage. “Shut the fuck up before you get us in even more trouble.”
“More trouble?” The retort came from another crate I couldn’t see. “How do you fathom that? We’re fucked!”
I closed my eyes, trying to block out the turmoil, but it was impossible. The stranger was right. My worst-case scenario was playing out before my eyes.
“Next up!”
My body stiffened as my eyes flew open to find those grubby boots marching into view.
“You.”Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.
Shock reverberated as he fell to his haunches in front of me. I wanted to scream, cry, and resist, but in the distress of the moment, no protests came. What was the point of being a hero? He had all the cards stacked in his favor-authority, control, and guns. I didn’t even have clothes.
“Out and don’t try any funny business.” He unlocked the padlock securing the metal door, and it swung open, revealing the tiled floor and the long corridor to God knew where. “Move it.”
I pressed my palm into the cold floor, easing my weary body into the open.
“Don’t bother getting up.” His tone was snide. “I reckon you bitches can crawl.”
A shudder ran along my back at his sinister command, but somehow, I was relieved. Better to crawl of my own volition than be shoved and thrown around like the brown-eyed girl.
“Faster,” he snarled, already striding down the narrow hall.
Fleetingly, I lifted my head, meeting the gaze of the next woman in line.
“Faster, or I’ll fucking drag you by the hair.”
I scrambled to obey, but it was difficult to move efficiently on my hands and knees, especially when he insisted on such long, unhelpful strides. Following behind as best I could, we rounded the corner to a small open courtyard.
“You took your time.” Another swine stood there, arms folded across his chest.
“Yeah, the bitch is taking forever.”
“You need to be a little more assertive, Jim.” Arms falling to his side, he marched in my direction, grabbing me by the hair and yanking me to my feet. Wincing, I clambered to my full height, hands rising to lessen the sting as he jerked me onto the freezing concrete. For one awful moment, I forgot I was naked, my only focus on halting the fire erupting at my scalp. Heart racing, I ignored the chill of the stone tiles, my feet wet as I was forced to walk through a puddle of water. It all happened in a matter of seconds.
“Here.” He spun me around, shoving me back against a wooden post.
“Let me look at you.” Grasping my wrists, he held me against the wood. “This one’s not bad.”
I could scarcely catch my breath. His face contorted as he chuckled at my predicament.
“Nice tits.”
“Get on with it,” moaned the other one. “We’ve got ten of them to get through. Where are the others? We’re the only ones doing any work.”
“Dylan and Ryan should be around,” he replied before his attention flitted back to me. “Go find them while I get this one ready.” Pushing my arms back, his gaze narrowed. “Gonna be a good girl?”
“Wh-What are you going to do to me?”
His face twisted into an ugly sneer as he tugged my arm higher. The next thing I knew, there was a metal bracelet around my wrist. Glancing up,
I was horrified to see him securing shackles around one, then the other arm.
In less than a moment, I’d been strung up like a turkey at Christmas, naked and defenseless.
“Keep your mouth shut.” He leered as he stared at my helpless body.
“You bitches talk too much.”
“But please…” I couldn’t help pleading, though I instantly loathed myself for it. “I-”
My entreaty was cut short by the thug’s hand rising to my throat and squeezing.
“I said shut up.”
Immobilized as much by fear as his hand and the shackles, I gasped for air as his free palm slid to my chest.
“There,” he cooed, crushing my left nipple between his thumb and fingers. “That’s much better.”
Struggling for air and unable to get away, there was nothing I could do to resist his predatory advance.
“What are you doing?” An unknown voice distracted him, and his hand relaxed on my throat.
“Getting them washed, you asshole.” He released my teat as he spat at his colleague. “Why aren’t you helping?”
“You can cope with a few little girls, can’t you?”
I turned to see the newest ruffian’s brow rise. He was more attractive than the one pawing me, though clearly still lacking principles.
“Fuck you.” The first guy, Matt, shook his head as he turned and walked away. Crouching, he collected a hose from the concrete. “You deal with this one if you’re so bloody clever. Where’s Ryan?”
“Enjoying the one you cleaned up.” He laughed, his dark hair falling into his eyes as he moved to grab the hose. His gaze darted to me, his free hand sliding into his pocket.
“Already?” Matt complained. “We said we’d wait.”
“Apparently, he couldn’t,” sniggered the one wielding the hose. “Jim said we could each take one and leave the others ’til later.”
“Fine.” Matt blew out a breath. “Then I’m going to choose one for myself.”
Without waiting for a reply, he stormed back toward the cages, leaving me shackled on the cold stone at the will of the stranger. As if it wanted to taunt me further, the breeze whipped up, goosing my skin as it rushed past. “Who do we have here?” His eyebrow arched as he wandered in my direction. “Do you have a name?”
My name? In all the time I’d been on the run, he was the first man to have asked.
“Eloise.” My voice was hoarse after the recent attack.
“Very pretty,” he replied, drinking in my bound and exposed body. “I’m going to hose you down, Eloise.”
“Please…” I couldn’t take much more. All those days of fear and tension, the hours of hiding and slowly starving had taken their toll, had all been for nothing. They’d come for me in the end. There had been no escape.
“I suggest you keep your eyes and mouth closed.” Wedging the hosepipe between his thighs, he rolled up his black shirt sleeves. “This won’t take long.”
That was all the warning I got. By the time he gripped the hose again, the device had flickered on, water rushing from its spout onto the concrete. Widening his stance, he met my gaze, his blue eyes sparkling as he directed the flow onto me.
“Ow!” I screeched, my feet dancing as the torrent worked up and down my shins. The intensity of the water was so fierce, the impact was almost painful, and given its freezing temperature, my brain interpreted its power as pain. “Oh God, no!”
A small smile rose to his lips as he guided the current. Thankfully, he avoided my sex as there was little I could do to protect the sensitive area except press my thighs together, but the stream felt much tougher against my midriff. Panic spiraled as it rose to my breasts, my pleas increasing when the water hit my nipples. I’d never been so cold and susceptible, never felt so damn powerless. Tipping my head back as far as the post would allow, I squeezed my eyes closed as I dangled from the shackles. The surge went on, hitting my neck and soaking the bottom of my hair.
“Okay.”
Finally, the pressure of the current assuaged and shivering, I found the strength to open my eyes. He pointed the flow at me, shifting its focus from one nipple to the next as he drew nearer. He flicked the power off, dropping the hose as he stood regarding me.
“Matt’s right, they might be small, but you have great tits.”