Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 87961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
I shrug at my uncle and brother. “She’s not gonna cooperate, she doesn’t understand what the fuck that word means.”
Caleb glances at me. His expression is hard, his nostrils flaring as he glares at me. I shake my head at him and he pulls in a hard breath, silently mouthing the words “fuck you” to me as he walks toward her. Bob grabs her by the hair, jerking her head back while Caleb cuts her hands loose and stands her up.
“Ria, just tell us. You can make it stop if you tell us.” Caleb is pleading with her, not demanding; he is begging her to tell us so he can stop.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her chest swells and the next sound that comes from her is a loud sob. “I don’t know. I don’t know. Please, Caleb,” she begs between sharp breaths. “You’re not a monster,” she whispers. “You promised.”
I watch Caleb flinch as though she just inflicted a physical blow to him. His eyes move to mine. “Jude…”
“Do your fucking job, Caleb,” I growl at him. I don’t have time for his bleeding heart bullshit.
Caleb takes a deep breath and clenches his jaw as he motions for Bob to move to the side. He takes her by the shoulders, tilting his head up like he’s begging God for forgiveness before he throws her to the ground. Water splashes up from the concrete when her body hits it. He hovers over her, panting. I know he wants to kill me for making him do this, but you can’t befriend the enemy, and this is a lesson to him. Bob takes her legs, pinning them down beneath his spread knees.
Caleb glances back at me, once more silently pleading with me to let up, but I nod. “Fucking do it,” I growl.
He grabs the collar of the shirt she has on and rips it from her. I expected her to fight, to scream, something...but she’s just lying there weeping and shaking uncontrollably. Her muffled cries damn near cripple me.
She’s a person…I close my eyes for a second, trying to separate myself from this entire thing, and when I open them, Bob has torn the boxers from her. She’s lying naked on a cold concrete floor with icy water puddled underneath her.
“Do you work for Joe, or did you come as a favor to Euan?” Bob asks.
She turns her head away from Bob, and her eyes squeeze shut as she tries to cover her chest with her arms. She’s violently shivering from the cold temperature of the room; each ragged breath she manages to let go of comes out as a white cloud.
I just want her to answer him. I want this to be fucking over. I need to push her far enough to be sure, but this already feels too fucking far...and it shouldn't. I’ve done far worse than this.
Bob crawls off her and crosses the room, lighting a cigarette before he grabs the edge of the metal cart, the rusty wheels squeaking as he pushes it over beside her.
I swallow. My heart’s banging around in my chest and up into my throat; sweat collects in the palms of my hands.
There’s a loud thud on the thick door behind me, and I flinch as the door crashes against the wall.
“Jude, we got a problem. There’s two men sneaking around in the woods in the back of the property.”
“What? How did they get past the fucking security?”
“Fuck if I know. But they’re armed.”
“Fucking Joe!” I look at Victoria. “If I find out you have anything to do with this, I can promise you I will show no mercy!”
I motion with a quick jerk of my neck at Caleb. “Come on.”
Caleb looks back at her, then up at me with a worried look.
“Come on!” I growl.
I step out, holding the door as I peer back into the room at Bob. “You fucking touch her, and I will strangle you with my bare hands.”
Bob nods, standing up and pulling in another drag from his cigarette as he leans against the far wall.
“Do you fucking hear me?” I shake my gun at him. “Don’t touch her until I get back!”
“Yeah, yeah. I won’t. Cross my heart hope to fucking die.”
The door slams shut just as she lets out another loud sob. I weave through the rooms and up the stairs, my gun clutched tightly in my fist as I follow the rest of the guys onto the deck.
“Two guys in the woods over there.” Paul points to the back of the lot.
I don’t wait. I feel like everything is collapsing around me. I’ve got her downstairs, these guys on my property. I feel like I’m being come at from all directions. I sprint toward the tree line, Caleb following close behind me. The rest of my guys swarm in, guns drawn. I hear one of the trespassers shout, and then I see them dart through the thin pine trunks.