by Naomi West
“A thong?” he said as if he had never seen one before. “I knew you were a dirty whore the second I laid eyes on you and yet you had the goddamn gall to tell me ‘no’? After I bought you a fucking drink too!” His anger manifested in the form of a smack that ricocheted through my left ass cheek.
I screamed against his hand, but it translated into nothing more than a pathetic mewl. No one would hear me no matter what he ended up doing.
Shit. Shit. Shit. You’ve really done it this time, Cora. Why didn’t you just go home with Lily and George instead of acting like the badass you’ve never been? I reprimanded myself.
Blood ran down the man’s face, and it spilled onto my body. I squirmed, thinking its stickiness was something else.
This guy is going to rape you. He probably intended to rape you from the second he bought you a drink. Why didn’t you see this coming?
His thumb hooked against the fabric of my panties and just as he had before, he tugged on it. The fabric parted my lips and rubbed against my most sensitive areas.
I whimpered.
“Stop your bitching. Crying isn’t going to get you anything except something to truly cry about.”
He yanked on my hair, so I was forced to look up at the night sky. The stars were nowhere to be seen, and the clouds still hovered in the moon’s way. It was like everything, even the heavens, had turned its back on me when I needed it most.
He grinned down at me. “You’re in for the night of your life.”
I closed my eyes and tried to will everything away, but then a soft thump caught my attention.
While holding my breath, I looked up, and to my utter surprise, I saw a person, perhaps the same one I had heard walking around a moment before. A spark of hope flared up inside my chest.
Could it be? Has someone come to my rescue? Is this nightmare about to be over?
5
Standing there, was a tall, well-dressed man. Thanks to the street light, his every feature was illuminated and clear. It was like I was looking at him across a table at a local coffee shop.
The suit he wore appeared custom-tailored because it hugged his body in the best of ways. It tapered at the waist ever so slightly and outlined his broad shoulders. Then there were the perfect pressed pants that highlighted his stature. This guy was tall. At least 6’5 if not taller.
But why is he just standing there?
Time itself seemed to halt at his presence, allowing me to securitize his every last inch. I looked up, and his eyes met with mine. They were dark, maybe even black. I felt my heart rattle inside my chest. He was stunningly handsome—there was no doubt about it—but his features were cold and cruel. There was absolutely no warmth to his expression. He just stood there, taking in the entire situation.
Do something! my subconscious shouted as the seconds ticked by.
Again, I caught his eye, and this time, I tried to signal that I needed help.
Like he doesn’t already know that. You’re bent over a couple of crates with a hand clamped around your mouth.
He might think you’re into this sort of thing, I argued against my own logic until my head felt like it was going to pop off.
I was tired and scared, and all I wanted to do was go home already.
It was subtle, but something about his face seemed to change. I held my breath, thinking that maybe this newfound stranger would intervene. I definitely wouldn’t mind having such a hunk as my knight in shining armor. It certainly beat the creep that still had his cock poking against my thigh.
He took a step forward.
Yes, do something, please!
But before he could do anything to help me, there was a loud commotion from the other end of the alley.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
I craned my neck just enough to see a group of messy looking Italian gangster types jumping over the fence.
What is this? The shoot to a movie or something? Because you definitely didn’t sign up for this shit.
“What the…?” The man who still held me in his grasp seemed just as confused. “Can’t a guy enjoy a good boning in peace?”
The gangsters didn’t bother to answer. They swept off the dust from their suits and rolled back their shoulders. Some of them brandished semi-automatic weapons across their chests. They held them with looks of smugness like a guy about to rub one out to a hot issue of Playboy.
As a group, they swaggered forward, but there was something a little off about the way they moved. They swayed to the left and then to the right. One guy even lost his footing. He would have smashed his face against the ground if one of his comrades hadn’t hoisted him up by the collar. A hint of gold flashed from underneath his shirt.
“It’s cool man, it’s cool,” said the clumsy individual as if nothing had happened.
Great, a bunch of drunk men. That’s exactly what you need right now. As if almost getting raped isn’t bad enough—let's add gang rape into your forecast.
The sarcasm did not help me stomach the situation. I was still scared out of my goddamn mind, and I didn’t know what to do about it. Even my aggressor had become as still as a statue. For a moment, I thought about biting down on his hand, but I didn’t want to add any unwanted attention to myself. There was no telling what might go down in the alleyway. Keeping a low profile might be my only chance at survival.
“Hey!” The man standing at the center of the pack pointed at my would-be rapist.
He appeared to be a little less drunk than everyone else, and he was one of the few men without a gun—or at least a gun I could see. If I had to imagine, these guys were always packing and not in a good way.
“Did you catch one?” he asked. “Well, hurry the fuck up and bring her. The show is starting soon!”
Show? What show?
I looked back at the rapist, and it was clear he was royally pissed off.
“Just give me a minute,” he mumbled as he tugged on my panties.
My eyes widened. Is he really going to fuck me in front of all these men? Certainly, this isn’t the show they are talking about, is it?
Adrenaline pumped through my veins. I tried to summon up the courage needed to make a last-ditch attempt at salvation, but every time I came close to doing so, I was reminded of all the guns. If I tried to run, there was a good chance they would shoot me down without hesitation.
“Give you a minute?” the leader mocked. “Did I hear you correctly? Because I know for a fact that you wouldn’t try and do something you’re not supposed to. You know how the boss gets when we ruin merchandise before it gets on stage.”
“I wasn’t ruining nothing,” said the man as he continued to tug on my panties, but somehow, I had managed to clamp my legs shut, making it incredibly hard for him to take them off. “I just need a goddamn minute without you guys breathing down my neck.” He swore as he continued to struggle with my underwear.
Suddenly, the leader had a silver pistol aimed at the guy’s head. “Ask me for another minute, and your brains are going to decorate these walls.”
My heart skipped several beats. Shit. This is some real mafia shit, and somehow, you’re caught in the middle of it.
Even with a gun pointed at his head, the rapist grumbled something underneath his breath. This guy really didn’t know how to shut the fuck up, did he? At this rate, he was bound to get himself killed, and getting covered in brain matter was not on my bucket list.
Click.
The leader cocked his gun, and even though it wasn’t pointed at me, I still flinched. It was hard to breathe, knowing that someone could die at any moment.
“Alright, alright,” my would-be rapist finally conceded because, really, he had no other choice but to listen to the leader.
“Good boy,” the leader praised with a condescending tone.
The rapist shot him a dirty look, but he didn’t dare to open his mouth. Instead, he threw me to the ground. I tried to get onto my hands and knees, but he just dug his heel into the small of my back, making it impossi
ble for me to move.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his belt come undone. A second later, it was wrapped around my neck like a leash. I shook my head as he buckled it way too tight, cutting off my airflow. I felt my lips and face starting to turn blue.
“We want her alive for the show,” the leader said with a kick to the rapist.
He grumbled but complied with the orders as he loosened the buckle by a single notch. It wasn’t ideal, but at least I could breathe a little easier.
“Please…” I begged. “Just let me go, and I’ll pretend like none of this ever happened.”
Echoing laughter shot up through the alleyway.
“There’s no negotiating with us,” said the leader. “So quit wasting your breath.”
“I think I have a better idea.” Without a lick of warning, the rapist ripped the panties right off my body. I cried out at the recoil of the elastic waistband, but I wasn’t able to make much noise before those same panties were shoved inside my mouth to keep me quiet. “Spit those out, and we might have to staple your mouth together.”
I gulped because, by the sound of it, he was being completely serious. Frightened by the repercussions, I nodded to signal my compliance.
“Good.” He smiled and patted my head like I was some kind of dog or something. “Now, come.”
He pulled on the belt. The harsh leather dug into my skin. Fighting against his command would only result in me choking myself. So, I struggled to keep up with their pace, especially since I had been restrained to just my hands and knees. Humiliation colored my cheeks as I was dragged through the alleyway.
Someone had managed to open the fence. The chain-link door moved back and forth against the wind that tunneled through the space. I hesitated a moment because I feared that if I went through that door, then that was the end of it. I would never be able to return home again. Whatever these men had in store for me, I knew it wouldn’t be a good thing.
Oh, why the fuck did you insist on walking home when Lily and George had offered to give you a ride? Why did you have to go and be so stupid?
It was then that I remembered the well-dressed gentleman. How had I forgotten about him? I jerked my head in the direction of the well-lit street only to find that he had disappeared.
Had he ever been there to begin with? Or had he been a figment of my imagination? For, surely, any decent human being would have done something to help a damsel in distress. Or, maybe, he just didn’t want to get himself involved, and could I really blame him?
I was absolutely fucked.
6
On the other side of the fence, things quickly took a turn. I was pulled onto my feet and tossed around the group as each man took his turn feeling me up. With my bottom half fully exposed, they were free to touch and prod like I was some kind of sex doll they had purchased at the corner porn shop.
A few of the men even got so bold as to stick their fingers up my pussy. I cried for them to stop, but my pantie-gag was super effective at keeping me quiet.
The leader took the longest time with me. He was slow and methodical about groping my chest.
“I think you would look much, much better without this blouse. What do you think, men?”
An excited whooping emerged from the group. Multiple hands took up a fistful of the fabric, and in the blink of an eye, it was torn to tatters. The tatters fluttered down to my feet.
“Much better,” he said just before he took a knife out of his pocket. He swung it open, and the sharpness of the knife reflected the dim moonlight.
I shook my head violently. This was it. This was where I was going to die; I was sure of it.
He pressed the tip of his blade against my neck. “Hold very, very still. It would be a shame if you got damaged during the transport, and we had to ditch you in a pile of garbage.”
Again, I shook my head.
“You’ll be a good girl, won’t you? We’re extra nice to the girls that keep their promises.” His voice was deep and husky like he wanted to seduce me or something, but I wasn’t the kind of girl who harbored gang bang fantasies.
No, this was a living nightmare, and I just prayed I would escape it with my life, but the chances of that happening weren’t looking too great.
The knife continued downwards towards my cleavage. My breath hitched at the back of my throat as tears flowed down my cheeks.
“I don’t know why you’re crying. We’ll take really good care of you.” The sharpness of the blade left behind a thin red line that stung like a paper cut. My chest heaved, and I closed my eyes.
Snap!
With a flick of his wrist, the bra came flying off my body. I was now fully exposed, and I felt the full weight of a dozen eyes settling on my body.
“Now, this is a sight I could get used to.” The leader slapped my tits around.
I tried to hold out my hands to protect myself, but some of the mafia members held them back, making me completely vulnerable to anything they wanted to do with me.
My would-be rapist grabbed my pussy so roughly that I was practically lifted off the ground. “I’ll have my fun with you yet.” He hissed against my ear.
The leader snapped his fingers, and everyone immediately straightened to attention, including me. “We’ve wasted enough time. The show is going to start soon, and Remy here got himself a good one. She’ll fetch a nice price.”
A nice price? What the hell are they talking about? Are they planning on whoring you out? Have you somehow been dragged into a sex trafficking ring? No. This sort of thing only happens on crime shows—to other people—not to you.
Suddenly, something silken was pressed against my eyes. I tried to struggle against it, but someone took me by the chin and held me with such firmness that I thought they would crack my jaw. The blindfold was tightened, and I was left seeing only black.
My heart thundered. The night was just getting worse and worse. I was scared and confused and at the mercy of murderous men.
God, if this is a nightmare, please wake up right now…
But deep down, I knew this was my sickening reality.
They shoved me along, keeping me trapped in the middle of their circle. We walked for what felt like several city blocks before I was taken inside some building. Where the hell I was, I had no idea, but it smelled a lot like tobacco and booze. In the distance was a murmur of voices.
Could these people help? Or are they just going to add to your torment?
At this point, I didn’t even want to know. I just wanted it to end, but there was no end in sight.
Literally.
They threw me into a corner, and because I was blindfolded, there was no way for me to anticipate the fall. I wasn’t able to hold out my arms or anything.
Crash!
I banged my head against what felt like floorboards. It throbbed as I reached out my hand to touch it, wondering if I was bleeding or not. Someone slapped my hand away.
“Don’t.” It was the leader. I had only just met the guy, but the deepness of his voice was already etched into my mind like nails on a chalkboard. “When we return, you better be just as we left you. So, enjoy the taste of your panties.” He snickered.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
With the sound of receding footsteps, I was able to breathe again. I was sure they were gone, but then I felt something cold against my temples.
Click.
I tensed. A gun.
“Don’t try anything stupid or I might just forget my orders to keep you alive and pay you back for this broken nose you gave me. Do I make myself clear?”
I managed to nod despite the giant lump forming at the back of my throat.
“Good.”
The gun was withdrawn, and my shoulders sagged with relief. At least I would be able to live a little while longer, but honestly, I didn’t know whether that was a good thing. Staying alive just seemed like a one-way ticket to “Painville”, and that wasn’t particularly a place I wanted to visit.
But I didn’t want t
o die either.
So, I sat there and hugged my knees to my chest. I was able to cover up a bit of my body that way, and it made me feel better. Still, I could tell that someone was staring at me. I hugged myself a little harder in the hopes that I might fold into a tiny ball and disappear. But that wasn’t fucking happening no matter how hard I tried.
Relax, Cora. You’re going to make things worse if you keep freaking out. Stay calm, and maybe you’ll figure a way out of this mess.
That little voice at the back of my head had a point, so I decided to listen to it.
I inhaled through my mouth and exhaled through my nostrils—a little trick I had picked up at yoga class. Apparently, doing so was supposed to bring your heart rate down. I didn’t know whether that was true or not, but I did feel a bit more at ease. I mean I still had the jitters, but at least they weren’t threatening to overwhelm me with anxiety.
In this new state of mind, I used the only resource I still had at my disposal – my ears. Muffled music started up, reverberating slightly across the hardwood floor. The beat of it was kind of fast like something you might encounter with EDM. Had they dragged me all the way to an underground club? If so, why did they keep mentioning a ‘show’? Did they expect me to work as an exotic dancer or something? Maybe I had a couple of moves, but I knew nothing about a stripper pole.
I started to get caught up in my thoughts, and my chest tightened as a million and one scenarios swirled around in my head, each one worse than the last.
No, stay calm, I told myself as I tilted my head to the side, trying to pick out any clues that might help me figure out where I was and what was going to happen to me.
The music got a little louder, and then it was adjusted back down to a volume whoever seemed happy with. Whatever was going on, they were definitely still prepping for its start. My ass started to hurt from sitting on the cold, hard ground for so long. It didn’t help that I could still feel the sting of the smacks I had received in the alleyway. The more I thought about it, the more aware I became of my body. It was like someone had thrown me into a heavy-duty spin cycle. And I feared that there was much more suffering to come.