My ass didn’t hurt anymore because the inflammation had gone down, and the color returned to its normal fair tone. There was no evidence that Calloway had whipped me at all. Around the house, Calloway was a lot more affectionate than he usually was. The beast didn’t come by for another visit. It was only the man.
I should compare him to Hank, but I never did. The situations were completely different. When Calloway understood he was really hurting me, pushing me to a boundary where I received no enjoyment, he didn’t want to keep going. He didn’t want to keep hurting me.
He wasn’t a monster.
I grabbed my purse from under my desk and prepared to leave when a hand closed over my mouth. The palm pushed hard into my face while another arm wrapped around my chest and kept me still.
I screamed into his palm, but nothing came out but muffled noises.
I didn’t need to see the man’s face to know exactly who it was. He might be bigger and stronger, but I wasn’t going to give up. I threw my arm back without having any idea where I was aiming and hit him right on the ear.
“Bitch.” He contracted his hold and pinned my arms down.
I raised my legs and kicked against the desk, sending my chair flying back and directly into him.
He smacked into the other wall and momentarily released me.
I flew out of the chair and dashed to the phone, needing to call the police. I let out a scream at the same time, wanting my colleagues to hear me. There were a lot of men in the office, men strong enough to get Hank off me.
Hank punched me in the back of the head and sent me to the floor. “Plenty more where that came from.” He dragged me to my feet and hooked his arm around my waist. “Make a commotion and see what happens.” A barrel was pointed into the side of my stomach, an uncomfortable pinch from where the gun edged into my side. “Understand?”
I nodded because I couldn’t speak. Now I was truly terrified. Calloway was in his office on the other side of the floor. Unless he happened to be in the break room or speaking to someone on the main floor, he would never know I was being taken.
“Good.” He pushed me out of the office door and kept the gun hidden inside his jacket. “Make a sound, and I’m gonna shoot you right here.” He pressed the gun farther into me. “And you can bleed out and die right here on the floor. So let’s go.”
He walked me down the hallway, keeping me close to his body as we passed the doors on either side. I was hoping to cross paths with someone from the office—anyone. But everyone was either at lunch or inside their offices.
My heart wouldn’t stop racing.
Calloway wouldn’t know I was missing until the end of the workday when he noticed my purse still on my desk with my phone inside. He was smart and would put two and two together quickly, but I would be long gone by then.
Fuck.
Hank got me inside the elevator and hit the button for the lobby.
I stopped my body from shaking and tried to remain calm. The only way I was getting out of this was if I figured out a plan. I needed to find an escape route. I needed to do whatever it took to get away without getting a bullet inside me.
And I couldn’t let Hank touch me.
The elevator ride to the bottom floor was quick, not buying me any time to figure out my next move. I’d hoped people would join us inside the elevator. Maybe I could have silently communicated to them that I was in danger, that I was being kidnapped.
But I didn’t have any such luck.
The doors opened, and we walked through the lobby, passing workers dressed in suits and dresses. I tried to make eye contact with someone, but everyone was too busy on their phones.
No.
Hank got me through the door and pulled me to a black car up ahead. A driver was in the front seat, but the back was completely tinted. Hank got the back door open. “Get in.”
I had no idea where he was taking me, but wherever it was, it wasn’t good. Ignoring the gun, I remained on the sidewalk and tried not to hyperventilate. If I got into that car, I had a feeling I would never escape.
Hank pressed his lips to my ear. “You think I won’t shoot you? Because I will. And I’ll still fuck you anyway.” He shoved me inside the car, and I fell across the backseat. He pushed my legs away then moved to the seat beside me.
The driver didn’t wait for us to get our safety belts on. He immediately pulled away from the curb and joined the swarm of other cars stuck in Manhattan traffic. Hank rested his arm on his leg with the gun still trained on me.
Shit, what was I going to do?
19
Calloway
Isabella kept her gun trained on me as she glanced at her phone. She was obviously waiting for some kind of signal that whatever plan was set in motion had officially come to an end.
I couldn’t sit here any longer, not when Rome was in danger. I had no idea how Isabella constructed this ridiculous plan or how she convinced anyone to help her, but I had to put an end to it now. “Isabella, you don’t want to do this.”
“You have no idea what I want.”
“Making Rome go away isn’t going to get me back.” I had to keep my voice steady, even though I was terrified inside. I wasn’t scared of being shot. I was scared of something terrible happening to the woman I loved.
“She ruined everything. She ruined us.”
“We were going to end eventually anyway.”
“You don’t know that.” The gun began to shake, tears bubbling in her eyes.
“I do know that. And it had nothing to do with you, Isabella. There’s nothing wrong with you.” I slowly rose to a stand, my hands raised. “You’re perfect just the way you are. It was nothing personal.”
The gun shook harder. “Sit down.”
“No.” I held my ground. “You aren’t going to shoot me.” I slowly walked around the desk, my eyes trained on her the entire time.
“You bet your ass, I will.”
“No, you won’t. You wanna know why?” I made it around the desk, and I was still in one piece. “Because you love me, Isabella. Would you really shoot the man you love?” That was a cheap shot, but I didn’t have time to be noble. Every moment I was still in that office was putting Rome’s life further in danger.
Isabella used her other hand to hold the gun up, the weight of her decision suddenly growing heavy. Tears emerged from the corners of her eyes, small and reflective of the fluorescent lights. “I can’t have you, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Isabella, we can always be friends. When we were together, I cared a great deal about you. If anyone ever hurt you, I would have killed them. If anyone caused you any pain, they’d be done for. Maybe I didn’t love you the way I love Rome, but you still meant something to me.”
“Liar…”
“I’m not lying.” I took a step closer. “You need to let me go. Rome doesn’t deserve this.”
“Stop moving!”
“Isabella—”
She pulled the trigger.
Being shot didn’t feel the way I thought it would. It happened so quickly that I could barely process the pain. The bullet pierced my stomach, and the blood soaked my shirt instantly. My hand went to the wound because I couldn’t believe this was real.
She fucking shot me.
“No!” Isabella cupped her face and dropped the gun onto the floor. “Oh my god! I didn’t mean to.”
I suddenly felt weak, so I fell to my knees on the floor, my hand soaked in my own blood.
“It was an accident.” She got my jacket off and unbuttoned my shirt quickly, not that it would do anything. “I’ll call an ambulance.” She snatched the phone from my desk and a pair of scissors. Quickly, she cut a long sleeve of fabric from my suit jacket and tied it around the wound.
“No ambulance.” I swatted the phone out of her hand, my pulse noticeably quicker in my ears. My lungs ached for more air because my brain wasn’t getting enough.
“Calloway!”
“I need to find Rome. Where is she, Isabell
a? Who took her?”
She grabbed the phone again. “I need to call an ambulance. You’ll bleed out and die if we don’t get you help.”
I snatched the phone back. “If something happens to Rome, I’m dead anyway. Now tell me, Isabella. And make it quick.”
Isabella knew me well enough to know I wasn’t kidding. I was intent on saving Rome, not myself. “It was Hank.”
“Hank?” How the fuck did they know each other?
“Jackson told me about him, so I went to his office and we worked out a deal. He would take Rome away…and I would have you.”
I could kill her.
I could fucking kill her.
“Tell me where he took her, Isabella. I’ll forgive you for shooting me if you just give me this answer.”
Isabella hesitated, her hands still pressed over the fabric around my wound.
I grabbed her by the elbow and yanked on her hard. “Tell me now. If you love me, you’ll do this for me.”
The tears streaked down her face as she began to sob. “Okay…okay.”
20
Rome
We were just about to leave the city and head to Connecticut. Whatever his plans were, he didn’t want anyone around to witness them. Country fields and large stretches of grass meant it would be easy to hide a body.
Really easy.
I had to escape now. The car was driving over fifty miles an hour, but I had to do something. If I rolled onto the street and got hit by a car, I’d probably die. But at least I wouldn’t have to be subjected to his torture.
He was just going to kill me anyway. I was the only witness to his crime. If I stayed alive, I could testify to everything he did. I wasn’t even a criminal, and I knew that was his only choice. He knew he couldn’t have me the way he wanted me, but he was going to get some of me.
I grabbed the door and thrust into it with my shoulder.
It didn’t budge.
Hank grinned from his side of the car. “Child safety locks are great, aren’t they?”
Fuck.
“You’d really rather die from rolling out of a car than entertain my fantasies?” He scoffed. “You need to straighten out your priorities. I knew how much you used to love sucking my cock.”
I couldn’t believe I ever kissed that man—and liked it.
“How about we get started now?” He undid his safety belt and scooted to my side of the car.
I tried not to throw up. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
“Like this?” He gripped my thigh just below my dress. “How about this?” He moved his hand between my legs and touched the outside of my panties. He gripped the fabric in his hand and tugged.
I pushed him hard. “No.”
He bounced back and grabbed my panties again. He pulled until they came apart, ripping right in half. He pulled them to his face and gave a hard sniff. “Incredible.”
I couldn’t believe this was happening.
This was my worst nightmare playing out right before my eyes.
I actually wanted to cry, but I didn’t dare allow it. Hank would only like that more.
He moved his hand back between my legs until he found my entrance.
I squeezed my legs tightly together then punched him hard in the nose.
He faltered back, his eyes smarting as his nerve endings fired off. He fell to the floor with his legs still on the back seat.
This was about survival, and I didn’t care what I had to do to get out of there in one piece. I raised my heel then slammed it down right into his gut.
“Fuck.” He shoved my leg off and quickly straightened himself because he anticipated another hit.
I raised my other foot and aimed right at his face.
He snatched my ankle then grabbed me by the hair, yanking me down onto the leather cushion. He pulled a rope from under the seat then bound my wrists together.
“Let go of me!” The only person who could tie me up was Calloway. When anyone else did it, it was absolutely terrifying—especially when it was Hank.
“The only reason why I’m not gonna fuck you right now is because I wanna see all of you. I want those tits and ass in my face. But once we get into the house, you’re done for.” He sat on my legs and kept me still, my hands tied behind my back. “And yes, I’m gonna kill you when I’m finished.”
The country house was in the middle of nowhere. It was a two-story white house with blue shutters and a blue door. A large willow tree was outside, along with a wraparound porch. The lawn was well taken care of, and flowers blossomed in the garden.
What the hell was this place?
Hank pushed me forward, guiding me by gripping the rope that bound my hands together. “You like it? This is my vacation home. Do a lot of fishing and fucking during my time off.” He got the door unlocked and shoved me inside.
The driver pulled away from the house and got back on the road.
Now I really had no way out. There had to be a car here, but it must be in the garage. And I had no idea where that was. I immediately searched the room for something I could use against him, but since my hands were tied behind my back, I didn’t have a lot of options. If only there were a hearth with a roaring fire, I could kick him into it.
“Up.” He pushed me toward the stairs. “Come on.” He was already unbuttoning his shirt and loosening his tie.
There was no way in hell I was cooperating. My heels were gone, but I tried to kick him anyway, aiming between his legs so I could make the blow really count.
He must have been expecting me to pull that stunt because he caught my leg and yanked on me, causing me to slip and fall on the bottom stair. I hit my head on the wood and tensed at the pain. I wanted to groan, but I wouldn’t allow myself to do that. Whatever Hank was about to do to me was far worse than getting a bump on the head.
“You don’t wanna walk?” Hank stood over me then scooped me into his arms. “That’s fine. I’ll carry you.”
I knew my fate was inevitable, and I wanted to give up. I could just tune my mind out and slip away. It would be easier for me to forget the terrible things he was about to do to my body. But that would be a disgrace to Calloway. If he could talk to me, he would tell me to fight until Hank killed me.
So I had to fight.
I squirmed in his hold and try to knock him backward. With that kind of fall, he was certain to be injured enough for me to get away.
Hank was too strong. He held me closer against his chest and didn’t let my feet touch the opposite wall. “Fight all you want. It’s just more of a turn-on.” He leaned in to kiss me.
I spat in his face, making a stream of saliva drip down his cheek.
That pissed him off. He got to the top landing and carried me into the first bedroom that was available. “I was gonna shoot you right between the eyes and give you a quick death. But you know what? Fuck that.” He threw me on the bed facedown. “Maybe I’ll drown you instead.”
I thrust my hips so I could roll off the bed, but he shoved his hand against my lower back, keeping me in place. His hand dragged the zipper at the top of my dress and yanked it down just above my ass.
I felt the panic start in my gut.
I was terrified.
I wanted to give in.
He yanked the dress off until I was just in my bra, my lower body completely vulnerable to his eyes. “Wow…look at that ass.” He climbed on top of me and kissed my spine, moving up until he reached my bra.
I closed my eyes even though that wouldn’t help anything. The reality of the situation wouldn’t stop even if I tried to shut it out. This was really happening. This fiend was licking my skin and kissing it like he owned it.
Scum.
He moved down, over my ass, and then to the folds between my legs. His tongue lapped at the area, kissing my clit and then sucking it.
I was repulsed, broken. The tears came to the surface of my eyes even though I tried to fight them. After everything I did to help other people, this was how I met my end. I would be rape
d and then murdered.
I wished Calloway would come to save me.
But I knew I was on my own. He would have no way of figuring out where Hank took me. And even if he did, by the time he figured it out, I’d already be dead.
Hank dropped his pants and boxers then crawled on top of me, his hard dick pressed between my ass cheeks. His arms were positioned on either side of me, and his heavy breaths fell on the back of my neck. “Fuck, I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.” He ground his cock against my ass, a drop of moisture leaking from the head then smearing against my skin.
No, this couldn’t be real.
“I’ve gotta make up for our lost time, sweetheart.”
“Don’t call me that,” I hissed. Only one man called me that.
“Hit a nerve, huh?” He moved his lips to my ear and kissed the shell. “I’ll call you sweetheart all I want. For the next twenty-four hours, you’re mine. I’m gonna ruin this pussy and this asshole. Make that bitch think twice before slapping me.” He grabbed the base of his cock and shoved his head into my entrance.
“Stop!” I lost all sense of calm when I felt him push inside me. “Hank, don’t do this. Think about what you’re doing right now.”
“Oh, I am.” He pushed harder.
I felt him slide into me, making my pussy clench hard to keep him out. My body immediately knew his dick didn’t belong there. Only Calloway did. I felt the black diamond sit on my right hand, the promise Calloway and I made to one another. It was the only thing that gave me comfort in the most painful moment of my life.
“Get. Off. Her.”
I would recognize that voice anywhere. I heard it in my dreams, heard it in my thoughts. I turned to the right and saw Calloway standing there in his suit, red stains all across his white collared shirt. He held a gun, and it was pointed right at Hank. “Calloway…” I gripped the sheets underneath me and nearly burst into tears at the sight of him. I didn’t know how he got there, and I didn’t care. He was my savior.
Hank tensed on top of me, his cock still hard and pressed against my ass. He suddenly grabbed me by the neck and rolled over, covering his body with mine so Calloway couldn’t shoot him. “Leave, or I’ll snap her neck.”
Black Forever Page 17