by Bella J.
Good God. Brent was so sick, so demented, that his words sent a shudder of chills throughout her body. Her teeth started to clatter while her lower lip trembled. Tears slowly trickled down the side of her face and she closed her eyes, wishing it would all end. For the second time in her life she was willing to gladly give up her life if it meant she would finally be free of this man. Death would be a welcome relief from the hell she was forced to endure.
“Brent,” Rex said from the side. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
Brent didn’t move, his lips still hovering around her ear. “Soon, Little Red. Soon I’ll claim that sweet cunt of yours again. Before the sun rises tomorrow, I will remind you what it feels like to be ripped apart by my cock.”
Brent sat up and stared down at her with a sly grin on his face. He brushed his hands up her sides, around the swell of her breasts, and she squirmed under his touch, thinking that she’d much rather have her skin torn off her body. His fingers moved between her breasts and then tore the fabric right down the middle.
Scarlet was sobbing, feeling him glide his finger down between her breasts, the touch a silent promise of all the wicked things he would do to her. And then he moved the torn bustier to the side, exposing her breasts for everyone in the room to see.
“I’m going to enjoy this. Staring at your tits while I eat my dinner, thinking about all the things I’m going to do to this fine body of yours as soon as the lights go out.”
Scarlet sighed. “Fuck you, Brent,” she whispered.
“Someone hand me the ball gag. I don’t want Little Red here disrupting our pleasant dinner with her filthy mouth.”
Scarlet’s eyes flashed to his. “No.”
“Oh, yes.”
Suddenly Scarlet wanted to plead and beg, do anything to keep him from gagging her. But she couldn’t get herself to say the words. She couldn’t find the strength to beg.
Rex was the one who handed Brent the ball gag, and Scarlet started to cry. There was no stopping the tears or the whimpers of despair rolling over her lips.
Brent just kept staring at her with so much satisfaction gleaming from his dark, hard eyes. He loved seeing her like this. He loved the power he yielded over her, and there was nothing she could do about it.
When Brent tried to put the ball gag in her mouth, she rolled her head from side to side, her last attempt at fighting him. But then she felt two hands grabbing her head.
She looked up and into icy blue eyes staring down at her. “Shh, sweetheart. Don’t fight it,” Rex crooned while holding her head still.
Brent forced the ball gag into her mouth, and then lifted himself off her, climbing off the table.
There she was, semi naked, bound and gagged, with six men staring at her. As if that humiliation wasn’t enough, she felt Rex drag a finger down her body.
“God, you look stunning like this,” he murmured as he admired her. He moved his hand over her stomach, and Scarlet moaned, more tears slipping down the side of her face. When she felt his finger leisurely stroke over her panties, she pinched closed her eyes and wept. The pain, the humiliation, and the helplessness she felt was too much. No matter how strong she tried to be, there was no way she would be able to endure all of this without cracking.
Rex gently cupped her between her legs, and Scarlet struggled to keep herself from vomiting with the gag in her mouth.
She felt his finger probe her entrance through the panties she was wearing, and she cried harder, her body rejecting his touch by shaking uncontrollably.
“Hush now, Miss Woods.”
Rex removed his hand from between her legs and palmed her cheek as he leaned over her, studying her face with eyes that actually seemed compassionate. But she knew better.
“I promise you that we will try our best to make this night as memorable for you as I know it will be for us.”
Chapter 22
If it was any other day, Hunter would have been thrilled driving in a flashy Porsche, speeding down the streets like a maniac. But it wasn’t any other day. It was one of the shittiest days he’d had in a very long time. It was the mother of shittiest days ever.
He glanced at the clock on the dash, then at James sitting next to him looking at his phone every ten seconds.
“No word yet?” Hunter looked back at the road.
“Not yet.”
Hunter tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “We’re twenty minutes away, if we haven’t heard anything by then, we’re doing this my way.”
James scratched his chin and checked his phone again. “We can’t afford to make any mistakes tonight, Hunter.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“Well, thinking you will be able to shoot your way in there is a huge mistake.”
Hunter gave him a sideward glance. “I don’t see you coming up with a better idea.”
“The only way to beat Rex is to play him at his own game. He’s young, but he’s not stupid. He’s twisted, but he’s not reckless. So if we have any chance of walking out of there alive and with Scarlet, you’ll need to act the part.”
Hunter pulled his hand through his hair. “I told you, I can do it.”
“Can you? Can you act like she’s nothing more to you than a piece of flesh, a toy to play with? Because that’s what you’re going to have to do if you want to convince Rex you’re a stone-cold son of a bitch like him who only wants his property back.”
Hunter snapped his head to the side. “I said I can do it, okay? I’ll do whatever it takes to get her back safely.”
“Good.” James reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a blue velvet box.
“What’s that?”
James opened the box, and inside was a black collar with three rows of diamonds diagonally across on the top, middle, and bottom.
“What the fuck is that?” Hunter asked as he glanced at the collar.
“If you manage to convince Rex that Scarlet is yours, you will need to reclaim her by putting this around her neck.”
Hunter cocked a brow. “No way. I am not collaring her. This isn’t a fucking erotic romance novel, Baxter.”
“I know that,” he snapped. “I fucking know this isn’t a damn romance novel, Hunter. Do you think I want to witness my daughter get treated and collared like a damn sex slave? No. But there is no other fucking way. This shit is as real as it gets, and you need to follow the fucking rules—their rules.”
“You talk like someone with experience.”
James lowered his head before letting out a breath. “It’s difficult to live in this world for so long without succumbing to temptation at least once,” he said softly.
Hunter didn’t say anything. Besides, who was he to judge? There was a time when he succumbed to the dark side of sex more than once—a time when he let all his demons come out to play. It was a dangerous game he played back then, feeding the monster inside him with such dark shit. Soon, it was no longer enough. He kept wanting more and more, and after one night of almost going too far, Hunter realized that for a guy like him, the risks of playing such games were just too great. So he stopped, and decided to cage the animal inside him, to only feed it little pieces of darkness at a time—which was why his past was filled with such a colorful display of sordid activities with multiple women.
Until her…Scarlet.
Hunter glanced out the side window before focusing on the road in front of him. He had to get her back. There was no way he would survive losing her. After years of feeling nothing, Scarlet had managed to finally let him feel something. So there was no question, if he had to tap into his deepest, darkest self to save her, he would.
“Like I said, I can do it.”
“Why are you so sure this is something you can do?”
Hunter hesitated before answering, “Because I’ve done it before.”
The most uncomfortable silences settled over them, and the only sounds that filled the background were the roar of the engine and tires rushing over the asphalt.
/> “You can’t fuck this up, Hunter. You’re going to have to push all your feelings for her aside, and you will need to harden yourself. If Rex senses any kind of emotion other than possessiveness when it comes to Scarlet, we’re screwed.”
Hunter swallowed hard. “What can I expect to find when I walk in there, Baxter?”
James’s phone went off, and the air was so thick with tension that it sounded like a damn bomb exploded between them. Hunter’s heart started to race like it had the urge to climb out of his throat. For the five seconds it took James to read the text, it felt like Hunter was going to rip his own damn skin off.
James turned toward Hunter. “Expect the worst.”
“Fuck.” Hunter stepped on the gas and sped down the street, taking turns with screeching tires.
If what he imagined as being the worst was what he was about to walk in on, he wasn’t so sure he’d be able to keep calm. Just thinking about Brent or any other man laying a hand on Scarlet—touching her—made Hunter want to rip someone’s heart out.
“Brent has the front gates secured, how are we going to get in?” James asked while he clutched the side of the passenger side door.
“Don’t worry about that. I know a way in.”
Baxter glanced at him questioningly.
“Don’t ask.”
Within minutes Hunter parked the Porsche on the side of the road and stared at the wall he used to lean against waiting for Blue while they snuck around seeing each other. The moment was almost wistful. Almost. But knowing Scarlet was on the other side of that wall made him want to think about one thing and one thing only—wrapping his arms around her and never ever letting her go again.
“Let’s go,” Hunter said, and opened his door.
James grabbed his arm and Hunter paused.
“She’s my daughter, Hunter.” James looked at him with dark, overcast eyes. “Please promise me you will do everything necessary to get her out of there.”
For the first time since Hunter met the man, he saw weakness. His daughter was his weakness, and Hunter respected that.
“I’ll get her out, Baxter. Or I’ll die trying.”
James nodded and they both jumped out of the car, sprinting across the street.
“How are we supposed to get over this wall?” James asked.
Hunter grinned. “Finally my past has a way to benefit my future.”
When they rounded the corner, Hunter found what he was looking for. There was a tree growing just on the outside of the wall that would make it real easy for them to climb over. It was also one of the spots where Hunter and Blue would hide.
Again, almost wistful.
James snorted. “I am not going to ask how you knew about this.”
Hunter climbed into the tree, then extended a hand to James, helping him climb up too. With a lot of grunts and scrapes, both of them were over the wall and in one of what seemed like ten thousand maple trees growing on the estate.
From here, Hunter was going in blind. He had never set foot on this side of the wall before, so he had no idea where he was going.
He jumped from the tree and landed on his feet, staring out in front of him. The fact that it was almost dark didn’t help either.
James landed with a thud next to him. “Come on, I know the way from here.”
Thank God.
They rushed through the trees, twigs and branches cracking beneath their feet. The closer they seemed to get, the wilder Hunter’s heart started to beat. He could already feel the fire in his veins, the fury in his chest thinking about all the things he wanted to do to every fucker inside that house. If they so much as laid a hand on her, not even God Himself would be able to help them.
As they passed an old wooden barn, Hunter paused and stared at it. Was this the barn Scarlet had referred to? Was this the barn where Brent had stolen everything from her?
The vivid image of Brent doing the unthinkable to Scarlet infected his mind, causing every drop of blood flowing through his veins to pump more determination into him to find her.
Hunter made a mental note to burn the fucking barn down after all this was over and turned to James. “How do we get in?”
James shrugged, and then someone answered, “Through here.”
Both of them looked to the right, and when Hunter saw who it was, he lost it.
“You son of a bitch!”
Hunter launched forward, running toward Colton, his fists already balled.
“Hunter, stop!” James yelled, but Hunter ignored him. All he wanted to do was to break the little shit’s neck.
Colton reared back as Hunter started to swing his arm, aiming for Colton’s face. When Hunter missed, he was suddenly tackled to the ground.
“Stop!” James tried to get a good enough hold on Hunter.
“I’m going to kill him!” Hunter yelled, his vision pure crimson.
“Hunter, calm the fuck down.”
“Are you insane?” Hunter continued to thrash until James could no longer keep him down. When Hunter got off the ground, he glared at James, who was standing next to Colton. “He betrayed us. If it wasn’t for him, Scarlet would be safe right now.”
“I know,” Colton said hesitantly. “And I’m sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t cut it.”
“I had no choice, Hunter.”
“Like hell you didn’t.” Hunter wanted to launch himself at the fucker again, but James jumped in between them.
“Listen. We can either stay out here and kill each other, or we can find a way to get to my daughter.”
Hunter didn’t take his eyes off Colton. He wanted to break the fucker’s neck before cracking his spine in half. But James was right. This was not the time. Getting to Scarlet was all that mattered.
James turned to Colton. “Can you get us in?”
He nodded. “Follow me.”
As Colton walked by, Hunter grabbed him around his neck and started squeezing, pulling him closer.
“If anything happens to her, if they so much as touch a hair on her fucking head, I will tear you apart inch by fucking inch.” He squeezed some more, but Colton didn’t make a sound. He didn’t even attempt to loosen Hunter’s grip around his throat.
“Hunter, let him go,” James ordered.
With a glare from hell, promising a profound amount of pain in the very near future, Hunter gave one last squeeze just for good measure before letting go of Colton’s neck and shoving him backward.
Colton coughed as he sucked in a breath, and just glared at Hunter without saying a word. Good boy. Hunter was so close to snapping his fucking neck that if the bastard even attempted to open his damn mouth, Hunter would lose it.
When Colton finally caught his breath and straightened, the somber expression on his ugly face gave Hunter the chills.
“What the fuck is going on, Riggs?” Hunter demanded.
Colton glanced from him to James. “It’s Rex.”
James stepped up. “What about him?”
“He’s doing what he does best.”
“And what’s that?” Hunter asked.
Colton looked at him. “Playing.”
And then James cursed. “Fuck!”
“Where is she, Riggs?” Hunter grabbed him by the shoulder. “Tell me where she is.”
“They have her in the dining room.”
Hunter shoved him forward. “Lead the way.”
“Listen to me,” Colton said. “What you’re about to walk in on, you can’t lose your shit, Hunter.”
Hunter’s blood ran cold. “What are they doing to her?”
“Like I said, Rex is in the mood to play, and you’re not going to like what you see. But you need to keep your shit together.”
Hunter stormed forward and pushed Colton hard against his chest, sending him stumbling backward. “If you don’t take me to her right now, I’m going to lose my shit right here.”
“Hunter, I’m serious.”
“So the fuck am I!”
Colton roughed h
is hand through his hair and dropped a shit load of F-bombs. Hunter didn’t care. He didn’t care if the fucking Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse came around the corner riding on galloping unicorns. All he cared about was getting Scarlet back.
“Follow me,” Colton finally said. “Just keep your guns out of sight. This place is swarming with Rex’s men.”
James fell into step next to Colton. “Do we know why he’s here yet?”
And then it all clicked together.
“Holy shit.” Hunter grabbed James’s shoulder. “It’s him, isn’t it? The guy you said you had on the inside—it’s soldier boy here?”
James didn’t answer.
“Baxter, did you know about this? Were you in on his plan all along?”
“No, of course not,” James blurted out. “I would never go along with something like this.”
“He didn’t know, Hunter,” Colton chimed in. “I acted alone. But it was never my intention to let her get hurt, which is why I didn’t destroy the bug you planted on her, even though I knew about it.”
Holy fucking shit. Hunter didn’t know which one of them he wanted to punch first. Was it possible for two full-grown men to act so fucking stupid?
“Remind me to kick both your asses when all this is done. Now let’s go.”
Hunter and James followed closely behind Colton while carefully scanning the surroundings. As they walked up the stairs to what looked like the back porch, two men with rifles positioned themselves at the top, waiting for them.
Hunter placed his hand on the gun he had tucked in his side and studied both of the men, ready if they even thought about making a move. James did the same.
“Gentlemen,” Riggs started. “These guests are here to see Rex.”
Hunter tightened his grip around the gun, his heart beating a staccato rhythm against his ribs. There was a part of him that hoped these fuckers would be hostile so that he had an excuse to go all Terminator on everyone’s fucking asses. But to his disappointment, they coolly stepped to the side and allowed them to enter the house.
How the fuck did Riggs do that? How did he manage to get all these people to trust him in less than a fucking day?