Dark Boundaries (3 page)

Chapter Five

Garrett~

It’s only a matter of time. I need to be patient. Soon I’m going to get my chance and then I’ll put my fist right through that sneering face.

“Warren!” Bill goes red in the face with anger. He’s the head of this small operation, but he’s also the link to bigger things. It’s the bigger operations I’m after. “Get back to the warehouse. I need you to take care of some debt collecting. The girls are not here for your entertainment.”

As much as I hate the old bastard, I’m so fucking relieved he’s here. He’s the only one who can control Warren.

“But, Pop,” Warren wines like the dickless fucker he is.

“Don’t you argue with me, boy!” Bill struggles to get his big body out of the chair. He’s short and has a belly that goes on for miles, but everyone is scared of him. Money breeds power. Warren scowls and walks away, his shoulders slumped.

Bill comes closer, inspecting each of the girls. He toes Kristine in the side. “Boys,” he huffs. The man needs to lose some serious weight, maybe then he won’t be wheezing like that after only getting up from a damn chair. “Now’s your chance to prove to me you can do this. You’ve been a great asset to me so far. Don’t let me down. Get these girls broken in and ready for the auction. Chase and Eric will help train them. It will be their first time, as well. Pick who you want and get them out of my sight.”

“Yes, Sir.” I’m quick to reply. The man has to believe I’m eager to get going, because he grins at me.

“Garrett, my boy, you’re gonna go places.” He looks to Justin, my younger brother by only a year. People tend to think we’re twins. “You too, Justin-son. You too. Wish Warren was more like you boys.” Bill tucks his thumbs into his belt, just under the large lump of fat he calls a stomach. He looks pleased with the girls. “It’s a pity about the marks. Hope they fade away. We’ll get more money if the girl has a pretty face.” He doesn’t wait for us to say anything but waggles back to his chair. “There’s a room for each of you to train them in. Lock those. Women are stupid creatures, they always try to get away.” He gives a hearty laugh. “I’m also going to head back to the city. I have some things to take care of.” He chuckles again.

I pick Kristine up. “Come,” I bark at Cathy and Kelly.

At the first door I reach I indicate with a nod for Kelly to go in. I have to put Kristine down so I can shackle Kelly then lock the door, leaving the key in the lock. Justin takes the next room, setting Riza on the ground and shackling her ankle to the wall.

Cathy starts to breathe heavy at the sight of the girls being bound. “Don’t even think about it or we’ll sedate you,” I warn her with an impatient hiss. I’m tired after the scenes at the club and the long drive.

When I open the door to the next room, Cathy obeys and Justin shackles her. He locks the door and follows me to the next room. He closes the door behind us as I lay Kristine on the ground. I link the shackle around her ankle. I inspect the bruise forming just above her left eyebrow.

“What the fuck man!” Justin whispers. “I don’t know if I can do this. It’s just sick.” Justin grabs a fist full of his hair and yanks at it.

“Not in front of her,” I hiss. “We’re going to do this, get them trained and ready. That’s what we’re sticking with. We can’t let her down when we’re this close. Hold your shit together.”

“We have to choose?” Justin takes a deep breath and then curses again. “What the fuck is up with that?”

“Choose the one you like most. You’re going to have to do it man, you might as well like her. It might make it easier.”

Justin looks down at Kristine. She’s still unconscious from the blow to her head. I tense up, waiting for him to decide.

“If I have to fuck someone …” He turns his back on the girl, “this is fucking wrong, so wrong. Andrea wouldn’t want us to do this. We’re no better than the men who took her!”

“Just choose already. I want to get started and get it over with and don’t you ever mention Andrea again. We don’t need trouble when we’re this close to finding her. She’s all that matters, not these girls. Only finding Andrea matters, you hear me!” I can smack him upside the head for making a mistake like that. No one needs to know we’re looking for her.

Justin links his hands behind his neck and looks up at the cracked ceiling. He breathes out loudly. When his chin falls to his chest, he whispers, “Riza. The others will kill her. She’s a rebel. At least I’ll have more patience with her.”

“Don’t let the guilt eat away at you. We have to do this.” I glance at Kristine. I should take one of the other girls. I lied to Justin. It’s harder to break someone you like. I don’t feel attracted towards Cathy or Kelly. I should choose one of them.

I can’t help as my eyes wander to Kristine. She’s the smallest of the four. She looks so breakable, her silky blonde hair scattered over the cold stone floor.

The thought of Chase or Eric taking Kristine fills me with dread. I turn and face my brother. He’s just staring at the floor. “Please don’t fuck this up. It’s our only chance to get her back.” With the last warning I leave the room. Once Justin is out I lock the door and pocket the key.

Chase and Eric can fight over Kelly and Cathy. I’ll break Kristine.

~*~

Chapter Six

Kristine~

Aches pulse through my body, waking me up to darkness. I blink a couple of times hoping to see something … anything.

My shoulder aches most. It’s dark … so very dark. I can’t even see my hand in front of my face, and it’s quiet.

“Kelly?” My voice is a mere whimper. “Riza?” Shivers rake down my spine as the silence grows deafening. Carefully, I move to sit up. There is something heavy around my ankle. It clanks against the floor as I pull my knees to my chest.

I’m chained … like an animal!

An unholy fear fills me. I hate the dark. I hate the silence. I hate the unknown.

Oh God, I’m so scared.

I don’t know for how long I sit in the dark, my body curled over my knees, minutes turn to hours. At moments it feels like days.

I start to feel around me, cold hard stone is under me. As I lift my left hand, I slam it into a wall, just as cold and hard as the floor. I use the wall to lean against and pull myself up. My head pulses with pain from the movement. The chain is long, and I manage to feel my way around the room.

It’s empty. It’s only me in here.

Where are my friends?

I can’t keep the tears from running a burning path down my face. At first I wipe them away, but when they keep coming, I give up and let them fall.

Hours later … there is no way for me to keep track of time. I don’t know if it’s night or morning.

I’m too scared to make a sound.

I don’t want be alone, but I don’t want those men to come back.

The sudden turn of a key in the lock makes my whole body jump and tense. A faint light spills into the room as the door opens. My eyes burn, even though the light isn’t bright. I catch a glimpse of Garrett as he walks into the room. Then he closes the door and the darkness engulfs us.

For minutes he doesn’t move. I can only hear his breathing, slow and steady he knows he’s in full control.

I hear a click and bright light floods the room. I pinch my eyes closed as they start to sting and water. I scramble to the wall and pull myself up, flattening my back against the rough surface.

“I have one rule,” Garrett starts to speak in a low, dangerous tone “You will obey me. If you disobey me in any way, your friends will be punished.”

“W-what?” I whimper, total dread flooding my veins with ice.

My eyes start to grow used to the light, just in time to see Garrett stalk towards me. I panic with a squeak and dart to my left side. Garrett is freaking fast. His arm shoots out and I slam hard into it. Lighting fast, his arms circle me. He picks me up only to throw me down on the floor. My body screams in agony at the impact with the hard floor. I’m too slow to recover. He straddles me, pinning my hands down next to my body.

“Please,” I start to beg and cry. “Please don’t hurt-” His hand wraps tightly around my neck and I choke on my words.

“Shh … I said as long as you obey me, your friends won’t be punished. I’m not going to repeat myself again!”

“Okay…” I sob. I’ll say just about anything to make him stop choking me.

His fingers ease from around my throat. “Now,” from the tone of his voice I can hear he’s clearly annoyed with me, “I’m going to get up and then you’re going to strip.”

Shock ripples through me in waves. No! I start to shake my head, but he grabs hold of my jaw and forces me to keep still. “You don’t have a fucking choice. Either you strip or I strip you and then your friends will be punished because you disobeyed me. Don’t be an idiot. Make this easy for everyone.”

With a jerk of his body, he lets me go and rises to his full height. I scramble back, sucking in hurried breaths.

His eyes bore into mine. I start to shake my head again. “Please don’t do this.” He keeps staring down at me, a merciless look that makes my panic grow.

I stand up slowly, my legs shaking like twigs under me. I loosen the knot at my back and let the shirt fall, covering my stomach. That’s as far as I can go before I start to beg again. “Please,” I shudder out a breath. “If you let us go we won’t tell anyone. I promise.”

“Fucking hell, woman!” I duck when I think he’s grabbing for my neck, but instead he grabs hold of my shirt. I hear it rip, the back of the shirt biting into my flesh. My body goes into protection mode and I hit at his arms. I turn to run away from him, but he uses his weight to drag me back down to the floor. I hit the floor hard and this time his weight follows, slamming the air from my lungs.

He yanks at my shirt again, tearing the material from my body, then he stills. You can only hear our ragged breaths. He takes a few deep breaths to even out his breathing. “Listen, I really don’t want to do this the hard way. Don’t make me hurt your friends. I know you’re scared but you’re going to have to strip. You’re going to have to do a shitload of things you won’t like. It’s either you or them. It’s your decision.”

A pitiful groan escapes my lips. I have to think of Kelly and Riza. I can’t let these men hurt them!

Garrett must see something in my eyes, because he moves off me, crouching by my feet. With shaking hands I reach for the button of my skirt. I work slowly to unbutton it, and even slower slipping the zipper down. I’m in no hurry to be naked in front of this man.

I can’t help the tears from spilling when I lie back so I can lift my hips to remove the skirt. I stare up at the ceiling, taking deep breaths so I don’t start hyperventilating. The sudden feel of a hand on mine, makes me jerk with fright. My head snaps up and I come face to face with Garrett. He moved so quickly and silently, I didn’t hear him!

“Let me help you,” he whispers. He almost sounds sorry. His eyes look pained. “Just lie back and let me do it. When things get too hard just think of your friends.”

I lie back and turn my head away from him. I concentrate hard on the wall and try not to think of what’s happening to me right now. Maybe if he undresses me I won’t feel this pang of guilt. He’ll be the monster and I’ll stay the victim.

But I don’t want to be a victim! The moment of insanity passes quickly and white-hot anger bubbles inside of me, like a volcano ready to erupt.

“I’m going to take the shackle off, don’t try anything.” Even though his voice is never above a whisper, I can hear the clear note of warning.

I feel his hands by my ankle and then hear the faint click as he unlocks it. I should feel relieved that I’m no longer chained to the wall, but the only thing I feel is a prickling fear running over every inch of my skin, that and the anger.

My eyes land on the door and I just react. I dart up and shove Garrett hard in the chest, causing him to fall back on his butt. I run for the door, my breaths coming fast, as if I’ve already run miles to get away.

Don’t think of the panic! Stay angry. Anger will help you through this.

I yank at the door, but it doesn’t budge.
It’s locked! No, oh God, no! I’m so close!

Arms like steel bands wrap around my torso, his warm skin searing the skin over my stomach. I go wild, kicking back, hitting every part of him I can reach. He lifts me and swings me away from the door – my only escape. I hit the floor with my right hip and elbow, but the pain hardly registers. I use the little leverage my body has and lunge back at him, scratching him from just below his right eye all the way to his jaw, taking as much skin as I can.

“Stop it!” he growls, clearly upset. But I don’t care! He has no right to be upset because I’m fighting back. I have the right. I keep reminding myself of this. I have rights and he’s threatening them!

He manages to grab hold of my arms and slam them down, pinning them on either side of me. When his powerful thighs cage in my hips, I cry out in frustration and fear. I thrash around for a few more seconds and he allows me to, just staring down at me. The insanity returns, weirdly calming me. I return to the same position before my attempt at escape, just staring at the wall as tears slip from my eyes.

His hands brush softly down my arms and over the lower half of my stomach. He takes hold of my skirt and starts to pull. I cry harder as the skirt slides off my hips, down my legs and then it’s gone.

I open my mouth to beg him again, but no words come out.

He kneels over me, placing a hand on each side of my head. “I won’t hurt you,” he breathes the words against my cheek, but I don’t believe him. I’d be stupid to trust one of the men that kidnapped us, even if his eyes are begging me to.

Another burst of anger hits and I turn my head, almost head butting him. “Fuck you!” I want to scream so much more at him, but all I can get out is more cursing. The anger won’t allow me to think of something sensible to say or ask.
Like, where am I? Why us? What are they going to do with us?
No, only anger spews from my mouth. “Fuck you! Asshole! Fu-” He clamps a hand over my mouth, cutting off my outburst and I take the opportunity to sink my teeth into his palm. He growls deeply as he yanks his hand away.

Hurting him feels great, but my momentary elation soon turns to dread and anger again. His fingers dip into the sides of my panties and he starts to pull them off. I have no more energy to fight with. My throat is burning, and my eyes are stinging with tears. I feel beaten even though he hasn’t raised a hand to me. I close my eyes and cover my face with my hands. I let the tears of humiliation flow.

There’s only one reason he’s undressing me. No matter how I beg he’s going to hurt me. I just know it.

I’ve been kidnapped.

He’s taking off my bra.

Oh God! He’s going to hurt me so badly, the realization seeps deep in my bones.

When I’m totally naked, I use the last of my energy to scoot away from him and curl my body as small as I can in the corner. I can’t just lie naked in front of him!

I wish he would leave.

I’m surprised when he gathers my clothes and walks toward the door. He doesn’t even look at me before he leaves and locks the door.

He didn’t chain me again!

But I’m naked. Where will I run to without any clothes?

~*~