Chapter 7
Takingout the security guard was laughably easy. He looked annoyed when he opened the door, which turned to surprise when I grabbed him by the throat and pulled him into the room. One punch knocked him out. I considered killing him, but I”ll save that for another day. Getting the girls out of here takes precedence. I quickly hog-tie him and shove one of the bigger ball gags in his mouth to keep him quiet.
I search him for anything useful. I take his gun, the key fob, and his driver”s license. Scott James will be getting a house call from me soon. Once I have him sorted, I open the bathroom door. I let out a breath when my eyes land on my Beauty. She looks gaunt. She”s lost weight since I last saw her, and now that her makeup is smudged, I can see the dark circles under her eyes. Despite looking exhausted, she has a fierceness to her gaze that lets me know she”s ready to fight her way out of here.
I was surprised when she attacked me. She took me off-guard and landed several good hits, and if I had been one of the other fuckers buying women tonight, she would have done a good bit of damage. I”ve never been prouder of someone in my life. I”ve lost count of how many women I”ve seen in her position, and none of them have had the same fire she does. Sadly, most of the women I save are too broken to fight. Not my Beauty. She”s obviously weakened and scared, but she fought like a damn warrior.
Hopefully, she can hold on to that fierceness a little longer so we can get the fuck out of here. I”ll give her a safe place to break once she”s free of this life. When I get her home, nothing will touch her again. I”ll take care of her. Protect her with my life.
Fuck. Not home. She”ll go to Hope House and be taken care of there. I can”t keep her. She needs someone gentle to help her heal, and that is not me. She doesn”t need a man at all. She”d probably balk at the very suggestion to stay with me. She”s not mine, no matter what I stupidly want.
The truth is that I felt an instant connection to her last week. I wanted to claim her that night. I haven”t been able to get her off my mind since. That fucked up part of me that wants to claim her keeps whispering that I own her now. I bought her. She”s mine. Keeping her would make me just as wrong as all the men I”ve dedicated my life to taking down. Even if my only desire is to keep her safe, spoil her, and show her how a real man takes care of a woman.
I can”t be selfish in that way. She deserves a soft, loving man. I would treat her like a goddamn princess for the rest of her life, but my desires are… dark. I need total control in the bedroom. There”s no way I could subject her to that after what she”s been through. It would be cruel. I won”t do that to her.
She needs to go back to her family or build a new life. A life that she wants. The dark voice in my mind that demands control tries to break through my resolve. It whispers that she”s mine. That I own her and can do whatever I want with her. I could make her love submission… crave it even. She”d never want for anything ever again. It whispers to be selfish for once in my life. To take what I want for a change. I block those thoughts out because they will lead me down a dark path.
”Let”s go,” I tell the girls.
They follow me quietly. Lexis is holding her knife like it”s a snake she”s terrified of, but my Beauty holds hers like she knows what to do with it. Between how well she fought and her hold on that knife, I”m starting to think she”s had some kind of formal training. It”s surprising because she looks like she”s barely twenty years old, yet she moved like a trained fighter, countering my moves in a way no novice would have. It makes me even more curious about her, which isn”t good. I need to push her out of my mind, not become even more infatuated with her.
I hand Lexis the ropes and gags and give Beauty the small pile of clothes. I can”t assume the men have unlocked their cabinets, so I need to be prepared. I do a quick check of the hallway before leading the girls to the next room.
”Stay here until I call for you.”
Both girls nod in agreement, watching with wide eyes as I unlock the door and disappear inside. Anger hits me the moment I get inside and take in the scene. The man didn”t waste any time. He”s balls deep inside the woman while his hands are wrapped around her throat. She”s tied down and completely at his mercy. She”s crying silent tears, and her face is purple from lack of oxygen.
I flick the lights off, making the room pitch black. I don”t want any of the bastards to see who attacked them, which is why I”m wearing a cliché BDSM mask. If I”m going to get out of here without these people suspecting me, I need to stay anonymous.
It takes three steps to get to the fucker so I can shove him off of her. He stumbles back.
”What the fuck!” he snarls.
I hear the woman gasp behind me. Knowing she”s okay means I can do what I need to do without worrying about her. I grab the man by the throat and squeeze while he struggles to get free from my grip. I wish the lights were on so I could see his eyes as the life drains from his body. When he goes limp in my hold, I release him. He falls to the floor in a heap. A quick check of his pulse lets me know he”s not dead, only passed out. It”s a pity, but killing them isn”t the goal tonight.
I turn on the light and open the door, waving the waiting women inside. They move quickly. My Beauty lets out a horrified sound as she sees the restrained woman. She drops what she”s holding and rushes to her side.
”Hold on, Stacia. We”re going to get you out of here…”
”Willow,” Stacia says hoarsely.
My Beauty”s name is Willow. It suits her. She”s delicate and strong, just like the branches of a willow tree.
”Shh… it”s okay,” Willow says calmly as she uses her knife to cut the ropes binding Stacia.
I drag my attention away so I can deal with the rapist fucker who bought Stacia. I hog-tie him like I did the security guard and go through his pockets. Unfortunately, they are empty. It would be too much to ask for him to have his wallet or phone on him. I pull out my burner phone and take the man”s mask off. I don”t recognize him, but that”s okay. I”ll find him. I take his picture before gagging him.
When I turn my attention back to the women, I see Willow helping her friend into one of the slutty roleplay outfits we brought. She”s whispering encouragements to her as she dresses. She”s a sobbing mess. I violently kick the bound man in the ribs once for what he did to her. That”ll have to feed the monster inside me for now. Justice will find him soon.
”We need to keep moving,” I say.
Stacia jumps at the sound of my voice.
”It”s okay, Stacia. He”s helping us,” Willow says.
She looks at me with suspicion but nods. She shies away from me when I walk towards the door. She”s practically clinging to Willow as I pass. Willow gently pushes her towards Lexis before gripping her knife in the same competent manner she did before. Pride rushes through me at how well she”s handling things for someone with her history and age.
The next room is across the hall. I enter it the same as the other. The asshole has the woman on her knees as he viciously shoves his dick in her mouth. He”s so distracted by what he”s doing that he doesn”t notice me until my fist flies into his face. The cracking sound of his nose breaking is almost as satisfying as the blood that gushes from it.
He shoves the woman away, sending her sprawling on the floor. She immediately crawls out of the way as I hit the asshole again. He swings at me weakly. This idiot obviously hasn”t fought a day in his life. I hit him in the temple, and he crumbles to the floor, knocked out cold. I open the door for Willow, Stacia, and Lexis to enter. The woman on the floor cries out in relief when she sees them.
She stumbles to her feet and rushes into Willow”s arms. I”m starting to see a theme here. Despite Willow obviously being the youngest, she”s the one they seek out for comfort. It angers me that she”s got to be the strong one when she has just as much right to crumble as they do. Instead, she”s forced to be strong for them. That speaks volumes about her character. She”s a fucking treasure, and it”s going to be next to impossible to let her go.
I make quick work of tying the man up and find that he”s also without a wallet and phone. I remove his mask and let out a low growl when I recognize him. Judge Wallace McDaniel. He”s known for being harsh on rapists and anyone who endangers women and children. He never fails to dole out maximum punishments to anyone found guilty in his courtroom. Yet here he is fucking buying women so that he can torture, rape, and murder them.
Fucking hypocrite. I”ll take a special joy in visiting him later. I snap a photo and gag him. I”m maliciously happy that I broke his nose. Try explaining that Monday morning in court, fucker.
Willow has already helped the new girl into clothes and speaks quietly with her. She”s visibly shaking but doesn”t seem as bad off mentally as Stacia. She”s got her eyes glued on me even though she”s listening to Willow. She”s scared of me, rightfully so, after what she just endured.
”He”s not going to hurt us, Tabitha,” Willow says firmly. ”We can trust him.”
Willow looks me in the eye as she promises her friend she”s safe with me. Knowing she trusts me so completely makes me happy—something I haven”t felt so fully in a long time. My friends and chosen family make me happy, but this is different. This is a soul-deep happiness that I want to cling to. This slip of a woman has wound her way so tightly inside me that I don”t know how I”m going to let her go after this.
I don”t believe in love at first sight, but I”m starting to wonder if it”s possible. I”ve never been in love, so I have no idea what it feels like. Maybe this is just obsession… I haven”t known Willow long enough for love. Hell, I don”t even think I”m capable of that kind of love. Even what I feel for my chosen family isn”t this strong. I would do anything for them. Give up my life for them.
But for Willow?
I would burn down the whole goddamn world. I would leave all these other women here to rot if I had to choose her safety or theirs. That thought is the most disturbing. I”ve dedicated my entire life to saving women like them. Knowing I would willingly leave them behind to save one woman should disgust me, but it”s true. None of them matter as much as she does. I”m wrapped around her little finger, and she doesn”t even know.
We enter the following two rooms the same way. I disable the men while Willow and the others help the women dress and reassure them that I will not hurt them. One of the women—Reghan—is covered in blood. After a quick assessment, I see that she”s got several shallow cuts on her chest and abdomen. The asshole just spread the blood everywhere like fucking fingerpaint.
”Now what?” Willow asks.
”Now we have to set the stage. I want you girls to stay here. We have to take someone with us so they don”t know who helped you escape.”
She nods her understanding. The other women look horrified at the thought of bringing one of the men with us, but it can”t be helped. I was planning on taking one of the buyers but decide that the guard is the better option. I still need to do some rearranging because right now, everything points to me as the one who orchestrated everything.
I hate leaving Willow in the room, even though I know she”s safer staying behind. I don”t want my eyes off her for a minute. At least not until I get her out of this place. I return to the third room. The man in there is roughly the same height as me. He”s not as muscular, but beggars can”t be choosers. Hopefully, the people that run the mansion will be so pissed off that they won”t believe him when he tells them he isn”t me.
Luckily, the cabinets and drawers are unlocked, so I quickly remove the items I took from my assigned room. Replacing them will further the ruse and point suspension away from me. I quickly take the items to my room and dump them on the bed. The guard is wriggling and grunting, but I ignore him. I return to my fall guy”s room and pick him up, carrying him to my assigned room.
The guard is now struggling against the ropes while saliva drips down his face as he screams around the ball gag. Seeing him in such a humiliating position is satisfying. I drop my burden on the floor and put my mask on him. I have a brief moment of regret for damaging the mask before punching him with more force than necessary. The mask cracks, adding to the narrative that I was attacked like the other men before my prize was stolen.
I return the leather mask to its home and pull on the man”s silver and black mask. I quickly put the items from the other room away so that it looks like nothing was disturbed. The guard continues to yell while I set the scene. When I have everything in place, I glare down at the guard.
”You”re coming with me. I strongly suggest you cooperate. You won”t like the consequences of pissing me off more than I already am. I will take great pleasure in expressing my anger, so don”t fucking test me.”
I let down the veil I keep up so the world doesn”t see the monster lurking just beneath my surface. He immediately stops yelling. He”s smarter than I thought. Though, when your own death looks you in the eye, survival tends to win out. Especially when you”re weak like this man. I cut the ropes around his ankles and yank him to his feet.
I push him out the door into the hallway, keeping a firm grip on the back of his neck. The women huddle together in one corner of the room. It”s not lost on me that Willow is standing in front of them, her knife at the ready. She”s fucking beautiful. Delicate like a fairy, yet fierce like a Valkyrie.
”Time to go, ladies. Scotty Boy is going to assist us on our way out.” I tighten my hold on his neck, making him groan. ”Isn”t that right, Scott?”
He quickly nods his agreement.
”Good boy. Don”t forget our little talk. I don”t like repeating myself.”
He nods again.
I hold the door open for the women. Willow leads them out into the hall. They line up along the wall, with Lexis in the lead. Willow looks up at me. Her eyes are blue fire, lit with determination.
”I”ll guard the back,” she says.
I want to say absolutely not and pull her to the front of the line with me, but if anyone were to try to sneak up on us, she”s the only one of the women capable of protecting our backs. I hate it even though it”s the best call. It goes against every fiber in my being to put her at risk.
”If anything happens, call out. Don”t be a hero and sacrifice yourself.”
Her lips tilt up in a small smile. ”I won”t. I”ll yell if anything happens.”
”Good girl,” I murmur.
For the first time, I see her eyes widen from pleasure, not fear, and it”s a heady sight. I trace a line down her cheek with my fingertip, savoring this stolen moment. She doesn”t move an inch as I touch her like she”s just as captivated with me as I am with her. Possessiveness boils up inside me. I can”t stop the voice inside me that”s screaming that she”s mine.
The security guard wrongly assumes I”m distracted and attempts to break my hold on him. I shove him against the wall harder than necessary, but I”m pissed he interrupted my moment.
”Consider that love tap your only reminder, asshole.”
I drag him to the front of the line and follow Lexis”s instructions to a staircase that will lead us to the staff quarters where the women who live at the mansion stay when there aren”t parties being held. We don”t encounter anyone on our way down. Lexis opens the door so that if anyone is in the hallway, they won”t question why she”s there. I hate putting her out in the open, but it”s the wisest decision.
A minute passes, then two, before Lexis appears again. ”It”s clear all the way to the backdoor,” she whispers, out of breath.
I follow her into the hallway, waiting until Willow appears before moving ahead. The path to the backdoor is deserted. I”m guessing the party is still in full swing downstairs, which works for our benefit.
”There will be at least one guard outside the door,” Lexis murmurs. ”Sometimes two during parties.”
”One or two guards?” I growl my question at the guard I”m taking with us.
He says something behind the ball gag that sounds like one. ”One?” I ask for clarity. He nods his head.
”Beauty, come here.”
Willow is immediately by my side, waiting for instructions like a perfect soldier. God, she”s fucking perfect.
”I need you to stay here with the girls and the guard while I handle whoever is outside this door. Do you know how to shoot a gun?”
She licks her lips and shakes her head. ”N-no. I”ve never…”
”It”s easy enough.” I take the guard”s gun out and hand it to her. ”All you do is point and shoot. Keep the gun steady on him. If he so much as twitches, shoot him. Can you do that?”
She looks uncomfortable with the gun in her hand but also looks determined. ”I can.”
I push the guard to his knees so he”s facing Willow. I watch as she raises the gun and points it at his forehead with a steady hand. My cock hardens at the sight. She”s really something else. I can”t wait to see what else she”s capable of.
”I”ll be right back.”