Chapter Fifteen
Isy
My eyes fluttered open, the dim light barely penetrating the haze clouding my mind. I tried to move my hands, realizing they were still bound together by zip ties, but now they were resting in my lap. Blinking away the grogginess, I attempted to focus on my surroundings. The room was small and dingy, its walls lined with peeling wallpaper. A single, bare bulb hung from the ceiling, casting eerie shadows across the cramped space.
“Awake at last, princess?” Price’s voice oozed through the darkness like slime, making my skin crawl. He stepped into the dim circle of light, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.
“Wha --” My throat felt parched, my words coming out in a raspy whisper. Anger and fear collided inside me. This man had not only drugged me but taken me from Rebel. “What do you want with me?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Price sneered, leaning closer, his breath hot on my face. “Your daddy and his little club have been a thorn in my side for far too long. Now I’ve got something they want. Except I won’t be handing you back. Instead, I want to see the faces of the Dixie Reapers when they realize I’ve broken you, sold you, and they’ll never get you back.”
“You sick bastard. My dad and Rebel won’t let you get away with this.” I didn’t know how the Reapers had caused trouble for him. From what I knew, the club wasn’t as wild as it had once been, and Savior didn’t like taking on dangerous jobs. Unless… if this man planned to sell me, had he done the same with others? Had the Reapers been thwarting him, possibly without even realizing it?
“Ah, but I already have.” Price chuckled darkly, running a finger along my cheek, causing me to shudder involuntarily. “You’re all alone, princess. No one is coming to save you. It’s just you and me. They’ll never find you here.”
My heart pounded and my thoughts raced. I had to find a way out of here, some way to escape. But even as I wracked my brain, a small part of me couldn’t help but hope Rebel and the others would come for me. I held onto the thought like a lifeline, willing it to give me the strength I needed.
“Go to hell.” I glared at him. I might be terrified right now, but I’d be damned if I’d let him know it.
“Feisty.” He grinned, clearly enjoying my defiance. “That’s going to make this even more fun.”
Revulsion rolled through me. Whatever he did to me, I’d have to push through. I knew my dad and Rebel would never stop looking for me. I just had to hope they found me before Price moved me somewhere else. If we’d traveled by car, surely we weren’t too far from the Raptors’ territory.
“Touch me and I swear I’ll make you regret it.” I wouldn’t let him win. Not without a fight. I couldn’t disappoint everyone by just accepting my fate.
Price laughed, the sound echoing around the room like the twisted soundtrack of a nightmare. “Oh, princess. You don’t seem to understand just how much control I have over you right now. But don’t worry -- I’m going to teach you.”
With those chilling words, he stepped outside, shutting the door behind him. My heart pounded with both fear and determination. I wouldn’t let him break me. I couldn’t. I’d find a way out, no matter what it took. And when I did, I’d make sure he paid for what he’d done. Not only to me, but also for the sins he’d committed against other women. It was time Price learned he wasn’t invincible.
I waited to see if he’d return, and when he didn’t, I knew I had to work quickly. I clenched my fists, the zip ties biting into my wrists. He thought he was in control? Never!
He came back to the room, smiling as he saw the blood on my wrists, evidence of my struggle to break free. “Impatient, are we?”
“I’d rather die than let you put your disgusting hands on me.”
His eyes narrowed, a flicker of rage igniting within them. “You’ll regret saying that, princess.”
“I bet your dick doesn’t even work,” I said, taunting him. Probably not the wisest decision, but if I could get him to react off emotion, then he might screw up and give me an opening. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as Price lunged toward me. I braced myself, my heart hammering in my chest.
As he grabbed at me, I swung my bound hands upward, my fists slamming into the side of his face. Pain flared in my hands and wrists, but I pushed it aside, focusing on my struggle for freedom.
“Stupid bitch!” Price spat blood on the floor, and it looked like I’d broken his nose.
“Get away from me!” I shouted, kicking out with all my might. My foot connected with his thigh right above his knee, and he yelled out in frustration. I knew I couldn’t keep this up forever, but I refused to give in.
My mind raced, searching desperately for any advantage I could find. Images of my father and Rebel filled my thoughts, giving me strength. Right now, I’d even be thankful to see my brother, Foster, walk through the door. I wouldn’t let this monster take me away from my family. He might have kidnapped me for now, but I couldn’t let him follow through on his threats. A surge of determination coursed through me.
“Your daddy and that biker you’ve shacked up with can’t save you now, sweetheart,” Price said as if reading my thoughts. “The filthy Rebel will never touch you again.”
“Neither can you,” I said.
“Wrong answer.” The fury in his eyes intensified, and he charged at me again.
I braced myself, every muscle in my body tensed and ready to fight. Price’s nostrils flared, his eyes wild with rage as he lunged toward me. I had nothing to lose at this point -- either I fought back or he’d have his way with me. With every fiber of my being, I knew I couldn’t let that happen.
“Get off me!” I screamed, as we toppled to the floor. I managed to swing my hands at him again while I kicked with my feet. The force of the blow momentarily stunned him, and I seized the opportunity to try and free myself from the restraints.
“Fuck you,” I muttered under my breath, tugging at the zip ties, wondering why it felt like they were getting tighter. Panic swirled in my gut, but I refused to let it consume me. I thought of Rebel, of his strong arms and the way he made me feel safe. I had to survive, for him and for myself.
Right when I thought the restraints might be loosening, Price shook off the effects of my blows and launched himself at me once more. His hands gripped my shoulders, fingers digging into my flesh as if trying to tear me apart.
“Get your fucking hands off me!” I screamed, slamming my knee into his groin. He grunted in pain, releasing my shoulders just long enough for me to slip out of his grasp.
“Never!” He bared his teeth like a rabid animal. “You think you can fight me? You’re nothing!”
“Watch me.”
As Price advanced on me, I readied myself to throw everything I had at him -- even if it cost me my life. I’d never been a fighter, but now, with everything on the line, I discovered a strength I never knew I possessed.
“Come on, then,” I taunted, my voice shaky but resolute. “Show me what you’ve got.”
“Little one, you have no idea what you’re in for.” He launched himself at me once more, his eyes filled with a sickening blend of lust and rage.
“Neither do you,” I whispered, as our bodies collided and tumbled to the floor.
My breaths came in ragged gasps, each one a battle for the air I desperately needed. Price loomed over me like a menacing shadow, his eyes wild as he squeezed my throat, cutting off my oxygen. I flailed and tried to get free. I grasped at anything nearby I could use as a weapon, and I felt broken glass under my fingertips.
“You can’t escape me. You’re mine until I say otherwise.”
“Fuck you, Price,” I said, gripping the shard of glass tightly in my trembling hand. I had to make this count. “I will never be yours.”
I swung the makeshift weapon, aiming for flesh. He howled in pain as the glass connected with his arm, blood oozing from the wound. Despite the agony etched on his face, his expression only grew more twisted, more deranged. He released my neck and tried to grab for my hands.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
“Get off me!” I screamed, slashing wildly with the piece of glass. “I won’t let you --”
“Shut up!” Price roared, his fingers tightening around my throat once more.
Panic bubbled up inside me, threatening to drown out rational thought. I knew I couldn’t let it take hold -- I had to stay focused if I wanted to stand a chance. “Rebel will find me,” I gasped, my voice barely audible through the crushing pressure on my windpipe. “He won’t let you hurt me.”
“Your precious Rebel won’t save you in time. No one will.” His grip tightened even further, but as darkness crept in at the edges of my vision, I still refused to give up.
“Maybe he won’t,” I choked out, mustering the last of my strength to drive the shard of glass deep into Price’s side. He screamed and stumbled back, clutching at the wound as blood poured between his fingers. “But I don’t need him to save me. I can save myself.”
As Price reeled from the pain, I knew I had to act quickly. Price crumpled to the floor, clutching his side. This was my chance -- I had to take it.
I scrambled to my feet, my legs unsteady but desperate to carry me away from this nightmare. The only exit I could see was a door across the dimly lit room. I sprinted toward it, fear and determination mingling inside me, urging me on. I might not be able to get the zip ties off my hands, but it didn’t mean I had to sit here and wait to die.
“You can’t escape!” Price’s enraged shout echoed through the room, but I refused to look back. I slammed into the door, trying to twist the knob with my sweat-slicked palm, then yanked it open.
I spotted a man leaning against a car, his face obscured by shadows. Panic set in, and I tried to run past him, hoping he was just an innocent bystander. But my hopes were dashed when he lunged at me, arms wrapping around my waist and tackling me to the ground.
“Let go of me!” I screamed, thrashing wildly in his grasp. “Please!”
“Sorry, sweetheart.” The man’s grip was ironclad and unyielding. “You ain’t going anywhere.”
Terror threatened to consume me. No, this couldn’t be happening. I had been so close to escaping, to putting this nightmare behind me. And now, I was right back where I started -- trapped and powerless.
“Please,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face. “I just want to go home.”
“Home ain’t an option for you anymore,” the man said, tightening his hold on me. “You belong to Price now. And maybe when he’s done, you’ll get to be mine for a little while.”
Despair settled over me like a heavy blanket, smothering any remnants of hope I had been clinging to. Even as I felt my resolve slipping away, something deep within me refused to give up. I’d fought this hard to survive; I couldn’t let it all be for nothing.
“Rebel,” I whispered, repeating his name like a mantra. “He’ll find me. He’ll save me.”
But as the man dragged me back toward the dark room I’d just escaped from, I couldn’t help but wonder if my faith in Rebel was misplaced. Would he find me in time? Or was I doomed to suffer at the hands of Price and his twisted desires?
Please find me! I don’t think I can survive what they plan to do to me.A tear slid down my cheek as the door closed behind us. Faced with Price once more, whatever fight I’d had in me had been drained away.
The sickening grin on Price’s face made my stomach churn. His eyes glinted with a twisted glee that sent shivers down my spine.
“Now, sweetheart, where were we?”
He threw me onto a dirty mattress on the floor, my body trembling from the impact. My heart hammered in my chest, fear and desperation clawing at my insides. I tried to catch my breath, but it felt like the air around me was suffocating.
The man who’d hauled me back in here left, closing me in with Price, and cutting off any chance of escape.
“Please, just let me go,” I begged, tears streaming down my cheeks. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Shut up.” Price unbuckled his belt and tugged at his clothes. His skin was smeared with blood where I’d stabbed him. “You’re mine now, whether you like it or not. Every single inch of you.”
My panic skyrocketed as I realized there was no escape. The thought of what he was going to do to me left me sobbing and wishing for death instead. But I couldn’t give up, not after everything I’d been through. I had to believe someone would find me.
My body tensed as he reached for me, but I couldn’t let my fear rule me.
I could feel Price’s hot breath on my neck as he leaned in, his fingers brushing against my skin. I wanted to scream, to tear myself away from him, but I knew that wouldn’t help. Rebel would want me to stay alive, no matter what it took. So I gritted my teeth and endured, even as every touch felt like acid burning into my soul.
“Please,” I choked out, the word barely audible with the weight of my fear behind it.
“Shh,” Price cooed, a sinister grin plastered across his face. “It’ll all be over soon.”
“Get off me!” I cried, my voice hoarse from shouting and sobbing.
“Relax, sweetheart,” Price whispered into my ear, attempting to sound soothing. “You’ll learn to enjoy it.”
“Never,” I vowed, clenching my fists in defiance.
And then, like a gift from heaven itself, I heard them -- the distant rumble of motorcycles, growing louder by the second. Panic flashed in Price’s eyes, and for the first time, I saw him falter. The once-confident predator now seemed uneasy, unsure of himself.
“Your friends won’t save you.” He tried to hide his fear, but he failed. They were coming for me, and he knew it. Against a woman, he’d been strong. But the bikers heading this way would tear him apart, and he knew it.