Chapter 3 #2
I can’t shut my eyes in time, and Ryder fills the screen.
He stops, looking over his shoulder like he can feel someone watching him.
I can see his lips moving then Holden walks up behind him.
They’re walking into Club Maximus, so Jay must have hacked into the security footage across the road because I know he can’t breach Holden’s security.
My eyes fill with tears at the sheer sight of them healthy and living life.
I knew Ryder wouldn’t let any of my businesses fail, and along with Micah, they would keep everything running as it should be.
I let the relief wash over me that they are alive, then find that void again where I don’t feel anything.
He wants a reaction out of me; he isn’t getting it.
“I would show you them inside, but your little nerd is good,” Jay muses, sounding impressed. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying. I’m going to bring down your entire fucking empire, then kill every last one of those motherfuckers while you watch. Then you’ll realize you belong with me.”
I don’t even flinch at the threat because he’s never getting past Holden’s security measures. But I can’t stop the panic bubbling over him threatening to kill them.
“What happened to the hellcat we brought here? I liked her. She kept things interesting,” he laughs, then turns serious again.
“This version’s not exciting. That means I’ll need to find more ways to use you to make it exciting.
” He jerks my head back again when I try to drop my eyes, and I can see the crazy swirling around in the green orbs.
How the hell did everyone miss that? “Say something.”
I look at him until he finally gets tired of staring into what I’m sure are dead eyes.
He jerks my head back even harder with his hold on my hair, and I can feel tears prick my eyes from the pain.
He jerks back again, harder this time. I can feel the legs on the front of the chair lift then he lets go.
The chair falls backward with a crash, making my head bounce off the floor, my brain rattle in my skull, and my vision blackout.
Fuck, that hurts.
Jay gets up and walks until he’s standing with his feet on either side of my head.
He bends down and runs his finger through my cleavage, where my chest is heaving.
“There’s something about you,” Jay says, running his finger back and forth.
“I’ve been watching you for years. I watched your every move, so I feel like, in a way, I know you. ”
You don’t fucking know me! I want to yell it in his face, but I can’t.
“At first, I hated you,” Jay continues, still moving his finger. “Then something changed. The more I watched you, the more I wanted you.” He tugs on the nightgown, causing my breasts to spill out.
He circles a finger around my nipple, and I can’t stop the bile from rising in my throat.
Something about seeing Ryder and Holden has sent me into a tailspin, and I can’t find that void.
I turn my head to the side the best I can, so I won’t choke on it, but nothing comes out.
I continue to heave until Jay steps back.
“Get her back in the room.” Jay looks down at me, and I expect to see the disgust in his eyes, but all I see is lust. “I’ll be there soon. ”
He jerks my nightgown back up to cover me up and strides out of the room. The guy from earlier jerks the chair back up before unhooking the cuffs. He marches me back to the room, throws me on the bed, and ties my arms to the bed frame before storming back out.
“What happened, Alessa?” Zane asks as soon as the door shuts. “Damnit, talk to me, Beautiful.”
The door bangs open again, and Jay walks in, slamming it behind him.
He doesn’t even look at Zane or shut the curtain; he walks over to the bed and straddles my hips.
He leans down and runs his nose up my neck, and I can’t stop the shutter of revulsion that wracks my body.
“I had them buy your favorite body wash so that I can smell that sweet vanilla on your skin,” he whispers in my ear, and I try to block him out.
“Get the fuck off of her,” Zane growls, and I can hear him struggling with his bonds again, his face blocked by Jay’s body.
Jay laughs obnoxiously. “What are you going to do, Zane? I’m going to give you something to watch this time. I want you to watch how much pleasure I can bring her that you never could.”
Jay grabs the top of my nightgown and pulls, ripping the thin straps at my shoulders before sliding it off my body, leaving me completely naked. I dig through my brain for the guys, times with Zane, anything to block him out like I usually do.
Why can’t I block him out?!
“Jay,” Zane pleads, “Please don’t do this to her.”
Jay turns his head to look over his shoulder. “Why? Because I’m doing what you’ve envisioned doing to her for years? Fuck you, Zane.” He sits back on my legs. “This time, she’s going to scream my name.”
He touches me almost reverently, running his hands down my breasts and body. “I want to make this good for you,” Jay says softly, tugging at the bonds on my arms. “But I don’t trust you.”
I beg my head to take me to my headspace, where I don’t know what’s happening, but it won’t come. Please please please please please.
Jay whips off his shirt, tugs at the button, and zipper on his pants; I clench my eyes tighter. Why did he leave the curtain open? Why does this time feel different?
“Goddamnit!” Zane yells, “Jay, don’t do this! Please! Fuck!”
Jay doesn’t even pay him any mind when he sinks two fingers inside me.
I whimper at the intrusion. He’s never gone this far before.
He picks up the pace. “Do you like this?” I shake my head adamantly, but it won’t stop anything.
Tears are leaking down my face, and I can’t stop them.
“You like this?” he asks again, running his knuckles down my cheek.
“Pretty girl,” he murmurs, and I freeze.
That fire I haven’t felt in forever starts burning at full force. How fucking dare he call me by Gage’s nickname? I let the fire burn hotter, triggering my fight mode. I don’t give a fuck what happens now. He will never call me that.
I plant my feet on the bed and buck my hips as hard as possible because they forgot to tie my legs in their haste. His fingers dislodge, but he catches himself before sliding off me entirely. I don’t stop. I buck my hips and twist my upper body as far as I can go with my arms tied.
“Fight him!” Zane encourages. “Fucking fight him, Beautiful! That’s my girl!”
I buck harder, causing Jay to jerk forward. I don’t even think; I slam my forehead forward, head-butting him in the nose. I ignore the pain coursing through my head and the blood gushing over me.
Jay’s eyes burn with rage, his lip peeling back from his teeth. It looks grotesque with the amount of blood gushing from his nose. He grabs my throat and squeezes, immediately cutting off my air. “Stop struggling.”
“Fuck. You,” I grit out past a dry throat. It comes out as barely a whisper, but he hears it just fine.
He bares his teeth again and squeezes harder. Every self-defense move my dad, Micah, Ryder, or Dex taught me rolls through my head in rapid fire. I remember being in this position with Ryder sitting on my chest, holding my arms above my head, and Dad yelling at me to get out.
I stop struggling, letting my body fall back to the mattress.
I see the moment he thinks he has won and lift my waist in a partial backbend.
In his surprise, he slides toward my feet.
Without blinking, I jerk one leg out and kick as hard as I can into the center of his chest, knocking him backward onto the bed.
I hear Zane yelling words of encouragement, so I lift my leg, letting my heel drop right onto Jay’s already broken nose. I can feel the bones crunch under my heel; I grind my heel harder.
Jay howls in pain and rolls off the bed. I’m waiting for him to tie my legs down, but he looks down at me with a fire burning in his eyes.
“You think we’re done?” he says, but it comes out nasally from his fucked-up nose. “You brought the hellcat back.”
I gave him what he wanted and turned him on in the process. Fuck.
When I hear the door shut, I let my body relax on the bed, my chest heaving from exertion and Jay’s hold on my throat. I let the adrenaline wash over me, but when it wears off, I realize what a mistake that was. He’ll come back prepared next time, and there’s still no way for us to get out.
“Beautiful. I need you to listen to me,” Zane says.
“They tied you with rope this time. Pull as hard as you can.” I don’t want to get my hopes up, so I lay there for a minute.
They tied me with rope, not chains. Why?
“Pull now, Les.” I tug my arm, and I have more wiggle room.
I take a deep breath, yanking as hard as I can.
“That’s it, Beautiful.” I can hear the excitement in his voice, which urges me to keep trying.
I yank, tug, and twist until my wrist is bleeding from the rough rope.
I almost give up when I feel the rope give way and can freely move one arm.
“Untie the next one! Hurry,” Zane urges. “Come on. Don’t give up now!”
I reach over between the wall and the bed feeling for the tie on my other one when the door bangs open again. I drop back down on the bed, letting the rope fall back where it was, hoping they won’t notice it isn’t tied. I need them to leave to get my other hand untied and try to free Zane.
The guy strides straight over to Zane without sparring me a glance and starts fiddling with the cuffs on Zane’s wrists.
Zane meets my eyes, that same fire burning in them that I can feel in me. They only sent one guard, underestimating both of us. Again.
As soon as Zane’s arms come free, he’s moving.
He bounces to his feet, and roundhouse kicks as hard as he can, knocking the guy into the wall.
It’s time to get the fuck out of here.