Chapter Four #2
“Hello?” the man calls out as he descends the stairs.
I can hear his boots on the metal as each step creaks under his weight.
As he gets closer, I ready my knife. I am not getting raped or beaten again.
I don’t deserve this. If I don’t want to be here, why not just let me go?
I will die before I spend another moment in this godforsaken place.
Panic stabs through me when a hand covers my mouth, and I am backed against a wall.
Anger instantly rushes in, and I swing the knife at whoever has their body pressed against mine.
They are massive, but I don’t care. I’m not letting anyone hurt me again.
I’m tired of being in pain. I’m tired of being used only to get nothing in return.
They catch the blade of the knife in their hand and move me along the wall toward the staircase. I start to panic, but it seems as though I am under the stairs now. “Keep quiet, Astra,” a deep and gritty voice whispers.
Fuck almighty, that’s a nice voice. I let go of the knife, and he gently slips it back into the sheath on my hip as the man on the stairs reaches our level.
The man pinning me against the wall keeps his hand over my mouth but relaxes when I stop trying to fight him.
I can feel his hot breath on my neck, and it’s suddenly…
intoxicating. Every part of my body that is touching his is tingling, and it forces me to relax.
“Good girl,” he whispers in my ear. The man from the stairs hangs around for a bit but eventually goes back up the stairs.
As soon as he is far enough away, the man who is standing with me takes a step back and pulls the radio out of my pocket.
“I didn’t expect you to grab a radio. My apologies for frightening you. ”
“Who the fuck are you?” I demand quietly. “I almost stabbed you.”
“I am Zev,” he says with humor in his tone. “Ready to go?”
“Are you going to hurt me, too?” I ask.
“Do you want me to?” he asks.
“Excuse me? Who in the fuck…” The man abruptly pushes me back against the wall, and my voice catches in my throat.
“Do you want me to hurt you?” he asks. “I don’t mind, but I cannot promise pain will be the only thing you feel with me.”
“I…” I try to talk, but I come up empty. The longer he stands here with his hands on my waist, the more something new emerges.
“Zev,” another man says with a hushed tone. “Stop trying to fuck the poor girl and come on.”
Oh… Oh no… Who in the hell did Lyra send me to? Did I just go from one rapist to another? How badly will it hurt when he takes me? I am becoming hyperaware of every part of him that is touching me. There is an unmistakable erection pressing into my belly, and panic swells inside of me.
“Fuck. Right,” Zev says as he quickly steps back from me. “Let’s go. Can you…”
“I’ll walk with her. Go on,” he says gently. I can hardly see anything still, but as Zev moves away, another man comes forward.
“Are you going to press your dick against me, too?” I ask coldly.
“Nope. Pretty sure Zev would kill me with his bare hands,” he chuckles. “Come on. We need to move you before the others show up to look for you.”
“Fine,” I huff.
The man leads me with his hand between my shoulder blades through the dark until suddenly everything opens up. The moon dimly lights a massive field, and I make a split-second decision and run. I don’t know what my plan is, but I don’t feel safe.
“Stop it!” I yell when arms wrap around me and I am effortlessly picked up. I go to scream again, but my mouth won’t open. It feels as though my jaw is stuck. My entire body locks up, and I can’t even move as I am carried. I scream at Zev with a closed mouth as anger boils inside of me.
“So much for not using your abilities on her,” the other man chuckles as they walk. Zev is carrying me with ease, but he is also massive. He is at least seven feet tall, and his body has thick, rippling muscles.
“She’s stronger than she looks,” Zev says humorously. “She also cut my hand open.”
“Wait, really?”
“Mhmm. Lyra must have given her a knife. I should have known better than to sneak up on her, though,” Zev explains. “Alright. We need to move fast, or they’ll shoot us.”
Zev sets me down, and his face is illuminated by the moon now. He is absolutely breathtaking. How can one person be so damn attractive? He smiles softly, and I nearly choke on air. My God…
“Focus, guys,” the man says.
“I’m going to need you to work with me here, Astra. Can you do that?” Zev asks.
“Yes, sir,” I say gently.
“Don’t go soft on me now, pretty girl; we are both wearing my blood,” he says with a wicked grin. “I am not your superior, so do not call me sir. Okay?”
“Yes, sir,” I say, flustered. “I mean… whatever. Okay.”
“I need you on my back so I can take us to the boat. I assume you cannot swim?” he asks.
“What?” I snap. “Fuck no. The water is unsafe. You have lost your…”
Zev gently takes my face between his hands, and I abruptly stop talking as I look up at him. “Astra,” he says softly. “They are looking for you, okay? You escaped and killed a cop. We cannot let them find you. You just have to trust me when I say that the water is safe and I will not hurt you.”
“But you… He said… I’m so confused,” I admit.
“I know you are, and I will explain more on the boat, but I need you to trust me, Astra. We are running out of time,” he says.
“Okay,” I whisper.
“Good girl,” he smiles. I gasp and cling to him when he abruptly picks me up and slings me onto his back.
I wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist before burying my face in his back.
When he steps into the water and starts to go deeper, I tense.
I wait for the burn when we descend into the water, but it never comes.
The cool water envelops us and soothes me.
I relax against Zev, and he takes us deeper until we are just above the surface.
I am finding comfort in the way his muscles flex as he moves us through the water. It is angelic in the sexiest way, and the scent of him lulls me. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced. I am completely relaxed against him, and the adrenaline seeps out of my soul as we navigate the waters.
“Don’t fall asleep yet, Astra,” Zev says.
“Who is the other guy?” I mumble, trying to keep myself awake.
“Ren,” he says. “He is my younger brother.”
“What’s a brother?” I ask.
“We have the same parents,” he says. “If he were female, he would be a sister.”
“Ren is a girl?”
“No,” he laughs. “Are you comfortable climbing a ladder?”
“Uh… Yeah,” I say.
“Okay. Grab on and pull yourself up. We are right here,” Zev says.
I look up, and we are next to a boat. I’ve never seen one in person, but I’ve read about them.
I grab ahold of the ladder, and Zev helps me move up a bit and keeps his hands on my waist until I am steady.
I move up until hands grab me and pull me up to the top.
I immediately pull away, but stumble. Before I can fall, hands grip my waist again.
“Fuck. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I panic and move away from everyone.
“Whoa. You’re okay, Astra,” Zev says as he turns me to face him. “Let’s go inside and get you a change of clothes, okay?”
“Uhm… O-Okay,” I stammer.
Zev leads me with his hand on the small of my back, and I keep my head bowed. Suddenly, everything gets brighter, but I still keep my eyes on the floor as we walk. We take the stairs down into the boat, and it’s not as blinding down here.
“Astra,” Zev says as he gently lifts my chin to look up at him.
“Why are you so tall?” I blurt out, making him laugh.
“We are all tall,” he says. “Why are you so short?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “Just am.”
“I’m sorry about Lyra,” he says. I can see a sadness in his eyes when he mentions her. His dark, disheveled hair is still dripping with water. I want so badly to reach out and touch his face. I don’t know why, but his sadness is contagious.
“He’ll kill her,” I whisper.
“She’s already gone,” he says. “Shortly after the call that pointed them toward your actual location.”
“How do you know that? Do savages have the technology we do?” He looks almost offended that I called him a savage. Unless he’s a… oh no.
I start to pull away, but he stops me. “We are not cannibals, Astra.” I stare at him in confusion, but I do not say anything. “We have technology; we just do not rely on it like the people of Ossara.”
“Who are you then?” I ask.
“We are the people of Torvex, and I am their leader,” he says.
“Am I supposed to present myself to you?” I ask.
I pull away from his hold and bring myself to my knees in front of him.
If he is the leader, I am supposed to show him respect.
This is how I was taught to show respect.
To Vinny, at least. Am I still Vinny’s chosen wife?
I hope not. Am I Zev’s chosen wife now? How does that work if I run from one leader to another?
Zev is much bigger than Vinny in every way, so I cannot even imagine how much pain he will cause me, but I like Zev more than Vinny.
It’s a pain I would endure to not be beaten.
Zev doesn’t act like he wants to hit me.
“What is going on?” Ren asks. “What happened to her changing clothes?”
“I… don’t know,” Zev says. “I understand she is presenting out of habit, but her thoughts are… I am not a strong man, Ren.”
“I get it,” he chuckles and kneels in front of me.
“Astra,” he says, pulling my arms in front of me to hold my hands.
“I’m so confused,” I whisper. “I don’t know what to do or how to act… I don’t want to be hurt again.”
“No one is going to hurt you,” he says. “Please, look at me.”
I lift my head and find that he looks calm. He is just as big as Zev, so it’s odd to see him on his knees with me. “I’m cold,” I say quietly.
“I’m sure you are,” he says. “What I would like to do is stand you up and help you change clothes. Is that okay?”
“That’s it?” I ask.
“Yes,” he smiles.