Chapter Three #2
Shocked silence filled the room at Brent’s outburst. D&D and Velvet were watching him like he had two heads while other people’s mouths just gaped open, no one daring to move, much less scream at the armed, scary men.
I suppose with Brent’s normal carefree nature and the calming effect he had on most, his current behavior wasn’t up to par.
They didn’t know him, then. When it came to Ally or me in harm’s way, he was fiercer than a bull spottin’ a red flag.
I tried to calm my shaking as the jerk behind me traced lines on my back. I glanced from Brent to Cole, and back. Lord help me, but I didn’t want them or Ally to see.
Spokesman whistled loud and clear in appreciation. I flinched and Brent’s furious, green eyes met mine in question. Brent didn’t have a clue what Spokesman view was. I wanted to keep it that way.
“This is so beautiful,” the spokesman said in a dreamy voice, leaning down closer to get a better view.
“She has nothing to do with this. Let her go,” Brent hissed. The crowd seemed to find Brent more fascinating than the people with guns. My goodness, come on people.
“You’re right. She doesn’t have anything to do with this. But the lovely lady here has already provided entertainment – albeit unknown - with her lovely breasts and even better screams…”
“Shut the fuck up,” Brent’s voice altered to deadly calm.
“I think he’s almost back,” Velvet murmured, his lips twitching as he stared at Brent.
“Dunno. Maybe a few more minutes. I’ve never seen him like this,” D&D mumbled. Yeah, as if the whole room couldn’t hear them in the silence.
“How do you know her, Brent?” Cole asked nonchalantly.
“Fuck off,” Brent spit. “All of you.”
“Nope, not back yet. I was wrong,” Velvet grinned and sat back on his heels, as if there weren’t guns trained on them.
What. In. The. Heck?
“SILENCE!” Spokesman screamed at them. “Since you four don’t seem to have any respect for those holding the weapons, maybe I can persuade you to my understanding while my cherry pie provides a little more entertainment for just a moment.
” He snapped his fingers at the guard holding his gun.
Once it was in his hand he ordered, “Let’s go funny men.
Up front and center. Bring Mr. Wong with you, too, please. ”
Mr. Wong was Asian dude, I noticed as Brent, D&D, Velvet, Cole, and he stood up after prompting from the guard closest to them. They walked single file with their hands up and in this lighting Cole’s body looked even better. Whoa! Where did that come from? Not the time, not the time.
Kneeling in the front, the five men kept their hands on their heads, but something had changed.
Brent didn’t appear much different – he was still ticked, but there was a slightest shifting to his features.
Something I had never seen before in him.
I couldn’t get a read off of D&D, Velvet, or Mr. Wong – other than he was scared, so I peeked at Cole.
He was like ice. Change complete. Something was going on.
Spokesman leaned in close and ordered, “Turn around for the audience, baby. This is an art gallery after all, and what you wear on your back is a masterpiece.”
“No,” my voice cracked. I shut my eyes tight. I couldn’t handle this.
“Ah, come now, baby. It’s just your back. Not these lovely tits, after all.” His gunned hand moved around my stomach and started to climb to my chest.
“Stop, dammit!” Brent’s shout startled everyone. Spokesman’s hand stopped and he chuckled at Brent’s enraged face.
Spokesman leaned down, his eyes on Brent’s.
He opened his mouth wide and licked over my trembling, bruised shoulder before sinking his teeth into it.
My mouth opened to scream, but I slammed it shut just as quickly.
A grunt was all he got from me. He would have to do a lot worse to hear me scream in pain.
“Fucking stop it!” Brent yelled and started to stand. Velvet gripped his forearm keeping him down.
At the same time Cole asked, “What the hell does this prove, you pathetic shit?”
“No! Please!” Ally shrieked and lurched forward, but Sam grabbed her hand and kept her close.
“A female? Really, baby? You do get around,” he cackled, releasing my shoulder and I sagged. “Enough, of this. I have business to attend to…but first, some fun. Let’s show them your own personal sketch.”
“Please, don’t do this,” I begged. “You can do whatever you want to me, but not this. Please.”
Silently, everyone watched and listened. By now all five men in the front row were lethally calm, ready to kill, even if they didn’t understand.
“Oh, no. This will be interesting,” he laughed hysterically and spun me around with a hard jerk on my hair.
I shrieked, “No!” as he yanked down the back my top.
I heard the gasps from the crowd while the jerk continued laughing.
I struggled and got socked in the stomach for my efforts.
Breathing was nonexistent, and Spokesman released my hair.
I crumbled. Flesh hitting flesh sounded behind me as I lay prone and gasping for air.
I did manage to clutch my sweater that lay on the ground next to me before Spokesman’s foot dug under my stomach.
He gave a mighty heave, tossing me backward through the air.
I landed sprawled on three of the men in the front row.
I had no idea which ones. Vision blurred and still trying to heave air, I didn’t care.
“Hold her for me gentlemen. I need to take care of some business before I get to my pleasures,” Spokesman chuckled. I rolled away from the hands trying to assistance me and gagged. I kept the puke down, but just barely.
I wheezed and air shot into my lungs. I coughed and choked on it.
A few more deep breaths while trying to brush away helping hands and my vision returned.
I grabbed for my sweater that I had dropped and D&D held it up for me slip in to.
His eyes were a mass of fury, but I saw something truly dark in them matching my own pit of Hell.
I knew my eyes were dead at that moment.
I didn’t care if he saw. I didn’t care who saw.
A hand grabbed my wrist, dragging me into strong arms. Home.
I could hear Spokesman talking to Mr. Wong and I didn’t really care what the heck he was saying.
I just knew that Brent was holding me and he felt as he always had.
He had a cut of his cheek – it must have been the scuffle I had heard.
He buried his face against my neck and swayed us back and forth, rocking me – or himself – and quietly hummed one of our favorite songs from high school. He was shaking just as badly as I was.
“Sweater,” I demanded, petting Brent’s curls and held out my hand to D&D.
He slipped it on my arm, watching Brent closely.
My gaze landed on Cole’s. I couldn’t read anything from his icy blue depths.
I think that was a good thing right then because I was silently praying the Lord would take me now.
Any sympathy or disgust and I wouldn’t have been able to deal right then.
“We have enough,” Velvet whispered without moving his mouth as I slipped the sweater on my other arm, juggling Brent’s head carefully. Christ, he wasn’t supposed to find out like this. And Ally? She had probably fainted. Velvet whispered, “Fuck, yes.”
Then chaos ensued.
The lights went out and Brent was slamming me to the ground, telling me to cover my ears and close my eyes.
I instinctively obeyed, and then he moved.
A blinding flash erupted behind my closed lids and gun fire exploded around us.
It all happened so fast, I didn’t have time to process what the heck was going on.
My ears rang, but I still heard the screams. Men and women were shouting frantically and something warm and wet splattered my face and hand.
I screamed then. I shouted for Brent. I shouted for Ally. I shouted for Cole.
Someone scooped me up and carried me off in the darkness when the gunfire ceased.
I still screamed.