Chapter 10
CAMILE
The men tied Rook and me to a thick, solid metal pipe in the corner of the room after they’d finished beating him and left us like that.
We must have been this way for a couple of hours now. Time passes so slowly, and Rook seems to be dozing on and off, and in too much pain to talk much.
It means I have time to let my mind wander to the worst-case scenario.
I wish Rook was alert enough to talk to me.
But at least if he’s dozing, he’ll have an escape from the pain.
The position we’re in is uncomfortable, and every now and then, he winces and groans, so I know he’s aching from the pounding they gave him.
The door opens, and the sound of scraping metal sinks into my stomach like a heavy stone. What now?
I’m surprised when Ginger walks in with a mop, a bucket, lots of paper towels, and starts to clean up the room.
What the hell?
I’m not complaining, because I will be so grateful not to have the smell of vomit hanging over us anymore, but it seems a bit strange.
He’s not alone.
Lion walks up to us, carrying a tray filled with toiletry items, a bottle of water, and the kind of disposable bedpan bowl found in a hospital.
“What’s that for?” I dare ask.
Beside me, Rook shifts, his breathing pattern changing as he goes from sleep to wakefulness.
“Thought you two might want to clean up a little.”
I narrow my eyes, suspicious. “Why?”
“Do you want to or not?”
I really do. I eye up the bottle of water with renewed thirst. I haven’t had anything to drink since I gulped some of the water in the tub they tried to drown me in. Plus, my mouth tastes disgusting.
“Yes, but you’ll need to untie me first.”
He chuckles. “Nope. I can do it for you.”
I shoot a look over to Rook. He still isn’t fully conscious. Fuck.
“Can I have some water? Can Rook?” I figured I might have a little bargaining power.
“Yeah, once you’re clean.”
Not waiting for my answer, he takes the toothbrush, pours some water from the bottle onto the bristles, and smears a blob of toothpaste on.
“Open wide, little lady.”
I don’t want him to be the one who brushes my teeth, but he grabs my face with his other hand and presses his thick fingers into my cheeks to hinge my jaw open. I try to yank my face out of his grip, but he shoves the toothbrush into my mouth and starts to brush.
The image of what Ginger did to Rook roils my stomach, but Lion doesn’t spit at me, or in my mouth, thank God.
He pushes the toothbrush too far in, hitting the back of my throat and making me gag. He only laughs. When he’s done, he instructs me to spit into the empty bowl, then gives me some water to rinse with and tells me to spit again.
“I need to use the bathroom.” I haven’t been at all since I woke up here, and it’s damn near painful now.
Lion shoots a look over to Ginger and shouts, “She wants the bathroom. Are we allowed to take her?”
“You don’t want her pissing all down herself, do you? Not considering what we’ve got planned.”
I don’t like the sound of that. Is that why they’re cleaning me up? They can’t stand to touch me as I am. Perhaps I should piss myself, just to keep them away? But I can’t bring myself to do it.
Ginger hasn’t finished. “Blindfold her before you take her out, though. Wouldn’t want to give her any ideas.”
Ideas about what? Does that mean there’s something out there that could help us escape?
“Let me finish with the other one first,” Lion says.
He squats in front of Rook and grabs his face.
Rook groans and tries to pull away, but Lion squeezes his jaw open and scrubs the brush over his teeth.
He’s a lot rougher than he was with me, and Rook’s eyelids flutter.
Lion finishes with the toothbrush and then uses the bottle of water to tip some into Rook’s mouth.
Rook coughs and splutters and comes instantly alert.
“What the f—?”
Lion taps him around the face in what might have been a friendly pat, but that is just a little too hard.
“Freshening you up for tonight’s fun and games.”
Rook turns to me. “Camile…”
“Just go with it, Rook,” I beg him.
I can’t see him beaten any more than he already is.
Lion tips a little of the water onto the rag and wipes some of the blood from Rook’s face, then turns his attention to me.
“Let’s get you that bathroom break.”
“Where are you taking her?” Rook snaps.
“Bathroom, dickhead. Didn’t I just say that?”
Rook looks over at me, the expression in his eyes desperate.
“It’ll be fine, Rook. I’m just going to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” I hope I’m correct.
Lion undoes the plastic zip ties holding my hands to the pipe and pulls me to my feet. When I’m standing, he binds my wrist with a new tie, yanking it tight so it bites into my skin.
“Wait,” he says, “Before I take you, let’s get you cleaned up a little.”
He uses more of the water on a second rag and then wipes my face. He moves to my neck, and lower still, to my shoulders.
I sense where this is heading. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
Rook sees what’s going on and yanks at his bonds. “Get your hands off her.”
He chuckles. “Chill. I’m doing you a favor.”
To my relief, he discards the rag and takes a can out of the bag. I see it’s a cheap body spray, which he proceeds to douse us both with, as if he’s trying to fumigate us.
I cough and splutter as the stuff gets in my lungs.
Ugh, that’s awful.
Why is he doing this? God, I hope they aren’t planning something crazy, like selling us to human traffickers. But then I remind myself that Ledger wants me for his wife, so that’s not going to happen.
Lion tosses the can. “Come on, then.”
Ginger pauses in his mopping and calls, “Don’t forget the blindfold.”
A new piece of cloth is wrapped around my eyes and knotted at the back of my head.
It’s not perfect, so I can just see the floor in the gaps near my nose.
Lion grabs me again and half shoves, half drags me toward the door.
My stomach churns with nerves. Will he bring me back?
What if this is the last time I see Rook?
I want to reach out to him, to offer him some comfort.
But all I hear is him calling my name as I’m pushed out of the door.
For the first time in what feels like forever, I inhale fresh air.
I lift my chin and try to see my surroundings through the gap, but it’s too small, and all I can make out is the gravel and a couple of shadowy shapes.
Is there a vehicle? I guess there must be.
They brought both me and Rook here somehow, and it wasn’t slung across the back of motorcycles.
Besides, I don’t even know if Ledger rides one.
He’d most likely be in his truck—the same truck he almost raped and murdered me in.
We only go about fifty paces when Lion stops me. “Here.”
We’re in front of a wooden door; I can see that much. The smell coming from inside tells me this is some kind of outhouse.
“Can you take off the blindfold now so I can use the bathroom?”
“You’ll manage,” he says and reaches past me to open the door. “Leave the blindfold on.” He gives me another shove, and I find myself inside the small, smelly room. From the tiny amount of vision I have, it seems the room is dark, and I stumble a little as I move carefully forward.
I hate not being able to see what I’m doing, but at least my hands are tied at my front so I’m able to use them to pull down my shorts.
I consider moving the blindfold, but I don’t want to cause unnecessary trouble for myself, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to get it back in place properly.
In the small gap under the blindfold, I’m able to find the bowl, as the white porcelain stands out in the dim light.
Sadly, I can’t make out how clean it is—and my guess from the smell is it’s not—so, I manage to position myself to hover above it.
I let go of my extremely full bladder with a sigh of relief.
I’m not sure what these assholes have planned for us, but at least now I’m a little more comfortable.
A banging comes against the door, and I jump.
“Get a move on. We haven’t got all day.”
I finish up, washing my hands with difficulty in the small sink, fumbling around and trying to see well enough to turn the taps on and off.
To my relief, I find a sliver of soap and use that before I step out of the bathroom.
I’m hauled back inside the building. As soon as we’re in the room, he pulls off my blindfold. What did he not want me to see?
I’m relieved to find Rook is still in the same place.
A few more men have arrived now. Two of them are the ones who accompanied Ledger when he brought Rook in, and two others are new.
With Lion and Ginger, that makes six in total, meaning we are vastly outnumbered.
They’ve brought a couple of bottles of cheap whiskey with them, and they’re getting loud and raucous.
Ledger isn’t with them, and I wonder if he knows what his men are up to while he’s gone.
Ginger has finished with the mop and bucket, and he turns to me. “Take off your clothes.”
“What?”
“Strip out of those nightclothes then put these on.”
He throws me a couple of lacy items and a pair of heeled pumps that look deadly on my ankles. Not that it’s my biggest concern right now.
“I’m not wearing that.”
Ginger pulls out a gun from where he must have had it down the back of his jeans, hidden by his shirt. Fuck.
“Do as you’re fucking told,” he growls.
I know I don’t have much bargaining power, but I’m still going to try. “Let us have some water, and give Rook some painkillers, and then I’ll wear whatever you want.”
“Cami, no,” Rook croaks.
“You need them,” I tell him. I refocus my attention on the other men. “If you don’t want him to pass out again sometime soon.”
I don’t add ‘especially if you make us do what I think you’re going to…’
He seems to consider it. “Yeah, okay. Fine.” He turns to speak over his shoulder at the other men. “Get them some water and meds.”
One of the men leaves and then comes back with some water and painkillers. He gives Rook some of the meds, and holds the water bottle up over his mouth so he can drink some down. I take the water too, glugging it gratefully.
Some of it spills out of my mouth and down my chin, and I use my shoulder to wipe it away.
“Now put on the outfit we’ve so kindly provided you with,” Ginger says.
“Why? What’s going on?” I know they might not answer, but anything I can do to humanize both myself and Rook to these men will help us. If I can get them to talk to me some and see me as a person, not just a thing, for their fun, then we have more of a chance.
“Oh, we thought you could provide some entertainment tonight. We’re bored.”
That does not sound good and makes me think my worst instincts are correct. “Provide entertainment how?”
He laughs and motions between me and Rook. “You’re going to give us a show.”
“No.” I shake my head in horror. Even though I’d thought things were heading this way, hearing him say it makes me sick.
“You’re in no position to call the shots,” Ginger points out.
“Ledger won’t like it,” I say.
He will likely have their heads for this.
“Yeah, well, Ledger’s not here right now. Don’t look so worried. We won’t be touching you, but your boyfriend here will.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“The lady doth protest too much. Come on.” Ginger brushes a strand of hair back from my cheek. “I’ve seen how you look at him. Don’t worry. No fucking will happen. We won’t ruin your cherry for Ledger.” He winks, then leans in close and whispers dramatically, “Although I think it’s already gone.”
Lion laughs. “Yeah, no fucking, but I’d love to see your pussy, and I bet you’d give a good blow job. You and him can keep us entertained during this long, cold evening stuck out here. Now put the fucking outfit on.”
Ginger raises the gun to make a point, except he doesn’t aim it at me, but at Rook.
Panic shoots through me. “Okay, okay. But you’re going to need to untie my hands first.”
One of the other men steps forward with a flick knife. He pauses for a moment, eyeing me, before slicing open the plastic between my wrists. I rub the skin with my opposite hand.
“Now get dressed,” Ginger says. “This is your last warning.”
Shaking and sick to my stomach, I reach for the lingerie.