Never! She would never submit! But she could not panic. Not now!
The speed with which he worked at his trews, yanking out his stiff rod, was almost faster than her body could react. She jerked her knees against him, pulling and pushing to get a leg around him while he shoved her back against the ground at any attempt to sit up. He laughed, an enjoyable laugh as if the brutal attack entertained him. “I’ll show ye I dinna even need to pay for ye.”
“Stop. Please. Do not.” Her voice was hoarse. “I beg ye.”
When he dropped onto her chest, he all but crushed her beneath his weight. His stiffened appendage persistently tapped against her thigh and his foul-smelling breath in her face made her gag. Fresh sores, bright red and oozing along the side of his face, nearly closed one eye completely shut, creating a permanent grimace.
“Ye beg me? Nay. ’Tis what I want.” He squeezed her chin painfully tight with his meaty fingers, turning her face toward him. “I get what I want.”
She needed to slow him down, get herself a chance to escape. He was extremely drunk, and that was the only thing keeping him from being successful now.
“I didna know they would hurt ye.” Tears clogged her throat. “I wanted to lay with ye.”
She closed her eyes and turned away, preparing herself for the inevitable, but he stilled. When she faced him, his one good eye was narrowed with suspicion.
“Did ye now?” His tone was still hard, but suspicion was better than his anger. “Or are ye lying to me so that I will be gentle with ye?”
Seeing Domelch again tossing the hot oil at him, Ethne took a steadying breath and gulped down her fear. “I tried to stop her from hurting ye, reaching for her when she grabbed the pan, but I was too late.” She had to convince him she told the truth. She widened her eyes in innocent supplication. “Do ye not remember that?”
He growled, his anger still intact. She needed another tactic.
“They do not need to sell me, Olaf, not with all their silver—”
“Silver?”
“They have it hidden away. A lot of it. They do not need to sell me. They will keep me with them forever, but ye…” His grip had lessened so that she could place her hand on his arm. He listened intently now. “Ye could take me from them.”
“Do ye know where they hide the silver?”
Excitement tightened her chest. He had taken the bait! “I have not found it yet, but every time they leave me alone, I search for it.”
Olaf squeezed her chin again, his gaze darting to her lips. “But can ye? Can ye find where it is hidden?”
“I am a smart woman.”Smarter than ye know.“I think I am close to finding it, and they do not even suspect me.”
He released her chin and thrust his hand between her legs. She gasped at the sudden pain.
“Are ye playing me for a fool?” His tone sharpened again. “Ye do not feel ready to lay with me. Ye have no interest at all.”
She didn’t understand what he meant, but his fingers were hurting her.
“Ye frightened me.” She spoke as sternly as she dared and shook her head, fighting to steady her breath. “And I’m afeared for Finn. Is he well?”
Without hesitation, he called behind him, but kept his gaze locked on her face. “Ciaran!”
“My turn?” Ciaran’s voice came from the road.
She gasped, and Olaf smiled at her. “And if I wish to share ye, Ethne? Will ye be willing?”
Bile rose in her throat. “I do not know about such things.”
“I will teach ye.”
“Whatever ye want. I ask only that ye take me away from them.”
His nasty grin widened, and he jumped to his feet. He hiked up his trews as he turned toward the road and hollered, “Does the child live?”
There was a pause, and Ethne’s imagination sparked: Finn had been murdered outright by the man. Or he’d stumbled and cracked his head open when he tried to escape. He’d been gutted like an animal as he struggled to save her. The world darkened around her.
