“Every last drop,” one of his men boasted.
I opened my eyes and saw the phone in Skinner’s hand. I heard echoes of my own screams that would forever live in my head and realized someone had filmed everything that had happened to me.
“Send it over. I want that son of a bitch to know exactly what he’s getting back,” Skinner ordered. “Untie her and get her dressed.”
“Why we gotta give her back?”
“Because she’s leverage. Without offering her, I won’t get what I want,” Skinner said.
“Don’t we get a turn?”
Skinner turned to look me over, then looked at his men. “You have thirty minutes,” he instructed, then walked out of the room.
The men lined up and one after another took their turns using my body in a way that I never imagined. The pain and agony of the brutal assault not only broke my body, but my soul.
I knew if I survived, I would never be the same. Everything had changed now. My life in Diamond Creek was over.
Time passed in a haze of pain and humiliation as each man took his turn allotted by their president. When the last man was done, Skinner returned. He ordered them to get me dressed. Then loaded me back into the van with Karlyn.
I curled up in the corner of the empty vehicle. My arms wrapped around my legs, my head resting on my knees, as I silently cried. Karlyn moved closer and put her arm around me.
“You’ll get through this, Grace. I promise.”
Her words, meant to soothe, only caused me to cry harder. I didn’t want togetthrough this. I didn’t want this at all. But I deserved it. I’d been so stupid. This was Karma. When I’d made my plan to hurt Steele by using King, I hadn’t thought about anyone but myself. I hadn’t thought about the thousands of women who had been raped and never believed. Or the ones too afraid to even tell someone.
I thought about them now, though, and I wanted to apologize to every single one of them. Starting with Aspen. And Beck. She’d almost been raped last year. I was so damn thankful she’d fought him off. Whereas Aspen couldn’t remember her attack, and for that, I was glad. I wished I could forget. I wished I could go back in time. I should have stayed in New Orleans. I had a good life there. I didn’t deserve to be their friend. I no longer deserved this life I’d built.
The van stopped and the doors opened. My body stiffened; I couldn’t take any more. I huddled back into the corner, trying to make myself smaller. Trying to hide somehow.
Two men climbed into the van and dragged Karlyn out. She was quiet, and I wondered if she’d resigned herself to her fate. How did she do that? I couldn’t understand how you could just give in. How someone could not care how they were violated and used by so many men.
When two more climbed in, I sobbed, “Please, no.”
The men laughed, and I tried to scurry away. They grabbed my arms, but I refused to give up. I refused to lay down and let them hurt me again. I kicked and clawed until one of them hit me. The punch stunned me enough that they grabbed me and dragged me into the night.
Karlyn was on the ground, her face a mask of anger as she glared at the man standing over her. My captors threw me on the ground, and I crashed into her. She put her arms around me and held me. I didn’t deserve her compassion. I didn’t deserve her protection, as futile as it was.
I didn’t know how long we sat there, Vulture’s gun trained on us. The sound of the falls was loud, but not enough to drown out the rumble of approaching bikes.
Skinner grabbed my arm and lifted me from the ground, while Vulture did the same to Karlyn. They dragged us closer to the edge, and I knew what their plan was. I knew I wouldn’t make it out of this alive.
I tipped my head back and looked at the night sky. Thousands of stars twinkled back at me, and I prayed that she was listening. I wanted to see her again. I hadn’t planned on it being this soon, but I knew she was waiting for me.
“I’m coming, Mama,” I whispered as I heard him scream my name. I saw him running toward me, the gun in his hand, and I silently begged him to aim it at me.
“I love you, King,” I said on a sob as Skinner shoved me and I tipped over the side into the depths below.
Chapter Thirty-two
King
The water was cold, but I didn’t feel it. I hadn’t felt anything since I saw Grace fall. I didn’t think about what I was doing; I just followed her over. I’d fucking follow her into the depths of Hell if I had to.
I broke the surface, my head twisting from side to side as I spun in the water, searching for her. I dove back under, my eyes burning as I looked for her, coming up only to take a breath. Down I went again and again, searching. I wouldn’t give up until I found her.
I heard Karlyn scream from the bank of the river. Her frantic voice as she called out to Grace gave me hope. If she’d made it, maybe Grace would too. I dove down over and over, searching the icy depths for the woman I loved.
Then I saw her.
