“S’mores! It’s perfect.” Giving her a quick kiss, I open the backdoor. “Come on. You can be my emotional support rabbit.”
I take a few steps and turn my face to the sky. The sun on my skin feels amazing, and I hold S’mores out so she can feel it too. My toes wiggle in the cool grass, so I decide to sit down in a lawn chair and enjoy it.
“Pretty nice, right?” I ask S’mores. She doesn’t answer, of course, but I hug her tight anyway and sigh before relaxing into the chair.
I listen to the sounds of the birds and the wind in the trees, but then someone laughs and my heart squeezes.
That’s Chad’s laugh!
Is he here? He can’t be!
“Rory?” He taunts. “You think you can run from us, sexy?” He laughs again, and it’s so cruel. I remember how he practically laughed the whole time he was hurting me. “If you play nice, we won’t hurt you this time.” He walks out from behind the shed, and damn, he looks even bigger than I remember.
“Don’t lie to him.” Mitch laughs as he walks into view, and suddenly Chad’s standing behind me. I tense but can’t move.
“Fine. We won’t kill you,” Chad purrs in my ear like he’s talking sexy to me and grabs my ass.
“No!” I shout as he shoves me forward. “Help!” I scream and try to get out of his hold. “Help! Someone, please.”
“They can’t hear you, pretty boy. You’re ours now,” a third voice joins.
“Tanner?” I fight out of Chad’s grip and turn around. Tanner’s right there, and he looks fine. Was he not hurt as bad as they said? “You were attacked.”
Tanner rolls his eyes and huffs. “Yeah, thanks to your boyfriend.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Good, because he wouldn’t be able to fuck you for a long after we tear you up again,” Chad says and rips off my shirt.
Tanner’s hands slide around my back, and it makes my stomach roil. His skin is so soft. They’re the hands of a man who hasn’t worked a day in his life.
I cry out as Mitch bites my shoulder hard.
“Damn, Rory you taste so good.” He bites me again, and I try to get out of Tanner’s hold, but Chad grabs me from the front and pulls my pants down. Mitch rubs his hard dick against my ass, and oh fuck… it’s happening again…
A low growl echoes around us, and my heart leaps for a second.
It’s Lex. He’ll save me.
The guys don’t seem to hear him and keep running their soft hands over my body.
“Open up, Rory.” Chad leans in like he’s going to kiss me, and I struggle to get away. The hands on my shoulders are too strong?—
“Rory? Rory?” I gasp and bolt upright. “Are you okay?” Brendan’s staring at me, and he looks worried.
“What happened? Is Chad here?” I frantically search the yard.
“No, pixie, no one’s here. You were having a bad dream,” Brendan says softly and cards his fingers through my hair.
“And that’s why I don’t sleep at night!” I throw out my hand to prove my point.
“Rory.” Brendan’s tone is now disapproving.
“Nope,” I hiss, and Brendan tries to interrupt, but I don’t let him. “Would you want to meet your tormentors ever again? Cause that’s what happens when I close my eyes!” I heave in a heavy breath. “I can feel their gross hands, teeth, and mouths all over me. I can hear them laughing at me.” And now I’m crying. Fucking great. Brendan pulls me into his chest and rocks us side to side.
“I’m so sorry, pixie. I’m so sorry. I wish I was there, I would have killed those fuckers. Maybe I should now…”
“No!” I gasp. “No! You can’t have that on your head.”
