Page 31 of Pleasure & Prey: Vol. 2

“I’m lost. I stay with a friend around here,” I protest, once again trying to wrench my arm away. “Who are you?” Their lights are still in my face, and I hear something heavy being readjusted as I blink away the light-spots once more.

“You drunk?” the other asks finally. “Who the hell wanders out here at night without a jacket, huh?” I hear him walking closer to me, and the light bobs until it’s inches from my face. I turn away from it, squeezing my eyes shut, only for a gloved hand to yank my face back toward it, fingers digging into my lower jaw. “You sure as shit look drunk to me.”

“Drunk…?” I repeat, still unable to open my eyes. I’m colder than I should be. I’m cold all over, and not being able to see them makes this even worse. “No, I’m not drunk. I don’t drink, I just. I got lost,” I say again, trying to jerk out of his hold as well. Their hands on me make me feel gross. Like there are spiders climbing up my arm and across my face. “Let…let go of me.”

Suddenly I wonder if there are worse things to worry about in these woods than wild animals.

Unhelpfully, Jed’s voice echoes in my ears, and the remembered words make me stiffen.

Just to make sure there aren’t any poachers.

Yeah, that’s what he’d said. And he’d been so casual about it, like they’re just simply a fact of life around here.

“Do you… Umm…” I don’t know what to say, and I try to find their faces behind the lights once more. “Do you live around here…too?”

One of the men snorts, and his fingers clench my jaws harder, grating into the bone. “Nah, we don’t live around here. Bet you don’t either.” He sidles closer, causing my breath to catch in my throat. “You’re a ranger, aren’t you? Stupid girl.”

“I’m not a ranger,” I hiss back, finally managing to jerk out of his hold. “I told you, didn’t I?” If I don’t show them how afraid I am, hopefully they won’t take advantage of it. That’s what I tell myself anyway, as I stand straighter in the light of their flashlights. “I don’t know how to say, again, that I’m lost. That’s all. I just need you to point me toward literally anything, and I’ll find my way from there. Is that so hard to understand?” I don’t want to go too far with my false bravado, so I close my mouth and wait.

“Come back with us.” The one still holding my arm is the one to speak first, I think. Though it’s hard to tell in the dark. “We’ll drive you to wherever you want to go. Our truck isn’t that far.”

His tone, and his words, immediately have me on edge. Instantly, I know that going with them would be an awful idea, and I shake my head without hesitation. “I’m not going with you,” I promise quietly. “I don’t fucking know you. Like I said, I’m just—” The fingers on my arm tighten, and I’m jerked forward into a body that smells like unwashed clothes and tobacco.

“You’re awfully bitchy for someone that needs help,” the man snarls, his breath hot and fetid against my face. “Awfully demanding. Want us to just leave you here, little lost thing?” He spits the word at me, causing me to recoil as much as I can. I can feel the other man behind me, his breath coming in sharp pants.

I need to get out of here.

“Fuck off,” I snarl, unable to pretend for even a moment that I’m not disgusted. “Don’t touch me. Don’t touch me!” Fear makes my voice raise higher and louder than I intend, and when the man tries to jerk me closer, I shove him.

And for some reason, he goes. His grip leaves my arm, tightening enough to bruise before ripping backward. The dogs start freaking out, and the flashlight drops to the ground at my feet.

“What—” The man behind me shoves me hard, causing me to stumble toward the snapping, growling dogs as he strides forward. “Earl?”

I hear something I don’t recognize, seconds before Earl cries out. The lone remaining flashlight falls to the ground, and from the sounds, I wonder if Earl has fallen into his companion. I dart out, grabbing the light in shaking fingers, and turn it off so I’m not drawing attention to myself.

Whatever the case, their dogs are going crazy, and no one’s attention is on me anymore.

“Touch her again and I’ll break your other hand as well.” I don’t recognize the voice at first. I don’t recognize the cruel, dark undertones or the pure vitriol that accompanies it into the frigid air. “Take one step towards her and I’ll break your fucking legs. The rangers are on their way.” I hear what sounds like the sound of a safety being clicked off, and I freeze.

Someone has a gun.

“Don’t touch your fucking rifles.” Another light flicks on, this one less bright and sharp than the ones the two men had. It reminds me of my own, and I flick it back on, turning the bright light towards the dirty, greasy looking men with rifles on their shoulders.

They look…pathetic. Dirty, cruel, and filthy come to mind as they blink in the sudden light. One of them cradles a hand that looks mangled, and as I watch, he hugs it to his chest, shifting away from the other person in the woods.

“Get shot and get arrested, or get the fuck out. It makes no difference to me.” I’m sure I’ve never heard anyone sound so terrifying in my life. Their anger freezes the air around us, and I fight not to turn the flashlight on my rescuer just to see who it is. I don’t want to blind him.

And I’m starting to think I know exactly who else is in the clearing with me.

The quieter man, not-Earl, spits on the ground before baring his teeth at Jed. “We’re goin’,” he snarls at last, a low whistle on his tongue at the end of his words. Hecalls the dogs to him, though they snarl and snap at Jed as they pass. “Fuckin’ shitbird.”

Jed doesn’t hesitate. The gun goes off, and in the dim light, I see the dirt explode near the man’s foot, spraying him with dirt and debris. One of the dogs yelps, terrified, and shoots off in the direction I think the two men came from.

Earl curses, still holding his broken hand close.

“One more word,” Jed invites coolly. “And you can crawl back to your truck. If I see you again, I’ll take it as an invitation. Do you understand?”

Earl is quick to mutter his agreement. His companion holds out for a few seconds, fingers itching for the rifle he won’t have time to reach. Finally he nods as well, and the two of them scramble from the clearing, back toward wherever they’d came from.