Chapter Three
Kirsty
I shuffle through the front door, Joey pressing behind me and pause at the top of the steps to breathe in the fresh air. It feels like forever since I've felt the warm sun on my skin. Closing my eyes, I lift my head and soak in as much as I can until I'm jolted forward by a hand pushing against the centre of my back. I stumble but quickly catch myself before I hit the ground.
"Move it bitch, we don't have all day."
I take the steps down cautiously. When we reach the bottom, Joey grips my arm and steers me towards an old rusty white van. Sliding the door open, he pushes me inside with so much force, I have to roll onto my shoulder so my head doesn't hit the other side of the car. Righting myself, I look around and realise there are no seats except for the long bench seat in front. The windows back here are all covered over, I can't see out and no-one can see in.
"Hands."
I whip my head back towards Joey when he speaks, he remains standing at the opening of the door, watching me. I scan him from head to toe. He's dressed in dirty clothes and it doesn't look like he's had a shave for at least a week. I turn around and while Joey cuts the restraints free, I look down and realise I'm still in only my singlet and undies. He spins me around and pulls a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket. My body trembles as visions flash past my eyes of the last time I was bundled into a vehicle and handcuffed.
He attaches the first one and I suck in a breath when it clicks into place. He reaches into the van and loops the free end over a bar on the ceiling of the van. Raising my other hand, he clicks the other cuff into place. I close my eyes and take deep breaths to calm my racing heart and shaking body. They snap open again when I feel Joey's hot breath skim the side of my face.
"I wonder if you taste as good as you look."
I jerk my face away and the minute I do, I know it's a mistake, confirmed by the stinging slap across my face. Gripping my chin, he forces my face back to his and his lips crash down on mine.
He clucks his tongue at me after he pulls back and licks his lips on a hum. "So, you still have some fight in you, that's good."
I study his eyes, for the first time I notice how dilated they are and the sheen of sweat across his forehead.
"Good to know, little pie. You and me are gonna have fun." He chuckles as he shimmies back out of the van and slides the door closed with a loud bang.
I look up at my cuffed hands and don't even attempt to try and escape, I know there's no point. Resting on my ass, I try to get comfortable. I don't bother to take notice when I hear the car door opening and slamming or when the engine starts up. I keep repeating to myself, I just have to get through this drive until we reach my new prison. Dropping my head, I let my hair fall around me and stare down at my lap.
***
"What's your name, little pie?" Joey's voice breaks through the silence surrounding us, he asks question after question about where I grew up, how old I am. But, I don't answer. I keep my head down, peeking through my hair at the rearview mirror, watching as his eyes dart from the mirror to the road ahead. I drop my head again, there's no point telling him anything about me or who I am, I don't even know who I am anymore. The girl I once was has disappeared, little by little, day by day, with everything that has happened over the years. The car jerks violently and the force causes my head to slam against the side of the van. I try to bite down on the yelp, but it escapes my lips anyway.
"That got your fucking attention," Joey sneers.
I wince with the pain exploding through my head and feel the van driving on rough gravel before coming to a sudden stop. He hits the brakes with such force, I'm thrown back and my arms are stretched painfully. I'm still dazed when I hear the door slide open, I try to clear my fuzzy brain.
"So, you don't want to fucking talk to me you, little bitch? Well, that's fine, I have ways of making you talk."
After unlocking the cuffs, he drags me from the van by my hair and throws me to the ground. I grunt when my knees are pierced by the small rocks on the gravel driveway. I look around and notice the old warehouse the van is parked next to. Is this my new prison? A sharp pain erupts across my stomach when Joey kicks me and I roll over and hit the ground. He laughs as tears flood my face and I wrap my arms around my stomach.
"Get up." He spits at the ground beside me.
When I don't move, he reaches down and grips my hair so tight I swear some of it is pulled out by the roots. Somehow, I manage to scramble to my feet. The rocks dig into my bare feet.
"When I say get the fuck up, I mean, get the fuck up." He releases my hair and wraps an arm around my throat. I instinctively grip his arm to take some of the pressure off my throat, I can't breathe.
"Don't worry little one, you and me are going to have some fun before I take you to the compound," he breathes into my ear before he drags me toward the warehouse.
***
I'm pushed into a dark room at the back of the warehouse. It looks like an old office which hasn't been used for a long time, it's covered in dust. Joey shoves me into a corner, I slide down the wall and bring my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them I pull my legs in closer.
I watch as he paces the room and drags his fingers through his hair until he comes to a sudden stop and stares at me for a moment, as if in a trance. He seems to snap out of whatever trance he was in and starts picking up old papers strewn on the ground. He crosses to the other side of the room where there's an old fireplace in the wall. Pulling a lighter from his pocket he sets the paper alight and throws it in.
Joey has his back to me, he seems mesmerized by the flames. I glance toward the door and wonder if I can sneak out while he remains transfixed. I shuffle on my bum, closer to the door, watching Joey to make sure he's still not looking my way. I look back to the door and slide closer, but I freeze in my tracks when I hear the unmistakable sound of a belt snapping together. My attention returns to Joey, he has a belt in one hand and what looks like a metal rod in the other.
"Where do you think you're going, bitch?"
"Nowhere," I whisper
"Crawl to me."
As I move towards him on my hands and knees, my eyes dart between the belt and the metal rod.
"Kiss my shoes," he spits out.
Not what I was expecting, but bending forward I take a deep breath and blow it out, before my lips touch the top of his shoes. I scrunch up my nose at the stench of him.
"What a good, little bitch."
I cringe as I see his hand with the belt lift, it comes down across my back and I close my eyes against the pain. He hits with much more force than Karen. His laughter echoes around us. I dig deep and push the searing pain to the back of my mind as he pushes me to my back with his foot. Crouching beside me, he pulls down the strap of my singlet, exposing one of my breasts. He licks his lips as he grabs me and squeezes.
"Looks like your Sir has marked you already."
I turn my head away as he cups my breast and runs his fingers over one of the bite marks still visible from Bruno J.
"I think I need to add to your collection."
I feel his hot breath against my skin, making it crawl. I brace myself for the pain from his teeth, but when I feel nothing, I wonder if he's changed his mind. I open my eyes to see his arm stretched out, the tip of the metal rod glows red then white in the fire. Abject terror squeezes my stomach and for the first time in a long time, I can't control my mouth.
"No. no. no!" I cry out when I realise what he's going to do.
"Enough, you be a good girl and stay still."
I try to push away, but he anchors his knee into my stomach, pinning me to the ground. He lowers the bar towards me and I'm helpless. The metal rod grazes my arm, burning the tender flesh before he holds it to my breast. Pain like I've never felt before shoots through me. My head spins and I let out a scream as tears stream down my face. When he removes his knee, I scramble to the wall. The room is spinning, my head is pounding, chest throbbing with pain. I have no hope of getting to my feet. He steps in front of me with the belt in his hand. I cower and whimper, knowing I probably won't make it out of here alive. My time has finally run out.
"Now for that taste." He raises his arm with the belt and I wait for the impact.
A loud bang echoes around us as a door is slammed open. Joey spins around as two other men enter the room with guns raised. I push myself into a ball against the wall, I feel dizzy and sick. Then a man speaks and I raise my eyes to stare into deep midnight eyes swimming in worry.
"It's okay, I won't hurt you." His voice is husky and he has a thick accent which I can't quite place at that moment. He offers his hand to me, but I stare at it, not sure what I should do. I look towards Joey, but he isn't looking at me anymore. He's occupied with staring down the barrel of a gun.
"Signora, I won't hurt you, you're safe now."
I glance at his hand again before looking back into his eyes. I see kindness and something deep inside me urges me to trust this stranger. Stretching out a shaky hand, I place it in his. The touch sets off a live wire inside me and I jump. What the fuck is going on? I feel confused, but shake it off and allow this man to pull me to my feet and into his chest. On shaky legs and gripping his jacket in my hands, I push the pain I am feeling to the side and inhale his intoxicating scent. He seems to awaken something deep inside me, something I thought died a long time ago.
Hope.