Quinn
I straighten my dress as I look at my reflection in the mirror. The sparkle of the diamond catches my eye and I look down at my left hand. Roy gave me his grandmother’s ring. It’s beautiful with just the single diamond. It took me some getting used to wearing it. I’m not big on jewelry and it kept feeling as if something foreign was lodged between my fingers.
I smile as I remember the proposal. Roy was so sweet. I’ve made a box where I keep everything from that night. I even have the cork from the champagne in there. It’s stupid, but I want to remember every detail of that night.
When I look back up at my reflection the smile on my face grows. Tonight will be our first date as an engaged couple and I’m really looking forward to it.
When I hear Roy’s car pull up out front, I grab my bag and check that I have everything. I rush to open the door before he can knock. He opens the gate and my eyes drink him in. He’s wearing a pair of jeans and a light green checkered shirt. My heart fills with love for him and I practically jump in his arms.
“I missed you,” I whisper as I hug him tightly.
“I missed you more,” he says before bringing his mouth to mine. I love his kisses.
When he pulls away his eyes rest lovingly on me.
“You look absolutely stunning.”
“Thank you,” I say as I twirl for him. “I have a hot date tonight.” I wink at him and it makes him laugh.
“Are you ready? I made a reservation at Nero’s.”
“Yes.” I quickly lock the door and take hold of his hand. “I love their crab.”
He grins and says, “I know.”
When we get to Nero’s, they seat us in one of the booths that has a beautiful view of the beach.
Roy places our orders and reaches for my left hand. His thumb lightly caresses my ring finger.
“Thank you for wearing my ring,” he whispers, and it makes my heart overflow with absolute adoration for him.
“How’s your Mom’s foot?” I ask.
“It’s much better. You’re a good nurse,” he says with a wink.
“I’m glad she’s getting better. She placed an order for the material, sequins and beads. It’s so great that we’ll be making the wedding dress together.”
“It will give you time to get to know each other better. You know,” he says, looking a little nervous, “you might as well move in.”
I smile to set him at ease. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll spend the nights at your place that we’ll be working on the wedding dress. I just need to make sure that my dad’s okay with it before I move in with you and take over your house. I’m all he has left.”
“You’re more than welcome to take over my house any day,” he laughs. “But I understand.”
I squeeze his hand. “I can’t believe we’re getting married in three months. I’m so happy.”
“That’s good to hear. Your happiness is my number one priority.”
Just when I think I couldn’t love him more, he says or does something to make the warmth in my heart grow.
When I wake up, I blink a couple of times to try and clear the sleep from my eyes. As my vision comes into focus, I take in my surroundings. When I see the luxurious room, I remember that I’m at Roy’s place.
Mrs. Douglas and I started with the wedding dress yesterday. We worked late into the night until we both couldn’t see straight. It’s going to be a lot of hard work, but I love making the dress with her. I can see that she also enjoys spending the time with me.
A loud crash from somewhere in the house makes me dart upright.
What the hell was that? I hope Mrs. Douglas didn’t fall again.
Another crash echoes through the house followed by Mrs. Douglas screaming. The sound is sharp and filled with horror, making my heart leap into my throat.
I throw back the covers and rush to the door, but I freeze before opening as more screams echo through the house.
“Please, take what you want, just don’t hurt us.” Mrs. Douglas’ desperate plea rips through me.
Oh, God. What’s happening?
I open the door softly and peek down the dark hallway.
“Roy. Mrs. Douglas,” I call out, but my voice is weak and filled with fear.
I hear something. At first, it’s just a rumbling of voices, but as they get closer, I can clearly hear two men and it sounds like they’re arguing. I quickly shut the door and duck back into the room. When the angry voices stop right outside the door of the room I’m in, my fear quickly turns to terror.
They must’ve broken into the house. Oh my God, this is really bad!
I grab my phone from the night stand and duck behind the bed, not that it will help if they come in.
Not thinking twice I dial Eli’s number. It only rings three times before he answers.
“Are you okay? It’s two in the morning,” he says, not sounding like I woke him at all. Just hearing his voice makes some of the fear fade.
“I think men broke in,” I whisper. “I can hear them right outside the room.”
“I’m on my way. Find a place to hide. Stay on the line.” The commands are sharp and demanding, and it almost makes me sigh with relief.
“I’m at Roy’s place,” I quickly add before Eli goes to my house.
The handle on the door twists and panic flashes hot through me. I quickly crawl under the bed, hoping they will think the room is empty.
“They’re coming in,” I whimper and cover my mouth with my hand so my breathing won’t be too loud.
Shit! This is bad, so very bad.
When I see a pair of heavy boots come into the room, my heart all but stops.
If they find me I’m dead.
Eli won’t make it in time.
The thought makes tears burn behind my eyes.
“I’m coming. Stay quiet. Stay calm. I’m five minutes away,” he whispers into my ear.
I nod as my tears start to fall. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I’m not feeling fear, this is something much worse. It’s my survival instinct kicking in while my mind is screaming that there’s no way to survive.
I want to believe Eli, but there’s no way he’ll make it before they find me.
My eyes are glued to the two pairs of boots as they move closer to the bed. I try to think if there’s anything in the room that can be used as a weapon. My fear filled mind feels horribly slow, and it only makes despair bleed into my soul.
“Someone slept in here. Look around,” the one man barks. He hits the lamp off the night stand and it falls with a dull thud to the floor on my right side. The man to my right starts to trash the room while the other one walks slowly to the front of the bed.
I try to breathe slower. My heart is thundering so hard I’m scared they’ll hear it.
The man to my right walks to the door but instead of leaving he switches on the light. It makes the tears come faster. They’re going to find me any second. My heart slams against the floor and a painful lump lodges in my throat.
The one in front of the bed suddenly crouches.
“What the fuck,” a man growls angrily. “Get your ass out of there.”
My breathing hitches sharply as a feeling I’ve never felt before rattles through me. It’s dark and ugly wiping out any trace of the hope I had that Eli would get here in time.
Clutching the phone to my chest, I crawl out from under the bed on the left side and run in the direction of the bathroom. The man closest to me grabs for me, but I swing back and slap him across the face. I manage to get free and race into the bathroom. I slam the door shut behind me and take a few steps back. I know it won’t hold them off.
“Think, Quinn! There has to be something you can use as a weapon.”
“Quinn!” I hear Eli’s distant voice. I look down at the phone pressed to my chest. “Quinn, fuck!”
I bring the phone to my ear as the door slams open.
“Eli,” I whisper as my eyes meet the stoned, pale blue eyes of the man in front of me.
“Fight, baby. Go for their eyes. You fight. I’m almost there.” I hear the tension in Eli’s voice and it makes tears rush freely over my cheeks.
My arm falls to the side and then I see the bottle of toilet spray. I lunge for it and hold it out in front of me.
A desolate feeling creeps through me. Shivers of terror race icily over my skin.
“Stay away,” I whimper.
Panic takes over and it makes adrenaline pump hot and wild through my body. I know it won’t keep him back, but when your life is in danger you do just about anything to try and save it.
I hate feeling so weak and vulnerable. I try to square my shoulders so I’ll come across as being strong and not this whimpering mess I really am. I feel sick to my stomach as the strange man looms in the doorway. I’m well aware that it’s my only way out.
I’m trembling violently, sure that I’ll pass out from pure fear if he takes a step closer to me. My breathing picks up along with my racing pulse. I’m going to hyperventilate if I don’t calm down. I can’t pass out and leave myself defenseless.
Focus, Quinn!
I wish Eli were already here.
Just the thought of him makes me cry harder.
The vile man grins and it makes him look like the devil. Staring at the huge man, it feels as if fear is liquefying my insides. He starts to stalk toward me and it makes me back up until I slam into the wall
“Stay back,” I scream at him but it only makes his lips curve in a disgusting sneer.
He is bad, all bad. I’ve read a lot of books where the bad boys have blue eyes, black hair and are ripped with tattoos. Never again will that be the same for me. This man with his watery, stoned blue gaze, oily black strands that hang unevenly in his face, scares the living hell out of me. Colorful ink covers his arms, every inch until it disappears under the sleeves of his faded black shirt. He takes another threatening step towards me which makes me grip the bottle so hard that my fingers turn white.
A new wave of panic flushes hot through me as the man spreads his arms wide, and launches his body at me.
“Oh, my God!”
For a precious moment my mind freezes in absolute shock as the bulk of his body slams into mine. Then the sickly stench of his sweat wafts up my nostrils and I almost gag. It’s sour and pungent, robbing me of my breath. It brings me back to the here and now. Quickly, I bring my hands up between us and squirt the spray in his eyes as fast as my fingers can work the bottle.
An enraged roar thunders in the small space of the bathroom, I keep spraying even when he lets go of me to cover his eyes. I should hit him, or kick him, but I’m terrified. I manage to get out of his reach and run back into the room.
All I can hear is my heartbeat and heavy breaths. Before I get to the door something hard slams into me, taking me to the ground. I forgot about the other man. I start to kick and hit at him. I manage to slam the phone against his face and it gives me time to get up and run.
I race down the hallway and take the stairs two at a time. If I can make it outside I can get to Eli.
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” a harsh voice shouts from the kitchen where I can hear painful grunts and heavy blows. The brutal words bring me to a shuddering stop. It makes me feel nauseous because I know they’re either hurting Roy or Mrs. Douglas. I can’t just leave them.
I run in the direction of the noise and storm into the kitchen. The sight of Roy on the floor and covered in blood tears a raw scream from me.
“Quinn,” Roy groans hopelessly. He tries to get up but I can see that the beating has sapped all of his strength. “Run!” he shouts desperately.
My whole body shudders at the sound of his broken voice. His breaths are ragged. I shake my head hard and start to wildly glance around, searching for a knife. I have to try and stop the man from hurting Roy.
“Run, Quinn!” I hear the panic in his voice and it makes my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. I yank the nearest drawer open and grab a dull knife from it. I’ll never forgive myself if I leave Roy with these men.
When the man comes at me I recognize him. Steve, the local weed dealer. The other two must be his friends. He’s stoned out of his mind, his eyes wild. There’s an ugly grin on his face.
I can’t form any words for the feelings swamping me. Roy is covered in blood and we are outnumbered. I don’t even know where Mrs. Douglas is.
“I’m going to take that knife and cut every inch of skin from your body, bitch,” Steve sneers as he comes for me.
Before I can lunge at him a pair of arms comes around me from behind, pinning my arms to my sides. The same sickly sweaty stank from the man in the bathroom envelops me. Steve grabs my hand and ruthlessly pries the knife from my fingers. He starts to laugh darkly as he waves it in front of my face.
“What a nice surprise. I’m going to take my time with you, but first,” he says ominously and he walks back to where Roy is struggling to get up.
A horror filled scream is ripped from me as he slams the knife into Roy’s stomach. Roy lets out a howl of pain that grates at my ears. He sinks back to his knees in front of Steve.
The man holding me whispers eerily, “Make a sound and we’ll kill you slowly.”
I can’t keep the whimper back and it only makes Steve laugh manically as he grabs Roy by the hair. He yanks his head back and then buries the knife in Roy’s left eye. The gruesome sight is too much. I lose all control and start to thrash, screaming at them to stop.
This is more than just cruel violence. It’s evil and malevolent. I can see the pleasure on Steve’s face as he repeatedly stabs Roy. The horrid sight robs me of my sanity.
With every scream that escapes from me, Steve plunges the knife into Roy. Roy’s screams grow weaker while mine pitch with distress.
The sounds of Steve torturing Roy are sickening. Hearing how he’s tearing my fiancé’s flesh away from the bone breaks something in me. I twist and yank at the arms holding me back, wanting to rip them all apart, like they’re doing to Roy. I need to stop them.
“Stop! Oh God, Roy,” I whimper hopelessly.
Finally, the man lets go of me and I dart forward. I try to get to Roy, but Steve grabs hold of my hair, yanking me to the side and away from Roy.
“And then there was one,” Steve leers, and his voice is filled with promises of pain.
He drags me into the dining room. I keep fighting, trying to claw at anything. As he drags me outside, shards of glass cut into my lower back and hands from where they must’ve broken through the glass door to get into the house. I barely feel the pain as I try to stop him from dragging me into the darkness.
When he stops, my body is half on the patio and half on the grass, the step digging into my back.
He holds the knife dangerously close to my chin and drops of Roy’s blood drip on my neck.
I want to get back to him. I need to help Roy. I can’t lose him.
Suddenly he tosses the knife to the side and it clatters as it falls on the patio.
“You always treated me like shit. Think you’re better than me, bitch?” Steve sneers and his spit hits my face. “Fuck you! Fuck you all. I’ll kill you all. I’ll show you.”
“No,” I shriek as he raises his arm. His fist slams into my cheek and it makes me bite my tongue. A copper taste quickly fills my mouth. “Stop, Steve!”
I try to claw at his face, trying to get to his eyes, but he’s just out of reach.
His fist keeps slamming into the right side of my face until my vision blurs. He grabs hold of my shoulders and yanks me up against him. His teeth sink into my left cheek and the pain is raw and intense.
I manage to get my right thumb in his left eye and I dig in.
He howls with pain but it doesn’t make him let go of me. He rips at my t-shirt and for the first time I start to worry about what he’s going to do before he kills me.
I hear Mrs. Douglas scream and then a gunshot rings through the house and it makes Steve jerk. He looks back to the house and it gives me the upper hand. I slam my fist against his ear and manage to squirm out of his reach. I launch to my feet and run back to the house. Pieces of glass stab at my feet but it doesn’t slow me down. I’m wild with panic and fear, hardly taking in any of the sounds around me.
When I get to Roy, I fall down to my knees. My hands are trembling violently as they hover over his face.
“Roy,” I whisper brokenly, praying that he’s not dead.
His one eye is a bloody mess while his other is half closed.
“Roy,” I cry when I realize that he’s not breathing.
Strong arms wrap around me from behind, and they try to pull me away from Roy. Nauseating sobs wrack through my body as I’m pulled up. I try to dig my heels in to stop the man from pulling me away, but my feet slip on all the blood that’s pooled around Roy, only making it so much easier for him.
It feels as if my mind has fractured from all the grief and trauma.
The man holding me presses his mouth to my ear and whispers, “Let me get you out of here. We have to move quickly.”
A wave of disgust shudders through me, even more than I felt when Steve was hurting me. I need to hurt someone as bad as I’m hurting.
I start to fight with the meager strength I have left. I swing my elbow back, trying to slam it into any part of his body. But the man is twice my size and once again I feel scared and vulnerable as his arms tighten around me.
I can hear him grinding his teeth. Somewhere in my devastated and terror-filled mind, I still have some sane part that’s functioning, and that part is telling me that I need to calm down if I want to survive.
“Fuck,” another voice growls darkly from somewhere in the house.
“Steve, what the fuck is taking you so long. Kill the bitch already.”
My eyes are glued to Roy. Maybe it will be a good thing if they kill me.
The man holding me tightens his hold, his body suddenly tensing behind me. I find that odd, seeing as he was a part of this brutal attack.
Steve runs back into the kitchen and when I see the gun in his hand, the fight leaves my body. I didn’t know he had a gun.
“Who the fuck are you?” Steve shouts.
I’m yanked to the side as the man holding me moves back, and then I see why. Two more men are coming in from the other door. I recognize the one from the bathroom. The other man must be the one who tackled me in the room. And then there’s the man holding me. I thought it was only the three of them. How many are there?
The man who tackled me upstairs is big, and he walks as if the world belongs to him. His sandy colored hair is styled with so much gel it glistens in the electric lights shining above us. His eyes scare me. He’s not stoned like the others and it makes me realize how lucky I was to get away from him the first time. There won’t be a second time. They are dark and cold as if he has no soul.
Instinctively I cower away from the man approaching me, pressing my body into the chest of the man standing behind me. Maybe it’s because I haven’t seen his face yet, that he doesn’t pose as big a threat to me.
“I know you,” the big man says as he starts to laugh. “Oh man, this is going to be fucking awesome.”
I realize that he’s not talking to me but to the man behind me.
“Leave while you still can,” the man holding me growls. His voice rumbles from deep in his chest. I can feel it against my back. I can hear the restrained anger, and it scares me. I want to go to Roy and help him. I want this nightmare to be over.
“You’re a Jackson. You wouldn’t know anything about my cousin being beaten out in the woods?” The big man now looks tense, his hands fisted at his sides.
“Nope. No idea,” it comes calmly from behind me and only then do I recognize his voice.
“Eli?” I whisper. Instead of relief, a new fear bleeds into me. I can’t lose Roy and Eli.
“Shut up, bitch!” the man snaps at me. “Open your fucking mouth again and I’ll cut your tongue out.” He looks back to Eli. “You sure? Rumors are all over town that you and your old man gave him that beating.”
The man rolls his shoulders as if he can actually roll the growing anger off of them.
Eli’s one arm slips to his side while he holds me with the other. I can feel the tension coming off him, and it makes me feel sick.
“Doesn’t ring any bells,” Eli answers calmly.
“Are you sure?” The man takes a step towards us as he pulls a gun from behind his back.
These men are like a pack of wild dogs. Them having guns turns this nightmare into a hopeless horror. There’s no way we’re going to get out of this alive.
Eli clamps his hand around my bicep, as if he’s preparing for something and it makes every muscle in my body tense painfully.
“I did some digging of my own after they found my cousin tied to that tree like a fucking dog. Apparently, your family doesn’t know when to look the other way. You’ve been really bad for my business. How’s a man supposed to move drugs through this shitty town if the lowlifes are scared of you all?”
When Eli doesn’t answer him, the man throws back his head and laughs rowdily. It sends shivers down my spine.
“Well, things are about to change around here.”
I can’t handle the fear anymore. The man in front of me scares me to death, more than Steve ever can. He’s obviously the one in charge. I can’t stand the pressure and turn around. If I’m going to die I want Eli to be the last thing I see and not some deranged man.
I almost flinch back at the anger in his eyes. I’ve never seen anger so alive, and there’s something else – vengeance? I’ve never seen this side of Eli, not even back when we met. It’s like I’m staring at a stranger.
My whole world comes to a shuddering, horrible end as the man says, “Take them upstairs. Keep him alive for me. Get the girl to open that safe, after that you can do with her what you want. Just make sure she’s dead so she can’t talk to the cops.”