My stomach rolls in revulsion. I almost wretch at the sight of his hand between her thighs where no one should ever touch.
“Take my fingers,” he bites out angrily, and his hand moves faster.
Gabby screams so loud my ears sting with agony at her cries. She’s once again pulling and tugging at the restraints, but there’s no escape for her.
“Enough, Kingsley,” Dr. Monroe hisses while lifting the scalpel. She continues to press it against the flat plane of Gabby’s stomach. Blood spurts from the incision as my friend screeches inhumanely from the pain clearly coursing through her. Dr. Kingsley continues his ministrations with his fingers, and shock reigns through me when I see him pull his zipper down and position himself at her mouth that’s wide in horror.
“Take it, bitch,” he grunts, shutting her up with his thick erection.
This time, I do feel bile racing up my throat. Turning, I race from the basement with Archer behind me. I make it into the large gardens before puking up the breakfast we had only a couple hours ago.
My body convulses painfully. The burning in my throat brings tears to my eyes, and Archer holds my hair back as I throw up my guts on the lush, green grass.
“We’ll get out of here,” he promises me again. “I’ll kill them all, Dollface. I swear on my life.” I want to believe him. I do. But somehow, I can’t. There’s nothing Archer has promised me that he hasn’t come through with. Nothing. Sadly, this time I can’t put my faith in him. Not because I don’t believe him. It’s because this hell is inescapable.
Once you’re taken to the basement, there’s no coming back from that. It doesn’t matter if you survive. You’ll never be the same. There’s no way you can return as a whole person. They take from you. They steal, they rob, and they enjoy it.
No one should live like that.
But we have no choice.
“He’s not going to change, Sam,” Hunter insists as we pull up to the cabin, pulling me from the memory of what we’d gone through.
“He can. I believe in him, Hunter. Didn’t you change? Your past is littered with shit too,” I implore him. I want him to understand. To see Archer is a good man under all that mind control they’ve done to him.
“And what if he doesn’t? What if he remembers you and one day, out of the blue, he decides you have to die? He could’ve killed you tonight.”
I understand what he’s saying. It’s true; Archer could’ve indeed taken me out. I was so hellbent on making him see me I forgot I’m trained to kill. To fend off the bad guys. But Archer isn’t one of them. He may act like it now, but I believe he can fight it if he just realizes there’s a reason to fight.
“Buttercup,” Hunter coos, pulling me over the seat, planting me on his lap. His big, calloused hands cup my cheeks. “All I want is for you to be safe. Is that so wrong?”
Tears fill my eyes, making Hunter blurry in my vision. “No,” I croak out, emotion thick in my tone. My throat closing with all the sadness that’s threatening to choke me. A snake, wrapping itself around my neck, squeezing out the air.
“I wanted to say this under different circumstances, Sam, but—”
“Don’t. Please,” I beg. I know what he’s going to say. It’s written all over his face, and the emotion swims in his beautiful, hazel green eyes.
“I can’t help it. I do.”
Nodding, I pull away from him, needing to breathe. Can you love two people at the same time? What I’m doing is wrong. I’m hurting Hunter, Archer, and myself. This thing between Hunt and I should stop. Right here and now. But when his hands trail my body, squeezing my ass, I can’t stop the movement of my hips rocking against him.
“Let me show you,” he murmurs as he controls my hips. Moving me over his hardness. It presses against my pussy, just where I need it. I’ve done this for so long it’s second nature. Fuck to forget. But when my head drops back and I close my eyes, I’m met with those dark orbs that have haunted me for years.
“I can’t.” Pushing away from Hunter, I see the pain in his gaze. It tightens a fist around my heart. I exit the car quickly, making my way into the cabin hastily, not needing him to follow me, but he does. He always does.
“Sam,” he calls to me, but I ignore him. Shoving my way into the bathroom and shutting the door behind me, I slide down the wooden surface till I land on my ass. On the floor, I finally fall apart. I cry.
Hunter bangs on the door, but I can’t let him in. There’s no way that if I open this door he won’t storm in, pick me up, and show me just how much he loves me. Because that’s what he does. All the years we’ve been together, he’s always given me that solace. Taken away my pain by showing me pleasure.