“Why what?” Baron asks.
“Why don’t you want me with Royal?”
“You’re not good for him,” Baron says. “You need to go. Royal may have many fine qualities, but forgiveness isn’t one of them.”
“So you’re going to tell him I fucked you, and make him dump me?”
“Now she gets it,” Duke says. “It doesn’t matter if you do it or not. As long as he believes it, it might as well be true.”
He takes a swig of beer and stumbles, dropping his phone with a clatter on the concrete floor. He swears and swipes at it twice before snagging it. Straightening, he sways on his feet.
I can take his drunk ass in a second. His reflexes are shit right now. Baron’s the one I’m worried about.
“The tunnel leads out of here?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Baron says. “If the door at the other end is unlocked.”
“You just came from that way,” I say. “Is it locked?”
He shrugs. “I don’t remember. Duke?”
Duke lets out a drunken giggle. “I don’t fuckin’ know. I know I want some action, though. Harper, get over here and ride me. I’ve been waiting to bust in that juicy pussy for months.”
“Go fuck yourself,” I say. “That’s the only action you’ll be getting tonight.”
He laughs and downs half the beer in one long gulp, then belches loudly. “I’d rather fuck your face,” he says. “Baron, you want her ass? I bet Royal hasn’t loosened it up too much yet.”
“I think I’ll brave the tunnel collapsing after all,” I say, heading for the other door. “Can’t be worse than suffering the company of this drunk asshole.”
“Hey, you know what’s a fun game for everyone?” Duke asks, his eyes lighting up behind their glassy shine. “We’ll turn off the lights and take turns licking your pussy, and whoever does it better gets to fuck you first.”
“Do you ever think about anything besides your dick?”
“Sometimes I think about your pussy,” he says, swaying forward and back. “Especially when I’m jerking off in the shower. That’s when I picture my balls slapping that wet, pink pussy and my cum filling it up, giving you a nice juicy creampie.”
“Yeah, my disgust for you outweighs my fear of tight spaces,” I say. “I’m going to check out the tunnel. If the door’s locked, I might just dig my way out.”
“Have fun,” Baron says, pulling a sucker from his pocket. “Hope your flashlight doesn’t die.”
Fuck. My phone’s at about one percent battery. Still, it’s better than the alternative.
I tense as I step past Baron, sure he’s going to grab me. He lets me pass, but Duke reaches out and pinches my tit. Okay, talking shit is one thing, and his rape jokes are bad enough, but now he laid a hand on me.
“Oh, you want to get physical?” I ask, my hands balling into fists.
“Yeah,” he says with a sloppy grin. “That’s right, baby. Let me taste that sweet cherry pie.”
I swing, and he doesn’t even duck. It’s a beautiful right hook that meets his temple with the aim of a fucking archer. He crumples to the floor in a heap, and I jump back, fists raised and adrenaline pumping through me, ready for Baron to come at me.
“You gonna come get yours?” I ask.
He just shakes his head. “I’ve felt your fists. Besides, I’m more into the challenge than taking what I can by brute force.”
I don’t trust him for a second, so I back into the next room. It’s dark in there, since his is the only flashlight. I swallow hard, wiping my hands on my jeans, and feel my way to the dirt tunnel. It’s chilly in the basement, and my clothes are still damp from the rain. At least, I tell myself that’s why I start shivering the second my shins are on the cold dirt floor of the tunnel. I force myself onwards, my heart thudding in my ears. To avoid thinking about the ceiling collapsing, I focus on the tunnel behind me, trying to hear if Baron’s coming in with me. Each scrape of my own knees on the floor makes me tremble.
God, it’s so tight. My shoulders are pressed against the walls, and I wonder if maybe this tunnel doesn’t lead out at all. Maybe it leads to… Nothing. I’ll be stuck in a dead end in the dark, waiting for Duke to come rape me and probably kill me. Because fuck if I’m just going to lie there and take it without fighting back. I’ve seen way too many movies where people go into a cave or a tunnel looking for escape and instead come upon a pile of skeletons left by all the other idiots who tried to escape before them.
The ceiling of the tunnel brushes my back—or was it a bat?—and I think I’m going to be sick. I close my eyes and try to breathe, though it feels like there’s no oxygen in the tunnel. What the fuck am I doing? I’ve just basically buried myself alive.