I don’t have long to linger on the feeling. Before I even get the chance to ask him what’s going on, shots are ringing out around us. Everything is happening so fast. My mind can’t keep up with the movements taking place around us. One minute we are loading up the groceries, and the next minute all hell is breaking loose.
“Get down!” Wes yells, shoving me not so gently behind the car. He reaches into the back of his jeans and pulls out a gun I didn’t even know he had. Cars pull up into the tiny parking lot with tires squealing, surrounding us in a matter of seconds. Men pile out of them all with their guns drawn and pointed directly at us.
“Drop the gun or watch her die,” one of the men orders. I’m shaking, my hands trembling with fear. I want to scream, to tell him not to do it, but before I even get the chance he curses under his breath and drops the gun, kicking it over to one of the men. As soon as the gun is out of reach, three large men move in on us. One picks me up from the ground, his meaty fingers digging into my arms painfully, making me wince. While the other two grab Wes, by one arm each, and drag him to a nearby van.
Wes doesn’t bother fighting them, which surprises me, then again it wouldn’t do either of us any good, and I presume he realizes that. Another man opens the back door and we’re both thrown inside. Wes lands against the heavy metal backing of the van, and I follow suit behind him, my body crashing into his. The door is shut behind us, submerging us into complete darkness.
“Are you okay?” Wes asks, feeling for me in the dark space.
“Yes, I think…” When he finds my body, he uses both hands and pulls me into his lap, cradling me against his chest tightly.
“How…how did they find us? Do you think these are my father’s men?” My voice trembles, giving away my fear. I don’t want anything to happen to us, to Wes. I don’t want to die, not when I’ve just finally started living. These men weren’t ones I recognized, which leads me to wonder if they are enemies the brothers made previously.
“I have no idea how they found us, and I can’t be one hundred percent sure, but I think those are your father’s goons. We have other enemies but none of them are recent, and none would be as ballsy as these fuckers.”
“I didn’t recognize any of these men,” I admit, though there were far too many for me to take in every single one of their faces.
“Let’s just try and stay calm, and not provoke them in any way, okay?” My body starts to shake, and he soothes me, stroking a gentle hand up and down my back, his touch like soft waves cresting the beach.
“Will Trey and Declan know where we are?” I question.
“Yes. They’ll track us. Just try not to worry, they’ll find us. I promise.”
I want to believe him, but part of me is scared, really scared. Are they really going to find us, or is Wes just saying this in an attempt to calm me down? And even if they do happen to find us, how will they get to us without endangering themselves?
What if they kill us before they get the chance to come for us, or if they get hurt trying to rescue us? I raise a hand to my head, the throbbing inside it is insistent. So many questions, so many fears, it’s all too much, and happening way too fast. A wave of dizziness slams into me and I rest my head back down against Wes’s shoulder in an effort to stop the dizzy spell.
“Are you alright?” Wes whispers into my ear as the van takes a sharp turn sending us barreling into the other side of the van.
“Yes. I’m just…I’m scared, Wes. I’m terrified of what’s going to happen to us. Of what may happen to Declan and Trey when they try to rescue us. I don’t want them to use me against you, or your brothers. I don’t want to be your weakness, not when I should be your equal.”
Wes’s strong arms wrap around me, squeezing me tighter to his chest, and I greedily inhale his unique sandalwood scent. “It’s a little late for that, Princess.” And I know all too well it is, but these men don’t need to know that. They don’t need to know how important I am to them.
We drive for what seems like forever before the van comes to an abrupt stop. Dread digs its claws into me, consuming me, making me weak with fear. I didn’t feel this way when the brothers took me. Maybe because a part of me clung on to the hope that they wouldn’t hurt me, and they didn’t, not really, but these men, their intent is clear. They want to kill us.
“Shhh, it will be okay,” Wes says, his voice thick with an unknown emotion, one last time before the back doors open and the afternoon sun pours into the back of the van. For one single moment, I’m blind, literally blind. I can’t see anything. Someone grabs me roughly by the arms, pulling me off of Wes’s lap. I stifle a scream by taking my lip between my teeth.
I don’t want to worry Wes, who is also being hauled off roughly. With a punishing grip, they shove him onto the ground.
“No. Don’t hurt him,” I scream right as something is slipped over my face. It blocks out any light and my view of Wes. It also makes it hard to breathe.
“Awe, it seems your little captive has fallen in love with you. Do tell, does she take all three of your dicks at the same time or do you take turns?” One of the goons laughs. I don’t know who he’s talking to, but I assume it’s Wes. Hands grip my wrists behind my back tightly and a moment later I feel something binding them together. Wes grunts, as if he’s in pain, but I can’t tell since I can’t see anything.
Meaty fingers dig into my skin as I’m dragged somewhere by my arms. My legs can barely keep up with the men’s fast pace. My skin is crawling and I feel like my ears perk up, knowing that without sight my chances of escaping are dismal. I count a total of six pair of footsteps, mine included. Which means we are not only tied up and blindfolded, but we’re are also outnumbered two to one.
Dread overcomes me and tears threaten to escape my eyes, but I hold them back. I’ll have to be stronger than I’ve ever been before, because I’ll be damned if I’m going to give these fuckers the satisfaction of crying. A heavy creaking fills my ears and the air around us changes, telling me we are inside a building now. I’m pushed down into a chair a moment later, a soft whimper escapes me when my legs are pried apart and tied to the legs of the chair.
“I don’t suppose you want to tell us where the rest of your little group is?” an unfamiliar voice asks.
“Go fuck yourself,” Wes spits, his voice filled with rage.
“I figured…well, we’ve already contacted our interrogator. He always gets the information he wants out of people. So, you have that to look forward to,” the man snickers and suddenly my lunch is in danger of making a reappearance.
“You might be able to handle some pain, big guy, but we’ll see how much you can handle seeing this pretty little thing being tortured…”
I don’t say anything. I don’t want to give them any more ammunition than they’ve already got. Listening intently, I wait for the men to disappear and the door to close behind them, leaving Wes and I alone in the room. Only once they’re gone do I draw in a shaky breath, wishing I didn’t hear what that vile man just told Wes. They’re going to torture me…even worse, they’re going to make Wes watch.
“Just stay calm, Declan and Trey have most likely realized we are missing by now. They’ll be here in no time,” Wes tells me, his voice calm, soothing even, but I’m not stupid. If they don’t make it here soon, then they won’t have either of us to rescue, because there won’t be anything to save. Fighting back tears, I have no idea how he is remaining so calm. How can he be so sure that they’re going to find us?