Chapter Twenty-One

Bailey

M y heart pounded in my ears. A wave of nausea hit me as bile crept up my throat. The stench of Billy's tobacco-stained fingers invaded my mouth.

I kept my eyes locked with Maureen's as he dragged me to a chair and slammed me down on it. Chad was already there with more rope. He wrapped it around me, securing me to the chair.

Billy smirked as he looked down at me, admiring Chad's handiwork. "I've been waiting a long time for this moment, Bailey. I knew throwing a brick through your window would scare you into coming here. This little shithole is perfect. Out in the middle of the woods with no neighbors to hear you scream."

Fuck. The guys were right, and I didn't listen .

"Okay, Billy, you win. You scared the shit out of us. Now let us go," I stammered.

His eyes darkened as he reared back and smacked the side of my face. I cried out as my head snapped to the side.

Maureen started to cry.

"Fuck, Billy, you didn't have to hit her that hard," Chad drawled as he chuckled.

Billy grabbed the back of my head and yanked on my hair, pulling me toward his face. "That's for almost breaking my jaw, you stupid cunt."

Tears threatened to spill but I choked them back. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. I gathered all the saliva I could muster and spit in his face. "Fuck you, Billy."

He flashed me a grin as he wiped my spit off with his finger and then sucked it off. "Mmm, so sweet. I wonder how the rest of you tastes."

No, this can't be happening.

He grabbed the knife from Chad and strutted over to Maureen. She flinched as he dragged the tip of the blade across her chest gently so as not to break the skin. "Let's play a little game, shall we?" He looked at me. "Chad is going to untie you so you can play. I'm going to make you undress for us. Every time you refuse, Maureen gets a little cut, just like this." She screamed into her gag as Billy nicked her shoulder with the knife.

"Stop! Have you lost your mind? Maureen has nothing to do with this. Let her go, and I'll do whatever you want." Adrenaline raced through my veins. I had to get us out of this. This could not be our fate.

Billy clicked his tongue. "Oh, so she can run off to her Sheriff daddy and ruin all our fun? Nah. I like this plan better."

Fuck.

He nodded and Chad began to untie me. "Don't do anything stupid, Bailey. You'll only make it worse for both of you. "

As soon as the rope fell from my wrists, I pulled my arms in tight to my chest. "You will never get away with this, Billy. Let us go now before it gets out of hand, and I won't tell anyone."

He chuckled and took a pull from the bottle of tequila we'd left on the coffee table. "You really think anyone is going to believe you over me anyway? Now fucking take off your shirt."

My hands shook. "Please, don't do this."

Maureen wailed as she writhed against her restraints.

Billy pressed the knife to her neck. "Take. It. Off."

Chad swiped at the bottle of tequila and plopped himself on the couch.

I nodded, taking deep breaths. "Fine. Okay. Just don't hurt her." He licked his lips as I pulled off my black tank top and tossed it on the floor.

He pressed the knife into Maureen's neck and a little blood trickled out. "Bra too. Off."

My breath hitched and it took everything I had not to pass out. I reached around my back with trembling fingers and unhooked my black lace bra. I pulled the straps down slowly and let it fall into my lap.

Billy sucked in a sharp breath. "Are those titties as pretty as you remember, Chad?"

He put his hand over the bulge in his jeans and shifted in his seat. "Ah, fuck. Looks like they got bigger."

I swallowed down the acid in my throat. "Please, Billy. This isn't right."

His eyes darkened. "Shut the fuck up or I'll cut her again. Now, your pants."

Every nerve in my body was shot as I stood. I unzipped my jeans and wiggled them off. Before I could sit back down, he nicked the knife across Maureen's cheek. Her whimpering turned to sobs.

"For fuck's sake, Billy. I'm doing what you ask," I yelled.

"I didn't tell you to sit back down. Not until you take those panties off." His eyes were wild with lust and need. And yet full of hate and rage at the same time.

I looked at Maureen. "It's gonna be okay." I slid my panties down and waited.

"Mmm. Now you can sit back down."

Chad let out a low whistle. "I like this game."

Billy smirked. "Oh, it's only getting started. Put Maureen in the back bedroom and get back out here. I'm sick of Bailey looking at her. I want all her attention on us."

Maureen screamed through her gag as Chad tipped the chair back and dragged her down the hall.

"I'm going to kill you," I muttered.

He pulled up another chair and took a seat across from me. "If that's what you need to tell yourself. But you and I both know that ain't gonna happen."

Chad strolled back in and took back his seat on the couch. "The Sheriff's daughter is locked up tight. I'll check on her later."

Billy's eyes wandered my body. "Spread your legs."

I shook my head. "This has gone far enough."

He slammed the tip of the knife into my coffee table. "It goes until I say it's over. Now open your fucking legs before I do it for you."

The thought of his hands on me made me so sick. I had to will myself not to vomit. I took a deep breath and spread my thighs back.

His lips quivered. "Such a pretty little cunt. I bet you play with it all the time. Don't you, Bailey? Why don't you show us how you play with your cunt."

Chad leaned forward and took a swig of tequila. "This is better than the fucking strip club."

I glared at him. "You mean the only place a woman will actually touch you because you paid them to?"

Chad started to get up, but Billy held up his hand. "Sit down and relax, buddy. She's just got a filthy fucking mouth. No respect. But we're going to teach her some, aren't we?"

He snickered. "Fuck yeah we are."

So his plan was what? To humiliate me? Fuck him. They were the only ones who should be ashamed right now.

Billy gazed down at my pussy. "Now, show us how you play with yourself before I get angry and take it out on sweet little Maureen."

My hands trembled; my palms sweaty. I slid a finger down my slit and inched it back up, rubbing back and forth.

"Mmm… yeah just like that. Use both hands," Billy rasped.

My juices pooled from the friction. I was disgusted but my body didn't know what the fuck was going on. I slipped a finger inside my pussy while rubbing my clit with my free hand. My hips rolled against the chair as the pressure began to build in my core.

Chad unzipped his pants and shoved his hand down them. "Fuck, that's hot."

Billy's breath hitched as he followed every movement of my fingers. "Is this how you play with yourself when you're all alone at night, Bailey? I bet you dream about someone watching you like this."

I stifled a moan as I pumped my finger in and out. If he only knew I had an audience any time I fucking wanted one. "You have no idea," I breathed.

"Mmm, I think I do… Lay down on the floor," he said breathlessly.

I ignored him and kept thrusting in and out, desperate to block him out.

"Get on the fucking floor!" he screamed.

I flinched and scrambled down from the chair and onto the floor, my heart beating in my throat.

He exhaled. "Lay back and continue. And go slow. I want to see every inch of your wet finger slide in and out. "

Fuck you. I hoped he was really enjoying this because it was going to be the last pussy he ever saw.

"Now that's a fucking view," Chad snickered.

Billy winked at him.

I closed my eyes and imagined I was back at Wickford Mansion, putting on a show for my guys. That was the only way I was going to get through this without puking.

Spasms spread to my clit as I pushed my finger deep inside my pussy and slowly drew it back out. I bit my lip to stifle a whimper.

"Look at me , Bailey."

I opened them, locking eyes with him.

"That's better. Don't want you anywhere else but here. When you cum, it will be my face that you see. No one else's."

I fucking hated him so much. I pictured all the ways I would kill him as I pushed my finger in and out.

Another wave of panic flooded me as the wind roared against the house. I froze as the rain pelted the window hard, threatening to shatter it.

Billy chuckled. "Relax, it's just a little storm. Keep going."

Billy was practically drooling. "Oh, Bailey, fuck… you're so good at this game. I love seeing that cunt stretch. Squeeze another finger in there for me."

I bit my tongue to keep from screaming even though I was raging on the inside. It was only a matter of time before he did something worse. I was seconds away from him violating me, more than he'd already done. I had to think of something quick.

He sucked in a sharp breath as I shoved a third finger deep inside. "Yeah, that's how you do it. Chad, are you as hard as I am, right now?"

A moan escaped his lips. "I'm about to cum in my fucking pants. Let me touch her."

No. No. No .

Billy shook his head. "No. This cunt is mine. What do you say, Bailey? Wanna show Chad how well I can play with your pussy?"

Think, Bailey. Fucking think.

A loud bang thumped against the house.

Chad's head jerked to the window. "What the fuck was that?"

"Probably a tree branch or something. Don't worry about it," Billy spat.

The lights flickered as the wind howled louder.

"Fuck." Chad went to the window and peeked through the blinds. "This storm is getting worse."

I fucking hope it blows the entire roof off.

Billy snickered. "It better not ruin our fun."

I glanced around the room in search of anything I could use as a weapon. My clothes were just within reach but so was the rope they had tied me up with. There were a couple of bottles of liquor on the coffee table, but not much else. Anything I could use was in the kitchen. And there was no way I'd make it in there before they caught me. Fuck.

The lights flickered again as Billy cursed under his breath. He glared at me. "Don't try anything stupid, Bailey."

"Like kidnap two women?" I snapped.

"That's a stretch, sweetie. I'd say this is more of an uninvited guest type of a situation." Billy leaned back in his chair and smirked. The smug look on his face made me want to slice it off.

"Fuck, it's dumping out there!" Chad shouted over the sound of the rain as he continued to watch it through the blinds. Billy jutted over to take a peek as well.

I started to inch back toward the spot where my clothes were piled, then stopped, my heart racing. There was no way I could get them on and make a run for it in time. I had to get to Maureen first. I would not leave here without her. I began slowly inching the other way, toward the hallway.

Lightning flashed through the window just as the sound of a tree branch snapping rang out, followed by another thump against the house. The lights flickered three more times then went pitch dark.

Thank fuck .

Chad yelped as he stumbled into the back of my couch. "Shit, man, I can't see a fucking thing."

"Use your phone light," Billy growled back.

"I left mine at home. What about yours?"

"I think it's on the coffee table. Wherever the fuck that is," Billy whined.

"Dude, what about Bailey? She's being too fucking quiet."

Billy snickered. "Sit tight, Bailey. Don't even think about doing anything stupid. I will fucking find you."

I crawled across the floor as they bickered, enjoying the sound of panic in their voices. Fuck lights, I didn't need them to know where I was going. No one knew this house better than me.

As I felt my way along the walls, I was careful to stay quiet, praying they didn't find Billy's phone. I kept to the walls as I made my way down the hallway, knowing that the center of the floor creaks every five steps.

A loud crash erupted in the living room, followed by groans and curses. As I inched closer to my bedroom door, I could hear Maureen whimpering on the other side of it. Hang on, babe, I'm coming .

I took a deep breath and stood up. Nice and slow, Bailey .

The doorknob was cool against my sweaty palm. Relief washed over me as it turned with ease. I pushed the door open just enough to slip inside before it creaked. The hinges were old and rusty, but they were my hinges, and I fucking knew how far I could push before they screamed.

My heart thumped in my chest as I closed the door and locked it behind me. I blinked a few times, my eyes finally adjusting to the dark. " Maureen ," I whispered, "don't make a sound. I'm going to get us out of here."

I heard her suck in a sharp breath as she stilled against the chair.

Goosebumps pebbled my flesh as a cold draft brushed over me. Old houses . I sank to my knees and crawled toward my overnight bag. I unzipped it slowly and exhaled a sigh of gratitude. II quickly pulled out a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants—clothes I'd brought to wear when I was hungover driving home tomorrow. I almost didn't bring them. Thank fuck I did.

I dressed faster than I ever had in my life. Maureen's breath quivered as she waited. I was proud of her for holding it together. Being the daughter of a Sheriff had its benefits. Her father had been teaching her survival skills since she was old enough to walk. Skills like how to stay calm in sticky situations.

I reached back in the bag for my sneakers when my hand brushed against something else. Something rough and heavy. I gasped as I wrapped my hand around it.

Saint .

It was the gift he put in my bag. The one he told me not to look at until I got here. And now I knew why. I wouldn't have accepted it earlier. I was so convinced that nothing bad could happen to me out here. One of the most na?ve thoughts that I'd ever let enter my head.

Now that we were being held hostage by Billy and Chad, I couldn't have been more fucking grateful.

I unsheathed the bowie knife and kissed the blade. It made my nipples hard just thinking about how satisfying it was going to feel when I plunged it deep into Billy's flesh.

Footsteps thumped loudly through the other room. "Where the fuck are you, Bailey?" Billy yelled. "You can't escape me, you little slut."

My pulse raced as my adrenaline kicked in. I scrambled over to Maureen. She sucked in a deep breath of air as I ripped her gag off. "Don't make a sound. I'm going to get these ropes off you."

The knot was tight, and I couldn't see what I was doing. Fuck. I took another deep breath and brought the knife up. "Okay, Maur, I need you to stay very still so I can cut you out of this."

"I trust you, Bales," she whispered. "Do it."

"Come out right now, bitch. Or you're not going to like what I do to you." Billy's voice was getting closer.

I placed my hand in between hers in an effort to not cut her. I'd rather cut myself instead. I brought the knife to the rope and sawed back and forth, using my other hand as a barrier between the blade and her skin.

The threads loosened as I worked faster before finally cutting through. Her arms dropped to her sides as I pulled the rope away from her body and threw it to the floor. She spun around and grabbed me, hugging me to her chest.

"Bales…" she whispered in my ear.

I caressed her back. "I know… it's okay." But we weren't out of the woods yet. Figuratively and literally .

"I need you to do everything I tell you." I tip-toed over to the drawer next to my bed and inched it open. Inside I found my spare set of car keys and a flashlight. When you live out in the middle of nowhere, you have to be prepared for anything. This wasn't the first time I'd lost power from a storm out here.

I handed her the flashlight and tucked my keys into my pocket. "It's exactly twenty steps to the living room from here. Hug the wall or else the floorboards will creak. Now once we get to the end of the hall we have to step to the right three times to avoid hitting the coffee table. Then ten more steps to the front door. Billy most likely bolted it, so wait for me to unlock it before taking another step. As soon as we're outside, turn the flashlight on and shine it to the right. That's where my car is. And then run like fucking hell. "

She sucked in a sharp breath. "Okay, I got it, but what if… we run into them?"

I nodded unsure if she could even see me. My eyes had adjusted but it was still dark as fuck. There were two of them but there were also two of us. They had the advantage earlier by splitting us up but now it was an even playing field.

"There's a bottle of tequila on the coffee table which is three steps forward and to the left at the end of the hallway. Break it, and it becomes a weapon. Don't hesitate. It's us or them."

Maureen shuddered next to me. "Oh, I have no problems shivving either one of them to death." Her voice held a dark edge that had never been there before.

I tied my hair back before grabbing her hand and guiding her to the door. "As soon as I open this, you need to go first so I can close it behind us before it creaks. That's when you start counting your twenty steps."

It had gotten extremely quiet in the living room. I wanted to believe that Billy and Chad had given up and left. But I knew that was only wishful thinking. They were most likely lurking in the dark, hoping we'd come out and alert them to where we were. Fucking douchebags.

"You ready?" I asked.

Maureen squeezed my hand. "Let's get the fuck out of here."