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I’ll tell Asher the waitress took his can when he arrives. He has no shame and will probably grab it out of the trash. I toss the paper towel in the trash can and check my face. I look pale and frightened with sunken eyes staring out of the glass. Sleep didn’t come easily last night. I pinch my cheeks to add color to them and look brave before I step out into the hallway.
“Charlotte.” The voice isn’t in my ear, and I don’t recognize it. At first, I think it’s a joke, Asher grabbing my wrist for a quick one. I’m ready to tell him off, but immediately, I sense something is wrong. Instinctively, I pull my wrist out of his grip.
It isn’t Asher. A wiry man in a leather jacket stands in the dark, narrow hallway, blocking my way back to the bar. His brown hair looks thin, probably because it’s greasy, and his thick beard looks like he’s glued a woodland creature onto his face. He clenches and releases his hands, and then an eagle patch on his jacket catches my eye.
There’s no time to scream as his grimy hand covers my mouth. His hand clasps my lips shut as he grabs my waist, pulling me against his stank body. I twist my body around in wild turns as I try like hell to get him off me, but he won’t let me. His stale breath reeks of cigarettes and coffee. “Hello, sugar doll. Don’t struggle. Don’t fight it.”
I stumble backward as he drags me further down the deserted hallway. Oh God, my phone is on the bench in the bar. If he drags me out of range...I don’t want to think about it. No one will know where he’s taken me. My mind frantically spins as my panic overtakes me, but I can’t think.
“You’re a great prize,” he whispers harshly in my ear. His hot breath lifts my hair. “But I’ll need to sample the goods first.”
Cold air sweeps across my face as he kicks open the back door. Quick, quick, I’m smart. I have to think. Bracing myself, I open my mouth wide and catch his finger between my teeth. The foul taste on his skin makes me grimace, but I have to do it. I can’t scream for help, so I bite down and make him scream for me.
“You fucking bitch!” he howls and yanks his hand away.
“Charlotte?” Hudson’s voice sounds frantic in my ear. “Charlotte.”
“Back door,” I scream, and then a sharp slap stings my face, knocking me against the side of the brick building. One of my earbuds falls to the ground. Dazed, I stumble away, but I don’t get far.
The man punches me in the stomach with a fist that feels like a hammer. I double over, winded by the pain, and sputter spit as I try to inhale. He lifts me and awkwardly holds me so only one of my feet is on the ground. Struggling, I grunt as he drags me toward the back and into the woods.
The woods surrounding College Hill are tranquil during the day but terrifying at night. The college warns students to avoid them after sundown, and the smart ones do. Wild animals that can never be domesticated roam terrain that is treacherous without decent light. But the horrors in the woods are lame compared to the man who has a binding grip on me. We aren’t far from the road that runs along the woods, but it isn’t a busy roadway, especially during the cold off-season.
He stops moving and shoves me into the side of a dark car parked on the side of the road. My body goes limp from the impact, and I slide to the stony ground littered with sharp pebbles. I try to scramble onto my feet as the gravel bites into the palms of my hands. I have to ignore the pain if I don’t want to die. He stands over me, his breathing heavy as he waits. Waits for what? I refuse to look up at him, and I guess it makes him angry. He grabs my hair and pulls me up off the ground onto my feet. The man tosses me against the hood of the car. I don’t want to cry, but I have to or go insane.
His hips press into my bottom, and I freeze. Something stiff presses against me, and I sob harder. Using his weight, he pins me down as his hands move underneath me. He gropes my body, inching upward until he’s squeezing my breast painfully. When I scream, he laughs in my ear and grinds against me. If he gets me in that car, I’m lost.
“Please let me go!” I cry. “I’ll pay you.”
He laughs loudly as he humps against me. “Pay me?” he cackles, “I was going to pay you.”
“Please don’t hurt me!” I shout. “I’ll never tell if you let me go.”
The creep thrusts his erection against me. “I’ll let you go after I show you what men like me want from a woman like you.”
Taking deep breaths, I go limp and grip the pebbles tightly in my fists. He didn’t see me pick them up, but he’ll soon feel them. “What if I give you a blow job? Will you let me go?”
He spins me around and eyes me with cold, vicious eyes. “You bite me, and I will slap you until your head spins.”
His desire has nothing to do with sex. He wants control. This man wants to hurt and humiliate me. Why, I don’t know. The man takes a step back, allowing me to straighten up off the hood of the car. He smirks cruelly as he pulls down his zipper.
I howl with rage as I slam both my fists into his face, pushing the pebbles into his eyes. I take off running as he holds his head and shouts that he’ll kill me. I don’t look back as I run through the narrow woods toward the back of the bar. I run toward their voices, and the guys are heading in the wrong direction into the thickest woods. Yelling, I wave my hands as my voice echoes until they see me.
I collapse into Hudson’s arms. “Where is he, Charlotte?” His words rush together.
“Through the shallow woods, parked on the road,” I reply, gasping. “He has a dark car—maybe navy?”
Asher and Jaxon take off running in the right direction, but I’m sure he’s gone. I’m also sure he’ll try again. I cling to Hudson as he rocks me in his arms. Next time, that man will make sure I won’t get away.
CHAPTER 8
Charlotte
I eagerly agree to sleep in Jaxon and Hudson’s room. Wren sends a message through Hudson that I can sleep in her room. But I’m sure Prisha would mind if I slept on their floor. Hastily, I go back to my room for a few things, and I’m alone when there’s a knock on the door. Thank God, it’s locked. Unwilling to answer, I stare at the wood separating me from whoever is out there in the hallway.
“Charlotte, are you in there?” It’s Helen, and unlocking the door, I let her and Tracey in.
“Are you feeling okay?” Helen grimaces as she looks me up and down.
