“Hands,” the guard demands. “Hands in the air right now.”
Wet tears run down my cheeks as I gasp, putting my hands up. “Please…”My voice quivers with the fear and hopelessness I feel.
The guard shakes his head at me as the grimy guy comes up behind me. “Oh, missy, you shouldn’t have done that.”
“Here you go, Donovan.” The man with the gun says, and Donovan takes the blue plastic zip tie from his hand. He twists my right arm behind my back, and then the left one, zip-tying them together at my wrists. The zip tie bites into my skin, and I sigh in frustration.
“Let’s go,” he demands as we walk back to the office. He pushes me into the chair in front of the desk.
“Please. I… I don’t have any money, but I can pay you once I get to a bank. Just let me go. Please.” I don’t know why I’m begging. Donovan clearly will not let me go, but it would be dumb for me not to try.
He brings out chains with spikes on them, and my eyes go wide.Oh God, no.
Shaking my head, I try to reason with him. It’s silly, but I have to try. “That’s unnecessary. Look, call the cops. Take me to jail for trespassing. Anything but those spiky chains. Please.”
He slaps me and the metallic bitterness of blood fills my mouth. I sniffle as he wraps the chains around my waist, and I gasp out loud this time.
“Oww…” The pain is instant and sharp. Donovan chuckles like he’s enjoying my pain.My God, is everyone around here a psycho?
“Shut up and don’t move. You’ll be a good girl now.”
Tears sting my eyes and continue rapidly falling down my face, and the lump in my throat grows so large I feel like I’m going to choke. It’s hard to catch my breath as the chains dig into me. This cannot be happening right now. I just got my freedom, there’s no way I am kidnapped again.I can’t be.
Anxiety stakes its hold over me as the man wraps the chains around my ankles to keep me still. Donovan looks me in the eye, and I see the depravity in his features. He’s all narrowed eyes, creased forehead, and gritted teeth. “Don’t move, missy.”Yeah, like I would move and get these spikes dug deeper into my skin.
He uses a dirty rag that he pulls from his left jean pocket and wipes the sweat off his forehead. He tries to push the rag into my mouth, and I gag. The stench coming from the rag is enough to make me want to vomit; it’s a mixture of sweat and something horrific I can’t quite identify, and I heave as my nostrils unwillingly take the foul stench in. “Get away from me.” I move my head, and the spikes from the chains dig into me. I shake with pain. Dear God, I hope Donovan doesn’t try to push the rag into my mouth again.
If I ever get out of here, I’m going to take a long hot shower. I try to let my mind drift to warm, clean water flowing over my tired, aching body, but his voice interrupts my attempt at a safe haven in my mind.
“You be quiet over there while I make this phone call.”
I roll my eyes at him.What an idiot!I turn away from him as I count to one hundred. Maybe if I focus on the numbers, I won’t feel the pain or think about the dirtiness and terror surrounding me. He pulls out his phone and, as he talks, he bites his nails. Every few seconds he says, “You got it, boss.” He’s nervous.Why is he nervous?
When Donovan hangs up, I look at him as he stares at his phone with a frown plastered on his face. “Who’s your boss?”
This makes his nostrils flare at me. “You are lucky the boss said no one can touch you or I’d let the whole crew fuck you.”
I close my eyes, counting to ten. The feel of the spikes in my flesh makes me queasy, but I keep counting. Hoping for a miracle that I’m probably not going to get.
I driveup to the guardhouse, and the guard is gone.Shit. I wave a badge at the sensor, and the gate slides open for me. The guard is walking back to the house. I roll beside him and lower my window.
“What’s happening?”
“Some woman is causing hell. I’ve never seen such a pretty little thing. Fuck, I hope I get…”
Unaware that I had my gun out until the bullets cut his words off. There’s no reason for him to continue talking. He drops to the ground, holding his crotch. I put the SUV into park and, stepping out, I put three more bullets into his chest. He’s dead.Looks like I’ll need to hire a new guard.
“Fucker,” I mumble as I take his gun and wallet. He’ll be fish food now. “No one talks about my Charlotte like that.” I’m eager to get to Charlotte. I replay his words in my head and the rage comes back. Fuck, I want to kill him all over again. But I have to get her. I calm myself by repeating that no one talks aboutmyCharlotte like that.
It hits me, I called her mine.Mine.
As I drive to my parking spot, I wonder why the hell I did that. What’s worse is that I’m in knots while trying to get to some girl. Why? Fuck, these emotions are crazy.All I can muster is that I want her safe and sound in my arms. I huff, feeling stupid. This damn regret is eating at me … all for some girl. What the fuck is going on that she has such control over my goddamn emotions?
A voice in my mind mocks me.It’s those eyes of hers. They seem so familiar but I cannot place them. They haunt me.
“You have to get her before she goes to the police. That’s all this is.” I repeat those words as I walk to the office, but pause with my hand on the door handle.Charlotte’s voice reaches me, and I stand there, frozen, listening to her angry tone. She is such a bold little rabbit.
“Who’s your boss?” I hear Charlotte ask. I smirk and go to open the door but stop in place as I hear my dockmaster’s voice cut through the air.
