If she let go, even for just one moment, the stranglehold she had on the present moment, she’d feel that awful ache in her chest. The writhing agony that howled and tore at her heart, ripping through her lungs until she wanted to scream. If she started, she would never stop. Arms wrapped around her swollen middle, she dashed away any thought of a smiling girl with bright blonde hair and deep green eyes. There could be no room for memories of callused hands and that perfect rumble that had caused all of this to happen. Gerry was right. No one would touch her with another male’s marks scarring her shoulder, and not with a child in tow.
That wouldn’t matter, though. That wouldn’t be her life. She wouldn’t, couldn’t be a twisted version of Marina. Alton would help her, and she’d figure something out.
Caught unaware when the door slammed open, Quinn stumbled to her feet in reflex, prepared to fight, to run, to do whatever it took to get away.
The man who came through the doorway wasn’t Alton, wasn’t even familiar. A shock of vivid red hair streaked down the middle of a shaved skull, tattoos adorning the stubbled head. Tawny skin, bottomless dark eyes, he had a swagger that said he belonged. He looked like any number of Alton’s lackeys, grungy jeans slung low on his hips, leather jacket, dirty shirt. Yet there wasn’t a single memory of the gentle roundness of high cheekbones, the squareness of his jaw, as Quinn racked her brain for something, anything identifiable about him.
“He’s busy. Either I take care of it now, or it doesn’t happen,” he said as he came further into the room, Gerry close on the heels of battered black boots. The brown-black of his eyes caught the sallow light as he looked Quinn over. The casual inspection finished, he turned on his heel towards Gerry a sneer on his thin lips. “She’s further gone than you let on and you didn’t say nothing about the marks.”
“What does it matter how big it is? They can still fuck her.”
“And the marks? You trying to shove your cast offs on us now, Gerry?”
“I didn’t fuckin claim some cunt.” Bristling, Gerry stalked towards the male. Chest puffed, arms bunching, Quinn imagined she could see his hackles raised.
“Then whose are they?” Delivered in a smooth tone, the man’s face remained expressionless apart from a single raised brow.
“Some guy. Bailed on her when she came out of a heat knocked up.”
“And you got her how?”
“Found her in the trash.”
“Just to be clear. No asshole is looking for his little Omega that could make trouble.”
“Not at all,” Gerry said, lying with so little effort that even Quinn could almost believe him.
“Well, all right then,” the man said, all smiles now as he turned to Quinn. He clapped his hands and rubbed his palms together as he eyed her with newfound interest. “Give me an hour, put her through the paces.”
Quinn backed away, gray gaze wide as it sunk in that her entire plan was crumbling to dust before her eyes. Dark thoughts crept under her skin with a freezing, aching slowness. Alton wasn’t here. There would be no rescue.
“Hell, make it two,” the man said, voice pitched low, a husky growl resonating through his chest.
“Take your time, Josh.” With that, Gerry snagged Tina by the scruff, dragging her from the room. With a parting warning glare at Quinn, the door shut tight.
“Where’s Alton?” It took three attempts to get the words out past the swell of fear and rage in her throat, through the chattering of her teeth as she watched the man stalking her.
“Ah, darlin’, don’t you know not to talk about another man when one’s getting ready to fuck you? That’s okay. I’ll teach you. Now come here. Be a good girl.”
Quinn flinched, wedging the length of her trembling spine into the corner. The reminder of that moment, Kahler’s voice as she stammered through excuses… Wrenching her thoughts back into the moment as the wail built up in the back of her throat, she hissed, “Alton knows me.”
“Sure, fine,” Josh murmured as he caught her in the corner. Large hands splayed to either side, he moved in close. Crowding her, the scent of Alpha and cheap cologne mired what little air rattled into her lungs. The hard ridge deforming the front of his pants nudged at her belly.
Quinn recoiled, trying to shove through damp plaster. “Y-You don’t understand! Alton—I mean Rip, he knows me. I’m his baby girl, okay? All of this is—”
The back of Josh’s hand met her cheek. A line of searing blue pain slashed across her cheek, something warm and thick dribbling down to spatter her chest. The ring on his middle finger, fashioned into a lurid skull with women’s legs as crossbones, was smeared with brilliant red.
“You be quiet now, darlin’.”
Hearing the dry click of her throat, Quinn dared to look up. His dark eyes held nothing. Even with the erection he freed to rub bare against her hip as he kneaded her tender breasts, none of it reached those dark eyes. As she went quiet and still under his passionless gaze, Josh gave a little nod then sent his attention to what his hands were doing.
He didn’t speak, didn’t groan and growl at her. When he lifted her with ease, pinning her against the wall with his hips as he hilted his swollen prick inside her, there was nothing more than a low grunt at the friction from a pussy too dry to take him. A glob of saliva, spat at the base of his cock and smeared with his thumb, allowed him to continue.
Never had Quinn felt so small, weak, and useless. As her body was maneuvered at will, the male almost silent as he fucked her, she wanted to scream and cry. Bent over the bed, hands braced as the Alpha shunted back into her, the burn in her eyes trickled down her cheeks. The cut stung and ached, but it was something else to focus on. Something to draw her away from that moment as she allowed yet another male to take her. Half the size of Josh, she wouldn’t win a fight. Battling Gerry would see her dead.
Even as the thought formed, of ending the pain and degradation, her body rebelled. Growing slick and hot, swallowing the Alpha’s cock with obscene squelching. It dripped down her thighs, smeared the Alpha’s balls as they slapped against her mound.
Sensing the change, feeling the difference in the smooth glide of his thrusts, Josh redoubled his efforts. He shoved her leg up onto the bed, canting her hips just so as he pounded against her, battering against her cervix so she grunted with each violent thrust.
