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“Don’t hurt him,” she said, her voice breaking.
“What will you do for us if we don’t?” Jake asked.
Colleen swallowed.
There was no cell service down here.
Tanya was sleeping on the shore.
And no one else was around.
If only Connor had come, because she always felt stronger and smarter when her twin was around. Connor would die before letting anyone hurt her. If only Jeremy was here, because he was tall and strong and honorable. Or Levi Cooper, who was badass and had a protective streak. Or Big Frankie, or any number of nicer, more decent boys.
But they hadn’t. She was on her own.
“I’m glad you came down here, O’Rourke,” Jake said. “Guys, aren’t you glad? Coll, soniceof you to come! Yeah, I think we can all use a little fun, sure. And everyone knows how much fun you are.” His eyes drifted down her body, then up again, stopping on her breasts.
Jesus God in Heaven.
You read about stuff like this. Saw those awful reports on CNN. Stuff like this happened all the time, and it was beyond belief. But Jake wouldn’t—and Jase and Chris, they wouldn’t—
She could run...except Jase and Chris were blocking the way. Even if she managed to get past them, which was unlikely, she’d have to leave Bryce to their mercy. She could jump in the lake and swim, but the water would be cold, maybe cold enough to stop her from thinking clearly. What if she drowned, and even if she didn’t, where would she swim? How far? Could she make it somewhere safe? What if they just waited for her wherever she came to shore?
This wasn’t really happening. Sheknewthese boys. She’d gone tokindergartenwith them. They wouldn’t actually—
Jake took off his tuxedo jacket.
Oh, God.
The word she hadn’t wanted to think now reared up in searing color.
Raped. She could end up raped. The image throbbed in her brain like a tumor, blotting out everything else. Three against one.
She turned around to face the minions. Jase weighed upward of two hundred and fifty pounds; he’d been a tackle on the football team. The regional division championship football team. Chris was smaller, but still had a good forty or fifty pounds on her. “Chris, remember that field trip to the glass museum? When we sat together?” For a second, he looked uncertain.
Oh, please, please help me, Chris, you weren’t always a bad kid—
“Come on, Colleen, let’s have a little fun,” Jake said from behind her, and then he had her by the arms, jerking them behind her, and bile surged up in her throat, yes, yes, let her puke, maybe it would stop them.
“Bet you wish you’d been nicer to me now,” Jake whispered, and he licked her cheek, and icy terror convulsed in Colleen’s chest. “Let’s get this party started, boys.”
But then all of a sudden, Chris was down on his knees, looking stunned, and oh, thank you, thank you, God, someone had come to help her, was it Connor, had he somehow sensed she was in—
It wasn’t Connor.
It was Lucas Campbell.
Chris tried to get to his feet, but Lucas simply put one foot against his shoulder and pushed him into the water. There was a splash, then some sputtering and yelping.
“This is not your business, man,” Jake said.
“Let go of her,” Lucas said, and his voice was almost friendly.
Then Jase lunged at him, but Lucas made two very small moves, one punch to the throat and one to Jase’s meaty face, and Jase, too, dropped to his knees, blood spurting from his nose. “Jesus!” he wheezed, his voice thick and wet. With that, he ran heavily down the dock, causing it to bob beneath his fleeing bulk.
Jake’s grip loosened, and before Colleen could formulate the thought, she elbowed him as hard as she could. He reacted by grabbing her hair, yanking so hard she saw a flash, and there was a blur of movement. Then Colleen was free, and Lucas was holding Jake by the throat.
Jake’s eyes bulged as he clawed at Lucas’s arm, his feet scrabbling for purchase on the rough wood of the dock. Lucas, on the other hand, looked calm as a June day.
