Colters' Gift

CHAPTER 37

LAUREN lay there frozen, so terrified that she couldn’t think of what she should do. She had no doubt that he would indeed make her very sorry if she fought him, but how could she not? How could she lie there and allow him to use her body as he’d already used her mouth?

What if she became pregnant? Joel hadn’t ever used condoms with her. He refused. And after she’d left him, she’d gone off birth control because she couldn’t imagine wanting to become involved in a sexual relationship with anyone. She hadn’t counted on Noah and Liam.

How could she force herself to have sex with him for the sake of survival? It was rape. Even if she didn’t fight him, because her mind and heart was screaming no. She didn’t want this!

And how could she ever face Noah and Liam if Joel raped her and she’d done nothing to prevent it? Would they even want her anymore? Could they look at her without disgust in their eyes, and could she ever look at them without shame in hers?

Joel stopped next to the couch, unzipped his fly and shoved his pants just to his hips so that his erect cock came free. It disgusted her that he was so turned on after hearing how injured she was, that he’d actually get off on the idea of forcing her to endure the humiliation of his possession in addition to the pain forced on her because she wasn’t ready or willing. And he knew she wasn’t willing and that she had no desire for him.

He stroked his erection, the action menacing. He reached with his free hand to knock her thighs apart but then he backed away, his gaze hard.

“Get up and take your pants off,” he ordered. “I want you completely nude. Be quick about it.”

Oh dear God. She was out of time. What could she do except obey?

She pushed herself up before he could find fault and take her hesitancy for disobedience. When her feet hit the floor, she rose shakily, her hands going clumsily to the button of her pants. All the while, she kept her gaze glued to Joel, hoping desperately for an opportunity.

And then it presented itself.

Apparently impatient over the time it was taking her, he advanced, releasing his grip on his cock, his hands outstretched as if he’d tear her clothing from her himself.

Instinct took over. Before she even realized what she was doing, she lunged forward, her hand reaching for his dick and twisting with all her strength.

Joel’s howl of pain was instantaneous, and he struck out at her face to ward her off. Pain exploded in her jaw, but she hung on tenaciously, determined to do as much damage as she could. She doubled her other fist and struck him repeatedly in the jaw.

She released him and then drove her knee right into his balls, ignoring the pain in her ribs.

Joel dropped like a stone onto the floor and she wasted no time turning and running toward the back patio door. She couldn’t go out the front because Ron was suddenly there. She had no access to a vehicle now, but she’d take her chances in the woods, because anything was better than the fate Joel had planned for her.

She heard Joel’s roar of anger and his instant call for Ron. She flung open the door and bolted into the night, running as fast as her legs would carry her toward the tree line in the distance.

Almost there. Almost there.

It was a chant in her mind, a never-ending litany that made her push on even though agony ran like a river through her body.

Oh God, she was going to make it. She was almost there.

She was hit from behind with the force of a train. She went sprawling, screaming in agony when she hit the ground, a heavy body atop her.

Ron.

He’d caught her.

Tears of frustration coursed down her cheeks. She’d nearly made it into the cover of the woods. She could have hidden.

“Stupid bitch. You really do have a death wish,” Ron snarled in her ear.

His groin was pushed into her behind and she could feel his enormous erection. The sick bastard was getting off on her helplessness and the chase.

He pumped his hips forward, mimicking the motion of fucking her from behind.

“Now I get you,” he said with savage satisfaction. “You should have let Joel fuck you. He’s much easier to take than I am, but now you’ve pissed him off and he’s going to let me punish you, and I assure you, I’m going to enjoy every minute of making you cry.”

He pushed himself off her and then dragged her upward. One hand curled tightly into her hair and the other gripped her arm with bruising force as he propelled her forward.

Moments later, he pushed her back into the house where Joel was waiting in the living room, his face nearly purple with rage. His eyes were so black that she shivered.

As soon as they appeared, he stalked over and backhanded her across the face. If Ron hadn’t been holding her so tightly, she would have instantly gone down.

Then Joel looked up at Ron. “She’s yours. Bend her over the couch and tie her there. Use her for as long as you want. I don’t care what you do with the bitch, but make sure she suffers.”

Ron’s eyes gleamed in satisfaction. “She might be a little loose by the time you get to her.”

Joel shrugged. “I don’t plan to keep her long anyway.”

A chill blew over her body at the finality in his tone. He meant to kill her. He wanted to punish her and then he’d kill her for her rebellion.

Ron tore at her clothes while she stood there, numb, so scared that she couldn’t even think. And then she was naked and he was shoving her toward the couch, his hands mauling her and making her cry out in pain.

She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t face what was about to happen. She just wanted to die.

Her mind went blank and she blocked out her reality, retreating to a place where no one could hurt her. She didn’t feel the pain when Ron shoved her over the end of the couch and wrenched her arms back to tie them in place. She closed her eyes and withdrew, blanking everything until she was floating in a soothing sea of nothingness.