Inside Danger (Outside The Ropes Book 2) (39 page)

Jay came in as Rock walked out.

“Harley’s pissed.” He nodded to Damien. “You should go.”

“She can fucking wait,” he responded.

“Keep the gun on her, I’ve got to untie her to take her to the bathroom,” Jade said to Jay as she bent down and untied my legs from the chair.

My muscles tingled as the ropes loosened. But Damien and Jay kept their guns on me. Damien kneeled down to grip my legs as the ropes came undone, his gun pressed to my stomach.

Jay grabbed my arms as Jade undid the ropes on my hands, gun pressed to my back.

Damien pulled me to my feet and moved his arm around mine, holding them to my side as he walked me out of the room. My body felt drained of energy and ached with every movement. The other two followed behind. I didn’t see a way of escaping as they closed me into the bathroom, and I knew I didn’t have the energy to fight. They only gave me a couple of minutes of privacy before they were in, escorting me back to the chair.

I felt like a zombie as they tied me back up. My only hope was that something would happen tomorrow. Gage would fight for me, Rusnak for his drugs, and I hoped they would win, because I didn’t see a way out otherwise. This hope was the only thing keeping me going.

Especially when Jade left to go get that black bag of poison, my mind nearly broke with hysteria but I kept it together, somehow.

“How pissed was Harley?” Damien asked, pulling the blunt from Jay’s hand.

He shrugged. “She don’t want you up here, not after last night. You should go down there.”

My blood froze at the way Jay’s eyes slid down my bare legs, reminding me that I was only in a long shirt. What happened last night? My head pounded as I racked it for memories that weren’t there.

“She’s overreacting. Nothing happened, not yet.” Damien twisted the blunt, sticking the lit end into his mouth, and then he leaned towards me and blew the heavy sweet smoke into my face.

I held my breath, but he made it impossible to avoid inhaling some, it filled the air around me.

Jade walked back in, only a filled needle and rubber tie in her hand. “What the fuck are you two doing?” She waved away the smoke around me.

“What?” Damien smiled innocently. “That will help keep her calm.”

Jade rolled her eyes as she secured the tie on my arm.

I was shaking so bad the chair vibrated under me, my heart pounded in my chest. I squeezed my eyes, bracing for crash that was sure to come.

The prick of the needle stung as it broke my skin inside my elbow, and my heart was already flying out of my chest, but nothing else happened.

The girl leaned into my ear, speaking soothingly, “Just close your eyes and relax. You’ll be fine.”

“You swing that way Jade? Always wondered about you.”

She pulled back from me, cool air filling the space she had been. “I’m easing her into it, Ass, making sure she don’t seize again.”

I was breathless from anticipation, my eyes still closed. But after a couple of moments with no effects, I began to relax, unsure what had just happened. I knew I wasn’t high, but I wouldn’t let them know, in case they decided I needed more.

“I think she’ll be fine. Let’s go, Rock wants to talk before he leaves,” Jade said and then they trailed out of the room and I opened my eyes.

I still wasn’t feeling anything, except the same pull of exhaustion and pain from before. I didn’t waste my time alone, I tried to twist the ropes, but they were knotted securely. I don’t know how long I tried to loosen them, but my skin began bleeding on my ankles. Even though I couldn’t see them, I knew my wrists were bleeding too, they burned worse than my ankles.

Music started from somewhere in the place and I paused, listening. I could hear people yelling, but not in anger.

The more time that passed, the more desperate I became. I took the risk and threw myself to the side, the chair crashing with me. It was wooden and I hoped to crack it, but nothing happened. I rolled it to the back, hands burning as they crushed under the weight, but not enough to keep me from trying. The chair didn’t have armrests, my hands were tied behind it. No matter which way I rolled, it was my body taking the beating, not the chair. Tears pricked my eyes as I twisted and flopped, I couldn’t put enough force into my movement to even crack the chair. I was stuck, and in more pain than ever.

After a while, footsteps came down the hall and Jade came back in with Jay. She had the syringe in her hand again and didn’t seem concerned that I was on the ground.

Jay smiled as he righted me in the chair. “You might need to double it, she’s tearing up her skin. Look at this.”

“She’s had enough already. I don’t want to push it.” She brushed off his suggestion, coming behind me and tying off my other arm.

He pulled at the bottom of my shirt, fingers lingering on my thighs. “Relax, stop hurting yourself. ‘Cause even if you get out of these ropes, there’s nowhere to go.”

I put as much fire into the glare I shot him as I could. But I couldn’t speak, dread choked me as the needle pierced my skin.

Jade slid the needle out and stepped back. I felt nothing, but I closed my eyes pretended I did. Jade squeezed my shoulder briefly and walked away, Jay following her.

Maybe it was my adrenaline coursing through me that kept me from feeling the drugs, but whatever it was gave me hope. I needed to be able to face what may come with a clear mind.

I should try cracking the chair again, but the floor wasn’t enough. Eyeing the room for anything that could help, I also listened to the noise downstairs. I couldn’t make out what was being said over the music, but I could hear knocks and bumps as they moved around, and laughter and shrieks that followed.

I tried to scoot the chair to the wall, but only moved an inch when footsteps outside the room stopped me. Damien slipped in, barely opening the door and then closing it softly behind him. He paused, chest rising and falling, and a grin on his face that drained my blood.

I was supposed to be high, but the fear gripping me made it hard to act on. I closed my eyes and counted in my head, trying to keep calm, silent. My senses were in overdrive and my skin tingled as the air shifted around me and the floors creaked. But when his hands touched me, I flinched.

“Shh” He slid one hand over my shoulders, down my body to my waist. His breath on my neck and then ear. “Can you feel this?”

I nodded, eyes squeezed tight. There was only so much he could do with me in the chair and ropes around me, I kept reminding myself.

“Good, I want you feeling this.” The tip of something sharp poked into my stomach, just nicking the skin.

I hissed, opening my eyes, the silver of a large blade shone in the dark.

He moved it under the ropes at my stomach and cut them away. As they slid off me, my courage built. It was only him. If he cut me free, I might have my chance. But he had to cut me free.

My breaths were heavy and ragged, the sound filling the empty space. I couldn’t bring them down. They only increased as his hand slid up my thigh and under the shirt, fingers grazing my underwear. I gritted my teeth to keep from yelling out, but couldn’t contain the cry when the knife replaced his hand, dragging down the skin of my inner thigh, the heat of blood spilling over the shallow cut.

He growled low in his throat, or maybe it was a laugh. “I may not be able to kill you, but I can hurt you. And I’ll show that boy of yours what I did before I kill him tomorrow.” He cut the rope at my ankles, yanking it off.

I held my breath, keeping in any reaction.

My chair was suddenly tilted back, Damien’s hands on either side of the backrest. “He said he’d kill me for touching you.” He licked along my jaw, tongue like sandpaper. “Well he’ll die with my blade in him, knowing that I fucked you and cut you, and that soon you’ll have a different guy fucking you every night, and worse.”

Setting the chair down, he undid the top of his pants and slid them off. He pulled himself out of the front flap of his boxers and gripped his erection in one hand as he dragged the blade of his knife around me, from my stomach to arms. He bent down and cut the rope there, releasing me of all restraints. But his arm quickly wrapped around both of mine and he pulled me to my feet, blade pressed to my neck, the tip twisting into the skin just below my ear.

He yanked my arms behind me. “Maybe I won’t hurt you too bad if you keep quiet. You’ve been a good girl so far.” He slid his fist with the knife in it down my body then up under my shirt. “Let’s take this off.”

My breath was faster than ever, senses pricked for a fight. The spots he cut burned, but only fed my adrenaline.

He released my arms, bringing that arm to the bottom of my shirt and I waited for him to begin tugging it up. When I should move my arms up so he could lift it off of me, I twisted and kicked him between the legs, forcing him back. But he lunged towards me before I could jump away, knocking us both to the ground.

My hands gripped his, struggling to keep his blade from my body.

“Stupid Bitch, you just made it so much worse for yourself.” He forced my arms back, pinning them to the floor with a triumphant grin, moving his hips to wedge between my legs.

I twisted my hips and bent my legs, getting one foot to his stomach. I kicked him off enough to roll away from him. But the space was only for a moment, then he was on me, and I was face down. I grabbed behind me, gripping the bottom of his ribs, fingers digging into his skin. I pulled with all my force, feeling the bone bend under my grip.

He roared, body twisting with pain, and I grabbed for the knife in his hand, yanking it from him in his weakness. I slammed the blade back, low in his stomach, up to the hilt. It wasn’t till the sticky heat of his blood poured around my hand that I realized what I had done.

I yanked it out of him, pushing myself away and to my feet. He stayed on the ground, gripping the spot where I stabbed him.

I ran to the door, but it didn’t open. I unlocked it just as I heard heavy boots in the hall. But Damien was struggling to rise up, getting a leg under him.

Gripping the knife in my hand, I pressed myself to the wall, just to the side of the doorframe, ready to fight whichever attack came first.

The door flew open, and I swiped the knife as I tried to pass the person. But my wrist was gripped before the blade could make contact. And I choked on relief as my eyes met bright blue ones.

Gage was breathing heavy, holding my arm away from either of us. His face collapsed just before he pulled me to him.

“Oh shit,” He breathed and wrapped his arms around me for a second, filling me with an indescribable sense of safety before he pulled back, but still gripped me. “We’ve got to get you out of here.” His eyes darted over me and then flashed to Damien, who was just rising to his feet.

Lightening fast, Gage pulled his gun from a side holster and shot Damien in the chest.

Damien’s arm floated to the bullet wound for a second, and then he staggered forward and collapsed.

Gage pulled me behind him through the door and handed me the gun in his hand.

“Take this. They’ll know someone’s here now that I fired.” Even as he spoke, footsteps were coming up the stairs.

Gage pushed me behind him, taking his other gun from its holster.

Quinn, the short one who shot Silas, was up the stairs first and Gage shot him in the side of the head before he even rounded the corner. He fell back and I heard the shriek of the girl behind him as his body fell down the steps.

“Fuck, how many people Regan?”

“There were three girls, four guys if Rock is here.”

“Last room on the left, there’s a window, go out it. I’ll meet you at the car,” he spoke without turning around, gun aimed at the steps.

There was commotion below, but nobody had attempted the steps again.

“Go. Now,” Gage ordered.

“Are you here alone?” I asked, still not moving.

“Come down, show yourself,” Jay yelled from the bottom of the steps.

Gage nodded to me, taking a step closer to the stairs.

“Come with me. We can both go out the window.”

He shook his head. “It’s too late, someone just went out the front. I heard the door.” He grabbed my hand. “Stay up here. Keep the gun out and shoot first. These bastards aren’t getting away. I’ll be back for you.” He turned briefly and kissed me on the forehead, then was moving down the steps.

My breath left me as a shot blasted through the house. I crept to the top of the steps to look down at where he had disappeared.

Nothing was seen, then Destiny popped into view, gun in hand, and I shot her. The gun had a greater kickback than I was use to and the bullet went high, hitting her in the neck. Blood splattered the wall behind her as she dropped on top of Quinn’s body at the bottom of the steps.

“FBI, cease fire.” Jade’s voice bellowed through the house. “Police are on their way.”

Another shot.

I couldn’t take it. I ran down the steps, keeping to the wall to stay out of view. Rounding the corner with my gun raised, two more shots went off. I slid down the hall to the first room.

“You fucked up,” Rock’s raspy voice traveled over the rap music that was still playing.

I edged to the open door and peeked around the corner.

Jade lay on the opposite side of the room, breaths gurgling in her chest, blood pooling around her from an unseen shot. Rock stood, back to me, with his gun raised and aimed at Gage. Gages gun was aimed at Jay, who was shot on the ground.

Adjusting my aim for the kickback, I fired at Rock. Pressing my finger on the trigger till he dropped, I filled his side and chest with bullets.

Gage dropped his arm, eyes meeting mine, and then he lunged for me. I thought for an embrace, until I was knocked to the ground and shots rung through the air. Gage twisted his body, firing his own gun at the girl in the doorway, Harley.

She bounced back as the bullets hit her stomach, slipping out of view as she slid to the ground just outside the front door.

Gage was half covering me with his body, but a liquid heat surrounded my bare legs. The bright red blood surrounding me scared me, but the pain in Gage’s face was shattering.