Terror wrapped around my heart and squeezed.
Don’t let him see how frightened you are.
I straightened my spine, lifting my chin higher. “I don’t owe you shit! I never said ‘I do’, so you are not my husband!”
He bared his teeth in a snarl. “You want it to be official? Fine, little virgin. I’ll bring Pastor Smith back—the real Pastor Smith this time. We can have an impromptu wedding right here. Once done, you’re giving me what your father promised. What I paid for. You are going to be my wife whether you want to or not.” He turned on his heel and marched out, slamming the door behind him.
My heart pounded. Fear clenched my gut. Why couldn’t Malik have chosen some other woman? Why me?
Because I was untouched. Pure. A virgin. Malik wanted to be the one to “deflower” me. He wanted to brag to everyone about my “deflowering”. He’d paid a lot of money to have that privilege.
Revulsion swept through me. Bile rose up my throat.
Oh God. The thought of his big, disgusting hands on me anywhere made me want to throw up.
I was not taking a shower. And I was not lying back on that bed for him.
I would rather die first.
Don’t be stupid, Nishi. You might have to seduce your way to freedom. You did it once before with Jiro. You just might have to go farther this time. You might have to show some skin. You might have to endure more than a few kisses.
Dread consumed me. My body began to shake with terror. Malik scared me so badly I couldn’t stop shaking. No. Please. I can’t do this. A sob burst free.
Be strong. Be brave. You can do this, Nishi. Be a shadow warrior. Do whatever you have to do.
I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath to center myself. I would endure whatever I had to, to be free of Malik. If that meant letting him touch me with those vile hands, then so be it. But I wouldn’t give in easily. Malik would have to work hard for it. Unless he tied me up and gagged me, I would inflict as much damage on him as I could first.
When Malik returned, he’d better be prepared for battle.
Because I wasn’t giving in without a fight.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Logan
Voices jerked me awake. One male. One female.
Where was I? What was going on?
I lay still for a moment, trying to get my bearings. I was in a moving vehicle. The back seat.
My truck? I lifted my head, groaning as pain shot through my skull.
“Lie back.” It was the woman’s voice, her words coated with an Asian accent. “Don’t try to move. You’ve been injured. Your friends told me we can’t take you to a hospital, but they gave me a medical bag that seems to have all the supplies necessary to tend to your wounds. I managed to stop the flow of blood from your bullet wounds. But the bullets will have to be removed once we get you home.”
Nate had left one of his medical bags behind for us to use in case we needed it. Luke had stuffed the bag in his car before we’d left the maze earlier. Just in case one of us was injured.
I was definitely injured.
“Was anyone else hurt?” I asked.
“Just minor injuries,” Noah advised from the driver’s seat. “But you were shot twice. Arm and leg. And someone had fun pummeling your face. You’re swelling up like a balloon. We found you lying unconscious in the hallway.” He paused. Emotion filled his voice as he continued, “Thought you were dead at first. Scared the shit out of us.” He cleared his throat. “I shouldn’t have left your side, man. I should have stayed with you.”
“No,” I argued. “I sent you in after Nishi’s mother. It wasn’t your fault. And I’m fine.”
He let out a soft snort. “Fine? You may be alive, but you’re not fine. You’ve lost a lot of blood. Just lay still and relax, man. We’re getting you home.”
I laid my head back against the seat, flicking my gaze to the woman. She was sitting in the passenger seat of my truck, staring back at me.
Concerned, dark brown eyes met mine. Messy black hair, several strands hanging loose from some type of bun on her head. A pretty, ageless face that could be anywhere from sixteen years old to sixty. It was impossible to tell her age with her smooth, perfect complexion. She looked a lot like Nishi, except her nose was slightly different, her eyes rounder.
“Reena?” I guessed. This had to be Nishi’s mother. The woman in the video.
Her gaze filled with surprise. “Yes, I am Nishi’s mother.” Though either Malik’s men or the Black Dragons, or both, had obviously roughed her up a bit, the expression in her eyes was one of strength. Determination. This woman was not weak. Nishi definitely had her mother’s strength. I liked Reena already.
“Where is she?” I asked, my voice sounding hoarse. “Where’s Nishi?”
Reena shook her head sadly. “Gone. The gang took her.” Her eyes filled with tears that she rapidly blinked back. “But we will find her. We will get her back.”
I closed my eyes as pain squeezed my chest. Malik had taken Nishi. He’d purchased her. Because he’d wanted a virgin bride. I was injured, helpless to prevent the bastard from taking what he wanted from her. I had failed her. And now she was with the very monster who terrified her. The one who planned to hurt her to satisfy his own desires. I swallowed hard. Forgive me, little one.
A warm hand settled on my arm. I opened my eyes to find Reena leaning over the backseat, her gaze filled with kindness. “You love my Nishi, don’t you?”
Was it that obvious? I was still trying to come to grips with how I felt about her, but yeah, I believe I did love her. From the moment I’d met her, I’d been a goner.
“Nishi is special. I knew it the moment I met her.” We had connected on a higher level, a deeper level, than I had ever connected with anyone else except for Noah before.
Reena’s gaze filled with happiness. “You are a good man. I think you will make my Nishi happy. But she is a strong young woman. You need to have faith in her. She will not go down without a fight.”
Reena was right. Nishi was strong. She would fight to the bitter end.
My stomach roiled at the thought of Malik holding her down, forcing himself on her. I would kill him. I swear I would. The next time I saw him, he was going to die. I would make sure of it.
Reena patted my arm. “We will tend to your wounds, then we will go find Nishi.”
“You should be searching for her now,” I grumbled. “She’s more important than me.”
“Ryan and Luke are already searching for her,” Noah assured me. “So far, they haven’t seen any sign of which direction they went. They could be anywhere in that city. Ryan and Luke said they were going to keep searching until daylight, then head back home.”
Ryan and Luke would do everything they could to find Nishi. But would they be able to find her in that city? What if we never found her? What if I couldn’t save her from Malik? What if that bastard raped her?
My chest squeezed. The thought of Malik hurting Nishi was too painful to bear. I had to find her. I couldn’t let her down.
I breathed in deeply, then out, trying to calm myself. The pain in my leg was the worst, a persistent throbbing, while the one in my arm was fainter. And my head felt like it had been run through a meat grinder. But at least my jaw wasn’t broken. If it was, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to talk.
“I am a doctor,” Reena announced. “A surgeon. I will tend to your wounds very soon.”
“Thank you.” My fear wasn’t for me. It was for Nishi.
“You’re very pale,” Reena murmured, her concerned gaze studying me. “You have a lost a lot of blood. A transfusion will help you.”
“I’ll donate blood once we get him home,” Noah offered.
Reena’s brow went up. “How is that possible? Blood must be tested before infusing into another person.”
“Not dreg blood,” I informed her. “Direct transfer of blood from one dreg to another is not only possible, it boosts the injured dreg’s immune system and helps hi
m recover faster.”
Reena’s gaze filled with fascination. “I can see that you gentleman are very unique. It is no wonder you are running and hiding. There are probably many people who would like to get a hold of you and study you.”
“Already been done,” Noah announced. “They’ve been experimenting on us for years, treating us like lab rats.”
Sadness filled Reena’s eyes. “I am so sorry to hear that. I will assist with the blood transfusion when we get to where we are going.”
I closed my eyes. “Thank you, Reena. I promise I will do my best to find your daughter and bring her back to you.”
She squeezed my hand. “Rest now, Logan. Do not fret for Nishi. She is a brave girl.”
Do not fret for Nishi. She is a brave girl.
That was the last thought that drifted through my mind before I fell back into unconsciousness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Nishi
Malik was gone for over an hour. An hour in which I fretted and planned and fretted again, praying I would escape before he raped me.
The door slammed against the wall as he strode in, his black eyes immediately locking on me. A tall, thin African American man followed him into the suite. The real Pastor Smith?
Malik’s gaze raked down my body still clad in the clothes I’d had on earlier. “I told you to shower and get on that bed.”
I glared at him, refusing to cover. “I am not your wife and I will not do as you say!”
Malik’s gaze darkened with evil intent. “That’s all about to change.”
Pastor Smith let out a soft chuckle. “Looks like you’ve got your hands full with this one. Are you sure you want to marry her?”
Malik’s hard gaze swung back to me. “Yes. I paid a lot of money for her. She is rare, probably the only pure woman left in America. Or at least the only pretty one. The others are probably ugly hags, and I’m not marrying a toad. Let’s get this over with.”
I backed away as they approached. “I’m not a virgin,” I announced. I had decided in my planning and fretting that I would say I was no longer untouched in the hope that it would deter Malik from his plan. If he believed me, then he might let me go. Might.
His gaze narrowed. “Your father promised me a virgin so I can break you in however I want. He promised me you were untouched. I paid for a fucking virgin!”
I lifted my chin. “Well, he lied. He just wants an alliance with your gang. I’ve had sex plenty of times with my boyfriend, the one you tried to kill back at that apartment building.”
Malik’s nostrils flared. His gaze filled with rage. “You fucked that dreg? I should have killed him. I would have if there had been enough time.” Then he turned to Pastor Smith. “Get Zion in here. I need him to call Yamamoto to confirm this. If she’s no longer a virgin, then the deal is off.”
“Very well, then.” Pastor Smith turned on his heel and left.
Malik’s gaze swept down my body and back to my face. “I still want to fuck you, little Nishi. If you’re no longer pure, then you’ll just join the whores here.”
I flinched. From wife to whore. I didn’t know which was worse. If he called my father and my father told him I was lying…
This had gone from bad to worse.
Father doesn’t know you’re lying. How could he? It has been two days since Logan and the other dregs rescued you.
The pastor returned with another black man, whom I assumed was Zion. He handed his cellphone to Malik, who snatched it up.
“Yeah? She’s lying? Can you confirm this? She was with that dreg for over forty-eight hours. He could have easily fucked her during that time.” Malik waited as my father said something to him, his gaze narrowing on me. “True. There is an easy way to find out if she is lying to me. I can just fuck her right now and see for myself.”
I gulped back my fear. So much for getting out of being raped. It seemed Malik was bound and determined to have me regardless.
Malik listened while my father said something else, then he handed the phone back to Zion. “Leave us,” he snapped. “Both of you. The wedding is off. I’m not marrying her unless she’s pure. But she’s not going anywhere. Out!” He waved them from the room. “I’ll call you back if I need you,” he said to Pastor Smith. “So stay close, just in case.”
Both men left us alone. I glared after them. What kind of pastor just walked away from something like this? Why didn’t he try to protect me?
Malik stalked toward me. “As soon as I fuck you, I will know for certain whether or not you speak the truth. I don’t need a marriage license for that. If you’re still pure, then I can always marry you afterwards.” He waved at me. “Strip.”
I lifted my chin, clenching the tiny safety pin in my hand. “Fuck you.”
His eyes glimmered with something dark. Something evil. “Either you do it, or I do it for you.” He took another threatening step toward me. “What’s it going to be? I don’t care if you fight. In fact, that turns me on. I’d love to break you in, little Nishi. Let’s see if you’re truly a virgin.”
My heart pounded. He wanted me to fight. This guy was sick. A true monster. How was I ever going to get out of this? Malik was huge, easily two-hundred and fifty pounds. More than twice my size. Almost thrice my size. He was even bigger than Logan, and Logan was a big guy.
Logan. Please be okay.
I drew in a deep breath, slowly exhaled.
I am a shadow warrior. I will not let this man rape me.
So I would do what he least expected. I would become a seductress. I would get him weak, make him vulnerable, then stab him in the balls with my safety pin.
Wishful thinking, Nishi. But that’s the right attitude. You can do this.
“Fine. I won’t fight. I’ll fuck you.” I ripped my shirt over my head, tossing it on the floor.
Malik stared, obviously taken aback by my sudden change in attitude. His nostrils flared as his gaze swept over me. “Such tiny titties,” he muttered. “If I keep you around, you’re getting a boob job. I need something to hold onto.”
The hell I was.
I shrugged, pretending not to care. “Whatever you want, big guy.” I waved him closer. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”
He hesitated, his gaze raking over my chest again. Suspicion filled his eyes. “Off with the pants. I want to see it all.”
My hands trembled as I did as he ordered. Then I was standing naked in front of him. Holding my head high, I tried not to cringe. I couldn’t let him see how terrified I truly was. Logan was the only man I wanted to see me this way. But Logan was injured. Possibly even dead.
Because of this monster leering at me right now.
Malik’s eyes filled with lust. “Fucking gorgeous,” he murmured, almost reverently. He moved his hands down in a gentle waves, like he was tracing the shape of an hourglass. “For such a tiny thing, you’ve got nice curves, girl. I wasn’t expecting that.” He nodded appreciatively. “I prefer a woman with more flesh on her bones, though, and a bigger ass, and tits I can hold on to. With a boob job, and some more meat on your bones, you’ll be perfect.”
Dream on, asshole. Not going to happen.
Be brave, Nishi. You can do this.
Malik crooked his finger, motioning me closer. “Come here.”
I stepped toward him, still gripping the safety pin in my fingers. I paused a few feet away from him, keeping my gaze on his. His hands went to his jeans. He quickly unzipped them and freed himself, stroking up and down his huge, disgusting man stick as he continued to gaze at my body.
Gross. I swallowed back the bile that rose up my throat.
“Closer,” he urged. “I want to touch you.”
I slowly stepped forward. Malik reached out and roughly tweaked my nipple between his fingers. I flinched at the sting of pain, but remained standing there. Endure, Nishi. Endure. Then he touched me down there, his fingers rough and probing. Trying not to gag, I squeezed my eyes shut and did my best to block out what he was doing.
/>
Tightly gripping the safety pin, I waited.
He let out a soft moan as he continued to touch me intimately while stroking himself up and down.
“Yes.” He groaned. “Oh, yes.” Then he shoved a hand on top of my head, forcing me to my knees.
No.
I gagged. Revulsion swept through me. No way in hell was I sticking that thing in my mouth.
The bile rose swiftly up my throat, and I retched, throwing up all over him.
Malik squealed like a little girl, rearing back. I lunged at him, kicking him in the face, elbowing him in the ribs, then attacked him with the safety pin, stabbing the tiny needle into his groin, again and again and again. He howled, tripping backward, taken completely off guard, and went down hard. I landed on top of him, overcome with rage, and kept stabbing, stabbing, stabbing with my tiny safety pin…
He wasn’t touching me ever again. I hated him. He wasn’t touching me. Ever. Again.
Blood oozed from the tiny stab wounds, puddling in his groin.
Then he came to his senses. “You bitch! You fucking bitch!” His giant hand flew out, smacking me across the face. Hard.
I fell backward, gasping.
Run, Nishi! Run!
Not yet! I needed to incapacitate him first. The safety pin had hardly done any damage. I bolted to my feet and kicked him in the head again, the stomach, the balls…
He let out a bellow of rage, stumbling to his feet. “You bitch!”
“Come on, big guy.” I waved him forward. “You said you like it rough. I’ll give you rough.”
He let out an angry snarl, blood dripping from his injured testicles, and lunged at me.
Crack. Thwack. Smack.
I struck out, hitting him again and again. He stumbled backward under the onslaught, tripping and falling once again.
I turned and ran.
Yanking open the door, I fled out into the hallway. Zion and Pastor Smith were lounging against the wall several feet away. Their eyes widened, but before they could react, I attacked them both. Smack. Crack. Get out of my way, assholes!
The Trainer (military romantic suspense) (The Dregs Book 5) Page 17
