Scott went from calm and cool to blistering mad in a matter of seconds. He moved over to the bed and grabbed my arms, pulling me up to face him. “I don’t need help, Everleigh. I need you! I don’t give a fuck that they are looking for you because they won’t find you. Do you think I’m an idiot? This room isn’t even in my name so even when they realize you are gone they can search for hours and no one will ever find us. I have plenty of time to make you mine again,” he said angrily.
Before I could even try to struggle his mouth crashed roughly on mine and he forced his tongue inside. He tasted like stale cheap beer and I fought back the urge to vomit, afraid if I did he would hurt me even worse. “P-please don’t,” I said, gasping for air.
“Mmm, God you taste so good,” he said, and pulled my mouth back to his. He was gripping me so tight that I could barely breathe. As I felt his hand move lower and his finger pull up the bottom of my skirt I knew that I had to form a plan quickly and kick start it now.
Keeping my cool as best as I could, I turned off my fear and gave into the kiss momentarily, sensually biting his lip. Groaning, he said, “Yes. There you are, baby girl. I’ve missed you.” He played with my hair as I took a breath to calm myself.
“I-I’ve missed you too,” I lied.
“What made you kiss me back? You’ve been fighting this pretty hard but now all of a sudden you give in. Why?”
Continuing my act, I said, “It was your kiss. I didn’t know how much I’d missed it until now.” I was breathless with fear but he must have bought my act and mistook my terror for desire.
He smiled wickedly at me and backed me up until we reached the bed again. “I told you, didn’t I? If I could just get my hands on you again I’d make you forget all about that prick you’ve been fucking while we were apart. I forgive you, Everleigh, but unfortunately you letting another man fuck you can’t go unpunished.”
I swallowed hard and my eyes went wide. “Unpunished? W-what do you mean? You wouldn’t hurt me, would you, baby?” I asked, fighting the rising bile as I forced myself to sound like a seductive lover.
He cocked his head to the side and licked his lips. “Well, I can’t have you humiliate me publicly by letting that rocker repeatedly put his dick in your pussy…no, my pussy, and just let that go. You disobeyed me and you need to pay for it. He already has,” he laughed maniacally and grief threatened to choke me.
“What are you going to do?” I asked, fear like I’ve never felt crippling me almost to the point of paralysis. Stay strong, Everleigh, for Ryder. Keep Scott calm…you can do that.
“Well, I need to remind you that this pussy,” he said, running his free hand along the front of my skirt, “is mine. Only my cock is allowed to fuck you, understand?”
I nodded and I fought back a tear that was threatening to escape. “I understand.”
Out of nowhere I felt Scott’s fist connect with my face and I felt like my eye was going to explode out of its socket. The tears I was holding back were now pouring down my cheeks again and I barely had time to think before I felt a blow to my mouth and I instantly tasted blood. “Tell me, Everleigh! Tell me that this is my pussy!” he said, violently grabbing me between my legs. He slid his fingers into my panties and forcefully thrust two fingers inside me.
“This is yours,” I choked out, feeling terrified and ashamed. Please hang in there Everleigh…you can do this.
“Tell me that only my cock is allowed in here!” he shouted.
“Only you, Scott. I promise,” I said, my voice quivering.
“Tell me you want me to fuck you again!” he yelled.
I gripped his shirt with my hand and pulled him to me as I would have if it were Ryder standing before me. I had to convince him that I really wanted him so he’d let his guard down for just a split second. “I want you to fuck me again,” I said, barely able to get the words out.
His face lit up with malicious intent. “And I will. I’m going to punish you and then fuck you like the naughty girl you’ve been. But first,” he paused, thankfully pulling his hand away from me, “I’m going to make you wait a little longer. I want you to strip for me.”
My heart skipped a beat…this was it. This was my chance to get the gun out of my boot. I sniffed and wiped the tears from my cheeks. Taking another deep breath, I said, “Whatever you want.”
Giving me a hard kiss, he backed away from me and walked to the chair by the wall. Sitting in it, he crossed his legs at the ankles and said, “Well, get going. Lose the shirt. I want to see your tits first.”
I smiled as best as I could but inside I was shaken and terrified. I tried to hide my shaking hands as I found the bottom of my sequined top and I lifted it up. Soon it was off and I stood before him in my bra and my skirt.
He grabbed his crotch and shifted it. “Fuck yeah,” he groaned. “Take the bra off next.”
Breathe, Everleigh, just breathe. You can do this… I fought back another wave of tears as I unclasped my bra and slowly slid it off my shoulders, revealing my breasts to the predatory sociopath in front of me.
“Yes,” he hissed out. “God I can’t wait to suck those tits and come all over them. Now I want you to bend over and take those sexy boots off.”
My heart rate sped up faster. No time to back down now. This was when I took back my freedom and saved myself.
I bent down and unzipped the side of the boot without the gun. I didn’t want to tip him off so when I took it off I looked back over my shoulder and I winked at him. As soon as it was off, I started to slide down the next boot.
As the zipper reached the bottom, I felt the cool steel of the gun resting against my ankle. I didn’t stop to think as I gripped it and slowly pulled it out of my boot, sliding my index finger in front of the trigger, readying myself for whatever I might have to do. Gripping the gun in my shaking hand, I heard Scott say, “Hurry up baby, let’s get this moving so I can fuck the shit out of you.”
Still leaning over, I started to feel more brave and I said calmly, “Well, Scott, I’m afraid I’m about to disappoint you again.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” he said angrily.
Feeling my adrenaline surge like never before, I quickly stood and turned to face him and pointed the gun right at him. “I’m talking about the fact that you will never get your disgusting hands on me ever again, mother fucker!” I screamed, holding the gun surprisingly steady.
After the initial shock wore off, he cocked his head and laughed at me. “You really think you have the balls to shoot me, you fucking bitch?”
“Try me,” I said through gritted teeth.
He stood and took a step toward me as if he didn’t have a care in the world…as if the woman he just punched and tried to assault wasn’t holding a gun pointed at him. “Well, I do have to hand it to you, Everleigh. You were able to take me by surprise. Too bad I’m going to kill you for this,” he said, malice etched in his face.
“Not if I kill you first,” I said, holding the gun as steady as possible as my hands were now starting to shake.
Taking another step he said, “You’re not going to kill me. You’re too much of a chicken shit to pull the trigger and we both know that. We could have had something special, Everleigh, but now you’ve fucked all of that up by thinking you were some brave little bitch and trying to hold me at gunpoint.”
“Um, I’m not trying to hold you at gunpoint, you stupid asshole. I actually am and if you take another step toward me I will fire the gun. That’s a promise.”
He stopped and let out a maniacal laugh. “I’m going to have fun gutting you after I get one last fuck in. You fucked up bad this time, baby girl. Once I get the gun from you, I’m going to beat the hell out of you so you can’t fight me off anymore and you are going to lie there on the bed in pain while I fuck you however I want to.
“I’m going to fuck that pussy, your mouth, and that tight little asshole of yours before you beg for me to kill you. When I’ve had my fill you’re going to look into my e
yes and they will be the last thing you see as I slit your throat and watch you die,” he said, his voice becoming a terrifying growl.
He was going to kill me if I didn’t fire now…but I was scared. I just couldn’t do it. “Scott, stay where you are or I will shoot you where you stand, I swear to God!” I yelled.
He pulled the knife out of his back pocket and flicked it up. “Last chance, Everleigh. If you give me the gun I’ll make this quick for you.” Taking one more step closer to me I readied myself to shoot him.
“Don’t make me to this, Scott. I don’t want to hurt you,” I pleaded, still hoping against hope that this ending would be different.
“And that’s what makes you a weak bitch, Everleigh. You know what would be fun? After I kill you I might go after your friend Danni or that Jessie girl or hell, the guitar player’s sister. That hot little blonde...what was her name again? Sadie? I bet they will be fun to torture and fuck just like I’m going to do to you.”
A tear rolled down my cheek and I begged one last time, “Please. Don’t do this.” I gripped the gun tighter and when he took another step he was only about four feet away from me.
“Time’s up, baby girl,” he said and before I could even blink he lunged at me.
I screamed and jumped back from fear as he tried to attack me. My finger reacted before the rest of me could and before I realized what I was doing the gun fired in his direction. I stumbled back and fell to the floor, my head hitting the dresser hard. My head was screaming and my vision went blurry as I tried to put as much space between us as possible. At that point I wasn’t aware if I had even shot him at all.
I felt for my shirt and when I found it I quickly covered myself back up. When the pain in my head started to dull and my eyes finally adjusted they landed on Scott…and I screamed.
He was lying on the floor of the motel room. There was a pool of blood all around his head and a large gaping wound in his forehead. I’d shot him point blank in the head…and he was dead. I’d killed Scott.
I screamed louder and I dropped the gun to the floor. Right in mid scream my stomach started to roll from seeing Scott’s lifeless body and I got violently sick on the carpet next to the bed. After all of the contents of my stomach were gone and I’d stopped heaving, I pulled my shirt back on and crawled as far away from his body as possible. I needed to call for help so I reached up and grabbed Scott’s jacket in search of my phone. I fumbled through the pockets and quickly found it.
My first instinct was to call the police but there was one call I needed to make first. Scott was a sadistic freak and I had to know for sure if Ryder was really dead. After he’d killed Trish I had no doubt that he would do whatever he could to get me, but I had to hope against all hope that he’d lied just to hurt me. Even though I had seen Ryder lying on the bathroom floor with blood all over his head, Scott was evil enough to try and make this as painful as possible. I had no doubt that he would lie to me and tell me that the one man I loved more than anything in the world was dead. I dialed Ryder’s cell phone number, not knowing what I would hear on the other end. Please be okay, Ryder…please be okay. After two rings someone answered. “Everleigh? Evie, baby, is that you?” a weak voice croaked.
My heart leapt in that moment and relief like I’d never felt washed through me as I heard the most beautiful voice in the world say my name. I started sobbing as I said, “Ryder…you’re alive…thank God you’re alive.” Scott had lied to me about Ryder’s death and I’d never been happier to have been lied to by that man.
“Of course I’m alive, baby. Why did you…Jesus Christ, Evie, thank God! Are you okay? Where are you?”
“Um,” I cried. I had no clue where I was.
“Where did he take you, Evie?”
“I don’t know. I only know I’m at some kind of run down motel.”
“Can you find a window and look outside? Maybe see something that might tell us where you are?” he begged.
I crawled past the puddle of vomit on the carpet and peeked out the window. “The only sign I see says Hidey Hole, I don’t know what that means.”
“I know where that is…guys, she’s at the Hidey Hole Inn! That’s not far from where we are and we will be there soon baby, okay?”
“Okay,” I answered numbly.
I heard him take a shaking breath. “Evie…did he…did he hurt you?” he asked, his voice tortured.
I sobbed harder. I just then noticed that my right eye was starting to swell and it was hard to keep it open and my mouth had the metallic taste of blood in it. I traced my tongue along my lip to find it busted and I winced at the sting. “Y-yes,” I whispered into the phone and I heard him scream on the other end.
“Did he r-rape you, baby?” he asked, heartbreak and fear in his voice.
“No but he tried to. He…touched me.”
“Fuck!” he yelled. I could hear him openly crying on the other end. “I’m going to fucking kill him!”
I suddenly felt like I was going to vomit again as I said, “Ryder, you don’t need to do that.”
“Yes I do, Everleigh! That sick fucker needs to die for what he’s done!” he yelled.
Taking a deep breath-mostly to calm my stomach-I said, “Ryder, he’s already dead.”
There was momentary silence on the other end of the line before I heard Ryder say, “What? What do you mean, he’s already dead?”
“I had my gun in my boot for protection like you told me to and I…I…he told me you were dead and he was coming at me with the knife and said he was going to rape me before he killed me too and the gun went off and I shot him,” I cried, breaking down and bawling.
“Oh fuck,” he muttered and I heard him yelling something about driving faster. “Listen, baby, we’re only about five minutes away. You just hang on until we get there.”
“Okay, I will.”
“What room are you in?”
I looked at the key that was on the table and I said, “6C.”
“All right. Just keep talking to me, okay? You are so brave, do you know that?” he said, his voice cracking.
“I don’t feel brave. Ryder, I just killed someone,” I sobbed.
“Hey, don’t you dare. You were protecting yourself. He was going to kill you, baby.”
“H-he told me he killed you and that he was going to kill me and then go after Danni, Jessie, and Sadie next,” I cried. “Ryder I was so scared for them.”
Ryder shushed me and said, “Calm down, okay? We are almost to the motel and we will get you out of there,” he said as calmly as he could.
“I’m going to jail,” I said softly.
“No you’re not. I won’t let that happen, okay? I promise,” he said. I really wished I could believe him.
I saw red and blue lights flash outside the room and I crawled to peek and see who it was. I saw two cop cars come to a stop outside the room. I also saw a black SUV pull in behind them and I saw Ryder immediately jump out of the back before John was able to stop. I thought I saw Kris and Jude get out of the SUV too but the only thing I could focus on was Ryder running toward the door, coming to pull me out of this nightmare.
I heard banging on the door and Ryder’s frantic voice yelling, “Evie baby? Open the door, I’m here.”
I moved over to the door and unlocked the knob. As soon as it clicked the door flew open and Ryder was immediately by my side pulling me into his arms. “Oh Ryder,” I sobbed into his chest, “you’re here. You’re alive, thank God. I thought I’d lost you.”
“Shh, Evie, calm down. I’m here. I’ve got you, baby,” he said, smoothing my ruffled hair and I could feel his tears hit the top of my head as he cried for me.
“I thought I’d never see you again,” I sobbed. I shivered as I pictured a world without Ryder in it and held him as close to me as possible.
“No, it would take much more than a sadistic fuck like Scott to keep me down,” he said, pulling me into him as tight as I would go.
I heard a man clearing his throat and I
reluctantly looked up, not wanting to leave my safe place next to Ryder. “Excuse me, Miss Stone?”
Ryder rubbed my back comfortingly as I blinked a few times and took a deep breath. My eyes landed on a police officer that looked like he was not much older than I was. “Yes?” I answered.
Kneeling down in front of us, he said, “Miss Stone, I’m Officer Liam Tanner and I know you’ve been through a pretty traumatic ordeal tonight. Can I get you anything?” he asked gently, as if he were talking to a frightened toddler or a wounded animal. I appreciated it because in that moment I could be described as both of those things.
“No, I’m fine,” I lied, leaning into Ryder’s embrace. The man I loved was holding me safely in his arms…that was the only thing I would ever need. He kissed the top of my head gently and continued to stroke my hair.
The officer nodded his head and gave me a sympathetic look. “I know tonight has been difficult to say the least, but I need to ask you a few questions, is that okay?”
Ryder answered before I could. “Can this wait until she gets checked out? Look at her face, man,” he said, a lump clearly in his throat. “She needs to get to the hospital.”
Officer Tanner, who seemed like a genuinely caring guy, nodded his head at Ryder. “There is an ambulance on the way and we can chat at the hospital, Everleigh. Is it okay if I call you that?”
I nodded. “Yes, that’s okay.” I was actually glad for once to be able to go to the hospital…that would delay my arrest by hopefully a few hours. However, as scared as I was in that moment, I needed to know if I was going to be in major trouble for this. “Officer Tanner?” I asked as he stood.
“Yes Everleigh?” he answered.
“Am I going to jail for this?” I asked point blank. “Scott kidnapped me, beat me, tried to rape me, and threatened to kill not just me but my friends. I’m terrified,” I said, and I started sobbing again. I waited with bated breath for his answer, terrified that I would be punished for not only saving my own life but the lives of the three women I loved so much.
Redeemed (Bad Blooded Rebel #4) Page 4
