by Janie Marie
“He made me a ballet studio,” she croaked.
The studio was a brilliant idea of Luc’s, one he was grateful she’d been gifted. “Then you should know how much he cares for you. Even the wealthiest of men do not go out of their way to please someone.”
Her body folded more inward. “Then why leave me?”
Honestly, Tercero didn’t understand Luc’s intentions. He knew his brother wouldn’t choose another queen; Jane was it for him. And he’d asked that Jane not be told this. If she knew Luc had no intention of moving on, she’d fight to be with him.
They had to let Luc do his own thing. If his brother wanted to be alone, to watch Jane fall more in love with Ryder and back in love with David, all while he was there for her when they could not be, so be it.
She tried to pull away from him when he remained quiet, but he held her tight.
“Easy, cara, I simply do not know his intentions. All I know is he cherishes you.” He tilted her chin up, watching her lips quiver as she tried to contain the pain she felt. “Do you want me to help it?”
Confusion flickered across her face, and she didn’t answer.
Just then, her phone pinged. She looked away, not hiding the text from Ryder: Let Tercero take care of you, baby girl.
She lifted her head, rubbing under her eyes as she gazed down at the field. Ryder was there, staring up at them, with David at his side.
David took the phone from Ryder, typing another text to her as the coach yelled for him. The boy flipped off his coach and finished his text before handing the device to Ryder again and rushing back into the game.
She dropped her eyes as the second text came. Go with Tercero, baby. We’ll come for you when we’re done.
He smiled as warmth and tingles from the love she felt from those two radiated out of her. It filled his whole being, as it always did for him when his brother and David put her needs above their own. They knew he could love her and indulge her in not just his affection, but he could remind her of theirs. It wasn’t something he’d ever enjoyed around others, but Jane–she loved fiercely, and he was addicted to it as much as he relished in the intense love his rivals gave her. “Come, Jane.” Her face flushed, and he couldn’t help but smile and kiss her head. “Naughty girl.”
David should’ve felt on top of the world after that win, but instead a knot formed in his stomach, and it twisted tighter as he followed his teammates through the pitch-dark woods in search of their chosen post-game party. And why wasn’t he happy? Because Jane had lost one of her boyfriends.
Again, he should be thrilled, but he only felt sad because it was her first ‘breakup’.
“Fuck all that is fucking holy,” Ryder yelled, grabbing David by the shoulder to balance himself.
“Only my brother can form a sentence with that many fucks.” Archer laughed as he brought over his phone to light up whatever had Ryder leaning on him and inspecting his shoe. “I saw it, but I didn’t think you’d step in it.”
Ryder shoved Archer. “Fucking twat. Get me a damn stick.”
David sighed, glancing at his phone as the others laughed at Ryder’s shit-covered shoe. Jane hadn’t responded to any of his texts, nor had Tercero.
“They’ll be there,” Ryder assured him, grunting as he made some lowerclassman clean the mess. “If he isn’t, I’ll kill him.”
“Why did Luc do it now?” David didn’t understand the elder Godson at all. It wasn’t that he and Jane were even that serious, but he’d learned about the things Luc was doing for her–you didn’t do that kind of stuff unless you loved a girl.
“Would you have preferred he drop her after a nice hard fuck?” Ryder snapped. Talking to him was like poking a damn bear right now. It was something David noticed, that he should’ve always noticed. If Jane was hurting, Ryder became a monster.
David didn’t reply and merely squinted his eyes to see into the night. The moon created a slight glow ahead, or else there was some artificial light near the lake they should be getting close to. They’d only been to these woods one other time, and that was during the day.
“Do you think Tercero fucked her all better?” Archer asked, earning a death glare from Ryder as even David struggled to keep himself in check. Unalarmed, Archer grinned. “My bro is due, is all I’m saying. Didn’t you order him to ‘take care’ of her?”
“You have one second to get out of my reach, you piece of shit,” Ryder growled, reaching for his brother but not snagging him with the way he had his foot lifted.
Archer snickered, rushing away. “Maybe he made a porno. Let me watch.”
“Give me something,” Ryder said, tracking his brother with a predator-like posture. He held out his hand to the sophomore who offered him a rock.
David smacked it away and gave Ryder a pinecone, one that was launched with missile precision and speed. “He’ll kill him with a rock,” he told the kid as he watched Archer still go down with an ‘ow’.
“Damn right I will,” Ryder said, inspecting his shoe. “Ruined. Get the fuck out of my way.”
Normally, David would start an argument with Ryder for being an asshole, but he didn’t think it was really anything his old rival could control. So, he just motioned for the younger player to move toward the back of the group they were walking with as Ryder pushed his way through the crowd.
It was another ten minutes of walking when they made it through the clearing, and everyone stopped dead in their tracks.
A small group of students, a few guys and girls who usually prepped the parties were scattered about, lying face down or moaning.
Ryder moved forward as their group broke off to check on everyone, and David’s heart clenched when he saw who Ryder was walking toward.
“Where the fuck is she?” Ryder roared, flipping Tercero onto his back. Just as Ryder reared back to punch him, David restrained him, pushing him to Savaş.
David knelt beside Tercero, opening his eyes. His pupils were blown, and he was now retching. “He looks drugged.”
Archer rolled his brother to the side, but he held up a cup. “The fucking punch. Dammit, and he hasn’t been eating because he’s been worried.”
Ryder broke free of his brother, his eyes scanning the others being helped. “She’s not here.”
David stood, searching too. His heart was hammering so hard in his chest, he felt it was going to stop. “Maybe she went for help.”
“No.” Ryder glanced up at the moon before taking in his brother who was vomiting a mixture of punch and bile. “Jane wouldn’t leave him.”
David pulled out his phone to call for help, but he cursed when he realized he had no service. The others began checking too, and the situation turned grimmer. “She had to have gone for help,” he said. “She would’ve tried to call.”
Ryder held a hand over his heart, scanning the tree line and shaking his head. Then he stomped over to someone who was helping the most aware person up. “What the fuck happened? Who did this?”
The freshman player only groaned, and Ryder stood, growling. “Who the fuck let it slip we’d be here tonight?”
Frowning, David glanced around. He was sure Jane was just trying to head back to wherever she and Tercero had parked. But Ryder and the other Godsons wore masks of barely controlled rage.
“Who?” Ryder roared.
David noticed Diane lower her gaze, but it was the guilt he saw beforehand that had him marching toward her. “Speak up.”
She paled when she looked at him with tears in her eyes. “I didn’t do anything.”
Now, Ryder was there, wrapping his hand around Diane’s neck. “You have three seconds before I choke your ass.”
David knew Ryder wasn’t putting any pressure on Diane’s throat, but he didn’t want her hurt. “Let her go.”
Ryder didn’t budge, he just kept his gaze narrowed on Diane.
“Enough.” David prepared to punch him, but Diane started sobbing and blurted out words that made his blood turn cold.
“I invite
d a group of boys from Helldonna.” She cried louder when Ryder shook her once, demanding names. “I only know the one–Adam. He’s David’s cousin.”
“Adam wouldn’t hurt her,” David said fiercely, but he felt dread slide down his spine with the way Ryder’s expression went dead, and he tossed Diane to the ground like she was nothing. “Are you okay?” David checked her neck as she sobbed. She was fine, but he needed to know why Ryder had a problem with Adam. So, he turned, watching Ryder scanning the area again. “Adam won’t hurt her.”
“It’s not Adam I’m worried about.” Ryder’s empty voice made the hairs on David’s arms stand. “I’m going to look for her.”
David watched Ryder pick a direction without another word. Savaş jogged after Ryder, but he quickly broke off, heading in a different direction. “Who would he be worried about?”
“Obviously,” Archer said, kneeling by Tercero again, “if the group with Adam was friendly, someone would’ve stayed behind with the others here.”
“But who? Adam knew about Dylan attacking her. He wouldn’t–”
“No, but his friends might,” Archer said, shaking his head as he took in Tercero’s state. “Maybe it’s date rape shit?”
David agreed, his mind finally accepting what Ryder had already felt on instinct. Jane was in trouble, and they were in the middle of nowhere. Ryder didn’t give a damn about anyone else, and while David only wanted Jane, he knew he’d have to help the others. Tercero looked bad, and he wasn’t going to let his baby lose another boyfriend tonight.
“I’ll stay here,” Archer said quietly as he held his brother’s head in his lap. “Find Jane before it’s too late.”
His heart pounded in fear and rage. The way Archer spoke without any humor was too troubling, but David had to stay calm. Yes, even if ‘too late’ meant the unthinkable, he had to stay rational. “All right,” he said loudly. “Two of you need to run back to the cars and call for help. Everyone else, divide up into groups. Some of you need to stay with everyone here, make sure no one chokes on their vomit. Everyone else, break up in pairs and search for Jane and anyone else that might have been taken with her.”
Lance jogged over, just barely making it to the clearing. “What the fuck?”
“Jane’s missing. Ryder thinks someone took her. He and Savaş went that way.” He pointed off in two directions.
“The hottie?” It was Jason Winters asking now.
David stood, nodding as he took in some of the players already running back to the vehicles while others split up to search.
“Well, let’s go find her.” Jason glanced up at the moon as it struggled to peek through the clouds. “We need to hurry.”
David was already jogging away, knowing they’d either follow or go off on their own. “Please be okay,” he whispered, praying she had some sort of angel watching out for her.
Jane let out muffled screams as she watched helplessly from where she lay tied on the ground as Adam tried to fight off his friend Stephen and the other two guys. It had been a surprise when Adam turned up at the clearing, and he’d been happy to see her. He even tried to cheer her up when he heard she’d had a fallout with Luc, but then Tercero started slurring, mumbling for her to run before collapsing.
She’d rushed to help him, noticing others in the small group had also stumbled and collapsed, and it was then she was attacked by Stephen and the two guys with him. Adam went mad with rage, fighting them until someone hit him with a bottle on the head.
Jane had thought he was dead, but they insisted on bringing him for ‘the plan’, and she’d been carried through the woods, her hands, legs, and mouth duct-taped. Now, Adam was awake, fighting to protect her as she lay stripped down to her panties. They’d laughed at their plan: rape her and give both her and Adam the drugs they’d spiked the punch with to make it seem like Adam had done it.
They just hadn’t tied up Adam because they assumed he was out for good, and now she feared they were going to kill him.
She tried to scream, “No!” as she watched Adam get tackled and subdued.
“Jane,” he hollered, his face red as she felt someone approach.
“So we meet again, beautiful.” Dylan Berith leered down at her, chuckling as Adam was gagged and bound. “Don’t rough him up too much,” he told Stephen who was about to punch Adam again. “It needs to look like she was the one who fought him.”
Adam tried to lunge forward, but he could only howl with his gag as Dylan began groping her. Tears slid into her hair as she kept her eyes on Adam. She hoped he knew it wasn’t his fault. He was there with her, and that’s what mattered.
“No fighting?” Dylan roughly gripped her jaw, forcing her to look up at him. “Ah, there’s that fire they love so much. What do you say I put it out?”
Jane’s chest heaved as she tried to give him the most hateful glare possible. This bastard was going to pay; she knew Ryder and David, hell, even Luc, they’d unleash all of hell on these fuckers. She just prayed Tercero was all right. He’d confessed he’d not been taking care of himself, something he did when he was feeling high levels of stress. That’s why he drank the punch. She’d told him to drink up and not to argue with her. Then he went down fast.
“We have to hurry,” Dylan said, rolling her onto her belly. “The team will be getting to the clearing. Get the pills ready and force it down their throats. Do him first so you can each take a turn.”
Stephen nodded, pulling out a baggie with pills. He poured an excessive amount into a bottle and they were cutting a small hole on Adam’s taped mouth to fit a straw in.
Adam thrashed, trying to crawl to her, his muffled shouts breaking her heart. He’d fought so hard, and she’d frozen up at the first moment someone covered her mouth and began to drag her away.
“Ass up, you little whore.” Dylan tugged her hair and shoved her panties down. “I know you’re fucking all of them. Now take my dick. It’s the least you can do for ruining my goddamn future.” He pressed his hard length to her, muttering she was dry. “No, I need lube so they don’t have my DNA.”
Stephen came and poured it all over her ass as Adam roared, his eyes red with tears. She swore he was telling her to look at him, to keep her eyes on him.
She rapidly blinked, trying to smile to reassure him she’d be okay, that she was thankful for what he’d done.
“Cut her legs free,” Dylan told Stephen. “She’s squeezing too fucking tight.”
Her lungs burned as she began breathing faster. This was her chance. Adam nodded to her, giving her the strength to keep fighting. She had to fight for him too. But it was going to be hard to fight against two guys while her hands were still taped together.
Despite having no odds of saving herself, she was done freezing up. She bucked up the moment the tape was cut. Dylan fell on top of her, and he laughed, grabbing her hair before slamming her face onto the ground.
But Jane didn’t stop fighting. She didn’t stop screaming as she felt some of the tape loosen around her mouth. She knew Ryder would come for her; David would come. She had to make noise.
Stephen grabbed her leg, squeezing painfully as he wrenched her thighs apart. Adam’s muffled shout of her name gave her courage, and she cried, bucking and kicking as hard as she could. She caught Stephen’s face, and he let her go just as a female battle cry sounded and Dylan was knocked down onto her.
Her breath whooshed out as she realized someone had jumped onto Dylan’s back and there was a scuffle between him and the others. Help.
Jane kicked up, rolling when Dylan tried to pry off the person on his back, and she rolled, kicking him in the nuts. He fell on her with a grunt as Jane peered up and saw Diane wrapping her arms around his neck, screaming and biting at him like a wild animal.
If she could laugh that Diane of all people was saving her, she would, but Jane simply kneed Dylan again and again as Diane tried to choke him.
Jane realized a few more cheerleaders, girls who’d laughed at her over the years, all helping t
o free Adam as Jason Winters and Lance Grimm beat the shit out of Stephen and his friends.
“Let him go.”
Jane wept at the deadly voice of her bad boy. He was talking to Diane, but he was there. He’d come for her.
Savaş kneeled beside her, pulling her out from under Dylan as Ryder roughly lifted then slammed Dylan onto the ground.
“Easy, Tex,” Savaş murmured, lifting her into his arms as Ryder, the deadly man she sometimes witnessed him become, stared down at Dylan.
“Here,” Diane said, offering Jane the jacket she’d been wearing. “She might be in shock.”
Savaş covered her as Diane tried to remove the tape from her mouth, but all she could do was watch her bad boy turn into something too dangerous to be around.
David dropped down beside her, and Jane realized he’d been with Jason and Lance fighting the others. “Baby?” Heated hands cupped her face as he helped Diane. “Jane, did they give you anything?”
She shook her head, tears spilling as Ryder listened to Dylan mutter something, then he landed blow after merciless blow to his face. Dylan fought back, but Ryder wasn’t in trouble. He slammed Dylan against a tree, punching him in the side, then the other. It was more brutal than when she’d seen him fight the night before.
“Don’t look.” David tried to turn her away, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Ryder.
Finally, her mouth was free, and she cried out, “Ryder!”
He hesitated, fist raised as he held Dylan by the throat. His back stayed to her, his body trembling with fury as she got to her feet.
“Don’t kill him, babe.” She hadn’t called him that before, but she knew it caused the twitch in his muscles. “I swear I’ll be so mad at you if you end up in prison, Ryder Godson.”
David kissed her forehead before helping her walk to Ryder. “Take care of her. I’ll tie him up. Someone had to have called for help by now.”
Jane whimpered, limping her way to Ryder. The second she touched him, he turned and lifted her into his arms.
