by Becca Van
Fear surged through her blood and body, making it even harder to breathe, and when she began to shake, she almost gave up. That was until her mom turned and met her gaze. There was so much terror and sorrow in her eyes, it spurred Enya on.
She only made it half way before the door to the room they were being held in opened.
The man and woman entered. The lady took a seat in the only piece of furniture in the room, and the man walked toward her mom, until he was standing over her.
He knelt down, straddling her mother, and then grabbed hold of her shirt and ripped it open. Her mom began to cry, but she also fought as hard as she could. It did no good.
The man pulled a knife from his pocket or belt and then cut the rest of her mom’s clothes off. Enya couldn’t hold back her tears when her mom glanced her way again. She shook her head at Enya and then closed her eyes, before opening them again.
Her mother was telling her to look away.
Enya rolled to her other side and closed her eyes and while she tried to think of something else, something that would take her away from the horrors of that room and the terrible things being done to her mom, she couldn’t block out the sounds.
Her mom’s muffled screams echoed in her brain until finally she went quiet. The man made grunting noises and the woman watching laughed. Anger, terror, and sadness warred in her heart and soul, but there was nothing she could do. Even if she managed to escape her bonds she wasn’t big or strong enough to do any damage to the evil people. The only thing she could do was run and get help.
The days passed into weeks, months and years. She and her mother were given just enough food and water to keep them alive. For two long years her mom was tortured over and over. The man and woman kept them doped up on drugs and chained like animals. The metal cuffs that kept her and her mother prisoner were thick and the chain that tethered them to the floor was strong. The only consolation was that the chains were long enough for her and her mom to use the bathroom when they needed to.
They were given a bucket of cold water every morning to wash with but Enya didn’t think she’d ever feel clean again. Her mother grew thinner and quieter with each day that passed.
At first, when they were left alone locked up in the bare room they’d talk and try to plan their escape. But little by little her mother began to fade before her very eyes. Near the end, whenever she met Enya’s gaze there was no emotion, no recognition for her only daughter.
Her mom was slowly dying.
Enya had tried to see where they were but the window was boarded up and the only way out was through the bedroom door. One of them was always on guard and since there were no traffic sounds or anything other than birds or wind through the trees, she knew they were nowhere near civilization. It was hard to keep her wits about her when all she wanted to do was sleep because of the drugs, but she knew if they didn’t get out and soon, she was going to lose her mom. Her mom hardly ever moved or opened her eyes to look at Enya anymore.
Whenever she wasn’t doped to the point of being unaware, she planned.
And then fate stepped in.
Enya had just woken from a drug induced sleep when she heard car tires on the gravel drive outside the cabin. At first she thought it might have been a visitor and she was hoping to alert whoever was out there that she and her mother were being held captive, but she sagged back to the floor when she heard the male kidnapper’s voice.
“We have to move. There’s been a report of strange activity in this area. The cops are getting suspicious.”
“There’s no way they could know we’re here,” the lady said. “Unless you didn’t pay the rent.”
The man didn’t answer but cleared his throat. “What the fuck have you done? What did you spend the money on?”
“The drugs are fucking expensive. Each time I meet with the dealer he ups the price.”
“Why the fuck didn’t you say something? You can be so fucking stupid.”
“Watch your mouth, bitch.”
“Fuck off, asshole.”
At first Enya had been horrified at their swearing since her mom had taught her it wasn’t nice, but after hearing them argue so long, it didn’t bother her anymore. What did bother her was that she had no idea who these people were or what their names were. They were always careful and only ever called each other using derogatory words.
“We have to leave. Today,” the man said.
“Fuck! Okay. You get the bitch while I pack our stuff.”
“You know we can’t—”
“Shut it. I know,” the woman yelled. “Just go and do what you have to.”
Enya closed her eyes when the bedroom door burst open with a bang and hoped that whoever entered would think she was still asleep. When she heard a clank and a thud, she lifted her lids to narrow slits and peered at her mother. The man had unlocked the cuff from around her mom’s ankle. Excitement surged into her heart that maybe the horrible people were finally going to let them go. That was until she saw the empty syringe lying on the floor near her mom’s shoulder. They’d never left any of the needles lying around before.
The man walked over to Enya, stared at her and then unlocked the cuff around her ankle, before he turned back to her mother. She had to swallow a gasp when he lifted her mom from the floor and flung her over his shoulder. She held her breath and listened as the man walked out of the house. When she heard a lighter set of footsteps follow, she realized the lady had followed him out.
This was it. This was what she’d been praying and waiting for.
Enya shoved to her feet and swayed as dizziness assailed her. The drugs were still in her system but she couldn’t let them stop her. She tiptoed across the room on her bare feet and after making sure the coast was clear, she hurried toward the open front door. Holding her breath so she wouldn’t make any noise and draw attention to herself, she peeked out. The lady was putting things into the trunk of the car and the man was nowhere to be seen.
She crept down the steps, glancing every which way and then turned the corner of the house. There were trees as far as the eye could see and nothing else.
Silent tears rolled down her face as guilt assailed her but if they were ever going to get to safety, Enya had to leave her mother behind. As soon as she found someone she’d get them to call the police and her mom would be saved, too.
When she thought she was far enough away from the house that she wouldn’t be heard, she began to run, ignoring the pain in the soles of her feet from stones and twigs.
She ran and ran and ran, her mind a total blank except to keep going. It didn’t matter that her legs were hurting from fatigue or that her lungs were burning. She had to keep going so she could save her mom.
She didn’t even realize she’d come to a road until her foot landed on a large stone, which caused her to stop and cry out. When she heard a low rumbling noise behind her, she turned and sobbed with relief when she saw a truck coming toward her. She pushed the weariness and pain in her body away, planted her bare feet shoulder width apart and started waving her arms in the air.
The truck slowed and stopped and the driver got out. Enya began walking and met him halfway. Before the driver could say anything, she said, “Call the police. They still have my mom.”
“Who does? What are you doing out here all alone?”
“Call the police,” Enya sobbed. “Please? Now!”
She followed the driver back to the truck and listened while he called the police. When he was finished with the call he grabbed a bottle of water from the back, climbed down from the cab and handed it to her. Her hand shook so much she couldn’t get the cap off and the tears began to fall again.
The kind man took the bottle from her, opened it and handed it back. She nodded her thanks just before she put the rim to her mouth and guzzled the whole bottle in one go. Minutes later she was on her knees as she vomited the water up.
Just as she finished throwing up the sheriff arrived and Enya quickly told him what she and her
mother had been through. When she glanced at the truck driver there was horror in his eyes and she quickly glanced down at the ground.
“We’ll save your mom, honey,” the sheriff said as he helped her to his car.
She shivered with fear as she got into the front seat and she tried to give him the general direction where she and her mom were being held.
It seemed to take forever to get to the small log cabin, and she was relieved to see the kidnapper’s car was still parked off to the side, but the man, woman, and her mom were nowhere to be seen. The sheriff had already called in backup but he updated their location before he ordered her to stay in the car. He got out and pulled his gun from his holster as he walked quietly toward the cabin. Enya held her breath when he disappeared inside but she kept her eyes glued to the open entry, waiting expectantly to see her mother, but the sheriff came out alone.
He turned to the left and disappeared amongst the trees. Enya wanted to get out and follow him, but she was so tired and scared she couldn’t move. She froze with fear when she heard two gunshots, one after the other, and waited for what seemed like hours, all alone in the car.
The backup arrived just as the sheriff came out of the trees alone. He was pale and shaking his head. Enya didn’t need the words to know what had happened. Her chest hurt so bad she thought she was about to die.
Once the tears started there was no way to stop them. She cried and cried and cried until she was sick to her stomach.
Chapter Six
“Mom! God, no. Mom!”
Phoenix was on his feet before he had his eyes open. The gut wrenching pain and terror in Enya’s voice had him running. He was by her side in seconds, Axel and Cam not far behind.
He climbed onto the bed behind her and wrapped her up in his arms. She wailed and cried so hard her whole body shook and she could barely draw a breath.
“You’re safe, baby. Wake up, Enya. I’ve got you, baby.” Phoenix glanced at Axel and Cam to see they were as worried as he was. He shoved the covers down, turned her toward him and brought her back into his arms. He held her tight and rocked her and let her cry out her pain. She alternately clung to him and pushed him away as if she didn’t know what she wanted or what she was doing. He thought she might still be caught in her nightmare but he wasn’t sure.
“Everything’s all right, sweetheart.” Cam smoothed a hand over her hair.
“We’re here, honey.” Axel caressed up and down her leg.
“Oh God. They killed her,” Enya sobbed.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry.” Phoenix kissed her temple and kept rocking until finally her tears slowed. Enya hiccupped a few times before dragging in a great shuddering breath.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Cam asked.
Enya sniffed and nodded against Phoenix’s chest.
“Do you want a drink, honey?” Axel asked.
“Please,” she croaked.
Phoenix loosened his hold on her as she shifted and when she lifted her gaze to his, his heart broke. There was so much sadness and grief in her eyes, he wished he could take it all away, but he couldn’t. He wanted to ask her about her nightmare, but wasn’t sure she was ready to talk yet. He didn’t want her to think he was pushing her. She’d already been through so much and he knew he didn’t know the half of it.
Axel came back with a glass of water and a box of tissues. Phoenix sat up and helped Enya up, too.
Cam sat on the bed next to her and Axel got onto the bottom of the mattress. Enya wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands and then tugged some tissues from the box after Axel offered them to her. She blew her nose and then grasped the glass of water and downed the entire contents.
“Do you want to talk about your nightmare, sweetheart?” Cam took the used tissues from her hand and dropped them on the floor. One of them would put them in the trash later.
Enya shook her head, but then she cleared her throat. “The reason I hate needles is because when I was eight years old, two people got into our house, and drugged my mom and me. They kidnapped us and held us for nearly two years.”
“Fuck!” Phoenix muttered his curse instead of yelling it like he wanted to.
“Shit,” Cam snapped.
“Geezus,” Axel snarled.
Enya told them what she and mother had endured and when she got close to the end of the story, he didn’t want to hear any more. He already knew what she was going to say, but he kept his mouth closed and continued to listen. She needed to purge all the sorrow and pain from her heart and soul so he and his friends remained quiet as she told them what had happened.
“I waited for the sheriff to come out of the trees for what seemed like a lifetime. When I heard two gunshots I was so scared. I wanted to go and see what was happening but I was frozen with fear. Just as his backup arrived, he came walking out of those trees all alone. He was pale and he glanced toward me as he spoke to the other officers. And then he was walking toward the car. He came to the passenger side instead of the driver’s side. He squatted down in front of me, took my hands in his and swallowed loudly.”
Phoenix slung his arm around her shoulders when she shivered. She scooted closer to him as if she was trying to burrow under his skin, as if she could get away from the horror of her past reality.
“He said, I’m sorry. I was too late. He had tears in his eyes when he said that and though I knew it wasn’t his fault, I blamed him anyway. I hit his chest over and over, saying no again and again as I cried. He just let me. When I calmed down a bit, I apologized but he just brushed it off, but looking back, I could see guilt in his eyes. The worst thing about all of that is that it was my fault she died. I had no right blaming the sheriff. If only I’d been able to escape sooner. If only I’d been able to scream louder.” Enya laughed a little hysterically. “None of it would have helped. Not me, not the sheriff. An autopsy was done on my mom. She died of an overdose. She was probably dead before I even managed to escape that cabin.”
“What happened to your kidnappers?” Phoenix asked in a gentle voice.
“The sheriff shot them. They must have threatened him in some way. The woman always had a gun on her when they entered the room with food and water or the bucket we got to wash with. And the man always carried a knife.”
“I’m glad those assholes are dead just as they deserve to be.” Cam shifted so he was facing Enya. “Where did you go? Did you live with your father, other family?”
She shook her head. “My mom was only seventeen when she got pregnant and the guy she was dating took off when he found out she was having me. She was the greatest mom and worked so hard. We didn’t have much, but we had a roof over our heads and food in our bellies.
“Her parents wanted nothing to do with her when they found out she was expecting. They kicked her to the curb and never looked back. There was just the two of us.” Her breath hitched. “She was only twenty-seven years old when she died, nearly twenty-eight. She was so young, had so much to live for, but the things they did to her…they broke her. They took away her will to live. The last couple of months she barely moved, let alone talked. I was practically shoving what little food and water we were given down her throat, trying to keep her alive.”
Phoenix couldn’t stand it anymore. He needed to hold her. He tightened his arm around her shoulders, shoved an arm under her knees and lifted her into his lap. She sighed as she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek on his chest. He felt her shudder and he grabbed the quilt and tugged it over her legs so she wouldn’t get too cold. He felt like a real asshole for having an erection after hearing her story, but there was nothing he could do about his body’s response to her proximity. She was the sexiest, most beautiful woman he’d ever met and he hoped that one day soon she would agree to be in a relationship with them. However, none of them were going to push her for what they wanted. How could they after what she’d told them she and her mother had endured for nearly two years?
No wonder she’d avoided them as if t
hey had the plague. There was no doubt in Phoenix’s mind that she was the one special woman meant to be theirs, but he wasn’t sure Enya would ever be able to be intimate with a man. He tensed as a horrifying thought flashed into his mind.
“They didn’t hurt…touch you, did they, baby?”
Cam and Axel met his gaze. The muscle in Cam’s jaw was twitching as he ground his teeth together. Axel’s lips were pulled into a straight, tight line, and he had his hands clenched in fists. Every muscle in Phoenix’s body felt as taut as a bowstring, but he tried not to show Enya how anxious he was as he awaited the answer.
“Other than getting me hooked on sedatives, almost starving me, and keeping me chained up like an animal, torturing and raping my mom in front of me, no, they didn’t hurt me.”
Phoenix had never been a violent man. He could be a hard-ass and domineering but he’d never contemplated violence, until then. He wished those sick fucks were alive so he could get his hands on them and torture them the way they’d tortured Enya. He could just imagine slicing a scalpel through that bastard’s flesh as he cut his balls off without any anesthesia. When he was finished with the fucker’s balls he would have started on his cock next and he would have made the asshole’s bitch watch every slice he made.
Axel huffed out a breath. “How’s the hand feeling, honey?”
“Sore,” Enya answered as she met Axel’s gaze. “But before you ask, no, I don’t want any more pain meds.”
“Not even an ibuprofen?” Camden asked.
“Not even.”
Phoenix gently tugged on her hair to get her attention. “Okay, but you need to tell us if the pain becomes worse than a five. All right?”
“What difference does it make?” Enya asked. “I don’t like taking any sort of medication.”
“You can’t get hooked on ibuprofen, honey,” Axel explained. “Two pills every four hours can take the edge off.”
Enya nodded. “Okay, I’ll let you know.” She glanced toward the covered window. “What time is it?”
