by R. R. Banks
“Stay with me, Calee,” Raymond says. “Stay with me, sweetheart.”
I come back to myself and realize that I'm in Harold's arms. He's carrying me like a child and I'm looking straight into Raymond's face – though I feel like I'm looking into the face of the Devil himself.
“The poor dear,” Raymond says to the cop. “The excitement of it all must be a little too much for her. I think I should take her back to the Ark so she can get some rest.”
“That's probably a good idea,” the cop replies.
I want to say something. Want to tell the cop to arrest Raymond for Danny's murder. Want to tell him to save me because my life is in danger. But when I open my mouth to speak, nothing comes out. My mouth is dry, my head is pounding, and I have no words at all.
I watch the rescue crews hauling Danny up from the river. I see his limp, lifeless body hanging in the harness like a rag doll. The tears roll down my cheeks and I'm powerless to stop them.
As Harold carries me away, I look over at Raymond who is giving me a predatory smile that borders on sinister, the expression on his face triumphant.
Chapter Thirteen
“Did you really think I wouldn't find out?”
I'm sitting on the rough wooden floorboards, staring at the bare walls of the Reflection Room – a place I never imagined I'd find myself. Raymond is sitting in a chair against the far wall staring at me, the look on his face one of rage and disgust.
I look up at him, not knowing what to say. I'm numb with fear and I'm trembling uncontrollably. The adrenaline has long since worn off, leaving me feeling wrung out. Exhausted. I'm out of tears, I'm out of any feeling except fear. I'm so scared, I can't even mourn for Danny.
“I asked you a question, Calee.”
I shake my head. “No, I didn't think you'd find out.”
“That was your first mistake, sweetheart,” he says. “Second, actually. Fucking that townie was your first mistake.”
I lower my eyes and pick at my fingernails. I don't know what to say. There's nothing I can say, really. My worst fears have come true and it will likely cost me my life. Just like it cost Danny his.
“I know everything, Calee,” Raymond says, his voice low and menacing. “You can't put anything by me. You should know that by now.”
I remain silent, my eyes fixed on the ground. I'm not going to be baited into giving Raymond what he wants – either a fight or to have me begging him to spare my life. It's just not worth it to me anymore. But there is one thing I would really like to know.
“How did you know?” I ask.
“I have eyes and ears everywhere,” he says. “Have you learned nothing in your time with us?”
I raise my eyes and look at him. Lifting my chin, I hold his gaze, doing my best to not show him the fear that is coursing through me. In my mind's eye, I keep seeing Danny's limp body being hauled out of the river and a current of dark anger begins to trickle into my veins. I narrow my eyes and stare at Raymond with all of the hate and contempt I can muster.
“How did you know?” I repeat the question.
“Would you believe me if I said that God told me?”
“We both know you don't actually believe in God,” I spit. “God is a useful tool for you. A prop. Nothing more than an opiate for the masses.”
He looks at me, his eyebrows raised. “Wow,” he says. “Look at who's sounding all educated now. Guess you were doing more than just screwing that teacher, huh?”
“How, Raymond?” I spit again. “How did you know?”
He shrugs and tips his chair back, folding his arms over his chest as he stares at me. “Guess it doesn't matter now,” he says, “given that you – and that bastard inside of you – are gonna die and all. It was Ruth. Ruth sold you out. She made me an interesting proposition – her freedom for some valuable information. She bought her way off the Ark by spilling it all. Gotta admire her ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. First time I've ever had something like that happen before.”
My heart sinks to depths I didn't think it could sink to. I'd been right not to trust her. To keep information from her. And now – now it's too late for regret. She'd done what she did and although I can't say I entirely blame her – I'd probably do just about anything to get out of this hell-hole myself – I can hate her for it. And I do. I hate her with every fiber of my being.
“Don't worry though, sweetie,” Raymond says. “My Shepherds made sure her trespasses against you didn't go unanswered. She's been – taken care of.”
Taken care of – Raymond-speak meaning that Ruth was as dead as Danny and buried in a shallow ditch somewhere.
“Don't pretend it had anything to do with me, Raymond,” I hissed. “This is all about you. There's no way you were going to let somebody like Ruth extort you like that. Your pride and your ego wouldn't tolerate it. You killed her because you have to control everybody and everything around you.”
Raymond laughs and runs a hand through his hair. He looks at me with an amused expression on his face.
“Well, look at you,” he says. “Looks like little Calee's all grown up now. Got a little townie fuck-buddy, found herself a spine and is thinking for herself these days. Color me impressed, sweetheart.”
I guess there's really no reason to hide it anymore. No reason to play the meek, demure little brainwashed girl. I'm going to be killed soon anyway. At the very least, I want to go out knowing that Raymond knows I see him for who and what he is. It's not much, but it's all I have. All I'm going to get.
“I'm not your sweetheart, you evil bastard,” I say. “I never was. And I see you, Raymond. I know exactly what you are. A predator. A child rapist. A –”
“Shut your mouth,” he says, his tone cold.
“What? That hit a little too close to home?” I taunt him. “Don't like being called out for the pedophile you are?”
He's out of the chair and standing in front of me before I even have time to think. I hear the crack of flesh meeting flesh a split-second before I feel the stinging in my cheek where he slapped me. Raymond grabs me by the hair and hauls me to my feet. Pressing me against the wall, he's standing face-to-face with me, his nose inches from mine.
His expression is dark, his face contorted with rage. His nostrils flare and there is a wild, almost insane light in his eyes that chills me to the bone.
“Don't push me, Calee,” he hisses.
“Or what? You'll kill me?” I ask. “You're going to kill me no matter what I say.”
His fingers dig into my cheeks as he holds my face close. The smell of his breath – whiskey and cigarettes – is overpowering.
“The manner of your death is still up for debate,” he says, his voice low.
“Dead is dead,” I spit. “Doesn't matter how I get there.”
He chuckles. “Sure, it does,” he says. “You can either go peacefully. Humanely. Or, you can go covered in your own blood, begging me for mercy like a coward.”
I don't know what's gotten into me. Maybe it's facing the certainty of my own death that's giving me courage – or an excessive dose of foolishness – but I spit in Raymond's face. He doesn't even flinch when the glob strikes his cheek. I watch is sliding down his face as a thin, cruel smile forms on his lips.
Raymond releases my face and takes a handkerchief out of his pocket, never taking his eyes off mine as he wipes the spit from his face. He tucks the cloth back into his pocket and smiles at me – a smile that promises retribution and pain. The air in the room is thick and saturated with tension and the expectation of violence.
And then with the speed of a coiled snake striking, Raymond's fist lashes out, rocking my head backward as it connects with my face. My head hits the wall behind me, setting off an explosion of pain unlike anything I've ever felt, and for a moment, I see stars. Darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision and I start to feel lightheaded.
Raymond just laughs and steps away from me, walking toward the door. With his hand on the knob, he turns back and looks at me.
“You know,” he says. “According to the Bible, back in the day, adulterers were often stoned to death. I think it's time to bring that tradition back – don't you?”
Chuckling to himself, Raymond opens the door and steps out, slamming it shut behind him. I listen to the sound of him locking the door from the outside followed by his footsteps as he walks away. I sink to my knees, my head still spinning, my face a live wire of pain.
The tears come and I can't hold them back as I lay down on the floor, the rough wooden planks biting into my skin. I sob until the darkness finally pulls me under.
Chapter Fourteen
I'm awakened by the sound of the door to the Reflection Room being unlocked. Scurrying to the far corner of the room, I huddle there, my stomach churning and my head spinning. This is it. This is really it. I'm going to die.
The door opens and the darkness of the night comes rushing in. The fact that it's nighttime throws me off – Raymond won't kill me at night. No, he'll kill me by the light of day, where everybody can see.
Somebody steps into the doorway, but I can only see their silhouette. It's a woman – which adds to my confusion.
“Calee,” she says and rushes forward.
I cower in the corner, trying to press myself further into the wall as she reaches for me. My heart feels like it's going to explode in my chest and there is so much adrenaline coursing through me, I feel like my body has an electrical current running through it.
The woman drops to her knees before me and takes my hands in hers. And when she leans close, I have to blink several times. I can't believe what I'm seeing – or fathom what she's doing here. It's Raymond's newest wife – the girl I'd met earlier in the day. The girl who seemed completely enraptured by him.
“R – Rachel?” I ask.
“We need to get you out of here,” she says. “Can you stand?”
I shake my head, trying to clear out the thick cobwebs of confusion. “W – what are you doing?” I ask. “What –”
“We don't have time for that, Calee,” she says. “Please, can you stand up?”
I let her help me to my feet and then stare at her. She looks back toward the door, nervous. She's jittery and even in the gloomy shadows inside the Reflection Room, I can see the fear in her eyes.
“The gate in the south wall is unlocked,” she says. “Raymond and the Shepherds are all drunk right now. You should be able to get to it without being seen.”
“I – I don't –”
“Calee, you need to get out of here,” Rachel says, her voice urgent. “They're going to kill you. They're going to fucking stone you to death. You need to run.”
Everything is happening so fast and I'm so confused. I look at her and then at the open doorway. None of this makes sense. She's Raymond's wife. This morning, she seemed to be devoted to him. I look at her again and shake my head.
“Why are you helping me?”
She looks to the door and then back at me. And by the dim lighting coming in from outside, I can see the tears welling in her eyes.
“Because I need your help,” she says. “I need you to get help and come back. I need you to save me. I need you to get me out of here.”
The tears are falling down her face and I pull her to me, embracing her tightly. My heart goes out to this girl – I know exactly what she's going through.
“Please, promise me you'll come back,” she says. “Promise me you'll bring help and get me out of here.”
I kiss the top of her head. “I swear it,” I vow. “I'll get you out of here.”
She steps back and looks at me as she wipes the tears away from her face. “You need to get out of here, Calee,” she says. “Now.”
“What about you?” I ask.
“I'll be fine,” she says. “I'll lock the room and give them a mystery to figure out. Maybe it buys you a little more time.”
“Come with me.”
See how Eric and Calee meet each other and how he ends up Saving Her forever. Get Saving Her HERE.
HOT daddy (Sample)
A Single Dad Billionaire Romance
By R.R. Banks
An Amazon Top 100 Bestseller
*216 Customer Reviews – 4.7/5 Stars
Alright, alright, alright.
Women say I sound just like Matthew McConaughey.
And owning half of Texas, life can't get any better.
Until my inheritance is threatened by Tiffany, my b*tch of a half-sister.
Well sugar, that sh*t ain't happenin'!
The only way to stop her is to get married.
It's in my parents' will.
Fortunately, I know just the candidate - Amanda.
She lights me up as bright as the Dallas sky.
All I can think of is her riding me cowgirl while wearing my Stetson.
But there's more to it.
She's actually making my playboy @ss consider settling down.
I'll do everything in my power to win her over.
Including something I have never done before, introduce her to my son.
This is our chance, for our happily ever after.
But Tiffany has other plans, one that doesn't involve my inheritance or Amanda...
Chapter One
Brady
“I've never done it in a skybox before,” she purred.
“Looks like you can check it off your bucket list then, sugar,” I reply.
She gives me a seductive little smile. “Anybody ever say you sound just like Matthew McConaughey when you talk?”
I look at her and smile. “Is that a good thing?”
“It's definitely a good thing,” she says. “It's sexy.”
I flash her a devilish little grin. “Well, alright, alright, alright.”
She giggles and goes back to giving me a mind-blowingly amazing blowjob. I look at the packed stadium outside the windows of my skybox and smile. I love football – almost as much as I love a good blowjob. But football is the thing I'm most passionate about in life. I've loved it since I was a kid, when my dad used to take me to the games. That love affair only grew stronger when my dad, founder of the Keating Technologies empire, bought an NFL team – the San Antonio Copperheads. Which, automatically became my favorite team.
I remember going to the games with him when I was a kid. Dreamed of wearing the black and copper colored uniforms, of making big plays on Sundays. I remember sitting in the big luxury box above the field and taking it all in, thinking it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I remember going down onto the sidelines and into the locker room to meet some of the players – some of my idols growing up.
Of course, back then, I never imagined taking in the games the way I currently was – sitting in my luxury box in a stadium packed to the rafters with screaming fans – and having a gorgeous little blonde face down in my lap working my cock like she had something to prove.
I tangle my hands in her hair, giving it a firm pull as she works her mouth and hand in unison on my thick, hard shaft. She looks up at me with a flirty little smile and a sexy little gleam in her eyes as she traces the tip of her tongue around the head of my cock, stroking me at the same time.
The crowd outside the luxury box roars, making me smile down at her.
“Damn, darlin', you're so good, you can get a stadium of sixty-five thousand people on their feet,” I say, knowing full well that nobody can see through the smoked glass tinting of the windows.
“Shut up,” she giggles. “I would kill you if anybody could see us. What would my momma think?”
“Honey, I gotta believe she'd think she raised a damn fine young woman.”
She smacks my thigh playfully and then squeezes the base of my cock nice and hard before taking all of it back into her mouth. She tightens her mouth around me, moving her head up and down, licking and sucking hard and fast. I lean my head back on the chair and moan, my eyes rolling back in my head.
“You locked the door behind you when you came in, didn't you, sweethear
t?” I ask.
She nods and mumbles – it's probably a little difficult for her to talk with her mouth full. She keeps moving her head up and down though, cupping my balls and giving them a firm squeeze, making my breath catch in my throat. This girl has the whole sweet, Catholic, girl-next-door look about her, but there is nothin' innocent about this one – which I'm very happy about. Obviously.
I look at the door again, hoping she actually had locked it. The last thing I want is for somebody to walk in on us during our little tryst. Not that it would be the first time I'd been caught screwing one of the hospitality girls in my skybox. I'm not big on putting on shows for people though. Believe it or not, but I do have some morals – a few, anyway.
I glance at the clock and realize halftime is coming to an end soon. I need to speed things up so I don't miss any of the game. Or the meeting I have scheduled that I'm already dreading.
I pull the girl to her feet and then stand up. She giggles and licks her lips seductively. She is a gorgeous little thing – no more than twenty-two or twenty-three-years-old, five foot three, a hundred and fifteen pounds soaking wet, with blonde hair, deep green eyes, and a luscious, curvy, deliciously tight little body. A body I can most definitely get used to banging.
And if she behaves herself, maybe we'll just have to have an encore performance at next week's game.
Leaning down, I kiss her hard, cupping her breasts through her tight white uniform shirt. She wraps her legs around my waist when I pick her up and carry her over to the bar, sitting her down on top of it. I kiss her neck as I work at the buttons on her shirt, finally getting it undone.
I drop her shirt on the bar, her bra quickly following. She gasps when I gave her stiff nipples a nice, hard pinch. Leaning down I take one of her nipples into my mouth, sucking and nibbling on it as I squeeze and knead her other breast in my hand.
