by Lexi Blake
If not for him, she would be safe somewhere.
A third woman cried next to Dani. Julian stared at her briefly. She had the same features as Danielle, but there was something weak about the slim woman. Her sister. She looked different without the mask of cosmetics. She didn’t matter. Danielle mattered, and Lexi mattered. He knew he was a bastard, but he would let this woman die in order to save the other two.
Jeremy sighed as he walked up to Danielle. “Poor girl. She thinks you care about her. She doesn’t understand that you would have come here for any of your slaves.” He gave Danielle a pitying glance. “You see the Master is serious about his contracts. Those contracts mean more to him than the actual slave. He doesn’t have a heart, but he does have an enormous sense of responsibility and guilt. Which is precisely why I know this is going to hurt him.”
Jeremy slapped her across the face with brutal force. Julian managed to kick his feet weakly in a show of protest. Danielle gasped, her head snapping back. There was an angry palm print across her delicate skin when she looked back. Rage churned in his gut, and the vile taste of bile was in the back of his throat.
A thin trickle of blood was on the edge of Danielle’s mouth. She spit it out and turned back to Jeremy. “Is that the best you have?”
Don’t. Don’t tempt him, little one. Cry and plead with him.
Jeremy stared at her for a moment. “Interesting. I chose her because I thought the man was a pain slut. He had that look about him. She looks so soft. I thought it would bother her. But if you like it…”
Jeremy crossed the room. There was a bag on the table, and he reached into it. Julian watched in horror as he pulled out a baton.
“Don’t.” Julian managed to push the words through his lips.
“Don’t what?” Jeremy asked with a smile on his face.
“Don’t hurt her.”
He shrugged. “It’s not what you think it is. I’m not going to beat her with it.”
Danielle was shivering. “I know what it is. It’s a cattle prod.”
Shit.
Jeremy knelt down to get at eye level. “I’m going to use it on your cow, Julian. I’ll warm her up a bit, and then I’m going to shove it up her ass. We’ll see how much she can take.”
He had lied to himself. He’d promised to never beg, but now he knew he’d do anything to spare her. “Please.”
Jeremy’s face lit up.
“Julian, don’t. I can handle it.”
Danielle, so sweet, so brave.
The words were bitter, but necessary. “I’ll do anything. Please.”
“Begging like the dog you are. I’m surprised. You really will do anything to keep up your end of a contract. It’s your Achilles’ heel.” Jeremy set the prod down and came back with a dog collar. Julian lay passive as it was clicked around his neck. It chafed and bit into his skin. “You’re my dog now. Good puppy. And I’m still going to hurt her.”
“Fucker.”
Just like before, it didn’t matter. Begging didn’t work. Pleading didn’t work. And still he tried.
“Please leave her alone. I’ll come with you. I’ll do what you want. I’ll be your fucking dog.” He’d never felt so small, but watching Danielle die would be worse.
“Oh, yes, you’ll do everything I say, Julian. I’m the Master now.” Jeremy flicked on the cattle prod. The sound sizzled through the air menacingly.
It was nothing compared to the scream that came out of Danielle’s mouth.
* * * *
Finn heard the scream. It seemed to echo through the forest.
“Holy shit,” Jimbo said beside him. “That sounds like Dani.”
He started forward, but Finn stopped him. He understood the impulse. He wanted to run through the fucking forest like a barbarian and kill everything in his path, but he had to control it. He had to stop and think it through. The worst thing he could do was rush in without any knowledge of what was going on. The old Finn would have blustered his way in and probably gotten himself caught in the same web. The new Finn held his breath for a second. Julian was out of commission for all he knew. He could only count on himself. He was their best shot.
“How many windows are there on the cabin?”
Jimbo checked himself. “Two. There’s a big window on the side facing us and a smaller one in the back. If you’re thinking about sneaking in through the small one, don’t. We’re both too damn big. Though we oughta be able to shoot through it if the target is visible. But what if she’s already gone?”
He refused to believe it. “I don’t think so. Julian couldn’t have been there long. I think this Jeremy person wants to torture him before he kills him. The way to torture Julian is to hurt Dani. He’ll play with her for a while.”
“Fuck.”
Fuck was right. It tore him up that Dani was being hurt. She would have to take it while he set up her rescue. After, he’d love her so much she’d heal. Dani was strong. She’d had to be.
The hunting cabin came into view as he and Jimbo quietly slunk through the trees. Every sound made Finn wince. He had a rifle in his hands. He could see the big window, and what he saw made his heart clench. Dani was clearly visible. Her back was to them.
“Is that Val, too?” Jimbo’s soft whisper held a note of desperation.
“It looks like it.”
A long, tortured sigh came from Jimbo’s throat. “Damn it. When the time comes, I’ll take care of Val. She’s a bitch, but damn it, she’s kind of my bitch. I don’t know why, but I got a thing for her. If we make it out, I’m going to make sure she understands.”
Poor guy. He didn’t envy anyone who had the hots for Val.
A slender male figure came into view. Jeremy. He could see him through the glass. His hands stroked Dani’s hair almost lovingly. Bastard. He’d pay for touching her. Finn strained, but he couldn’t see Julian. Was he even here yet?
“Hand me the binoculars.” He held out his hand for the slim binoculars. Jimbo’s truck had proven to be a treasure chest of hunting aids. He kept rifles and ammo, knives, vests, and binoculars. Finn looked through the binoculars. He could see Dani’s lovely form hanging limply. Jeremy had some sort of baton in his hand. He stared for a minute before his gut churned and he passed the binoculars to Jimbo. “Is that what I think it is?”
Jimbo’s face went white. “Cattle prod.” He brought the binoculars down and put his hand on Finn’s shoulder. “It’s actually good news. Unless he modified it, it won’t kill her. It hurts like hell, but she’ll be fine.”
“How the hell do you know?” The thought of someone treating his Dani like a cow had him clawing at the rifle. Jeremy was too close. He’d never make the shot without hurting Danielle.
“Hell, Finn, I’m a redneck. You think I’ve never been hit with a cattle prod? That’s a regular Saturday night around here. My point is we have some time.”
Finn nodded, now happy he’d spent his childhood on the outside if cattle prods were regular weekend toys around here. His mind raced. “We need a distraction. I need to get Jeremy to a place where he’s not so close to Dani. If he moves to the left, I can get him.”
“Yes, can you use that rifle?”
“Of course.” On that Finn was completely confident. The only occasions his father had spent real time with him was on the shooting range. He’d never liked hunting, but he’d always had a fondness for target practice. “Three years as the 4-H sharpshooter.”
“That’s what I like to hear. Now I’m going to give you a distraction. When that bastard heads for the door, be ready.”
“What kind of a distraction?”
Jimbo shrugged. “I thought setting off some firecrackers right outside the door oughta scare the shit out of him.”
“Why the hell do you have fireworks? They’re illegal here.”
Jimbo looked at him like he was a complete moron. “That never stopped a redneck from celebrating.”
Jimbo set off, silently making his way toward a shed on the back of the prope
rty. Finn got into position and prepared to wait.
He promised himself he wouldn’t miss.
Chapter Nineteen
Dani shook. Every inch of her body felt bruised and battered from the inside out. It felt like someone had twisted her insides around over and over until nothing seemed to be in the right place anymore.
“He’s in agony you know.” Jeremy had taken to talking to her like they were girlfriends gossiping. “Not over you. He hates the fact that he hasn’t protected someone he’s contracted to protect. You’re like property to him.”
“We don’t have a contract.” Dani heard the words coming out of her mouth, but they sounded foreign. Her eyes were on Julian’s form. She couldn’t stand to see him like that. The last ten minutes had been hell. Jeremy had shifted his attention between the two of them. He would work Dani over with the prod and then zap Julian. Watching her big, strong man shake and writhe was worse than feeling the pain herself. She could take the pain, but not the agony of watching Julian’s pride fall away.
Jeremy stopped. “What do you mean?”
Dani tried to focus on him. “No contract.”
“I thought you were sleeping with him.”
“I didn’t write a contract on her, asshole.” Julian’s words sounded weary. He leaned back. “I never meant to keep her. She’s a vacation fling, nothing more.”
The words stung, but she knew what he was doing. He was trying to protect her.
But Jeremy didn’t seem to know what to do with that. “You don’t have flings.”
Julian laughed, but it was a shallow, bitter sound. “Shows what you know. I only came after her because you pissed me off.”
“Really?” Jeremy moved toward Julian. “I think you’re lying. I think you actually might give a shit about her. Why fucking her? Sally was more beautiful, and I hated Sally. Why women at all? Why do you need a fucking hole? I never understood that. I never understood why I had to share you with a fucking cow. Do you know how that made me feel?”
Even his eyes were wild now. He was building. She could feel it. Val cowered as much as she could. Dani tried to catch her eyes, but she was lost to terror. Lexi was unconscious in the corner. Julian was firmly bound, and even if he managed to get out, Dani doubted he would be able to move. He’d been hit several times with the Taser.
She managed to shift her feet. Her arms felt numb above her. The pain had gone away a long time before, but if she concentrated she could still move. She turned her head up to the ceiling. The crack was there, perfectly visible, simply too small to give her what she needed.
“I don’t care how you felt, you little prick. I never cared.” As tired as Julian sounded, the bile kept spewing out. Since that moment when he’d begged Jeremy to spare her, she’d watched as he retreated further and further into himself. There seemed to be nothing left but an indefatigable rage. And then she saw it. He moved his foot with purpose when Jeremy turned his back. He flexed and pointed it straight her way. The hardness was still in his eyes, but he wasn’t giving up.
“I knew that, too. And you call yourself a Master.” Jeremy reared his foot back and kicked Julian straight in the gut, the sound a dull, resounding thud that filled the room.
Beside her, Val cried out. She begged to no one in particular.
“Shut up!” Jeremy screamed the words. He dropped the cattle prod and shoved his hands in his hair, pulling and pulling.
“He’s crazy,” Val said, tears streaking down her face.
“You think?” Dani couldn’t help the sarcasm. If she gave in to the terror, she would be utterly useless. Sarcasm seemed safer. “What gave it away?”
Jeremy stopped and turned to her. The resolute look on his face nearly stopped her heart. He was done playing.
God, she wasn’t done. She wasn’t done with anything. She wasn’t done with life or love or any of it. She couldn’t die when she’d just started to figure out who she was. But her body didn’t agree. She couldn’t find the strength to pull anymore.
“Let’s see how much of a fling you are.” Jeremy spun her around until she was facing the window. At least she could see the sunlight.
“Fucking leave her alone!” Julian’s shout was hoarse. She could hear him pounding at something, most likely the floor. He was giving away too much. He was panicking.
“Not a chance,” Jeremy returned.
Dani shivered as she felt hands on the waist of her pants. She remembered his promise from before. He was going to do it. He was going to shove that damn prod where it shouldn’t go and turn it on. Her previously numb hands shook. How could she take this?
“Please.” There was a shaking cry to Julian’s words, and her heart broke. He was begging for her. It would kill a piece of him.
Jeremy’s voice shook with rage. “I begged you once, Julian. I cried and begged. It didn’t do me any good. It won’t do you any good, either. You don’t deserve forgiveness. You never have. There’s a reason you’re alone. There’s a reason terrible things happen to the people around you. I’m merely helping the universe along, Master.”
Jeremy pulled at her jeans, and Dani struggled. Tears filled her eyes. Nothing was working. She stared at the woods in front of her. She’d played in them as a child. She’d run through the woods pretending she was somewhere else. She’d never go anywhere, never be anything now. She’d seen a future, and now it was all about to end. He was going to kill her.
And then she saw him. He stood alone in the woods, his back to a pine, his face peering out.
Finn.
Finn had come for her. Numb or not, Dani felt a thrill of hope run through her body. She couldn’t see him plainly, but she knew it was him. A brief thought played in her brain. It could be a trick. Her mind could have made up the sight of Finn, like a mirage of an oasis in the desert, but something made her discount the idea. Even if it wasn’t true, she had to fight. She had to fight until she took her last breath. If Finn was out there, he was waiting for his chance.
She saw the rifle in his hands. He couldn’t shoot Jeremy because she was in the way.
Why was he alone? Where were Leo and Taggart and the police?
Suddenly there was a loud popping sound, and Dani thought she might know where they were. It sounded as though they were right outside the door.
“What the hell?” Jeremy jumped back.
Dani twisted her head to look at her kidnapper. He was staring at the door but made no move toward it. When she looked back at Finn, she could see the frustration in his stance. The rifle was up. He was waiting, but he couldn’t get a shot because she was in the way.
With a burst of energy she was sure she didn’t have left, Dani pulled her legs up. She brought her knees to her waist. Every ounce of her weight hung by that small hook. Her wrists ached, and she thought she could see a thin line of blood beginning to trickle from where the zip tie bit into her hands. She groaned.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Jeremy asked.
“Danielle,” Julian started to call out to her, but he was interrupted by a long groan that came from the ceiling and finally, blissfully, a loud crack.
One minute Dani was suspended, and the next, her knees hit the hard floor. She jerked forward. She looked up, and Jeremy stood over her, a scowl on his face. The cattle prod was in his hand.
“You think that will stop me, bitch? Nothing is going to stop me.”
“Don’t you fucking touch her again,” Julian shouted. Dani could see he was pulling at his own bonds. His face was chalky white, but he fought, trying to get to her.
Jeremy practically glowed as he pulled the prod up. “No one’s going to stop me. Even if that was the cops, they’re too late to save her. Live with that, Master.”
She gasped as the sound of glass breaking cut through the air. Jeremy stopped and looked down at his shirt. A slight stain broke through the fabric, blooming like a rose opening to the sun. He staggered back as he was hit again. Two to the chest. He fell to his knees with a low groan.
<
br /> “Was that the cops?” Val asked breathlessly. “The cops are here?”
“No, it was Finn,” Dani replied, struggling to get to her knees. Her legs felt wobbly, but she started to crawl toward Julian. He stared at Jeremy’s body, his gray eyes colder than she could ever remember.
The front door flew open with a crack. Jimbo strode in, rifle at the ready.
“He dead?” Jimbo looked down at Jeremy’s body. One side of his mouth quirked up. “Damn, he took out both lungs. Remind me not to get on Finn’s bad side.”
“Dani!” Finn burst in and completely ignored the body on the floor. He was at her side in a second, pulling her up and taking her in his arms. “Baby, I was so worried.”
“Get Julian out.” Dani couldn’t take her eyes off of him.
There was something about how still he was, how cold his eyes were that made her wonder if the worst wasn’t yet to come. He should be relieved, but there was nothing in the way Julian held himself that told her he was happy this was over. The rest of them were relaxed. Even Val was sagging into Jimbo’s arms as he pulled her off the hook. Julian was stiff, his gaze on Jeremy’s body as though he expected him to get up.
Finn kissed her cheek and helped her sit up. “Jim, you got a knife?”
Jimbo snorted as he reached into his pocket.
“Yeah, I know. Dumb question.”
Finn quickly sawed through the bindings on her hands and moved toward Julian. She got to her wobbly feet, rubbing her wrists. She bit back a groan as the blood started flowing again. The pain meant she was alive, so she would take it gratefully.
The minute Finn pulled Julian’s hands free, Dani tried to get into his arms. If anyone needed a hug, it was Julian. She remembered all the terrible things Jeremy had said to him. At least her torture had been purely physical. Jeremy had been ruthless in his mental torture of Julian.
“Are you okay?” Dani asked, trying to get close.
