Scarlett Limerence

by K. A Knight

  They repeat again and again, like a music video in my head, until I scream and move like a whirlwind, trying to beat them out of myself.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Scarlett

  “Randy, what are you doing?” I demand, looking between him and Reggie.

  Randy grins at me from where he sits on the sofa between my mum and Jeffery, who are both gagged with their hands tied around their backs. I had been thrown across the room, landing against the wall while they both stared at me…with knives in their hands.

  He waves it around now, catching the light on the serrated steel and leans forward, smirking at me. Reggie stands at the bottom of the stairs, hovering and unsure, not willing to meet my eyes even when I catch his. I’m betting this is Randy’s idea. I frown at his face, which is covered in bruises.

  “What happened to you?” I find myself asking.

  Randy frowns then before shaking his head and bringing up the knife, pointing at his own face with it, not caring about the sharp edge as he presses it to his cheek. “This little makeover is courtesy of your fuck toy. Got to say, you have bad taste, could have had me, but you chose him?” Reggie clears his throat then, and Randy rolls his eyes when he can’t see. “Or lovestruck idiot behind me, really, I’m curious why he’s missing that little cunt so much, it must be special,” he sneers.

  I glare at him, my eyes drifting to my mum who appears completely sober for once, her eyes wide and filled with fear, glancing between us constantly. Her face is pale and sweat drips down her brow…as well as blood from her hairline. I look at Jeff. He’s knocked out, leaning back against the sofa, his legs limp on the floor.

  “What do you want?” I finally ask, propping myself up and trying to appear more confident than I feel. He won’t do anything, Randy is all talk.

  “Don’t play dumb with me. You know what I want,” he snarls, suddenly angry before it fades into a pleasant expression. “So, hot stuff, do you want to play with us?”

  I glance at Reggie behind him, who finally meets my eyes. His are hard and he seems determined now as he steps forward, walks around the sofa, and stops in front of me. Leaning in, his face twists into a snarl, and he orders, “Say yes,” then he presses the knife to my chin. My eyes flare as I force myself to keep still.

  “Reggie, don’t do this, he’s just using you—” The slap resounds through the room as my head jerks to the left, the knife cutting through my skin and my cheek flaring in pain from the backhand.

  “Yes!” Randy shouts, jumping to his feet as I turn my head and glare at Reggie, who steps back, letting me see my mum and Randy. “Look who’s finally in the game! He was having second thoughts, but looks like seeing you really did the trick! My turn now though, hot stuff, so I’ll ask once more, do you want to play?”

  “If I say no?” I inquire, dropping my other hand with my phone behind my back and trying to dial without looking.

  “Then dear old mum here will get it,” he threatens, grinning. “Quite nice, she was, letting us in to wait for you. I think she called you a demon child? And old dad here asked if you were sucking our cocks.”

  “He’s not my dad,” I instantly snap, before blowing out a breath. I need to keep him busy talking, giving me enough time to reach the police or escape, which is less likely with both of them here, but if I can get to the back door, I know I can outrun them.

  “Aww, that’s not very nice, is it, Jeff?” Randy asks, nudging him, although he’s still unconscious. “Shit, you really knocked him out. He’s not dead, is he?” Randy whines, looking at Reggie.

  “What? No!” He recoils back. “You hit him with the bottle, you check!” he yells, panic clear in his voice. Maybe he’s not as involved as I thought. I could use that and any feelings he might still have for me. The thought is repulsive, but I’ll use whatever it takes to get me free from this, then I’ll fry their asses.

  While they both converge on Jeff, checking him over to make sure he isn’t dead, I sneak a look at my phone, trying to be sly, and punch in 911. Darting looks between it and Randy, I miss Reggie turning around.

  “Fuck!” he screams, and throws me back into the wall. I let out a yelp as agony races through my back from the impact, and my phone drops from my fingers when they spasm. We both watch it fall before our eyes clash and then we both try to grab it. He gets there first and puts it in his pocket, glaring at me and pointing the knife at me once again, his nostrils flaring.

  Swallowing, I press farther back into the wall and stare straight into his eyes before clapping interrupts us. “Fuck, I love how feisty she is. Was she like this when you were fucking?”

  “Only when you get her going in bed,” he replies, winking at me. Bile rises in my throat from them talking about me like that, and from knowing I let him touch me, but I don’t let it show, I won’t give them the satisfaction.

  “You took too long to answer, hot stuff,” Randy calls, and when I look over, he stabs the knife downwards into Jeff’s thigh, who bolts upright with a scream, grabbing at his leg as blood starts to pour from it. He mumbles in agony before he starts to cry, snot running down his face. “Guess he’s not dead,” Randy points out over the screams.

  I stare, open-mouthed, as shock courses through me…he means business, he’s going to hurt them if I don’t play along. “Shit, man, what the hell were you thinking?” Reggie shouts at Randy, waving the knife around in wide-eyed shock. “We were just using them as leverage! We’re only here to scare her!” he yells.

  Randy tuts. “Don’t question me in front of the hostages, looks bad.” He winks. Fuck, he’s crazy, crazier than I thought. That makes him the more dangerous one.

  “I’ll play! I’ll play!” I interrupt, my eyes drifting to my mum, who looks terrified and is struggling against her bindings.

  “See? It worked. Good answer, hot stuff.” Randy grins before jumping up and prowling towards me. He stops when we’re almost touching. “Okay, first one…wait! I forgot to tell you the game!” He shakes his head, stepping back as he speaks, his movements jerky and unpredictable…is he on something? “Truth or dare, hot stuff, only I get to choose what. If you don’t answer or do as you’re told, I’ll hurt mummy here.” He grabs her head and kisses her softly on her forehead, making her still, her chest heaving as tears blur her eyes. “Nod if you understand,” he snaps, suddenly annoyed, his mood swinging all over, almost giving me whiplash. Fear is constant, I’m scared to even move.

  I nod and he grins, jumping up and racing over again. Leaning his head down, he whispers against my lips, “Truth, hot stuff, are you fucking that prick next door?”

  I hesitate, and he slaps me so suddenly that I cry out and slam back into the wall, agony rising through my injured shoulder. I hold my arm across my body, trying to keep it still, knowing something is seriously wrong there. “No, no,” I answer, and he tuts, stepping back.

  “I don’t believe you.” He swings his knife again, sauntering over to Mum.

  Stepping forward, I beg, “Please, I swear, it’s the truth! Leave her alone!” Tears fill my eyes and he stops, looking at me and cocking his head.

  “Hmm, I might believe you. I don’t think you’ve slept with him…but you want to.” I must react because he laughs. “I knew it, that’s not nice, hot stuff, not when I already told you that you’re my girl.” He seems to have forgotten about my mum now and steps back up to me, his eyes dropping to my arm as he grins. “Seems you need a punishment for your unclean thoughts,” he whispers as if to himself, and before I know it, he’s grabbed my arm and wrenched it sideways, so fast and strong I actually feel it pop out of its socket. My scream cuts through the air, but he clamps his hand across my mouth as tears stream down my face and he stares at me from inches away. “Truth or dare, truth or dare…dare I think.” He kisses the back of his hand over my mouth before letting go and stepping back.

  Cradling my injured arm, I try to bite back my tears, but I’m in so much pain I’m almost swaying on my feet. “Dare, what’s the dare?�
� I croak, drawing his gaze again, which has reverted back to my mum like he forgot she was there.

  “Dare! Hmm…I dare you to kiss me.” He smirks, looming over me. “Kiss me like you mean it.” He runs the knife tip across my lips, and I part them to stop him from cutting into them and he grins. “So eager.”

  Grinding my teeth, I swallow my pride and dignity. “Come here,” I force out, and he moves the knife, forcing his lips onto mine. I keep my eyes open and on him the whole time as he kisses me, but he bites down on my lip, hard enough to draw blood, and my eyes water again. “Like you fucking mean it,” he snaps and grabs my head, yanking me closer.

  Closing my eyes, I try to imagine he’s Max—it’s his hands on my face, his tongue snaking into my mouth, and I kiss him back as salty tears trace down my face and mingle in our kiss.

  He breaks away with a laugh, his eyes wild. “Oh, she liked that.” He grins, looking over at Reggie. “Told you she wanted me. You can pick next if you want.”

  Reggie looks between us, but seems to collect himself and moves closer. “Truth, who do you want more, me or Randy?”

  I debate my answer. Who do I want to piss off more, and who can I use, but he obviously gets bored waiting and grabs my head, twisting it painfully, and snarls, “Answer me.”

  I dart a look between him and Randy, and I know this is going to hurt, but Randy is more dangerous, I need him on my side. “Randy,” I spit, then grin in Reggie’s face, knowing no matter what he’s going to punish me for my answer, so I might as well go down swinging.

  He doesn’t react for a second and I hold my breath, waiting. Then he snaps, just snaps, and smashes me back into the wall so hard, my ears start to ring and my vision blurs. Blinking to try and clear it, I hear Randy’s laughter shooting above the ringing as I slip down the wall, unable to hold myself up.

  Reggie always had liked it rough, sometimes bordering on too rough, but he always apologised after, so I forgave him…however, that was only ever in the bedroom. It seems he’s using it now, letting out all that aggression, so maybe I was wrong. Maybe he’s more dangerous than Randy and I just kicked the hornet’s nest.

  My eyes finally clear, and the ringing in my ears starts to fade away, as a scream is ripped from my throat when Randy grabs my injured arm and yanks me up. “Up you go, time for me again. Dare, hot stuff, I dare you…” He seems to think, looking around, his fingers biting into the skin on my injured arm, making me whimper.

  “Dance for us, after all, I did plan us a night of drinking and dancing. Reg, put on some music, won’t you?” he calls, and he throws himself on the sofa between my mum and Jeff, who’s still passed out and looking worse for wear with blood soaking into the carpet at his feet.

  Reggie shakes off his rage, glaring at us both in jealousy, before he moves over to the shelves in the corner and hits the stereo. A low, sultry song starts to move through the room. Keeping my arm close, I look between them. Are they serious? It could have been worse, but mortification surges through me when Randy brings up his phone and starts to film me. “Dance for me, hot stuff.”

  So I do, and while I move to the music, I look around for an escape, thinking through my options. I need to get out of here before the dares get worse. It’s not like I have a choice to do them or not.

  “Take the shirt off!” Randy yells and I cringe, my face heating, and I feel like crying again, but I won’t give him the satisfaction.

  Glaring at him, I drag my shirt over my head, almost screaming when I have to try and lift my injured arm—fuck, fuck, fuck. My vision goes dark for a moment, and when I come to, I’m still standing, though I don’t know how. I toss my shirt on the floor and lift my chin, not letting him embarrass me. I still have my bra, it’s only like being in a bikini, I tell myself.

  Carrying on moving to the music, I focus over their heads, losing myself to the song, pretending they aren’t here, otherwise I would just stop and want to sob…but I won’t. Fuck that, that’s a weak girl move. No one is coming to rescue me from this, I need to rescue myself and I will.

  These bastards don’t get to win, I’m not the tragic heroine in a slasher movie who makes it to the very end and almost dies, just another blonde bimbo with boobs, half naked. No, fuck that.

  When the music fades, Reggie turns it off, and instead of covering my chest, I wait for their next move, letting them look their fill. It’s all they’re going to get. “What now?” I snap, and Randy laughs, pocketing his phone. I keep my eye on it. If I can get close again, I can distract him and get it from him. So, taking a deep breath, I ignore Reggie and step over to Randy and straddle his lap. Hiding my disgust, I lean down to block his vision as I slip my hand across his jeans and over to his pocket, running my lips over his.

  “You enjoy the show?” I whisper, distracting him as I slide my hand into his pocket, my fingers stretching until I touch the cool metal of his phone. He kisses me and I gasp, my eyes flying wide before I force them closed as I grasp onto the phone and start to slowly pull it out. I can hide it behind my bad arm as I move away so neither will see.

  Just as I start to get it out of his pocket, ignoring the insistent touch of his lips, Jeff jerks next to us, scaring me so much that when he starts to scream, I fall backwards from the sofa and onto the floor. Scrambling to my feet, I hide the phone I managed to yank free and look at him with wide eyes as he wakes fully and looks around.

  “You fucking bastards!” he starts to shout, spitting insults, and I pretend to cry against the wall, blocking the light of the phone with my body as I try to dial with one hand. Luckily, Randy is staring at them both, but my hands are shaking so badly that the phone isn’t even recognising me, and when Reggie comes up behind me, I fumble with it, trying to hide it as he grabs my hair and yanks me sideways to face Randy and Jeff.

  “Tell him to shut up or we’ll kill him. We can’t have the neighbours hearing,” he snaps, and Randy frowns at the screaming man.

  “That’s true.” He gets up and smashes the end of the knife across Jeff’s head, knocking him out again.

  He slumps sideways, stilling with his mouth open, and the screams cut off as I swallow hard, hoping they didn’t notice the phone. Randy stands up, his hand going into his pocket and I go cold. Fuck.

  He stops then, his eyes coming up to meet mine. “Oh, you little naughty thing,” he sneers, and comes towards me, looking me over. He grabs my injured arm and yanks it away as I struggle between them, the phone dropping to the floor with a thud.

  Randy leans down and scoops it up, showing it to me. “Trying to call for help? Don’t you know yet, hot stuff, that there is no getting away from us?” he whispers, before he pockets the phone again. “Dare again, I think, hot stuff. I dare you to get on your hands and knees. Face down, ass up, just like that picture Reggie had of you.”

  They are trying to humiliate me, force me to their whims until I understand I’m theirs to do with what they want, but I won’t let them. I’ll follow their game for now, let them think I’m giving in. I glare as I sink to my knees and the press my forehead to the carpet, closing my eyes and thinking of anything else.

  Fingers dig into my hips and yank me backwards until my ass is in the air and then they let go. Both of them are whispering to each other, just leaving me in this position as they laugh and joke. I scrunch my eyes shut tighter, forcing back the tears of humiliation.

  Deciding I’ve had enough, I sit back on my haunches and glare at them. “Why don’t we make this interesting? You play! Randy, I dare you to hit Reggie.”

  “Oh, she’s here to play! Fine.” He smirks and then punches Reggie right in the face, who jerks back and screams.

  “What the fuck man?” he yells, clutching his nose. Then he glares at me. “Scar, dare you to kick Randy in the balls.”

  Jumping to my feet and lifting my eyebrow, I launch my foot and smash him right in the family jewels. Randy groans, cupping them and going down, his face strained. I start to edge away, but Reggie locks me in place with a glare
as Randy recovers, and when he does, I know I pushed it too far.

  His face is thunderous and dark, all teasing and playfulness gone. My mouth goes dry and my palms sweat as he advances on me. “I dare you to fuck me,” he snarls, and I shake my head, backing away.

  For every step I take backwards, he takes one forward, until we’re moving across the room. Obviously bored with chasing me, he kicks out his leg, knocking into me, but I manage to hop over it.

  “Fuck you,” I snap, my voice shaking.

  “That’s the plan,” he taunts, and when my legs hit the sofa, I swear. He sucker punches me right in the ribs, and I hear a crack as I bend over and gasp in painful breaths. He kicks at my legs again, and I tumble to the floor and onto my bad arm, making me scream as I flop onto my back, clutching it. Each breath is filled with agony as I try to stay still and not pass out.

  I feel a hand wrap around my leg and I kick out, whimpering at the pain surging through my shoulder, and suddenly white-hot agony races through my leg. Looking down, I see Randy pulling away after biting my leg. What the fuck? I kick out with the other and manage to catch him in the face, and he falls backwards as I finally get air.

  Flipping onto my front, I lie there for a second as my vision blurs.

  Resting on the floor next to the table, I grab the carpet and start to crawl towards it, my vision narrowing on the bowl there. I know he’s coming for me again and I won’t lie down and just wait for it. No, I need to get away and now. Blood drips steadily down my head, my left arm is useless, and my leg is twinging like mad from his bite. My ribs are aching, and I know if I don’t get out of here soon, I’m going to pass out from all the abuse.

  My eyes catch on Jeff, whose eyes are lifeless, his body paling in death. Oh God, did they kill him? It makes me woozy, but I shake it away and force myself to keep moving forward, keep fighting.