“Please don’t rape me!” I cry out when I can’t take much more. I’m ice cold with fear. I don’t even feel the warmth from his body, pressing so close to mine.
“I’m not going to rape you,” he says, his voice hoarse. “When I take you it will be your choice. Everything is your choice. Either your friends get hurt or you obey. You’ll always have a choice.”
Anger bubbles up in me. “That’s not a choice! Threatening to hurt my friends is still making me do something against my will. It’s still rape!” I cry out. This man is definitely deranged!
“You’ll either say yes or no. No, and your friends get hurt. Yes, and we have consensual sex. Think hard about the choice you make.”
I cover my face again, crying hard. I feel so frustrated, hopeless and above all scared out of my mind. He allows me to cry it all out. I can’t stand the thought of Riza and Kelly suffering because of me. I don’t want them to be beaten the way I was. I don’t want them to be killed.
I don’t want to die.
I’m surprised as his arms slacken around me. But then his finger trails from my shoulder to my elbow in a soft caress.
Nooo! This can’t be happening. He can’t make me choose!
He leans up on his elbow, raising himself half over me. “You need to decide now,” he whispers right by my ear.
My body starts to tremble as this nightmare becomes more real than ever.
I force myself to think of Riza and Kelly. They are all that matter. Their safety and lives come first.
When Garrett takes hold of my shoulder, nudging me to lie on my back, I swallow the whimper building up in my throat.
My friends … my sisters. They are all that matter.
Once I’m flat on my back, he leans over me. “Good girl,” he whispers his approval.
In that moment I don’t know who the bigger monster is, Eric who beat me killed Cathy and shouted until my ears ringed, or Garrett with his whispers and soft touches.
When his lips brush gently over my jaw, I can’t keep still. I squeak with fear and turn my face away from him. I can’t allow him to kiss me. It will make the whole thing too personal then. A kiss is for someone you like.
“Don’t, Kris. You need to make your choice and stick with it.” He takes hold of my jaw and turns my face back to his. “Disobey me and I won’t be forgiving.”
Forgiving! This man is deranged!
When he presses his mouth to mine, I can’t keep my lips from trembling. I pinch my eyes tightly shut.
His hand skims over my skin, from my shoulder all the way down, until his fingers brush over my pubic hair. One finger slips down and I cry out against his mouth. I fight to close my legs but his leg and hand keep them open.
Suddenly he yanks away from me, as if I’ve burned him. He leaves me crying on the bed as he walks to the door. When he opens it, my heart leaps to my throat. I want to beg him not to hurt my friends. I want to tell him that I’ll do anything to ensure their safety, but I can’t.
“How the fuck am I supposed to do this?” I hear him say under his breath. Anger radiates off his tense body.
Then he slams the door close behind him, leaving me with an overwhelming feeling of guilt. He rejected me! I can’t believe I feel this way. I should be thankful he doesn’t want me.
Then a sickening thought sends shivers down my spine.
What if he hurts Riza or Kelly? What if he rapes one of them?
I’ve let them down!
~*~
Chapter Eleven
Garrett~
I slam my fist into the wall outside the room. Anger and disgust pulse through my veins with every heavy beat of my heart.
I can’t do that to her. I can’t rape her. I’m not a rapist.
Tears clog up my throat at the thought of failing Andrea. She’s lying in some dingy room, all defenseless. I promised to always protect her.
“Andrea is all that matters, Garrett!” I say, assuring myself that this is all for my sister. I press my forehead against the wall, my breathing hot and fast. “She’s only seventeen while Kristine is a woman. She had sex before. She’ll recover but my sister won’t stand a fucking chance.” A tear slips over my cheek. “Fuck! I can’t do this.”
I storm back into the room. I don’t know what I’m doing. There are too many emotions making my chest tight.
She’s still on the bed, spread out like I left her. She’s fucking beautiful, any man’s wet dream. But then I see the terror in her eyes. “I’m s-sorry,” she stutters. “Don’t hurt my friends. I’ll listen. Just don’t hurt them.”
I start to laugh. Now she’s listening! My laughter dries up and I shake my head.