HOPE(4)

“Jordan’s,” one of them muttered. They all put their weapons away. The man in his arms stopped struggling. It would be so easy to snap his neck.

In the early days he wouldn’t have thought twice about killing him. Now, he wanted all the men gone. Jordan was a sick fuck, and bringing him to Don’s doorstep with an unauthorised killing could be deadly.

“Get the fuck out,” he said.

Each of the men walked past him. Damon kept his gaze on them refusing to back down. He threw the man out of the apartment door and watched them all disappear before he moved toward the bed.

He walked toward the bed and saw she was bound to the surface and couldn’t move.

Going to where her face lay, he looked into her scared blue eyes. Her hair was matted over her face. He moved the strands out of the way. She whimpered, trying to pull away from his hold. “Don’t be afraid,” he said.

She tensed, waiting for him to do whatever he was going to do. He pulled a knife out of his pocket. The woman cried out and tried to pull away. The men had put a gag over her mouth to keep her silent.

He reached over her cutting the bonds holding her in place and then her bound hands. Putting the knife in his pocket, he helped her to her feet. Her hair was the lightest blonde he’d ever seen. He knew she didn’t dye it because hair care products were no longer available.

Going to his knees in front of her, he pulled up her knickers. Her legs were shaking, and he couldn’t help but admire her shape. Damon loved beautiful women, and the woman in front of him was a beauty. The woman had curves that would make any man melt with pleasure.

Pulling her pants back up around her waist, he buttoned them up and stood. She rubbed her wrists. He saw the red welts surrounding her delicate flesh. He cursed watching her flinch away.

He removed her gag and tucked her hair behind her ear. She was so tiny compared to him. She looked fragile as if she was going to break at a moment’s notice.

“Thank you,” she said. Her voice sounded scratchy. He stared at her a few seconds before nodding his head.

“You know it’s not safe for a woman to be alone in a place like this.” Damon pulled out the pipe he kept on him at all times. He sparked the tobacco up inside and inhaled. Tobacco was one of the few pleasures available.

The mystery girl wrinkled her nose. “I don’t have a choice.”

“Those men are just the beginning, sweetheart. The moment they know an unprotected female is around you’ll be on everyone’s list to get to.”

She shuddered and sat down on the hard surface she’d been bound to only moments earlier.

“I’d rather be alone than put myself at another’s mercy.” She rubbed her hands together. He saw she was shivering from the cold. Sighing in frustration, he pulled his jacket off and placed it around her shoulders.

Damon noticed she was trying to hide her feminine body away from him. Nothing could detract from her gorgeous tits and ass, and he loved looking at naked women. The woman had a body to die for. There were too many women who had lost their shape and beauty to years of hardship.

He knew this woman before him hadn’t suffered much yet. Her eyes still wore a glint of innocence. She’d not been alone for long.

“How old are you?” he asked.

“Twenty.”

Ah, she was a runaway. Most of the women from families were kept until they were twenty-one or sold to a man who paid for them. The families were the term they used for the few remaining groups of people who were literally families. Most of the families were the ones working on the farms that were instantly set up when the survivors of the wars moved from below ground. Farms had become a necessity as most people wanted rid of the M3 control. Some, like him had no family left because of the flu. There were not that many people within the city. Being around Don and his club was similar to being in a family.

“Who did you run away from?”

She shook her head, rubbing her arms.

“What’s your name?” he asked, going for an easier topic.

“Penny.”

“Let me guess, no last name.”

Penny didn’t say anything else. He took a long pull on his pipe and stared around him at the room. She’d been moved in only a week, and he could already see a feminine touch. He moved toward the door intending to leave her to whatever she needed to do. Pausing at the door, he took one last look back at the woman who’d nearly been raped only moments ago.

Cursing, he moved around her small space and gathered all of her belongings. She clearly was a family runaway.

“What are you doing? Put that down.” She tried to pull the bag from his fingers. Damon wouldn’t let go of the bag. Penny hit out at him. He caught her hand and slammed her against the wall. There was a flash of pain across her face, which quickly left as he stood in her space.