tight. The rope almost disappeared into her delicate wrists. That certainly explained the intense discomfort. She felt ropes binding her ankles and knees, too. She was still slumped over from being bound while unconscious, so she heaved herself up to stand upright and sighed in relief as some of the strain was taken from her wrists. She was surprised she wasn't gagged, but she was totally naked.
“Well, well, well. Finally, Sleeping beauty awakens,” Joe said as he appeared from behind her. He was sporting only a pair of boxers himself.
She looked at him for just a moment before she had to avert her gaze. He had killed Preston. Her Master. The love of her life. Without Preston, who was she? The tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her ravaged cheeks.
“Stop your damn crying!” he shouted, suddenly angered. His fist lashed out and struck her across the face.
Her head jerked to the right. She gasped, gathered her strength and looked at him, glaring defiantly. Her anger got the better of her and boiled over. “You mother fucking asshole murderer!” she screamed at him. “You killed him! You murdered my Master!'
His backhand caught her on the side of the jaw. The forehand struck her temple, rattling her teeth. Her head lolled back and lights danced before her eyes. The pain in her head intensified, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.
“He is not your Master, anymore, Angela. I am. From now on, you will call me Master,” he said, his tone venomous.
She straightened up and leaned forward into his face. She stared him in the eyes. “Never! I'd rather die than to call you Master. And my name is Angel.'
He jammed his fist into her abdomen with such force it left her gasping for air. “That can be arranged, Angela.” He walked around behind her. “But first, this collar has to go.'
She felt his fingers fumbling with the buckle to her collar. Preston's collar. “No!” she cried and began thrashing around, trying to prevent him from removing the collar. She screamed in frustration as she felt the warm leather fall away from her throat.
Joe carelessly tossed the collar aside. “Don't worry, Angela. I'll get you one of mine soon enough. For now I'll give you a makeshift one.'
She watched him walk over to the lone table in the room and pick up a coil of rope. He returned and tied one end around her throat. He wrapped it snug around her neck, not enough to cut off her air, but enough to hinder it.
“Preston was right about one thing, at least. Rope does enhance a woman's beauty,” Joe said thoughtfully, staring at Angel's bound form.
Angel's breathing was labored from the constricting rope around her throat. She looked at anything except Joe. She didn't want to see the man who had killed her Master. She wished Joe would just tighten the rope a little more-or shoot her-or rip her heart out. Anything so she could be with her Preston. “Just kill me,” she said softly. “Please.'
Joe casually strolled over to the table again and picked up a long thin metal object. Angel watched, curious. It looked like an antenna from a car. “Oh, I'm not going to kill you, dearest. I'm just going to make you wish you were dead.'
“I already do,” she whispered.
He walked behind her again. Angel stood perfectly still, wondering when the first blow would come. “Or maybe I'll just maim you so bad that nobody will want your skanky slut ass.” She heard him chuckle, before adding, “Speaking of which…'
The first blow from the antenna landed across both ass cheeks. The pain was brutal. It felt like it had sliced into her flesh. She screamed and jerked in her bonds, losing her balance. The ropes bit into her wrists again.
The second blow fell on her lower back. Before she could recover, he delivered several more lashes to her back and ass. Angel lost track through the thick fog of pain descending on her. She felt a warm trickling mixed in with the pain, and she knew it had to be blood. He was slashing her to ribbons with the makeshift metallic whip.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him. She gave a strangled cry as she watched him raise the deadly whip again. She heard it slice the air before the darkness of unconsciousness enveloped her and she mercifully passed out.
Sharae looked away. She couldn't bear to watch Joe savagely beat Angel into unconsciousness again. She was cruelly bound to a chair like Megan. Joe had already raped Megan and beaten Angel. She knew she had to be next in line.
Sharae couldn't begin to imagine what Angel was going through. She had lost her Master to her ex-boyfriend. Such a brutal, ironic world.
Joe tossed the metal whip aside and ambled towards Sharae. He leered at her like a madman. “Your turn, bitch.'
She shook her head and moaned behind the giant ball stuffed in her mouth. “Ung ummph mmmfff.'
“What's that, dear?” he asked. “I can't understand you.'
She sighed and tried again. “Ung ummpf mmmfff!” Joe obviously couldn't comprehend gag talk as well as Preston could. Of course, there was no comparison between Joe and Preston. Except that Joe was unfortunately still breathing.
He reached around her head, unbuckled the strap, and popped the ball out. Sharae worked her jaw, sighing in relief.
“Now what are you complaining about?” he demanded.
“Let the others go,” she said. “I'll stay here. That's what you wanted in the first place.'
He smirked, toying with the ball-gag. “Aww, Sharae. Are you trying to be noble?'
“No, I-'
“That's a hoot! Miss Prim ‘n’ Proper Sharae Stevens nobly offering herself to save the others.” He laughed.
“Joe-'
“Did you ever stop to think that maybe it's your fault all this is happening?'
“Mine?'
“Maybe if you had humored me that one time when we were watching ‘Kiss The Girls’ and I said I wanted to tie you up.'
“I didn't think you were serious,” she sputtered.
“But you made fun of me. And now look at you. That asshole kidnapped you, tied you up and you loved it, you slut!” In his anger, Joe slapped her across the face. “And when I had you, you went back to him! Damn it! I'm better than he was!'
“You're better?” This time Sharae laughed. “He doesn't beat Angel uncon-scious.'
“Stop!” he screamed, covering his ears with his hands. “Shut your fucking mouth!'
Sharae snapped her mouth shut and just stared. She had never seen Joe lose it like this before and it scared her.
“All you women are lying bitches!” He grabbed her by the throat and squeezed.
Sharae's eyes widened as her air was cut off in Joe's relentless grip. Tied as she was, she was powerless to resist.
“You deserve everything I'm going to give to you!” Joe screamed.
Sharae's vision began to blur as her lungs screamed for oxygen. This was it. He was going to strangle her to death.
“Joe! Stop it!” a high-pitched voice cried. “You're killing her!'
He released his grip on her throat. Sharae gratefully gulped air into her oxygen-starved lungs. She looked at Megan, who had saved her from Joe's death grip, and tried to smile.
Joe punched the wall with a savage cry and collapsed on his knees next to Sharae. He lay his head on her bound thighs and began sobbing.
Sharae was confused. She looked from Joe to Megan, whose perplexed expression mirrored her own. Had Joe
