The break she'd been praying for was at hand. Joe had been either careless or just plain stupid. Soon, he would be the one to pay.
Preston grabbed Angel's arm as they neared the cabin. She stopped and turned to him. “Yes, Master?'
He smiled at her, leaned down, and kissed her. He looked her over. As he appraised her battered body his smile faded in a surge of anger. She looked so frail and vulnerable. Sure, she needed discipline now and then, but nothing like this. Joe was going to pay.
“I want you to stay outside.'
“But Master-” she began. He held his hand up and Angel immediately fell silent and nodded. “As you wish.'
“That's my girl.” Preston rewarded her and himself with another deep intense kiss. Reluctantly, he pulled away. “I'll be right back. Don't move, and no matter what, don't come inside.'
Again she nodded. “Yes, sir.'
He hoped he wouldn't give her another reason to be afraid as he strode toward the cabin.
Melissa couldn't tear her eyes from Megan as Joe methodically pulled on the rope. Repeatedly, he cut off Megan's air for a few minutes, then released her as her face began to change colors. The poor girl would desperately gasp for breath, sobbing, until he yanked the rope tight again.
Melissa worked frantically to free herself, trying to keep silent at the same time. It wouldn't help if she attracted Joe's attention. She felt the ropes around her wrists loosening bit by bit. Still they weren't quite loose enough to give her the freedom she desperately needed.
She felt nauseous with despair. How much longer was Joe going to torture Megan? Until he killed her? He had to be stopped.
“Oh, my God!” Megan's mind screamed as the rope tightened around her throat again. Being bound in such a painful position was bad enough, but to be asphyxiated as well? Another wave of panic set in and she couldn't suck in enough air. Why didn't he just kill her and get it over with?
Tears fell from her eyes as she silently prayed for the torment to end. She'd had enough.
Sharae struggled in her bound position on the bed. She couldn't watch as Joe toyed with Megan's life. All their lives were in his deranged hands-except for Angel. Maybe she would be able to get help in time. It was the only hope they had left.
Joe tightened Megan's neck rope again. Sharae moaned in frustration, yanking on her bonds, but they still didn't budge. They kept her a prisoner to her terror. She couldn't help herself, much less Megan. They were doomed.
CHAPTER 36
“Bye-bye, my sweet,” Megan heard Joe say somewhere in the fog that filled her brain. She knew this was the end, and Joe was finally going to put her out of her misery.
She felt her whole body go numb. Her lungs were burning from the lack of oxygen. Yet, somehow she felt detached from everything, as if she wasn't really there. Was this what it was like to die?
Please, God, she prayed. Take me away.
The fog seemed to thicken around her and she was dimly aware of her surroundings. She closed her eyes and welcomed the darkness that soon would be coming.
“Hey! Asshole.'
Joe spun around at the sound of the deep masculine voice coming from the doorway. He stared at the image before him, shaking his head. “No way! No fucking way. You're dead.'
Preston grinned at him. “Surprise.'
Joe eyed his gun on the table by the door. With a start, he realized he was unarmed, and his only weapon seemed miles away.
“Turnabout is fair play, right?” Preston asked, leveling his gun at Joe's chest.
“Look, Pres, buddy-'
“I ain't your buddy, asshole. You're going down.'
Joe shook his head and laughed. “If I go down, you go down. I'll put you out of business faster than you can say ‘slave girl.’ By the way, where's that cunt you call Angel?'
“Far away from your cruelty.'
“The bitch loved every minute of it.” Joe sneered at him. “She fucking got off on what I did to her.” With that, he dove at Preston. A shot rang out as they both crashed to the floor.
Melissa gasped in relief as her wrists finally slid free just as Preston burst into the cottage. Thank God, she thought. She reached up and unbuckled the strap to the gag that had been lodged in her mouth forever. She worked her jaw back to life as she worked on her ankle bindings.
She watched the two men scuffle on the floor. After Preston's gun went off, it had somehow been flung across the room and both of them were trying to reach it. She glanced over at Megan. Her mouth was in the shape of an “O,” as if she were screaming silently. Her face was a blue and her eyelids fluttered.
“Just a few more seconds,” Melissa told Megan.
Preston grunted as Joe's fists caught him in his bruised ribs. He retaliated with a few solid jabs to Joe's mid- section, then tossed Joe aside and scrambled to his feet. He quickly glanced at the women.
Sharae was sobbing on the bed. Melissa was… freeing herself, and Megan-
Suddenly Joe was up again and he and Preston crashed into the table, sending everything on top of it flying in every direction.
Preston jumped to his feet and side-kicked Joe in the stomach. With his other leg, he gave him a roundhouse kick as he doubled over from the blow to his stomach.
Joe fell on his back, moaning in pain.
Preston stood over him, breathing heavily. He glared down at the man who had abducted and tortured his precious Angel. He remembered her frailness and decided at that moment that Joe did not deserve to live.
He started over to where his gun lay.
As the ropes fell away from her ankles, Melissa got to her feet and sprinted over to Megan. She was surprised she could still move after being tied up for so long. Maybe it was the adrenaline pumping through her.
She quickly untied the rope strangling Megan. She leaned down to check to see if the poor woman was still breathing. “Megan!” she cried out.
The poor girl wasn't breathing.
Panicked, Melissa racked her brain, trying to remember the basics of CPR from a class she took ages ago. Lay victim flat… Arch head back… There was no time! Melissa crawled under Megan's bound body and grasped her nose with her thumb and forefinger. She leaned up and breathed for Megan.
She watched to see if there was any effect. Still nothing. She did it again, breathing air into Megan's lungs. She felt tears well up and slide down her cheeks. After all Joe had put them through, Melissa felt a bond with the other women. She owed it to her fellow captive not to let her die.
“Breathe!” she cried to the unconscious woman. Suddenly Megan gasped and her eyes popped open. She stared at Melissa, who squealed in delight. She had done it.
Joe grabbed Preston's foot and pulled and twisted on it at the same time. Preston yelled and crashed to the
