She struggled against his hold, but she couldn’t break away, until she was suddenly rolled onto her belly. The cut he’d made in her pant leg flapped open and he pulled it aside to expose one of her cheeks covered only by a thin nylon panty. Pausing, he grasped her cringing flesh, kneading it. “Nice ass,” he muttered as he pulled up on the rope connecting her hands and feet.
Fighting against his hold, she tried to scream, but the way he held her, she was practically laying on her chin. All that came out was a rasping squeak.
Something tugged at the rope and then she fell flat on the floor. She groaned at the soothing feeling of being able to straighten her legs, but her relief was short-lived. A minute later, JR had untied her ankles and yanked her cut-up jeans off her leg. Tossing them aside, he rolled her onto her back and dropped to his knees between her thighs, forcing her legs open wide. She screamed again, knowing what he planned next, but it sounded more like a gargle.
“I had planned to tie you to my bed,” he said as he grabbed her by the neck to stop her from wiggling away, “but I don’t think I can wait that long.” His eyes drifted over her body as he blatantly adjusted himself. Apparently liking what he saw, his mouth curled upward and he met her frightened eyes. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” he said and, once again wielding the scissors, he cut through the center of her bra. Using the metal tips, he flicked the cup away, baring both generous breasts and grinning wider as she continued to struggle, screaming through her gag.
Holding the scissors up, his lips parted, showing his yellowing teeth. “Only two more little snips and we’ll have a lot of fun.” He cocked his head. “Well, at least, I’ll have a lot of fun. Soon you’ll be screaming for me not to stop,” he said, dragging the dull side of the scissors over each rosy tip of her breasts and then down over her belly and between her thighs.
Addie’s scream sounded feeble with his hand digging into her windpipe, but she bucked and writhed wildly, trying to knock him off of her. With her legs free she could run now, move faster than the wind if she had to, but he had her crammed into the corner with a strangling hand around her neck. There was no escaping him and his plans, no second chance for her to make things right with Cade. She’d never see him again.
A sob of regret broke from her lips. JR would rape her as many times as he liked. She would scream and fight until she couldn’t any longer, but out here, in the middle of nowhere—judging by how long they drove and his cavalier attitude about the noise she made—no one would hear her or stop him.
More tears filled her eyes, blurring his hated face as the cold blade of the scissors slid between her hip and panties. She released another garbled scream, bucking like a wild mustang, but she knew it was no use. He had her, and would have his way with her, would most likely force her to sign over her land, her home, and then kill her.
I’m sorry, Cade, she thought and a pang struck her heart even as she fought against her attacker, making him work hard to complete his plans.
She wanted to hope she’d survive, find some way to escape, and see Cade again, but after what JR intended to do to her, would Cade still want her?
Of course, he would, she told herself, though she wasn’t sure if she believed it.
“Stop squirming or I’ll hurt you more,” JR threatened, but she didn’t listen. She was running on autopilot, in full fight mode. Blood pounding in her ears, her mind focused on survival and escape. She couldn’t hear anything else, couldn’t form sentences. All she could do was fight for her life and scream through her gag until she couldn’t any more. And hope against hope that someone happened by. Maybe they would help. They might just call the police, but that was better than nothing.
“Stop wiggling,” JR ordered and released her neck to slap her hard.
The stinging pain made her pause. Then she realized he wasn’t holding her down and tried to roll aside and kick him, but it was no good. She didn’t even get to her side before his hand was around her neck again, pushing her down and squeezing off her air.
“I said, hold still,” JR shouted inches from her face, his nasty breath making her gag. He held her that way for endless seconds until blackness began to creep into her vision. She wanted to claw at his hand, but her hands were still tied—her arms and legs were growing too heavy to move anyway. His eyes locked with hers as her struggles slowed and then he loosened his hold. “That’s better.”
She coughed, and he picked up the scissors where they lay on her belly. He slid them back into place on her hip and she screamed as she heard them slowly cut through the thin material. She screamed through her gag, so loud people in town should’ve heard it, until it felt as if something tore free in her throat, and then she screamed again and again and again…
Chapter 34
The snow had started falling again by the time Cade and Jorje reached Manastash Ridge. The windshield wipers, slapped back and forth, removing the white veneer, but more snowflakes rapidly replaced them, making it difficult to see in the early morning darkness. Cade had slowed his old truck as it bounced over the uneven dirt track Jorje had directed him to. Their progress along
