Survival Games (24 page)

“Leave her alone,”
Tom bellowed from the chair.

Frank turned and
pressed a button on the remote he held.

An electrical buzz
filled the room, the lights dimming a fraction and Tom went rigid in the chair.

Jessica’s face
changed. “Okay—just, just don’t hurt him anymore,” she pleaded.

Ty’s expression
never changed, it remained neutral, even bored as Jessica opened her mouth. A
far cry from the tumultuous emotions filling his body as he watched her service
Frank. If Frank had been within reach, the man would be dead in a matter of
seconds, but he was well beyond Ty’s grasp and the game had to be played,
regardless of his fury.

“Now that was
worth the wait,” he said tossing her to the concrete floor in full view of both
Ty and Tom.

* *
* *

She gagged and fear
left her shaking and nauseous and she attempted to get to her feet. Frank was
going to hurt her, maybe even kill her today and all she could think about was
Ty and his goddamned game. Was this part of it?

Before she could
consider the question, Frank grabbed a handful of her hair and dragged her to
her feet.

“Is this part of
your sick game?” she directed the question at Ty. The smile and half shrug he
sent her way was worse than the fist that connected with her ribs, lifting her
off the ground and knocking the wind out of her.

Frank leaned close
to her. “Make no mistake, my stepbrother is in love with you and this little façade
he’s put on for the last couple of days is solely for your benefit.”

Jessica saw the
flash of emotion in Ty’s eyes before he suppressed it.

Frank backhanded
her sending her sprawling on the concrete. “And every single punch, every
single cut, every single whimper of pain is killing him beyond words.”

The chuckle that
escaped Ty sent shivers down her spine. “Are you so sure about that?”

Frank grabbed
Jessica by the hair and swiveled in Ty’s direction, yanking her head back until
she gasped in pain. “You really think it’s wise to test me right now?”

Eyes devoid of
emotion stared back. “I don’t give a shit what you do with her as long as you
let me the hell out of here.”

Frank laughed. “That’s
not going to happen. I’ve got something special planned for you.” He looked at
Jessica. “But in the meantime, this bitch owes me.” This time he snapped her
toward the wall, smiling as she careened into it face first.

“Stop!” Tom
bellowed, struggling against the shackles that held his wrists in place.

Dazed, Jessica
crumpled to the ground, gritting her teeth so the cry of pain wouldn’t escape.

Frank squatted in
front of her. “Pretty boy wants to fuck you. Did you know that?”

Jessica winced,
shying away from Frank. Her gaze traveled to Tom and back.

Frank stood,
pulling a switchblade out of his pocket. “But that just isn’t in the cards
right now.” He pushed a button and a long jagged-edged blade popped out.

Jessica scuttled
backwards until she hit the concrete wall. Her breath ragged with fear and her
heart pumped so hard that the sound drowned out the shuffle of his footsteps as
he approached her.

“I’m wondering if
either of them will want to fuck you when I’m done with you.”

She tore her gaze
away from the knife and met Ty’s. For a fraction of an instant, hot fury filled
his eyes and then he blinked and the icy neutral expression returned. He
inhaled and tilted his head, twisting his lips into a sadistic smile.

Tom struggled to
break the bonds holding his wrists to the chair, his roar echoing off the
concrete. “Don’t you dare!”

Frank turned,
raising an eyebrow at Tom and then returned his attention back to Jessica,
switching the blade from his right hand to his left. “Like you could stop me.”

Jessica stood,
pressing herself against the concrete, her eyes now riveted on the knife. The
game of flinch that Ty taught her came barreling back and she blew a slow
stream of air between her lips, calming her nerves, waiting for him to strike. She
didn’t have a great deal of maneuverability but she hoped it was enough. When
he flicked the blade toward her, she turned, blind to his counter attack.

Frank grabbed a
handful of hair with his right hand and yanked her toward him, bringing the
knife up and slicing a line down her face. He twirled her toward Ty. “Now she
matches you.”

Jessica could not
speak, could not scream at the pain and terror that gripped her, immobilizing
her to the point of inaction. Tears blurred her eyes and hot liquid dripped
onto her shoulder and chest. It took a second or two to realize it was her own
blood and then the tremors started.

Ty shrugged, his
gaze locked on hers.

Frank brought the
tip of the blade to her left eye, toying with her and both men. Tom gasped, his
struggle forgotten, but Ty remained unimpressed.

“I thought you
wanted her to see
me
die?” he offered with another tilt of his head
punctuating it with a raised eyebrow.

Frank paused,
pressing his lips together, debating. Slowly the knife lowered, but he didn’t
sheath it. Instead, with another flick of his wrist, he sliced her left nipple.
Then he tossed her toward the mattress, where she fell with a gasp. Crossing
the room before she could react in any way, he slammed the knife into Tom’s
thigh just above the knee, leaving it embedded to the hilt and turning on her.

“No!” Jessica
screamed, jumping to her feet and charging Frank.

Frank back handed
her, knocking her to the ground and advanced again, this time unbuckling his
pants.

Tom inhaled
sharply, but he made no sound, shock dulling the pain for the moment.

“They might not
want to fuck you, but I certainly do.” His pants dropped showing her that he
was more than ready for her.

Jessica tried to
maneuver away, but he was on her, slamming her on the hard concrete and shoving
inside her as she screamed and struggled. Her screams mixed with Tom’s empty
threats as Frank brutally raped her.

Ty on the other
hand, looked on silently, his face bordering between neutral and amused. But
inside, inside a dangerous cocktail brewed.
I swear, if I ever get my hands
on that bastard, I will kill him as slowly and painfully as humanly possible.
It
took all his concentration to not let the fury or the hatred show on his face
and not to lunge at Frank despite the knowledge that he was out of reach.

When he was
through, Frank stood, towering over her and pulling his pants on. He laughed
and traded a glare with Tom. “I love it when they fight.”

“Sick fuck,” Tom
hissed, his face covered in sweat, his blue eyes sparkling with a fury that
matched Ty’s unseen wrath.

Jessica rolled
onto her side, curling up into a ball of pain and humiliation. She tilted her
head in Ty’s direction, blinking the tears from her eyes. His eyes flicked to
hers and then back to Frank.

“That’ll make one
hell of a video.” He slowly grinned. “But don’t they want her fucking a star?” He
framed the word star with finger quotes.

Frank’s jaw
tightened and he looked between Jessica and Tom, debating.

Ty knew it was a
long shot, but if he could create that kind of a diversion, maybe Frank
wouldn’t kill her today. Maybe Frank would bite and make him edit one last
video. Maybe.

When Frank looked
back at Ty, his eyes narrowed and Ty could almost see the dollar signs
register. Frank leaned down and grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her to
her knees and dragging her to where Tom sat. He yanked the knife out of Tom’s
thigh, wiping it on his pants and closing the blade. It disappeared in his
pocket for the time being.

* *
* *

“You still want to
fuck this whore?” He tugged her hair, so Tom could see her face clearly.

Tom’s eyes watered
but he blinked and they cleared. “She’s…” His voice cracked and he swallowed. “She’s
not a whore.”

“Do you want to
fuck her before you die?”

A sob escaped
Jessica and his eyes found hers. With an imperceptible tilt of his head, he
nodded.

“Now the million
dollar question.” Frank pulled her head back further, staring down into her
eyes. “Do you want to fuck him? Or is Ty the only one that has that market
cornered?”

She actually
flinched at the use of his name, her insides a tumultuous mess and she didn’t
know how to answer the question. If she said yes, would Frank hurt him again? If
she said no, what would he do then? Instead, of answering, her chin began to
tremble and tears welled up, pouring down her face. Her eyes lowered to Tom’s.
His silent pleading squeezed her heart, sending a spindled web of pain through
her chest.

She swung her gaze
to Ty and his eyebrow rose as if saying, ‘Well are you going to answer the
question?’ The absence of humanity in his stare clinched her decision and she
brought her eyes back to Tom, nodding the same imperceptible nod he had.

“So little slut of
mine, are you going to grant the man his dying request?”

“Yes.” The word
whispered from her lips, silencing the scream in Ty’s head. While this was his
intention, the idea of her willing to give herself to anyone else was
maddening. Almost to the point of breaking down his solid defenses, but he knew
the second he screwed up, Frank would carve her to pieces in front of him.

“Give us a show,”
Frank said and released her hair. He stepped back, crossing his arms, almost
matching the posture and expression on Ty’s face.

Jessica moved
mechanically at first crawling to Tom, wincing as she stood on bruised and
battered legs. Every inch of her body ached, her face and breast burned where
he sliced her and she stepped between his legs, meeting his gaze.

“You don’t have to
do this.”

“Yes I do. He’ll
kill you if I don’t.”

* *
* *

Tom managed a
laugh as she fumbled with his belt. “He’s going to kill me anyway.” The
sentence laced with agony as she peeled his pants off, scraping the gaping
wound in his thigh. He rung his wrists against the restraints wishing he could
wrap his arms around her, wishing he could run his fingers over her skin but
this would have to do. This was all he would be allowed, at least in this life
and he closed his eyes, willing himself to concentrate on only her, her skin,
her legs, her hands, her lips and her stormy eyes. He gasped, his breath
hissing under her lips. His thigh flared, burning pain far worse than the knife
wound gripped him and he groaned. His eyes squeezed shut until the burn faded
to a dull tingling and his eyes snapped open, meeting her intense stare.

“Tom,” she
whispered, straddling him, circling her hips on his lap and wrapping her arms
tightly around his neck. Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped
into his shoulder.

“Jessie,” his
whisper matched hers, he closed his eyes, nuzzling his head against hers,
turning, and brushing her ruined cheek with his lips, praying that Frank
wouldn’t figure out she had passed out.

She stirred a
moment later and he shrugged his shoulders as a way to simulate a hug of his
own. His relief was short lived because she was violently yanked from his lap
and tossed on the floor.

* *
* *

“I changed my
mind.” Frank turned and punted. His foot connected with her rib cage and flipped
her on her back.

She gasped the air
flowed out, but froze, unable to draw back in. Her cracked ribs screamed at
even the smallest infusion of air.

Frank stepped
toward her and she rolled on her hands and knees, barely able to crawl a foot
before he was on her. Her position suited his purpose and he drew his foot
back, connecting with her side in a vicious kick, the snapping of her bones
echoing off the walls. Debilitating agony ripped through her with each blow and
she fell forward, landing on her elbows, unable to draw the strength to attempt
escape. Her muscles seized, locking her in place throughout the brutal assault.
Painful weeping ripped from her chest and her mind teetered on the edge of an
abyss, and through it all the man who professed to love her watched with almost
a bored expression. Tom on the other hand was raging in the chair, thrashing
and swearing, promising vengeance through the sobs that racked him.

Frank finished his
beating and straightened out his clothing. “I’ve got some things to do,” Frank
smiled. “But I’ll be back.” He almost skipped out of the room and as the door
closed, the wrist restraints holding Tom in place snapped open.

* *
* *

Ty disappeared
into the bathroom; he took a piss and then closed the toilet lid, taking a seat
and putting his head in his hands. Without making a sound, tears flowed and his
shoulders shook, his chest felt like someone put the muzzle of a shotgun to it
and pulled the trigger leaving a gaping, bloody hole where his heart once was. That
hole filled with a hatred so black, so complete that it over took every cell of
his being and he swore that Frank would pay, one way or another that bastard
was going to get his due.

Ty came out of the
bathroom to the sight of Tom cradling Jessica in his arms and rocking slowly,
her head buried in his chest and his cheek pressed to her temple. Tom sent a
glare in his direction.

“Is this what you
do here?” His raw voice shook. “Is it?”

Ty blew a huff of
air through his nose, keeping in character. “Yep, and we do it pretty goddamn
well, too.” He chewed on his lip a moment gauging Tom’s temper. “However, I am
surprised he interrupted your...” he waved to the chair, unable to bring
himself to say the words. “Because that would be worth a mint.” He leaned on
the wall with his arms crossed.

Tom shifted.

“Don’t.”

Her command
stopped him and he looked down at her.

“He’s not worth
it.”

Her voice devoid
of strength, devoid of hope, clinched it and Tom ignored her, setting her
gently on the floor, he grabbed his jeans, sliding them on before he took a few
steps in Ty’s direction.