Hailey said. “You’re going to get arrested.”
“Probably,” he agreed, slurring his words. “I’ll lose my job, get thrown in jail.” He shrugged, stumbling even closer. “I might as well have a little fun with you before they lock me up and throw away the key.”
“No!” she cried out as his hand landed on her leg. “No!” she shouted again. She tried to kick him in the face like she’d planned, but he was already pinning her legs to the bed, surprisingly strong for how drunk he now was.
“No one can hear you, angel,” he said.
She struggled against him, screaming, and then his hand covered her mouth, his face hovering close to hers. She smelled the booze on his breath, and tears streamed down her cheeks. This was it. He was drunk but clearly strong enough to pin her down. To hurt her.
Struggling against him, she tried to buck him off of her. He shifted slightly, his head falling toward her neck. She screamed again, his heavy weight holding her down, and realized he’d passed out right on top of her. She pulled at the ropes binding her wrists, desperately trying to get free.
She could barely get a deep breath with his weight pressing down on her, and she wondered how long it would take for him to wake up. Crying in earnest now, she struggled harder against the ropes. They bit into her wrists, but she didn’t care, she wasn’t going to stay here and let him attack her when he sobered up.
Minutes ticked by, and she struggled against his dead weight. She had to get away before he woke back up. She had to. There was no way she was going to lay here tied to the bed while a crazy guy raped her.
Trying to slow her breathing, she used her lower legs to see if she could get him off of her. Maybe if she could kick him to the side enough, she could push him right off the bed.
A sudden crash upstairs had her freezing in shock, and then she heard footsteps thumping around. “Help!” she yelled. “Help me! Please! I’m downstairs!”
It felt like hours passed by, but she knew it could only have been minutes. She heard voices and movement, and she prayed it was someone here to help her, not one of this guy’s friends or something. Someone came running down the hall, and the light in the room she was in flicked on. She squeezed her eyes shut at the sudden brightness, and then she cried out in shock as Black was ripped off of her.
“Ghost! She’s down here!” Ethan bellowed. She opened her eyes as she met Ethan’s concerned gaze, blinking against the light. “Are you all right?” he asked gruffly.
“Fine,” she said. He clenched his jaw at the tears running down her cheeks but didn’t argue. He pulled a scary-looking knife free from his pants and then cut the ropes on her wrists as she cried.
“Shhh, Ghost is coming,” he murmured. “You’re almost free.”
She heard more people upstairs, shouting, and then Ethan moved to her legs, quickly slicing through the rope at her ankles. She sobbed as Ethan lifted her off the bed and into his arms.
“I’m coming!” Grayson yelled from down the hallway, and then Ethan was carrying her to him as she shook. He handed her off to Grayson without a word, and then Grayson was holding her close to his muscular chest and she buried her face against his neck.
“I’ve got you, sweetheart,” he said, his lips brushing against her hair. “You’re safe now, baby.” He carried her down the hallway while Ethan and some of the other guys dealt with Black. She didn’t even see who was with them, she was shaking and crying so badly.
“I’ll call an ambulance,” Jackson said quietly as they came upstairs.
“You’re okay, sweetheart,” Grayson said as he held her, trying to calm her down. “You’re safe now. I’m here. I won’t let anyone hurt her.”
He sank to the ground right there in the upstairs hallway, holding her tightly in his arms. She saw combat boots walking around, other men in camo uniforms, and she wondered how many men he’d brought with him. It didn’t matter though. Nothing mattered now that he was here.
Grayson’s large hand palmed the back of her head, holding her to his chest, and she shook and sobbed in his arms. “Did he hurt you?” Grayson asked, his lips at her ear. “I swear to God I’ll kill him.”
She shook