good six inches of rope between my wrists.
“That better, sweetheart?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
He went back to tugging my pants down. I didn’t make it easy for him and stayed limp the entire time. He didn’t get angry or yell at me, though. He continued with a single-minded focus, his gaze continually flicking to my underwear until my jeans were off.
His fingers drifted over the skin near my exposed stitches.
“I’ll take better care of you. You’re too pretty for scars.”
He had no idea. My scars weren’t on the outside.
“This time’s going to be a little rushed,” he said, reaching for his pants. “Pa’s going to be back quick. But I’ll be gentle.”
I kept my hands loose as I pictured how I’d twist and try to get the rope around his throat. The fey made it look so easy to kill someone, but I knew that I’d need every ounce of strength I possessed, and maybe more, to stop Van.
With his pants open, he reached for my underwear. The sound of the front door opening had him scrambling to his feet as he quickly did his pants back up. Oscar entered the room just as Van picked up my jeans.
“What the fuck are you doing, boy? I told you to leave them alone.”
“She said she had to go to the bathroom.”
Oscar looked at me. I didn’t respond at all. That seemed to be enough for him to know Van was lying, though, because he walked into the room and grabbed the front of Van’s shirt.
“Keep your dick to yourself until we’re away from here. I need you focused, not distracted. Am I clear?”
Van nodded.
“Get those back on her, and if I see her without pants again, you’re on your own.”
“Pa…”
“Do it now.”
Oscar released Van and left the room. I waited for Van to turn on me in anger, but he didn’t. He carefully put my pants back on me.
“Soon,” he said, with a brush of his hand over my crotch.
Then he, too, left.
Feet free and hands tied in front of me, I smiled and sat up. Sure, the door was open and both men were in the house, but I was in a better position than before. I could move a little, and I now knew what they planned. While they might be right about no one looking for Tasha or Hannah, they were wrong about me, and it wasn’t my mom they needed to worry about.
Thallirin was probably already looking for me.
“You take the supplies this time,” Oscar said from the living room.
Standing, I hurried over to Tasha. She opened her eyes as I sat beside her and didn’t move as I leaned in close to her ear.
“Are you okay?” I asked, keeping my voice as soft and low as possible.
She nodded.
“Tap the outside wall. Quiet. Consistent. The fey will hear.”
She nodded again, and I returned to my bed as a door closed. It would have been easy for me to tap the wall myself, but Van and Oscar were watching me a lot closer than the girl. And if they came back into the room, I didn’t want to give them any reason to tie me up again. So, I sat in the same spot and leaned against the wall, hoping that I was making the right choices for all of us.
Oscar appeared in the doorway a few minutes after I was settled.
“How many pills he give you?” he asked.
I had to think about it for a second.
“Three, I think.” My words were slow.
“You swallow them all.”
I nodded.
His gaze flicked to my hands bound in front of me, and he swore under his breath.
“I hope any kids the two of you have get your brains,” he said, coming toward me.
He untied my hands and leaned me forward to retie them behind me. I briefly thought of doing something, but looked at Tasha. She watched me closely, her eyes wide.
I mouthed the word “tap,” and she nodded. If she was doing it, I couldn’t hear it. Hopefully, the fey would.
Once I was bound to Oscar’s satisfaction, he put my socks back on then hesitated with my boots.
“Harder to run off in socks,” he said, taking my footwear with him.
I stared at the hallway in frustration. There were too many “ifs” for me to feel comfortable with the chance of a timely rescue just yet. If the house was close enough to the wall that the fey could hear us…If the fey were looking for us in the right area…If I wasn’t overestimating