Keep Me (Broken Heroes 3)

I need to get free. I have to.

Every breath I take is labored. I pull as hard as I can, but the ropes don’t budge. My body remains suspended, helpless and ready for the taking. I try and squeeze my legs shut, but it’s no use, my muscles are weak, my body exhausted.

Whoever is coming won’t have to fight me long to get what they want. The sound of gunshots being fired in the distance and the pounding of heavy footfalls throughout the hallways meet my ears. There are people yelling at each other. I can hear voices, but the door to the room remains closed.

Maybe they won’t find me. Maybe I’ll be able to escape. If I can’t actually break free, maybe I can pretend that I did inside my mind.

The shouting and gunfire ceases and an eerie silence blankets me. I strain to hear anything, a voice, a step… anything at all. Long moments pass, and I pray no one comes.

And then, just like earlier, footsteps break the silence. They’re heavy and hold purpose.

No, he came back for me.

I sob uncontrollably, even though I try my hardest to keep the tears in. Part of me wants to plead with him to kill me. I am weak, this I know, but even if I survive this, there is no life worth living after these events.

Between sobs, I notice that the approaching footsteps are accompanied by voices. There are two people coming. Even though I can’t make out what they are saying, I know it’s not him. A tiny sigh of relief escapes me, but when the door opens once more and I see two large men start to approach me, all that is left inside is panic. It grips my soul and holds onto me for dear life.

My entire body tightens when the first man walks right up to me with a wicked smile on his lips.

“Well, well, what do we have here?”

I stare into his dark eyes, trying to find a speck of goodness. He looks just like the other man, but much younger, much more handsome, but in the darkest way possible. He terrifies me, but his presence is nothing compared to the other man’s. I can’t explain the comparison, and I don’t care to.

“Help me. Please, help me,” I croak. My voice cracks, and my throat throbs as I speak the words. My plea only widens his smile though, and that terrifies me more. He’s not going to let me go. He’s going to use me just like the other man. I thrash against the restraints once more, uncaring of the pain that radiates down my arms. Maybe if I’m lucky, the rope will cut into my skin deep enough to slice my wrists.

Maybe I’ll die before anything bad can happen. The unknown man reaches for me, and for a split second, I think he is going to untie me, save me. Instead, he just wipes a treacherous tear from my cheek with his finger and brings it to his lips. My lips tremble, and I so badly want to close my eyes again.

His eyes drift closed momentarily, and he looks as if he’s lost in some blissful dream. “You do taste rather divine.”

No! No! He’s going to do the same thing the other man did. He’s going to hurt me. My entire body shakes when he takes that same hand and brings it to my chest, his huge hand splaying right between my breasts. I look down to see what he is doing, watching his fingers move.

His dark eyes remain on my face, I can feel the heat of his gaze on my cheeks as he drags two of his fingers down between my breasts and over my belly, leaving a trail of tingling skin behind. I am shocked and confused by my reaction to his touch.

It is warm and less terrifying than the other man’s. My thoughts swirl. I must be going insane, losing my mind completely, because I am not revolted by him like I was by the other man. I am still scared beyond disbelief, and my body is shaking, but something deep inside of me knows that this man is the lesser of two evils. He’s a monster but nothing compared to the monster I had just witnessed. When his fingers have just about reached my mound, a voice coming from the hall stops his actions.

“Xander, we didn’t come here for this.” The other voice is laced in annoyance.

I’ve been so consumed by the presence of this man that I forgot that two guys came in.

“We didn’t, but since our father is already gone, don’t you think we can at least have some fun? What do you say, little brother? Should we rekindle an old memory?”

Father? Now the resemblance makes sense. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. It is so clear now. The dark hair and eyes. The sharp jaw and striking high cheekbones. I tried my best not to look at the other man’s face, but the resemblance is too noticeable not to see now.