Whispered Promises

No Escape

“Hello, Brianna Bennet…”

Brie’s blood ran cold when she heard Greg Holloway’s voice.

He held her tightly with one hand pressed hard against her mouth. “You are mine now.”

Brie struggled against him in a desperate attempt to escape.

He only laughed with amusement. “You can struggle all you want, but there is nothing you can do to change what is about to happen.” The tone of his voice became even more ominous. “First, I must teach you your place, and then I will educate you.”

An imposing man covered in prison tattoos scowled at her as he approached. He yanked Brie’s purse from her arm, breaking the strap. Pulling her phone out, he threw it to the floor of the darkened theater before slamming the heel of his boot onto it and shattering the screen.

No one can find me…she thought.

The blood in Brie’s ears began to pound as genuine terror took over.

The lights of the theatre suddenly cut through the darkness, disorienting her for a moment. To her dismay, two more towering men walked into the theatre, their eyes locked on her as if she were prey.

Holloway pressed himself against her. “Yes…” he crooned in her ear. “You should be frightened, Miss Bennett. I plan to sit and watch you pay for every indignity I have had to endure because of you.”

Greg shouted his next order. “Start the film from the beginning.”

The projector started up again.

With sickening glee, Holloway whispered, “These men will not stop until the last credit rolls across the screen. I want you to remember every second of your punishment whenever you watch your ‘precious’ documentary.”

Brie trembled. She understood that Holloway not only wanted to torture her, but also make her associate her beloved film with the perversity about to take place so she could never watch it again.

Goosebumps covered her skin as the three muscular men looked her up and down. Brie could feel the violence of their thoughts when she looked into their eyes. It caused her body to instantly jump into flight mode.

Brie bit down hard on Holloway’s fleshy palm and silently rejoiced when he released her. The theatre filled with his high-pitched screams.

Taking advantage of her freedom, Brie ran down between two rows of chairs, heading to the opposite aisle that led to an outdoor exit.

“Don’t let her get away!” Holloway shrieked.

Brie’s instincts kicked into overdrive as she raced for the door and freedom. Clasping the metal bar, Brie pushed down on it and heard the satisfying click just before the door opened. But, just as the warm light of the sun flooded the theatre, Brie felt her feet leave the ground as she was yanked back inside.

Screaming for help at the top of her lungs, Brie flew through the air like a rag doll, landing hard on the floor with a jolting thud. It knocked the wind out of her, and she lay there momentarily stunned.

Brie felt a massive hand close around her throat as the man with the tattoos dug his fingers into her skin. Lifting her off her feet by her neck, he slammed her against the wall. Brie flailed in desperation, unable to breathe, as Holloway slowly strolled up to her.

Brie noticed blood dripping from his hand, staining the sky-blue carpet. He shook his head slowly as he approached. “You are going to pay dearly for that.”

Brie suddenly began to see pinpoints of light as her body reacted to the lack of oxygen. Just as she was about to pass out, the man released his hold around her throat and slammed his hand against her chest to keep her upright against the wall.

Holloway waited until she’d caught her breath before slapping her hard on the cheek with his bloody hand. The power of his blow caused her head to snap back, banging her opposite cheek into the wall.

Silencing her moan of pain, Brie turned her head and glared at him defiantly.

“I like that you still have fight left, Miss Bennett.” Holloway smiled, nodding to the front of the stage. “I’ve reserved a front-row seat for the show.”

His grin sickened her.

“You may be insolent now but I promise you will be quite complacent after we are done here.”

The man with the tattoos started dragging Brie toward the large screen. Even though she hit him with her fists repeatedly, she was powerless to stop him. Once he lugged her to the front, he forced her to the floor and pressed his foot against her head, crushing her cheek against the floor with the treads of his boot.