Page 7 of Broken Secrets

Never in my life have I let my inhibitions down like I did at the party. Even though it felt so good to let loose, there was still a gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach that had me questioning my actions tonight. Before leaving, we exchanged numbers, saying that we would plan something soon. Whether or not that would actually happen is a matter for another day. I needed to talk to Olivia and Benji to see if anything weird happened at the party.

Growing up, my parents always taught me to keep my legs closed. Men only wanted one thing from you, and that’s what you have between your thighs. “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free,” my dad always said. I used to be such a good girl, a normal girl, but that was back before my trust in a man that I loved with all of my heart practically destroyed me. It takes a lot for me to trust the opposite sex. The only real male friend that I have is Benji. He’s never let me down, and he’s been so good to Olivia. Oliver doesn’t count. I’m not even really sure that I would call him a friend. He’s always been around, but with the vibes he throws off, I’ve figured it’s best to not be around him without Via present.

Despite everything, I’m not a whore; I never have been either, but at this point in my life, I’m wondering why I shouldn’t at least try to live my life to the fullest. There’s no reason for me to keep my legs closed. Not that I was able to hold onto my virginity for eighteen years anyway, but being celibate hasn’t done me any favors either. People have only tried to take advantage of the fact that I don’t sleep around. There have been a few guys that I have messed around with, but we never went all the way. It was mainly kissing. For the most part, I was scared to do more.

The fucker who shall not be named just fucked with my head so bad that I can’t trust anyone with a dick. Maybe in the back of my mind, I was saving what little I had left of myself for my two dark-haired, green-eyed boys. In my heart, they were always meant to be mine. I wish I knew the reason for them moving away. Why couldn’t they at least say goodbye? Seeing them tonight has my mind reeling. There was a certain air of danger between the two of them. That danger wanted to suck me in. If it was up to me, I’d probably let it.

After taking a quick shower and washing away the craziness of the night, I put on my soft pink pajamas and bundled up under the covers. Just as I’m about to doze off, I hear a noise that sounds like it’s coming from my kitchen. Glancing over at the clock, it’s almost three in the morning. It can’t be Via. She has a key, but she wouldn’t come over unannounced. She was with Benji at the party, so I’m pretty sure she went home with him. Suddenly, I hear glass shattering, and that shakes me out of my stupor. At this point, it feels like my heart is about to beat out of my chest, and all I can hear is my accelerated breathing.

This is supposed to be a safe fucking neighborhood. What in the hell is going on? I can hear footsteps coming towards my bedroom—two pairs of them. My breathing is ragged, and I’m on the verge of a panic attack. In the next instance, my bedroom door is flung open. Standing there are two broad-shouldered, tall men wearing black ski masks.

I jump up, springing to my feet, and run for my bathroom, only making it a few feet before being grabbed around the waist. At this point, I’m kicking and screaming, swinging my arms around, hoping to make contact with anything vital. Sweat beads along my brow, and my breathing comes in heavy pants. Digging my nails into the masked man's arms, he grunts, and his grip tightens.

“You fucking cunt,” he growls.

Fuck, that voice sounds vaguely familiar, but I can’t quite place it.”Fucking hold still, damn it.”

I continue to squirm and fight him. He rips my head to the side, and there is a pinching sensation on the side of my neck. Everything fades too black.

Chapter 10

Dahlia

Waking up in complete darkness in what appears to be a small, confined space is a shock to my senses. All my alarm bells are ringing. It feels like I'm in the trunk of a car, but I can’t be certain. It’s almost like I can feel the movement of the wheels and every dip and curve of the road, but there is no exhaust or rumble to be heard. My body is shaking uncontrollably, and my breath is coming out in small pants.

I feel like I’m having an anxiety attack, and there is nothing I can do about it. The shivers racking my body won’t stop. The musty smell in here is making my struggle for breaths even more difficult, amping up the anxiety even more, and fighting the urge to gag. I try to scream, but nothing comes out with the tape over my already sensitive and swollen lips.

Tugging my wrists apart proved to be useless. There are already cuts in the delicate skin around my wrists that are no doubt bleeding. Blood is nothing new to me. I’ve grown quite accustomed to it over the years, but my wrists hurt like a bitch. Something doesn’t sit right with me. I just don’t understand who would want to take me. I’ve always strived to be a good person, never letting my demons outwardly affect anyone else.

When my grandma died, all of my secrets died with her. Being a genuinely good person is in my nature. Sure, I’ve fucked up; we are only humans who make mistakes after all. But my daily struggles were just that—my own and no one else's. The blood that I have on my hands is mine, and mine alone. Within the fuzziness of my mind, I can remember the two masked men and the prick to my neck, but that’s it. Everything went black after that. I’m almost positive that they drugged me with some strong shit, but the memories just aren’t there. These fuckers are probably going to kill me, maybe bury my body in the woods, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.

Whoever these people are, they are bastards. There’s no way in hell that I’ll go down without a fight. Hearing the crunch of gravel underneath the tires, we come to a slow roll, and I know that shit is about to get real. Finally stopping, I hear two doors simultaneously open and close. The next thing I know, the trunk is being popped open, and what I see shocks the shit out of me. This cannot be happening. Vale and Crew stand over the trunk, staring down at me with wicked ass smirks on both of their beautiful faces.

“Come on! Out, Little Lemon. It’s time to play a game. Don’t let us catch you,” Vale says, and at this point, I know that I need to take their threats seriously. Crew grabs me by the hair, drags me out of the trunk, and throws me to the ground, removing the zip ties and rope from my ankles in the process. Damn, that fucking hurt. Pain shoots through my head from the impact, making my vision blur. The searing pain in my scalp is excruciating, and my head feels like it’s on fire; it’s burning so damn bad. Sobs erupt, and tears flow freely down my cheeks. Gingerly, I roll onto my side, getting up onto my knees, waiting to see what they have to say. Two of the men that I loved most in the world have kidnapped me, and for what? I’m sure it won’t take long to figure it out. Vale’s next words have my breath catching, a knot forming in my throat, and my blood running cold. Things just went from bad to worse.

“Run, Little Lemon, because once we catch you, that tight little pussy is ours.” Vale growls, causing a shudder to wrack my body, wasting no time, I take off for the tree-line.

As I make my way through the thick, overgrown pine trees, the smell of mildew and sap assaults my senses. It feels like I’ve run miles at this point; there’s mud-caked between my toes from all of the rain we’ve been getting. I feel disgusting. There is blood seeping through my pajamas from the cuts and gashes along my body. My feet are cut up so badly that it hurts to move, but I have to keep going. I hear birds chirping off in the distance. One of the guys must be close. At this point, Crew could be anywhere out there. What the hell do they want with me anyway?

They were anticipating this game, for that I am sure. At least they removed the rope from around my ankles, the zip ties, and the tape that was covering my mouth. That made it a hell of a lot easier to run and breathe.

Off in the distance, I hear the snap of a twig and the crunch of dead leaves. Someone is closing in on me quickly.

“Come out and play, you little bitch. It’s time for us to take what’s ours, you little whore.”

Fuck, that was Crew. Crouching down to hide behind a huge fallen log, I take in slow, deep breaths, hoping to calm myself. My body is shaking, and my nerves are consuming me. I have never been this scared in my whole life.

The last thing I need is for them to hear me gasping for air, I just can’t help it. Strong hands grasp my hair so tightly, pulling me up from behind the fallen log. The smell of whiskey and mint overwhelms me. My thighs clench with my own body's betrayal. It feels like my hair is being ripped out by the roots yet again. A small whimper leaves my lips as big, fat tears spill down my cheeks.

“You look so pretty when you cry. I bet your tears taste so sweet, Dahlia.” Vale says as he trails his tongue along my cheek.

“Brother, it’s time to play. Our Little Dahlia has been found,” he calls out in triumph, adding bindings back onto my wrists. Fuck, this shit hurts like a bitch.

Fuck, I’m so scared. My body trembles in fear of the unknown. I try to shake him off, but with the new bindings around my wrists, that’s hard to do. Not that I could get away from these two if I tried, because they are huge.

“Are you ready to be our little fuck toy, Dahlia? You know this pussy is ours. It was always, only ever meant to be ours.” Vale rasps in my ear, biting my lobe.

Memories assault me from a time when I was younger. Being surrounded by their attention and love was something that I craved. As I got older, my feelings changed into something more. I just wasn’t sure that they felt the same way. Shaking the thoughts away and trying to clear my head, I see Crew up ahead. He has an evil smirk plastered on his face.

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