Page 98 of Saved By Two

And then he's on top of me, his erection pressing into my lower stomach as I try to shove him off, but he's too heavy.

"I love it when you fight back. It makes me so hard."

I slap at him mindlessly, crying out, desperate to be free, when he shackles my hands in one of his, shoving them above my head, my bare arms digging into the ground.

"If you keep on like that, I'll fuck your arse raw. Show you what a real man can do. Prepare you for what awaits you when I hand you over."

His words are suffocating, and I struggle to keep my fear at bay. I cling to a glimmer of hope that someone, somehow, will rescue me from this nightmare. I pray that Caleb and Noah are searching for me, which is pathetic. I don't even know if I believe in God. But without the phone they gave me, I have no other lifeline.

He rips at the waistband of my leggings, his nails scratching my skin as the elastic protests.

Ringing causes him to freeze. "Fuck," he curses, his knee moving to my stomach as he uses that hand to pull his phone from his back pocket and accepts the call.

"Hello."

I can't hear who is on the other end of the phone as he digs his knee into me hard before releasing my hands, but the sinister smile he gives me, the lewd way he's sneering at me now, has my entire body freezing again.

"I'll send you my location now."

He taps at his phone and then looks down. "You're lucky we were interrupted. We're about to have company."

I need to fight back against the darkness that threatens to consume me. I won't let Curtis break my spirit.

"I have money. If it's money you need, I can get you the money." It's a last-ditch attempt to win him over.

He laughs, the sound both bitter and hollow. "You seem to forget I've seen your bank statements."

"Yes, but Caleb and Noah have money. They'll pay you. I know they will." I try to hold back my tears, but it's impossible. If I don't try and make a run for it, this is over.

Pushing myself into a sitting position, I move to my knees, digging my hands into the mud beneath my fingers. I stagger to my feet, bumping against the car's bonnet.

"I'll do anything you want me to, but please, don't do this."

His phone pings with a message, he looks down, and I know it's now or never.

With every ounce of strength I can muster, I lunge forward, smashing the heel of my hands into his eye sockets and smearing them with mud. With a guttural scream, he lashes out, punching me in the face, dropping his phone in the process. I raise my knee and slam into his junk as hard as I can and then punch my arms and legs as fast as they will go, his hollering out and swearing behind me. My body is heavy, my movements sluggish, as though I'm running in quicksand.

I trip, slipping into a ditch, a broken branch cracking loudly as it snaps, a jagged edge impaling my palm. I cry out, unable to stop myself, my pulse racing in my ears, bile rising in my throat. I choke to swallow it back down.

"You cunt, I'm going to make sure you pay for that."

I push myself to my feet, but one of my ankles gives out beneath me, almost dragging me back down. I force myself to keep moving as he continues to call out, his voice coming from every direction as he tells me all the vile things he's going to do to me when he catches me.

I can barely see in front of me as I move into the shadows of the trees.

My breath whooshes from my lungs when suddenly I'm sliding, wet mud beneath my feet, unable to keep myself upright. The side of my head bashes against a tree trunk—hard. Something damp and cold drips down my temple, everything growing darker as my body finally fails me.

And then I fall.

ChapterFifty-Three

NOAH

My heart pounds in my chest as I step into the eerie silence of Epping Forest. The sun disappeared on the horizon, a pale glow through the dense canopy of trees, creating twisted patterns on the forest floor. A shiver runs down my spine, partly from the chill in the air but mainly from the tension and fear that grip my entire being.

Caleb’s usually confident demeanour was replaced by a look of determination. As we separated, neither of us spoke. A silent exchange between us said everything we needed.I love you, and we will find her.

River is quiet beside me. His sharp gaze scans the surroundings, his senses on high alert. The low light enough to make out his strong jawline, emphasising the small scars from the battles he's fought.

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