Page 97 of Saved By Two

JESSICA

I wake up in a haze, disoriented and frightened. Everything is a blur, and I struggle to remember how I ended up in this unfamiliar place. As my mind begins to clear, the memories flood back, filling me with dread.

The last thing I recall is leaving Greta's office after I insisted I had to go alone. Because I needed to do it for myself, refusing to be a victim.

I step outside, checking the app on my phone for my Uber, when a body steps into my line of sight, crowding me on the pavement. Before I can react, silver glistens, followed by a sharp needle jab to my arm. As I look up into the soulless eyes of Curtis, a sinister smirk plays on his lips.

"Let go," I stammer. "What did you do to me?."

The grip on my phone loosens, and I watch helplessly as it clatters to the ground in slow motion, the screen shattering into a spiderweb of cracks. I try to call out for help, but my voice is weak, and my words are slurred gibberish as my head begins to spin.

Curtis tugs me hard into his side, wrapping his arm around my waist like a snake. "You didn't really think you could escape me, did you, Jessica?" His voice sends shivers down my spine. "I warned you never to leave me."

My heart races as he drags me down a nearby alley towards a car, my legs barely able to keep up. I feel weak, disoriented, and trapped. Panic sets in, and I desperately search for a way out, but my thoughts are clouded by the effects of whatever he injected me with. Every step feels like an eternity as we reach the car, and he forces me inside.

The world fades away as the drugs take hold. My last thought is of Caleb and Noah as my consciousness slips away and darkness consumes me.

I find myself in a clearing, surrounded by a forest. The air is heavy with silence, and the realisation of my predicament hits me like a tidal wave.

Curtis looms over me, his eyes burning with a dangerous intensity. He grabs me roughly by the throat, his grip tight and painful. "Listen carefully, Jessica," he hisses, his voice dripping with malice. "Your life depends on your obedience."

I reach up, clawing at his hand around my throat as I struggle to breathe. He squeezes hard once before shoving me and letting go. I just about catch myself before face-planting on the muddy earth beneath me.

Fear clenches my heart, and I know I am in grave danger. Curtis is capable of anything, and I struggle to get my thoughts in order. All I know is I feel utterly helpless.

And at this moment, I wish with all my being that I had listened to Caleb and Noah. They'll never know how much they mean to me. I long for their presence, even though I'm unaware of how much time has passed. It's dusk, so maybe a few hours.

"Where are we?" I croak out, my eyes scanning all around me. If I could get the keys off of him somehow, maybe I could make a run for it.

"A forest. Miles from anywhere. So don't even think about trying anything. No one is going to save you."

I lick my dry lips, my throat raw as I swallow. I watch him pacing up and down. His eyes keep going to his phone, the backlight lighting up his face creepily. How did I ever find this man attractive?

"They'll be here soon."

I don't want to know who they are, and unable to stop myself, I ask who?

"Some people I owe a lot of money to. I'm using you to pay off my debt."

I must have misheard him, the drugs making my hearing fuzzy.

"What?"

He looks over, his smile pure evil as he trails his eyes over my body, and I shiver, wrapping my arms around my middle.

It's eerily quiet out here, and I realise how truly alone I am.

"I owe some nasty people a substantial amount of money." He moves, lowering himself in front of me. His breath is heavy with the repugnant smell of alcohol. "So, when they get here, I'm giving you over to them as payment." He reaches out and strokes my hair. I don't move, frozen with fear at such close proximity.

He sneers at me. "I saw you with those two men while they fucked you." His fingers wrap around the loose hair, and he pulls, my head snapping forward, my scalp stinging, forcing water to my eyes. "You're disgusting. I would have taken you back, but not after witnessing that."

Reaching for my top, he tugs it down, exposing my bra and shoving his hand inside the cup, squeezing my breast hard. "But that being said, maybe I will take you for one more ride before they take you and offer you out for money."

I can barely breathe. Is he saying what I think he's saying?

"People are trafficked all the time. Did you know the government reports close to thirteen thousand victims a year when it's closer to one hundred thousand?"

He leans over me, flicking his tongue out and licking my cheek. I'm unable to suppress my gag. His eyes grow dark, and before I see what's coming, he backhands me across the face, my body slamming to the ground from sheer force.

---