Page 32 of Lexi, Property of Rhyder

His blade comes under her chin then travels further down her neck to her cleavage. Paige cries out—I can tell she’s afraid.

I keep trying to gain her to focus on me, but all she can do is look at the blade. He then places the tip of it between two buttons on her dress and cuts, revealing her breasts in her white lace bra. Paige’s eyes widen as his hand comes out and cups her left breast, the men in the van laugh as he continues to squeeze it.

Paige screams and tries to pull back, but she has nowhere to go.

I feel so helpless. I want to stop them, but I can’t. I simply can’t move. All I can do is try and get her to focus on me to forget what’s actually happening to her.

“Yesss, puta, we will get good money for you. Are you pure?” he questions with a slick tone pinching on her nipple causing her to cry out in pain.

I attempt to undo my wrists, but the duct tape is way too tight and sticky. I attempt to yell at him to stop, but he ignores me again and continues playing with her breasts.

“I think you are, aren’t you?” His knife then travels lower to her bare thigh. I hold my breath when I watch as the blade travels up between her thighs. She’s sobbing, and I scream, but it's all for nothing because you can’t hear my cries.

“Scar, that’s enough,” a voice sounds from the corner of the van.

This man’s voice holds a sense of authority, and I catch a quick glimpse of him, but this voice doesn’t have an accent—he has an American accent. He’s been quiet all this time sitting in the corner, and now he’s finally decided to talk. I’m glad, though, because it seems this Scar man listens to him and pulls his knife away from Paige’s body.

Scar swallows hard and narrows his eyes. Something tells me that Scar doesn’t like taking orders from the stranger.

“Clemente said not to touch them. So, don’t fuckin’ touch her.”

“I was just playing.”

“She’s not yours to play with, now leave her the fuck alone.”

I sigh in relief when Scar sheaths his blade and places it back in his belt. I try and glance to the man beside me, and I can just make out dark hair and the silhouette of his body. One thing that stands out about him is that he’s wearing a white shirt and tie.

The van suddenly comes to a stop, and I can make out the sounds of a gate opening. We take off again, and the road becomes rough like we’re traveling on a dirt road as we are shoved from side to side with the movement.

Finally, the van comes to a jolting stop, and the doors are opened and then slammed. The two doors at the back of the van are unlocked and then pulled open. Pepe pushes them wider as two men step out of the van, then drag Paige’s body out, one holding her arms while the other holds her legs. Then Mario and Pepe grab me, and once again, I try to fight them off, but then figure out early that there’s no use using all my energy when I’m never going to get out of the clutches of these two let alone these ties and run for the hills.

I’m carried out of the van, and the sunlight causes me to close my eyes as I try to adjust to it. When I look up, I notice we’re at an airport. I scream not wanting to fly anywhere, knowing that if we get on a plane, we may never come back. I struggle as Pepe and Mario grab my arms and legs and carry me through gates and then up the stairs of a private plane.

My head is in turmoil—I can’t get on this plane, I can’t.

I keep begging them to let me go, but my words don’t come out, and even if they did, I doubt they would listen to me. I’m dropped unceremoniously into a seat. I immediately try to get up to run, but I’m held down by the two men.

Mario gets in my face and says, “You try to run, and I’ll fuckin’ kill you on the spot.” He pulls out a gun from the back of his jeans and points it at my forehead. I freeze, scared for my life that he will pull the trigger, and then I’m held down as Pepe injects something into my arm. I cry out at the sudden sting but almost instantly feel myself becoming drowsy.

The last thing I remember is blacking out.

***

I wake up to us in the air, and the first thing I see is the black sky out of the window and realize we must have been in the air for a few hours. My mouth gag has been removed as well as the tape on my ankles and wrists. I try to look around to find Paige, but I’m so drowsy, I can barely keep my eyes open. The drugs they gave me are doing a number on me. Slowly, so as not to cause dizziness and nausea, I turn my head trying to locate Paige, and see her fast asleep in a chair on the other side of the plane. They must have drugged her too. My eyes feel heavy, and as much as I’m trying to fight it, I fall into a heavy sleep again.

I wake to being lifted into someone’s arms, and I turn to the man who’s holding me and recognize Mario.

Mario, the reason we are here.

“Let me down,” I scream and wiggle in his arms.

Mario doesn’t respond. He keeps his eyes forward, and I follow his line of sight and take in the mansion we are walking into.

It’s a white three-story house with double wooden doors at the front. I look up and notice a balcony that’s spread out surrounding the entire house, and there are men in camouflage gear and shotguns who are standing in each corner with their eyes looking out into the distance.

I glance back trying to see where Paige is and find her asleep in Pepe’s arms. I can’t help but glare at him, then turn to face forward when Mario climbs the front stairs.

At the entrance, there are two armed guards dressed similarly to the others on the balcony above us. As soon as we step in, Mario removes his arms from around me, letting me slide to the floor. I’m a little unstable but soon get myself together.

---