Page 2 of Broken

Dread absolutely filled me as I realized there was another kidnapper in the car. Tears born of fear and terror now rolled down my face, and I knew I had to do whatever it took to get away.

Pulling both my knees up to my chest, I lashed out with a hard kick, satisfaction hitting when I felt my bare heels strike hard against the guy’s jaw. There was a thud with what I could only guess was his head hitting the window, and he growled before grabbing both my legs, wrapping his arm around them to pin them down by his side.

“Will you fucking stop it?!”

Like I’d been thrown under a wet blanket, I stopped thrashing, my body falling still.

I knew that voice. And I didn’t know if it was better or worse that I did.

A semblance of eerie calm fell over me, and my thoughts began to reason. I slowly reached for the cloth that covered my head, my hair crackling with static as I struggled to pull it off.

A sharp fluorescent blue hit the edge of my vision from the dash as soon as I’d wriggled it free, and a smirk met me in the dim light of the car. My stomach filled with lead.

Ryder.

I knew it was him, the second I heard him speak, I knew it, but I’d prayed I’d been wrong. At the same time, not. Because surely this was still better than a random kidnapper. Ryder and Micah, I knew. And while they terrified me, I doubted they’d kill me.

It was what else they might do that made dread fill my entire body.

“Surprised?”

I stared back, frozen now as every possibility rushed through my thoughts.

“You look sexy like this. Tousled and gagged.”

I nearly gagged, feeling nauseous just at that comment, something about it yanking me back to life. I reached up, unknotting the cloth at the back of my neck and pulling it away. The corners of my mouth rejoiced, free of the hard stretch, and I ran my thumb and index finger over the sore edges for some relief.

“You’re dreaming. You know that, right?” My voice came out way too calm for how I felt.

“Ah, gorgeous. You only wish I was.”

“Ryder.” Micah’s voice bit from the driver’s seat.

“Sorry. Getting off track.”

“You were off track the moment you grabbed me. Do you really think Tucker’s going to forgive y’all for this?”

His eyes darkened in what felt like a feral warning, and I let out a little screech as he yanked at my legs. My back fell against the seat, a buckle digging into my hip as Ryder leaned over me, his broad chest and corded muscles pinning me down. His face lowered, the tip of his nose just a breath away from mine.

“You fucking say a word to Tucker, and you’llwishfor this night to be the only thing I’ve done to you. You fucking say a word aboutanythingI’ve ever done to the cops oranyone, and I’ll make sure you regret it. You hear me?”

I nodded, afraid to even breathe with the way he had me pinned. Something in my look must have told him I meant it because the ferocity in his expression shifted, a slow grin sliding onto his features.

“Good girl, gorgeous. Now, how about we make this a little more fun?”

He planted his lips against mine as his hands spread my legs, his hips immediately pinning me back down. I cried out, vigorously shaking my head as my hands pushed against his shoulders, but the power in his stance was too much. He grabbed my wrists, yanking them above my head in a harsh grip ashe thrusted his hips, his hard length pressing against my most intimate parts through my clothes. Everything in me cringed, and knowing no one was coming to my rescue, I bit his lip hard, tasting blood. He jerked back, falling to the floorboard as the car came to a screeching halt.

“Fuck!”

I scrambled back against the door as far as I could go, preparing to leap over into the front and escape from the passenger side if I could, when the door on Ryder’s side suddenly flew open, and he was yanked out as though he weighed nothing.

“I told you we weren’t taking it that far.” Micah slammed his brother against the side of the SUV, his arm crushing his throat. “You were supposed to warn her off. That’s it.”

“Like you really thought that was it.”

“That’s all it was fucking supposed to be. Or do you want Tucker to fucking shun us forever? You’re with him now, aren’t you?” He met my eyes in the backseat.

Shaking, I nodded, staring at the ferocity between the two brothers, stunned at the turn of events. All of the times Micah had aided Ryder in the past, and he’d just pulled him off? I had to be missing something.

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