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Guy 2 was obviously the tall guy I shot, and he sounded really angry.

Guy 1: He won’t care. You should have punched her in the gut or something.

Guy 2: You didn’t hold back when she bit you. You’re in as much trouble as me.

Guy 1: I slapped her. It won’t leave nearly as much of a mark as punching her.

Guy 2: Whatever. I hope he gets here soon. I want first go at her when he’s finished, so I can teach that bitch a lesson.

I put my hand over my mouth to muffle my cry as I backed away from the door.Sullivan’s on his way here.

I searched the room for a weapon. I scanned past the window as I looked for something I could use on the dresser below it. Nothing.

A window!The dresser was one of those solid, old-fashioned ones and I was confident it would support me. I lifted myself onto it.

I opened the window, careful not to make a sound, then turned around and got on my belly. I pushed my feet through, then my knees, inching myself out so I’d be closer to the ground before jumping.

I landed with a thud, then checked to make sure I was alone.

Where the fuck am I? Which way do I go?

It didn’t matter. I needed to run.Now. I ran towards an overgrown path to my left, hoping it’d take me to a road where I could flag down help. I didn’t want to get lost in the dark.

I didn’t get far before I heard shouts and footsteps behind me. Someone was closing in, fast. I didn’t dare look back, so I didn’t realize how close he was until he tackled me. We fell forward, and I heard a snap as red hot pain shot through my left wrist. I screamed and kicked my legs, trying to get him off me.

He yanked me to my feet by my hair and held my head still so the tall guy could put more duct tape over my mouth. Fresh tears flowed down my cheeks as they shoved me back to the cabin. I held my throbbing left wrist in my right hand.

After we were back inside, they tied me to a chair across a table from where they had tied my father up. They re-taped my wrists, not bothering to be careful of my now swollen and discolored wrist. I looked at my father's bruised, bloody face. They’d beaten him so badly he was barely recognizable. I hadn’t heard him screaming because they gagged him.

I should probably feel sympathy for him, but I couldn’t muster anything except loathing and anger.It’s his fault I’m here. I could see the front door and the living room from where I was sitting. It was too dark to see anything beyond the patio door behind us.

It felt like an eternity as I sat there with my wrist throbbing. I couldn’t stop crying. Tears ran down my face and over the tape. I tried, and failed, to tune out the two guys as they took turns taunting me with all the horrible, painful things they wanted to do to me to make me pay for all the trouble I’d caused. It lasted late into the night. I dozed off from sheer exhaustion after they finally stopped.

I jerked awake when I heard a phone ring. My face hurt, but it was nothing compared to my wrist. I had no idea what time it was, but the sun wasn’t up yet, so it had to be early.

“Boss is ten minutes out.” He sneered at me like it was my fault I was a bloody mess. “We should clean her up.”

I held back my sob.

The shorter guy got a rag from the kitchen and soaked it in water. I clenched my teeth to keep from screaming as he violently wiped at the blood on my face.

He stopped and stepped back when the door opened. Sullivan strutted in. He looked the same as he did before going to jail. Fat, balding, arrogant. Two guys in black suits followed him in. They made the two guys who grabbed me look like jokes. They were wearing similar suits, but these guys were bigger and a lot meaner.

I flinched as he barked orders at his men, his eyes holding mine. It took all my strength to break his paralyzing stare and turn away.

I felt his fat fingers on my chin as he forced me to turn my head. “Look at me.”

I opened my tear-filled right eye and stared my worst fear in the face. Sullivan had me in his possession again, and this time I couldn’t escape.I won’t survive this.

“I’m sorry he hit you, Margaret. I gave them strict instructions not to hurt you. I’ve been waiting to seeing those magical eyes of yours again.” My stomach turned.

Sullivan leaned in as he spoke. His breath reeked of stale cigar smoke, causing me to gag. I tried to turn my head, but he tightened his grip, causing me to wince in pain.

“Untie her.” He barked.

Fresh pain tore through my wrist when they ripped off the tape. I cradled it in my trembling right hand.

Sullivan stared at my swollen wrist, his eyes growing darker by the second.

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