Page 9 of Force of Nature

The four of them exchanged glances. No one said anything.

Then.

Laughter.

“This fucking guy,” Ox howled.

Martin folded onto the grass, grasping his side. Zeb slapped his own knee.

“Did you hear that?” Zeb cackled. “‘Don’t fucking touch her.’ Classic.”

Duke wiped a genuine tear from his eye. “I know. I fucking love that shit.”

Strands of fear coiled up my spine like ivy. These guys were fucking nuts. I scanned the ground, taking note of every rock and pointed stick, anything I could use as a weapon. Why the hell didn’t I bring a knife? But wait, I did bring one—a utility knife, but it was in my pack inside the tent. I should have strapped the damn thing to my belt the second we left the hot spring.

How the fuck could I have been so careless?

“Wait, wait, wait,” said Duke, pausing to catch his breath. “Let’s not get distracted. Tell us, Willow. How big of a slut are you?”

“That’s enough,” I shouted.

No one even flinched. They just looked at her expectantly, as if she were a juicy piece of meat and they were a pack of hungry wolves.

“I-I’m not,” she spluttered. “I don’t…”

“You don’t remember how many cocks you’ve sucked?” Ox chuckled. “Must be a big number if she’s that confused.”

“No way,” said Zeb. “We’ve bagged ourselves a good girl.”

“A virgin,” Duke agreed. “Ripe for the picking.”

“Not for long,” Martin said softly.

Rage coursed through my veins like acid.

I shot to my feet.

“All of you, shut the hell up and stay the fuck away from my kid.” There was no point in keeping up the pretense now that they’d made their intentions known. If I couldn’t bluff my way out of this situation, these men were going to rape my daughter. “Whatever you think is going to happen hereisn’tgoing to happen. Now get the fuck out of my camp.”

Ox and Martin chuckled. Zeb pretended to be shocked.

Duke bared his teeth and said, “And what if we don’t leave?”

“Then I’llmake youleave,” I replied, sprinkling some extra gravel onto my voice.

The other three men seemed to hold their breath while Duke got to his feet. I shifted into a defensive stance while I waited for him to throw the first punch. I was pretty sure that I could take him, though I doubted the others would wait patiently for their respective turns. But Duke didn’t move to attack me. Instead, he reached behind him and pulled out a black handgun he must’ve had stashed in his waistband.

Dread settled in the pit of my stomach. Willow cried softly, touching her small hand to my knee.

“Go on, Dad,” said Duke. “Make us.”

Chapter4

Willow

My throat clenched so tightlyI couldn’t breathe. Duke was pointing a gun at my father.

This can’t be happening.

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