Saving Bennett Reid (Book 3)

Hush

It was better than being raped again. Not possessing the strength to fight them off, chained, gagged, my throat parched and no food to feed my energy, I honestly would have preferred death.

The front door to the cabin had slammed open rather viciously, tears springing to my eyes. I had no idea who was coming through, too disoriented to pick up on their scents.

I remembered the voice that suddenly shouted throughout the cabin. It was a deep male voice, filled with urgency and panic. It called out to me, accompanied by hurried footsteps.

"Bennett!" the voice had shouted, prompting tears to fall wildly as I started thrashing and screaming past the gag to make as much noise as possible.

More hurried footsteps, only this time, heavier as though the person had spontaneously broken into a run. The door to the room I'd been locked in for three days suddenly burst open.

Tucker came to a sudden halt when his eyes landed on me and I could see him frame visibly slump as though the grotesque sight of what was done to me made him sick and weak. I remembered seeing the anguish and disgust in his eyes, his face twisting into such an angered expression before he finally remembered why he stood before me.

He came over and ripped the gag out of my mouth. He ripped the bedsheet out from beneath me and tossed it over my body, causing me to shudder lightly at finally feeling some protection against the cold.

"Where are your clothes?" he had demanded. His voice was filled with so much anger, but I had known it wasn't directed at me.

"I-" My voice was croaky from lack of use but for screaming. A throat that hadn't tasted water for days, constantly having cum shoved down instead.

My stomach had so violently heaved then, and I bolted over the bed's edge to unload my stomach. I remembered Tucker cursing so foully, jumping back before practically ransacking the room. He cursed more, clearly not finding what he was looking for before storming out. I tried calling after him, begging him not to leave me but my voice was useless. More tears had sprung from my eyes, following the crashing and slamming of more objects.

Then seconds later, everything went silent save for Tucker's returning footsteps.

In a fit of anger, for I had never seen him like that, he'd ripped away the chains binding me as though they were frail scarves, tossing pants and a hoodie on the bed.

My clothes. I guess they had kept it.

"Can you manage? We don't have much time."

I had given him a weak nod, and he left the room, giving me privacy to pull on my clothes. My legs were weak, so I had stayed seated, carefully shrugging on my clothes, hissing each time the fabric or my hand rubbed against the bruises, gashes and cuts that decorated my body.

Once clothed, I had attempted to stand up only to crash to the floor, my body possessing no strength to carry itself. My tumble brought Tucker back, and he carefully approached, hesitating to touch me.

"I'm so sorry, B. But I must get you out. You can kill me later." His words confused me terribly, and a panicked cry threatened to burst free when he suddenly yanked me up to my feet. He put my arm over his shoulder and placed his own around me, holding me upright.

The fear that momentarily consumed me, subsided when I realized he'd meant no harm. I didn't want people touching me, but my guts were saying that Tucker wouldn't hurt me.

"I'll carry most of your weight but help a little. Okay?" His words sounded faraway, so I simply nodded, my heart pounding at the realization that this was real. It wasn't a dream. Somebody had finally found me, and I was going home.