Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
“Come on,” said Ox. “Don’t be a bitch. It’s early.”
“Yeah, Dad.” Zeb sneered. “Loosen up. The night is young.”
“Just like your girl,” said a soft-spoken voice I didn’t recognize; it took me a second to realize it belonged Martin.
I clenched my jaw, biting back the urge to tell them where they could shove their beers. Had I been on my own, I might’ve tried a more direct approach just to gauge their reaction. But I needed to consider what was best for Willow. These men were dangerous, and they seemed to enjoy playing with us. For now, we had to play along.
Ox offered a can of beer to Willow. “How about you, kid?”
She glanced at me. I shook my head.
“I’m n-not old enough,” she stammered.
Duke laughed. “That don’t matter out here, little Willow. We abide by nature’s laws, remember? Hunt or be hunted.”
“Kill or be killed,” said Zeb.
Their ominous laughter made my hands curl in on themselves. I held my daughter against my side as if my body were capable of absorbing hers.
If only we weren’t outnumbered...
“Duke’s right.” Ox sipped his beer. “Out here, there’s nothing to stop us from taking what we want. No cops, no witnesses.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” I said. “There are over two thousand campsites scattered across the park. Scream loud enough, someone will hear you.”
“Scattered being the operative word,” Duke said. “With that many campsites, how would you even begin to pinpoint the sound?”
“I think Daddy wants to get rid of us.” Zeb leaned back against the log and crossed his legs at the ankles. The fucker was making himself comfortable.
“Don’t be silly,” Duke said, the challenge clear in his gaze. “We just got here. Toss another log on the fire. Let’s swap stories. Erik, you go first.”
I swallowed my aggressive response. “Fine. What do you want to hear?”
“Tell us about your first kiss,” Zeb said, his tone wistful.
“Fuck that,” said Duke. “Tell us about the first time you nutted in a bitch’s mouth.”
Willow gasped. Neither of us liked where this was going.
“That’s not appropriate,” I said.
“I think Willow should tell us about the first time she sucked a cock.” Ox dragged the tip of his meaty finger up Willow’s calf.
She jerked her leg away from him.
“Don’t fucking touch her,” I barked before I could temper my response.
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 here isn’t going 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’ll make you leave,” 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.