man taking her.
Her shaking increased while her tears dropped at a steady rate. She hated feeling so vulnerable and trapped, wishing she could strike out, wanting to get to her feet and race away, yet knowing it would be a foolhardy thing to do. She may as well be under the desk again, pondering her demise and how painful it would be.
An image of her lying sightless on the forest floor with a bullet between her eyes plundered her wild thoughts. She gagged and placed a swift hand to her mouth. She snuffled loudly losing control. Both fists ground against her mouth in a desperate attempt to stifle her sobbing, but she was too afraid. Her thoughts crashed around her like a thunderstorm of hail. Violent scenarios played out within her mind, every one of them more heinous than the last.
“Candy,” she heard Dirk say in a deep, gruff voice. Her eyes flew open, her jaw quivered harder.
“I’m trying to be quiet, don’t hurt me, Dirk.”
“If you do as I say you won’t be hurt.”
“What do want from me?” Candy asked.
“Go to sleep.”
She wondered if she’d be able to. How could she fall asleep in the arms of an assassin while another armed man was watching her so intently? Her frantic state of mind settled on a thought. If he promised her something in return it would ease her mind.
“I’ll be safe if I obey you? Promise?”
“You’ll be safe.”
It wasn’t good enough. She knew it was juvenile, but he had to promise her, or she felt she would die from her fear of them.
“Promise? Dirk?” she asked again, her pitiful word tinged with hopefulness.
She waited; holding her breath for what seemed an eternity. He was studying her. She could see a variety of emotions cross his face.
“I promise you’ll be safe if you obey me, Candy.”
She let her breath out. She knew it was silly, but she felt better. Physically and emotionally exhausted, Candy was able to calm herself into slumber.
* * * *
Dirk’s eyes were centered on Candy, as they had been throughout most of the night. She woke wrapped in Damien’s embrace. During the night, she unconsciously nestled beneath his brother, searching for his warmth in the cool night air, and the comfort of strong arms. As she murmured her fears, his brother had been more than happy to accommodate her. Dirk could see she knew both men were awake and watching her, as her eyes fluttered in confusion. He wondered if she would panic, but she calmed herself admirably, in his opinion, under the circumstances. She stretched beneath Damien, pushing against him, groaning as if her limbs were cramped and paining. Her fear, though still apparent, seemed to have lessened. Neither man had touched her. Dirk made her a vow and he would keep his promise. She was pulled to her feet by Damien.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Damien grumbled, while still scratching absently. He brushed at the leaves clinging to his chest and behind.
“What’s your hurry?” Dirk asked with a large grin.
“I’m hungry and bug bit and I sme…” Damien stopped short, scowling.
“And you, sme? Is that even a word?” Dirk questioned, eyebrows raised, he’d seen Damien take an unobtrusive sniff at himself.
Damien clamped his lips shut. He wasn’t about to admit to his sometimes admittedly insensitive big brother that he agreed he smelled suspiciously like animal shit.
“I want to see if my great-niece has been born,” Damien snapped.
Damien smiled smugly at the look of sudden consternation on his older brother’s face when Dirk realized he was right. They needed to be away immediately.
Dirk set out at a brisk pace. He cast a quick glance in Candy’s direction, motioning her forward, wanting to get moving. Though his brother’s look was meant to antagonize, Damien had been correct, he needed to be home with his twenty-one-year-old daughter. Dirk set out back the way he’d come, taking the path near the water’s edge. They walked for a little while before Candy stopped
Her shaking increased while her tears dropped at a steady rate. She hated feeling so vulnerable and trapped, wishing she could strike out, wanting to get to her feet and race away, yet knowing it would be a foolhardy thing to do. She may as well be under the desk again, pondering her demise and how painful it would be.
An image of her lying sightless on the forest floor with a bullet between her eyes plundered her wild thoughts. She gagged and placed a swift hand to her mouth. She snuffled loudly losing control. Both fists ground against her mouth in a desperate attempt to stifle her sobbing, but she was too afraid. Her thoughts crashed around her like a thunderstorm of hail. Violent scenarios played out within her mind, every one of them more heinous than the last.
“Candy,” she heard Dirk say in a deep, gruff voice. Her eyes flew open, her jaw quivered harder.
“I’m trying to be quiet, don’t hurt me, Dirk.”
“If you do as I say you won’t be hurt.”
“What do want from me?” Candy asked.
“Go to sleep.”
She wondered if she’d be able to. How could she fall asleep in the arms of an assassin while another armed man was watching her so intently? Her frantic state of mind settled on a thought. If he promised her something in return it would ease her mind.
“I’ll be safe if I obey you? Promise?”
“You’ll be safe.”
It wasn’t good enough. She knew it was juvenile, but he had to promise her, or she felt she would die from her fear of them.
“Promise? Dirk?” she asked again, her pitiful word tinged with hopefulness.
She waited; holding her breath for what seemed an eternity. He was studying her. She could see a variety of emotions cross his face.
“I promise you’ll be safe if you obey me, Candy.”
She let her breath out. She knew it was silly, but she felt better. Physically and emotionally exhausted, Candy was able to calm herself into slumber.
* * * *
Dirk’s eyes were centered on Candy, as they had been throughout most of the night. She woke wrapped in Damien’s embrace. During the night, she unconsciously nestled beneath his brother, searching for his warmth in the cool night air, and the comfort of strong arms. As she murmured her fears, his brother had been more than happy to accommodate her. Dirk could see she knew both men were awake and watching her, as her eyes fluttered in confusion. He wondered if she would panic, but she calmed herself admirably, in his opinion, under the circumstances. She stretched beneath Damien, pushing against him, groaning as if her limbs were cramped and paining. Her fear, though still apparent, seemed to have lessened. Neither man had touched her. Dirk made her a vow and he would keep his promise. She was pulled to her feet by Damien.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Damien grumbled, while still scratching absently. He brushed at the leaves clinging to his chest and behind.
“What’s your hurry?” Dirk asked with a large grin.
“I’m hungry and bug bit and I sme…” Damien stopped short, scowling.
“And you, sme? Is that even a word?” Dirk questioned, eyebrows raised, he’d seen Damien take an unobtrusive sniff at himself.
Damien clamped his lips shut. He wasn’t about to admit to his sometimes admittedly insensitive big brother that he agreed he smelled suspiciously like animal shit.
“I want to see if my great-niece has been born,” Damien snapped.
Damien smiled smugly at the look of sudden consternation on his older brother’s face when Dirk realized he was right. They needed to be away immediately.
Dirk set out at a brisk pace. He cast a quick glance in Candy’s direction, motioning her forward, wanting to get moving. Though his brother’s look was meant to antagonize, Damien had been correct, he needed to be home with his twenty-one-year-old daughter. Dirk set out back the way he’d come, taking the path near the water’s edge. They walked for a little while before Candy stopped
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