Cruel Boundaries (14 page)

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I’ll be leaving tomorrow.” I swallow the sadness pushing up my throat and look at him.  I want to drink in every inch of his face, before he goes. I never want to forget the deep brown of his hair, the pale blue of his eyes. “It’s still early, Bridget. I could wait while you change and we can go do something?” I blink at him, shocked that he wants to spend time with me. When I don’t answer he quickly adds, “That’s if you feel like hanging out with me. I’ll understand if you just want to go in.”

I nod quickly and then say, “I’d like that. I’ll be quick.” I run inside, my heart beating so hard with excitement. Cole wants to spend his last night in Lyman with me!

~*~

We stop at Cole’s house so he can change into dry clothes, as well. I don’t take his offer to go inside. I’d rather wait in the truck. As soon as Cole goes inside the house, I open my door so the light can come on inside the cab.

Minutes later he comes out looking devastatingly good in a pair of black jeans and a black shirt. When he gets into the truck he looks at me and smiles. “Sorry about the black, but I’ve already packed, so this will have to do.”

No need to apologize to me! He looks hot and it’s just another reminder why I’m in love with him.

We drive in silence for a while. The road is dark, the only light coming from the truck. When I dare a glance in Cole’s direction, I can only make out his profile. He turns off onto a dirt road and it gets really dark, and bumpy.

I feel like a ragdoll being tossed between the seatbelt and the door.

“Sorry about the road. We’re almost there,” Cole says and I try to make out where we are. Cole slows the truck down and I try to see where we are, when Cole unsnaps my safety belt. My eyes dart to him as he puts an arm around me, and pulls me to his side. “You’re so tiny. My truck is abusing you. Sit closer then you won’t be tossed around as much.”

I flush red-hot! I’m sure he can feel the heat coming off my body. He starts to drive again and now I keep bumping into him, with every bump the truck goes over. We drive for a few more minutes and I’m hyper aware of Cole’s arms around my shoulder.

When we reach the destination, which is pretty much the middle of nowhere, Cole takes my hand and pulls me out behind him, into the dark night.

I hold tightly onto his hand as he starts to walk away from the truck, away from our only light.

“Where are we going, Cole?” I hate that my voice is trembling. I hate that I’m scared. I finally get the one thing I’ve been dreaming about and fear has to creep in and spoil it!

“Don’t worry,” he whispers, “it’s just up ahead.” He let go off my hand and put his arm around me, tucking me close against his side as we walked. I couldn’t see anything. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

We reach an old tree, its shadow making the night seem even darker.

Cole helps me to climb a rope ladder to the top, to where there’s a treehouse. The first thing I see as my head pops over edge of the wooden platform is the size. It isn’t much bigger than a closet. There is only one exit. It’s a space I could be confined in.

Cole’s hand settles on my lower back, urging me to go inside. I crawl to the side, staying as close to the entrance as I can, while conflicting emotions starts to war inside of me. Cole makes me feel safe but the environment is scary as hell!

“It’s small,” I squeeze the words out.

“It’s cozy,” Cole says as he comes to sit next to me. Together we take up most of the space. I pull my knees in under my chin, hugging then tightly to my body.

“It’s dark,” my words come out sounding breathless. It’s too dark and small!

I hear the strike of a match and a little flame flickers to life. With an overwhelming sense of relief I watch Cole light four candles. They are stuck to the floor in pools of wax. He leans back to sit next to me again, and the light from the candles quickly drowns out the darkness.

“You don’t like the dark?” he asks, settling his elbows on his knees. He tilts his head to look at me and a wave of self-consciousness floods me.

“No,” I answered truthfully.

I’m filled with relief when he doesn’t ask why. We both stare at the flames, slowly licking its way down the wax.

“You can’t swim?” he suddenly asks, his eyes still on the flames.

“No.” I don’t dare to look up at him, fearing he will see too deep. I would die if he somehow found out about my past.

“No one tried to teach you before?” he asks again. I glance up to see that he’s no longer looking the the candles, but that his eyes are on me.

I shake my head. “No, I don’t like water that much.” I try to laugh, but it comes out sounding like one of those awkward laughs where it dies on your lips before it even started.

“I’ll have to teach you when I get back then.”

I don’t say anything to that. The idea is a conflicting one. Water scares the shit out of me, but being with Cole is a heavenly thought.

“Are you looking forward to going?” I ask so Cole will stop asking me questions.

“I am. I want to make a difference. I can’t just sit around and not do my part,” he says, sounding so proud to go and serve our country that it brings tears to my eyes.

“Please be careful,” I whisper. I’m scared something will happen to Cole out there and he won’t come back.

His arm slips around my shoulders and he pulls me against his chest. It’s a little uncomfortable but I don’t want him to stop, so I let my arm slip around his waist. He pulls me closer into his chest, until my cheek is pressing against the soft material covering his firm chest.

This moment will always be on of my sweetest memories – just sitting with Cole like this.

Then he murmurs, “Tell me about your live before you came to Lyman.”

This question will only lead to another, and then another! I can’t answer any of them.

Cole starts to talk when I don’t say anything, “For the longest time I’ve been watching you, Bridget, and it took my dumbass of a cousin throwing you into a lake, to get me to make my move. I was always scared of talking to you. I still remember the first day you came to Lyman. Trend and I was driving our bikes around town when a car stopped outside Pastor Beasley’s house … and then you got out of that car.” He takes breath and then goes on, “I remember two things about that day. You were the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen, but you looked so scared. You looked right at me and Trend, but I don’t think you really saw us.”

When I still say nothing he whispers, “I only have one regret in my life.”

I have lots, but none that I would dare to mention to him.

Cole takes hold of my chin and lifts my face to his. “You, Bridget Liles. I should’ve spent time with you sooner and not waited until today.”

I force a smile to my face, feeling nervous. Cole wanted to spent time with me? He noticed me?

“I would’ve liked that too,” I whisper shyly.

“Maybe one day I’ll get a chance to spend all that time with you. I really hope so,” he says, a stunning smile spreading over his face.

When his eyes drop to my mouth my pulse speeds up. Never in my life did I picture this moment actually happening! His hand on my chin tightens and then his mouth is on mine.

Delicious shivers run through my body, making me press closer to him. His lips are gentle and soft as they move against mine. The warmest feeling sweeps through my body.

We stay in the treehouse for quite some time, just talking about silly stuff. It’s so nice, I can’t stop smiling.

“I was so excited about leaving tomorrow, but now not so much.” I hear him take a breath and then he whispers, “Please don’t forget tonight. I’ll come back and then we can really get to know each other.”

My eyes snap open. The moment between us vanishes as the bitter reality sets in. Cole is leaving.

~*~

Coming August 31
st
…

See where it all started with …

Dark Boundaries

Prologue

Kristine~

As I come to, I find my world spinning.
I feel a hand on my side and pain shoots through my ribs as I’m pushed. And the world starts to spin faster as my body goes round and round.

I’m hanging from something and can’t reach the floor to stop my body from swinging.

“I always wanted to take up kickboxing. You know, like
Van Damme
in that movie
Bloodsport
. It’s one of my favorites.” Ice flows through my veins at the sound of Warren’s voice.

It all comes back to me how Warren came into the hospital room, as if he was some long lost relative. I tried to call for help but he covered my mouth and whispered the words that made me leave willingly with him. “If you don’t come peacefully I will go and kill that redhead, or the blackhead, which do you prefer? Oh wait, maybe I should kill your master?”

His fist slams into my side, as if I’m a punching bag. White-hot pain sears through my already bruised body.

“Warren, stop playing with the slut and fuck her already. I have a meeting to make,” I hear Bill’s voice, but I can’t focus enough to see where he is, or how many men there are.

“I’m going to fuck you so good you’re gonna beg me to be your master,” Warren sneers. He grabs my hair and yanks my face closer to his. “You’d like that, won’t you slut?”

I don’t answer him. I know it doesn’t matter what I say. He’s going to do what he wants to me until he grows bored and kills me.

“Bend her over the table,” Bill says, sounding annoyed. “I want to have a perfect view of her ass as you break her in.”

Fear and dread ripples through me. Oh no! I can’t believe this is how my life is going to end. Just as everything started to go right, it all comes crumbling down around me again.

Warren unhooks me and lets me fall to the hard ground. I watch him pull his foot back and then he sinks it into my stomach. I let out a silent scream as I gasp for air. I’m still recovering from the kick when he grabs my bound hands and starts to drag me somewhere. I don’t know where we are. As he yanks me forward, Bill comes into view. He’s sitting on a chair watching this all go down with that smug look on his face. The building is otherwise empty, and it makes Warren’s footsteps echo against the walls.

“You know, I thought it was funny that Garrett and that other douche just disappeared after the auction. Hey, Pop…” Warren stops to have a conversation with his dad. I try frantically to twist my body around so I can get to my feet. All my trouble earns me another kick to my side. He glares at me before looking to his dad, his face showing how eager he is to please the man. He goes on talking as if I didn’t just interrupt him. “That really pissed you off. But see, I did Pop proud. I told you I’d find them. I got the slut and soon we’ll have Garrett pay for what’s left of her. I wonder if he’ll think she’s worth anything when we’re done with her.” They’re discussing me as if I’m nothing. I’m nothing but merchandise again.

“What better way to catch a big fish than to use the little worm. If I’d know how much money that man had I would’ve milked him sooner. That fucker and his brother played me for a fool and no one makes a fool of Bill Hardy.” Bill’s voice is grim, sending shivers of fear skating over my skin.

The skin on my lower back burns as Warren yanks me across the dirty floor. My eyes dart around, looking for a weapon. I’m not going down without a fight. Warren suddenly jerks me up, jarring my shoulders, and throws me over a flat steel surface. My hips slam into the sharp side, the impact hurting me even more and making my legs quiver. Tears burn in my eyes but I swallow them down. I don’t want to give these sadistic fucks the pleasure of seeing me cry.

“I’m gonna gut you, like those whores were gutted.” I don’t know which ones he’s talking about. “Like ole’ Jack did in London.” He grabs hold of my hair and wrenches my head back, lifting my torso from the slab. He reaches around me, pressing his chest and hard on against my back and butt. A wave of repulsion makes me feel sick. “I’m gonna slice you from here,” he pokes at my left breast and then starts to draw a line across my stomach to my right hip, “to here and then I’m gonna watch your guts fall on the floor.”

I close my eyes and a wave of nausea hits. I always knew Warren was the worst of the lot. Garrett protected me and I threw it all back in his face. I hope I get to tell him how sorry I am. I hope I make it through this.

~*~

Chapter One

Kristine~

Eight years ago …

We’re all lying in my backyard staring up at the stars. It’s one of our favorite things to do.

“One more year,” Riza murmurs. “Just one more and we’re off to college! I can’t wait to start my own life. I’m tired of not being able to do what I want. I can’t wait for all the parties!”

“Come on, Riza. It’s not like we haven’t been going to parties,” I laugh. She’s the wild one in the group, always game for anything. She was the first to lose her virginity, the first to drink alcohol, the first to dye her hair and so much more. Kelly was second … and then me. We do everything together. The three of us have been the closest of friends since first grade.

“Yeah, but college parties are different. For one, we can drink. Second,” she leans up on her elbows, throwing her long chocolate brown hair back, “there are men! No little boys that are pretending to be men. I want a real man,” she sighs dreamily.

“I’m happy with my book boyfriends,” I say, more to myself than to the girls. I have a slight obsession with all things books.

“Book boyfriends can’t spank your ass,” Kelly pipes up.

“Kelly!” I hiss and glance over my shoulder to make sure my parents didn’t hear that. Luckily they are nowhere in sight.

“Aww … like you don’t fantasize about a tall, dark stranger ripping your clothes from your body and sweeping you off to a far-away place so he can ravish you,” Riza teases.

“Reading it and doing it is two different things and you both know that,” I snub them, feeling slightly embarrassed about the topic we’re discussing.

“Oh Fabio!” Kelly starts panting, gyrating her hips up and down. “Take me harder, Fabio! Make me yours!” She bursts out in a fit of laughter, holding her stomach.

“So not funny,” I scowl, trying hard to hide my smile, “and Fabio? Seriously? Think of a better name next time.”

Riza joins in the laughter and then she rolls over and straddles Kelly. “Give it to me, baby,” she tries to sound throaty in between her fits of giggles. “Yeah, Shawn, just like that.”

I slap her on the shoulder. “Noooo! That’s so wrong.”

Shawn is a nerd in our Science class. Not that I have anything against nerds, but the guy must at least be bigger than me, and Shawn is as scrawny as they come.

Riza and Kelly crack up in another fit of laughter. I can’t help but join them as Riza keeps thrusting her hips against Kelly’s stomach. They look so stupid.

Then Kelly’s face goes all serious. “Have the two of you ever wondered what it would be like to kiss a girl?”

Riza freezes on top of Kelly and tilts her head sideways. She’s actually thinking about it!

“Eww.” I pull a face but then my jaw drops as Riza leans down on top of Kelly. She takes hold of Kelly’s face and plants a hard kiss against her slightly parted lips.

I feel my eyes bulge and a strangled gasp escapes my suddenly dry throat. Kelly in turn pushes her fingers through Riza’s hair and tilts her face slightly. What started as a joke quickly turns into something else. I see tongue and teeth, and … freaking hell, they’re really kissing!

Riza pulls away first and then grins at me.

“Oh, hell no! I’m not kissing either of you,” I whisper, scared my parents will hear.

“Aww … come on, Kristine. Be a sport. It’s just one kiss. What better way to find out if you bat for the other team.”

“I’m not lesbian. I don’t need to kiss a girl to make sure. I like kissing boys and-” Riza jumps me, pushing me to the ground, while Kelly goes for my arms. I start to giggle and try to flip Riza off me. I’m no match for the two of them. Also, I’m the smallest of us three, so they can easily overpower me without even putting much effort into it.

Riza’s face comes closer to mine and a fresh fit of giggles erupts from me. “Nooo! Get off!” I stick out my tongue as she moves closer until I can feel her breath on my face.

“You want me, babe,” Riza laughs and then her lips are on mine. I keep laughing into her mouth until she gives up and gets off me.

I sit up and turn to Kelly. She’s the tomboy of us three, more Goth than anything else, with her pierced brow and lip. Her hair is midnight black. “Your turn!” I launch my whole body at her and press my lips to hers, still laughing. When I feel her tongue brush against my lips I yank back.

“I think I might be lesbian, let’s have a threesome to make sure,” Kelly blurts out.

I blink at her, not sure she really means it.

“Yeah right, like you’ll give up on men to become a carpet muncher,” Riza teases.

“I’m serious,” Kelly’s smile vanishes and she swallows hard. “I might be … damn, I’m not sure. I’m so confused.” She frowns, looking sad. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

The secrets we tell each other this night brings us only closer … closer than sisters.

~*~

Present day…

“Wear the white one,” Kelly says, without looking up from her phone. “You know ... the one that pushes up your boobs.” She’s been glued to that phone ever since she met this guy on Facebook. I don’t even want to know what they’re texting each other. It’s eight years later and she still hasn’t made up her mind if she’s straight or not.

“Ugh … really? You don’t think I should go with the pink one, or maybe the
Guns N
'
Roses
one I had on?” I hold up the pink shirt, but Kelly’s eyes are still glued to her phone.

“Nope, the white one. You actually have some cleavage then,” she insists.

“You’re not even looking at the one I’m holding up,” I throw a mini tantrum, stomping my feet for effect. 

“Don’t need to,” she sings, “I know what looks good on you and boobs look good on you.”

“You’re just obsessed with boobs,” I mutter. I throw the shirts on the bed and stare at them, trying to decide which one will look best.

“Yeah, and that’s why you need to move your ass. I want to go drool over all the hot bodies.” Finally, she glances up at me. She quirks a pierced eyebrow. “Will you just get dressed already? We’re gonna be late for the show.”

Riza’s decided that we’re going to the Red Lounge. It’s an upmarket club where they do some kind of erotic shows and dancing. You know, the kind where there’s stripping and more. People acting out scenes others only dream of doing. What makes this club different is that there are both women and men dancers. I don’t know where she came across the club.

I’m a bit nervous, having never gone to a club like that, but the three of us have a list of things we’ve put together to do this year. We’re taking a sabbatical year before we all start working. One year of total freedom and letting our hair down. We deserve it! We all worked our butts off to graduate from college.

Second thing we’re crossing off on our to-do-list is going to a strip club. The first thing was the road trip we started a week ago. We’re currently in Vegas, it’s Riza’s choice of dream destination. It’s the perfect place to find a strip club, too. 

It’s our last night in Vegas and we’re going to make the most of it before we make our way to New Orleans, which is one of the places Kelly wants to go to. The stop after that is Vancouver. Yeah baby, I want to see the city where most of Fifty Shades of Grey was filmed. It’s my favorite book and movie. Gosh, to walk where Christian and Ana walked.

The girls don’t know my reason for choosing Vancouver, they’ll rip me apart with their never-ending teasing.

Riza comes out of the bathroom, wearing a teensy tiny blue dress that clings to her perfect body like a second skin. She looks great but then she always does. She’s just dyed her hair ginger, the color of the month. It suits her blue eyes.

“You gonna wear that shirt?” Riza asks while frowning at the white shirt I’m busy working my arms through. She slips on her high heels, and I have to admit they make her legs looks awesome.

“Yeah. Kelly told me to.” I can feel a headache coming on!

“It’s a club, nothing like the parties we used to go to in college.”

Screw this! I grab the
Guns N
'
Roses
shirt I was wearing originally and drag it over my head. I tie the shirt in a knot behind my back so it pulls up just above my belly button, stretched tightly over my breasts. That should please Kelly. It looks great with the denim skirt I have on. I find my one sandal by the cupboard and look for the other one under the bed. I find it and quickly put them on. “There, I’m done. Let’s go,” I say and I walk towards the door.

“Yeah baby, swing that ass,” Kelly slaps me on my butt as she darts by me.

“We look so good they might just offer us jobs,” Riza jokes.

I don’t think it’s funny. I don’t want to look like a stripper. I move to untie the knot but Riza’s hand on my arm stops me. “Oh no, you don’t! Leave it like that. You look all kinds of smexy.”

“Smart I can believe, but sexy? No way, girl. You and Kelly have the sexy factor. I’m cool with being the brains of this operation,” I laugh. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not the insecure kind. Like everyone, I have positives and negatives. I’m cute and have amazing blonde hair, which girls would kill to have. I have huge grey eyes that have gotten me out of all kinds of trouble. I just wish I could be a little taller, like Riza and Kelly. Kelly’s the tallest, and no one fills a pair of jeans like she does. She’s always wearing jeans, even tonight, with her favorite pair of biker boots.

We all squeeze into the back of a cab. A few minutes later, Riza squeals next to me, “Oh.My.Gosh! It looks so hot from outside, just imagine the inside.”

I follow her gaze and the first thing I spot is the massive neon light that’s in the shape of a man bending a woman over and smacking her on the ass. As the lights flicker it looks like his hand is moving, spanking her with every other flickering of the red and yellow lights.

When the cab stops, my eyes are still glued to the flickering lights. There’s a nervous twist in my stomach.

“Here’s to sex, drugs and alcohol,” Kelly says as we all pile out of the cab.

“You’re on your own with the drugs. Just let one of us know if you decide to do some so we can watch you make an ass of yourself,” Riza says from over her shoulder, her eyes drinking in the entrance of the club.

There’s a fountain to the left and a burgundy carpet reaches all the way to the rope from inside the club. A beefy-looking bouncer is letting people in after checking their invites.

Riza filled in an application for us online and the club approved it, sending us our private invites. Riza’s been on cloud nine ever since. The club apparently doesn’t just let anyone through their doors, you have to be screened and sign a contract that whatever happens in the club, stays in the club.

Riza hands over our black, gold and burgundy invites. After the bouncer scans the info, he looks up. “To the right is a booth where you hand in your belongings. No cameras allowed.” He looks absolutely bored as he says this. He must’ve repeated it a thousand times already.

We walk down a shadowy hallway, the burgundy carpet plush under our feet. A muffled beat grows louder as we move further in. We stop at the booth and as unhappy as I am about handing my purse over, I don’t have much of a choice if I want to go in.

“What about money for drinks?” Kelly asks. Yeah, trust her to only think of alcohol when she’s handing over her purse to a stranger.

“You run a tab and settle it when you leave,” the hostess says with a stunning smile. It helps to put me at ease.

We each get stamped with a number. I notice it’s the same number as the small cubicle my purse is resting in. Number six. I freaking hate the number six. Couldn’t it have been any other number? Six is the unluckiest number ever.

“Cool-beans, I’ve got number nine,” Riza says, quite pleased. “Oh shit, this is so exciting,” she squeals. I don’t feel the same excitement as her. My nerves are grinding against each other from not knowing what to expect.

The hall breaks through into a large sitting area, decorated in black, gold and burgundy, those colors seem to be the theme of the club. It makes everything look mysterious, dare I say even a little sultry. Round tables are situated everywhere with a huge stage taking up the whole one side of the club. 

We’ve been here twenty minutes already. We’re still waiting for the show to start and Kelly and Riza are on their second drinks. I’m still trying to finish my first. I can’t put them away as fast as they do.

“Don’t look now but to our right up on the balcony is the hottest group of men. Not one of you can say that we had something like that back in college,” Riza whispers with a huge grin on her face.

I wait a few seconds and look. The first man I see is blond, his hair shaggy. His eyes catch mine with a huge grin on his face, and I quickly look away.

“Don’t both look at the same time!” Riza hisses under her breath. “Geez, way to throw our names away. Take turns looking. They’ll know we’re interested if we all gawk at them. This is an upscale place. We have to make them work for it.”

“Work for what?” I ask, forcing my eyes to my drink and not back to the men.

“If any of them want a piece of my ass, they have to chase, preferably in the form of paying for our drinks.”