Roped for Pleasure by Lacey Thorn Read Free Book Online Page A

bed.”
    Tears filled her eyes again. Tears of rage and hatred. In that moment, she would have killed him again if given the chance.
    “His hands were all over me. Touching, pinching, hurting. He liked my cries of pain, so I quit giving them to him. He kept asking me questions about River, where she was, why I was hiding her. ‘ Do you like my touch? Like a little pain to give you pleasure?’ he kept asking me. I could have lied, could have made up some story of where River was, but I knew it didn’t matter. He wasn’t planning on me leaving my bed. I don’t know if he meant to kill me or just keep me hidden. I feared for River more than I ever had before. He was completely demented, obsessed. The veneer he kept in place was finally crumbling, and you could just glimpse the madness inside.”
    “What did he do to you?” Dasan asked. She flicked her eyes to his and saw the anger and hatred she felt reflected there.
    “He continued to pinch, slap and torment. He bit me in several places. And he kept talking, questioning, threatening. I clenched my tongue between my teeth until I tasted blood, but I said nothing. I’d already screamed several times, and no one came to help. He planned to rape me. I knew it. I couldn’t do anything to stop him.”
    She shifted away from them, stood from the bed and paced to the door and back. She tugged her towel tighter, almost laughing at the absurdity of having this conversation like this. She in a towel and the three of them in nothing but unfastened jeans, as she spoke of the night she was almost raped. Even as the terror of that moment tried to seep in, she fought it with memories more recent. She thought of earlier visions of them and the pleasure they’d shared with her. It gave her both strength and courage.
    “He told me he was going to rape me. Put his hand between my legs… And that was when the door burst open. My neighbor had heard my screams and called the police and Kat, as well. That was when Raymond’s façade crumbled for good. There was no attempt to hide his madness. Everyone could see it.” Even the blindfolded woman, she thought. “I don’t know how long I lay there with them staring at me. It seemed like forever. Then I heard Kat.” Tara laughed dryly. “She was screaming at everyone and anyone. She threw the comforter over me then demanded something to cut the rope he’d used to tie me up with.”
    “That’s what your nightmares are about?” Dasan questioned.
    She nodded her head. “Every time I close my eyes, I seem to be back there, alone and helpless.”
    “You’re neither alone or helpless. You have all of us, plus Kat and River,” Sam stated.
    Tara smiled, but it was tinged with sadness. “It must have been amazing growing up with her.”
    “More like exhausting,” Charlie argued, and both Sam and Dasan nodded in agreement.
    “She feels like she failed me that night. But she didn’t. She couldn’t. She might not have been the first one through the door, but she saved me in every way that mattered.”
    Tara could feel the tears coursing down her cheeks, and new sobs shook her chest. Charlie stood and pulled her into his chest. She closed her eyes and burrowed deep, giving free reign to all the emotions that fought for release. She felt Dasan and Sam caressing her skin with their hands. She wanted the distraction, craved just to drop her towel and let them wash everything away with their touches. But she couldn’t, not until they knew everything.
    “There’s more.”
    “The reason Kat is gone?”
    She lifted her head, looking up at Charlie’s question, and nodded. “I’ve been getting pictures since…since I shot and killed Detective Marino.”
    “What sort of pictures?” Dasan asked.
    “They’re still on my phone, all of them. You’ll see the album immediately. I’ll let the three of you look through them while I get dressed. We need to talk.” Her stomach growled. “And as you can hear, eat. I’ll tell you all I know