Roman kept glancing at the woman next to him in the car. The strawberry blonde with the jade green eyes that he had spent two months getting close to. Not as close as he wanted. It was clear she wasn't ready to let another man into her life. He couldn't blame her when he knew her ex. She didn't know all the things he knew. He had tracked her down and befriended her. A task that had been hard since she didn't trust anyone but he had somehow made it through her walls.
She tucked some of her hair behind her ear. Those big, soft curls suited her face. He had fantasies about her. More than he cared to admit even to himself. He wasn't supposed to fall for her. He kept telling himself that it was nothing but lust. There wasn't anything deeper behind it. She was attractive and he was horny. That was all. In the end, he would never act on it. That wasn't his job.
He could lie all he wanted to himself. It didn't take away from all the times he thought about turning the car around and not taking her to the destination. Her hell. A hell she was yet to know about. She thought he was taking her somewhere for a surprise. She sure would be surprised but not in a good way.
And suddenly the house was there in front of him. He couldn't do anything but park the car and look up at the old house that looked abandoned and with no neighbors within miles. He had done what he was supposed to. He had taken her there. Like a lamb to the slaughter which was ironic since he had looked up her name and learned that it meant lamb in English.
"Bunty," he whispered.
"Yes?" She asked.
He hadn't meant to speak her name. He turned his head and looked at her. Soaked in her beauty one last time before it would be taken away from him. He needed to remember her like this before her face started looking differently. She truly was an innocent lamb, and he was about to become another big, bad wolf in her life.
"What is this place?" She asked.
"A haunted house attraction," he lied. "Come on, it's gonna be fun."
"It doesn't look like a haunted house. Shouldn't there be be some sort of decorations and people outside to welcome us?" She asked.
He wanted to come clean. He wanted to tell her that inside those walls waited another wolf. A wolf she knew. A wolf she had escaped. He knew eyes were watching them from the windows. If he let her go now, his ass would be on the line instead. It was too late to make up a lie about her disappearing.
"Come on, Bunty," he said.
He stepped out of the car before she could argue with him. He took a few steps forward and looked up at the house. He heard her step out of the car too. Leaves crunched under her feet as she walked up to him. Dead leaves being broken. There was something symbolic in all of this. He walked towards the house and she followed beside him. He could tell she felt uneasy. As if she would suddenly turn and run away. He had to come up with some sort of lie that she would buy. Just for another minute until he had her inside the house.
"I'm thinking about buying this house. I like the peace and quiet out here," he said.
"Buy it? I thought it was a haunted house," she said.
He knew he had messed up. He should have stuck with the first lie. She stopped walking and stared at him.
"Come on," he said.
She looked bewildered. It was clear what little trust he had built up with her over the last two months was suddenly crumbling. She took a step backwards.
"Roman, what's going on?" She asked. "What's inside that house? Is someone in there?"
There was nothing else left to do. He had to do the one thing he really didn't want to do. He had to put his hands on her and force her. Without warning he grabbed her and pulled her towards the house. She started kicking and screaming but she was no match for his strength. Despite his heart breaking for her, he had to do this. He had to deliver her.
He opened the door and dragged her inside. He pulled her to the room where his leader was waiting. He threw her down on the floor. She landed in front of a pair of feet. She looked up to see Baron's smirking face. She crawled backwards over the floor until her back connected with Roman's legs. She was caught. She looked up at Roman and all he saw on her face was fear.
"How could you do this to me?" She asked lowly.
He didn't answer. He had no answer to give. Instead Baron stepped in and took over.
"Because I told him to," Baron said.
Baron grabbed her and yanked her up from the floor. Roman stood there and watched as she struggled against Baron. Again she had no chance of escaping. Soon her hands were tied together and placed in a chain above her head while she sat on her knees on the floor. Baron grabbed her jaw and forced her to look at him.
"Did you miss me, darling?" Baron asked.
She didn't say anything. He smirked at her and continued.
"As you can see, I got out of jail. I'm very disappointed in you. I know you talked to the police," Baron said.
"I didn't," Bunty said.
"Liar!" Baron yelled.
Baron's voice was loud enough to make Roman jump in surprise. Baron let go of Bunty and straightened his back. He started pulling his belt out of his pants.
"It's a good thing you never had any interest in meeting my gang or you would have met Roman. I could use that," Baron smirked. "I'm very angry with you, Bunty. You're gonna feel all my wrath. I can't tell you how long I'll keep you here but I'll make damn sure you're gonna be too ugly and broken for any man to ever wanna touch you again once I'm done. I lasted eight months in jail because of you. Let's see if you can last eight months with me before your body gives up and dies on you."
Baron looked towards Roman, still with that smirk planted on his face.
"Do you wanna stay and watch?" Baron asked.
"No, I'm gonna go punch the bag for a bit," Roman said.
Really Roman just wanted out of that room. He didn't wanna see what Baron was planning on doing to Bunty. Roman walked out of the room and heard Baron's belt connect with Bundy's back, followed by her scream of pain. Roman started walking faster. Her screams followed him to the small homemade gym. He closed the door and turned up the volume of the music to drown out her voice before slamming his fists into the punching bag as hard as he could again and again.
"This is your fault!" He growled at himself. "All your fucking fault!"
He kept punching until the door opened and Seth stepped inside. If Seth got near him in that moment, he would punch Seth too. Feeling bones break under his knuckles would be so much better in that moment. Seth stepped over to the stereo and turned off the music. Roman listened. There were no screams filling the air.
"What?" Roman barked.
"Baron wants us to clean up," Seth said.
"Can't you figure out how to do that on your own?" Roman asked.
"The room, yes. But I'm not allowed to touch her apparently. Only you are," Seth said.
That changed everything. Roman wasn't sure why Baron had suddenly put up that rule. Somewhere he was scared of what he might find.
"Where is she?" Roman asked.
"Still where he left her. He told me to tell you to take care of her so that she's ready again tomorrow," Seth said.
Roman followed Seth back to the room. He swallowed hard when he stepped inside and saw her still on her knees with her hands above her head. Her blouse had been ripped off her and was thrown in a corner. She still had her jeans and bra on. Her head hung low and he couldn't see for her long hair if her eyes were opened or closed. He walked up to the chain and started freeing her.
"You're lucky," Seth said.
"Why?" Roman asked.
"You got to spend two months with her. She's a fox," Seth licked his lips. "Do you think Baron will let us fuck her?"
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Roman growled.
"I don't mean right now. Later down the line when he grows tired of this game. Maybe we can take over and help him out that way," Seth said.
"Keep your mouth shut and your hands to yourself, boy!" Roman snerred. "Hire a prostitute if you have any sick fantasies you want to live out."
Roman lifted Bunty up and carried her out of the room. Far away from Seth and anything that could hurt her. He knew it had to hurt no matter how he carried her but she didn't make a single sound. He carried her to another room where he had a small medical station set up. He put her down on the table on her side so she wouldn't have to lie on her back that was a bloody mess after Baron's belt.
"It's okay. It's gonna be okay," he said. "Fuck this!"
He kicked the trash can in a rage before getting himself under control. He had to take care of her. She couldn't count on anyone else in this house to do so. He wetted a cloth and turned around. To his surprise she was pushing herself up to sit.
"No, no. Stay down. Don't try to move. You might feel dizzy," he said.
Defiantly she sat up and swung her legs out from the table. She kept her head down to avoid eye contact. He stepped behind her and started cleaning her back. Small whimpers left her but she didn't ask him to stop. After washing the blood away, he tended to her wounds. She whimpered louder at that but he had to keep going. Finally he was done, and he stepped up in front of her.
"Can you look at me?" He asked.
She slowly raised her head. It was red from crying but so far Baron hadn't touched it. She still looked like she had earlier in the car before he forced her into the house.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"Don't you think you've lied enough already?" She asked.
"I'm not lying. I really am sorry," he said.
"I don't care," she said. "Do whatever you have to do to me but never speak to me again. It's better that way. I don't wanna hear anything you have to say."
"I can't say I blame you," he sighed. "I gotta take you to your room now."
He gently grabbed her arm but she yanked it free and got down from the table.
"I can walk on my own!" She hissed. "Just tell me where to go."
"Make a right," he said.
He took her to a room that had nothing in there but a bed and a bucket to use as toilet. There was a window in the room but it couldn't open. Even if it could, Baron had put bars in front of it. There was no way she could escape.
Roman lingered in the door as he watched her walk over to the bed. He was hoping she would turn around and look at him. She didn't. Instead she laid down on her side with her back against the door and curled up in a ball. The last thing he saw was her damaged back before he closed and locked the door to what was now her prison cell.