Chapter Sixteen


It was extremely hard for Nancy to keep her eyes on Wesley as he hovered over her when every single part of her just wanted to curl up into a ball and hide. And she would have done it if her hands weren't tied above her head, preventing her from moving very far. If she had been afraid of him before, it was nothing compared to the terror she was feeling now.

In a matter of minutes, Wesley had shattered her world, taking something away from her that would take a long time for her to get back—her sense of security. How was she supposed to face Frank when she couldn't even stand to look at herself now? How could Frank even want to be with her, knowing that she was now tainted by such a vile man?

Sure, Wesley hadn't taken away her innocence—she'd given that to Frank long ago. She would never be able to live with herself if Wesley had stolen that from her.

That was the only silver lining in this nightmare she was now living in.

And now Wesley was seriously trying to tell her that he was in love with her? The psychotic bastard didn't even know what the word was. Did he really think that telling her that was going to make her forgive him for what he'd just done to her? Was he really that delusional?

The simple answer was yes. He really was that delusional. How else would you describe a monster that would rape a woman and then turn around and tell her that he loved her?

That wasn't the kicker though…now he wanted to prove himself to her and give her something that she wanted. Of course, he wouldn't let her go—that would simply be too logical for him to do.

So, even though Nancy felt broken inside, her thoughts a jumbled mess, she somehow still thought of Ella. No way in hell did she want the other young woman to suffer the same fate that she had. She refused to let Wesley touch her and violate her that way he had to her. So, if Nancy could find some way to ensure that Ella got out of this hellhole, then she would take it.

Nancy promised Ella she would get her out of here. And Nancy always kept her promises, no matter the cost to herself.

"You want me to let Ella go?" Wesley asked softly, moving her hair away from her face.

Even though she tried to stop it, Nancy couldn't help but shiver at his touch. More than anything, she wanted him to stop touching her, never wanting to feel his hands on her again. It took a real conscious effort not to begin crying. "You said you would do anything for me, Wesley. That's what I want."

Wesley frowned. "But she's the one thing making you behave at the moment. And I would hate for you to get lonely."

"I'm not worried about being alone." Nancy winced as she pulled against her restraints, trying to subtly move away from him. His body heat was suffocating. "Please, Wesley. You have me—I'm the one you want. Not Ella."

"That's true," Wesley said thoughtfully. "But I have grown really fond of her in these last few days."

"But you don't need her."

Wesley chuckled, an amused smile lighting up his face. "Does she make you jealous, Nancy?"

Nancy fought the urge to roll her eyes, especially seeing the way Wesley practically salivated at the thought. She knew he wanted to hear that was the case. And if got him to let Ella go, then Nancy would damn sure play along. "Yes…"

"Really?"

"Why would you want to have someone else here to take all of your attention when you could focus it on me?" Nancy felt sick to her stomach just listening to herself speak to Wesley that way. It really was a good thing that Frank couldn't hear her.

"Well, when you put it that way…" Wesley's smile slowly turned down into a frown. "But what will I do for fun?"

"I'm sure you can find something to occupy your time," Nancy muttered, this time not bothering to stop her eyes from rolling.

"You're absolutely right," Wesley said, his hand suddenly running along her leg to rest in her thigh. "I could find plenty to do with you to occupy my time, Nancy."

Nancy let out a cry, fear causing her body to shiver as she moved her legs away from him. Was this how it was going to be now, anytime a man came near her? Would she react the same way around Frank?

She somehow managed to swallow down the sob lodged in her throat, refusing to let Wesley see her cry. It would only serve to give him more control over her and he already had more than enough. She would be damned if she was going to give him any more.

But that was easier said than done when every time he moved, it caused her to flinch.

Reaching above her head, Wesley released the end of the leather strap from the bed, leaving her hands tightly bound. Jerking her up, he left a trail a kisses along her neck, ignoring the way she whimpered as she squirmed against him. "How about we go give Ella the good news?"

Nancy's eyes widened as she pulled away from him, unsure if she heard him right. "You're going to let Ella go?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you asked me to."

There was no way in hell that it could be that easy, but Nancy wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth—no matter how psychotic said gift horse was. Instead, she let him lead her out of the room and through the house, stopping only when they got to the basement.

Ella quickly jumped up from where she was laying down, gripping the bars of the cage as she took in Nancy's appearance. "Nancy! Are you okay?"

Nancy didn't say anything as Wesley pulled her towards the cage next to Ella's and put her inside, leaving her hands tied together. She glared at him as he stepped out, locking the door behind him. "Is this really necessary?" she asked, holding up her bound hands.

"No," Wesley answered, smirking. "But I have to admit, I love seeing you tied up. It just does something to me."

"You're sick."

"Among other things," Wesley admitted as he took a step back before smiling at Ella. "Good news, Ella—you're about to be free to go."

"What are you talking about?" Ella asked, glancing back and forth between Nancy and Wesley.

"I'll let Nancy fill you in on all the details. I'm going to let the two of you say your goodbyes while I get the car ready." With a small wave, Wesley jogged up the stairs, leaving the two girls alone.

"What is he talking about, Nancy?" Ella asked, her green eyes wide with a mixture of hope and fear.

Now that Nancy was away from Wesley, she didn't see any reason to put up a front. She allowed herself to release the unsteady breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she sank down onto the mattress, bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them tightly.

"Nancy?"

"I convinced him to let you go," Nancy said quietly, not looking at Ella. She knew if she looked at the other girl, she was come completely apart.

"How?"

"It doesn't matter. What's important is that you get to go home."

"But what about you?"

Nancy shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere," she answered dully.

"I'm not going to leave here without you, Nancy." Ella dropped beside Nancy, reaching between the bars to touch her arm. She jumped back, startled, as Nancy flinched violently beneath her touch. "Did I hurt you?"

"No."

"Did Wesley…" Ella's eyes widened as she put a hand up to her mouth. "Oh, my God."

Nancy knew she didn't have to spell it out for Ella, so she wasn't going to. "You're going to get out of here and not worry about me, Ella. I'll be fine."

"How can you say that?" Ella asked, horrified.

"Please, don't give Wesley a reason to change his mind," Nancy pleaded, reaching over so she could grip the other woman's hand with her bounds ones. "If you really want to help me, then once you get out of here you can do something for me."

"Anything."

"I need you to get in touch with my fiancé. His name is Frank Hardy and he's a private investigator based out of River Heights," Nancy explained hurriedly, not sure when Wesley would come back into the basement. "Wesley probably won't allow you to see where you're going, so you won't be able to tell Frank exactly where I am."

"Then what do I do?"

"Use your other senses. Try to pay attention to curves in the road, any potholes you may hit. Focus on other sounds—trains, industrial sounds, anything that might seem odd or distinguishable from other sounds."

Ella nodded.

"Anything you can use, tell him. He's really good at what he does—he'll be able to help." Nancy hesitated, swallowing hard. "Tell him I'm okay, and please, don't tell him what Wesley did to me. It will only make him lose focus and angry—he'll get reckless. And…tell him that I love him."

"I will, Nancy," Ella said resolutely as the door to the basement opened. "I'm going to get you out of here."

Wesley smiled as he sauntered over to their cages, pulling pair of handcuffs out of his pocket. "I hope the two of you got to say your goodbyes. Ella, if you would be so kind to put your hands out in front of you."

Nancy nodded encouragingly as Ella glanced at her. "It's okay, Ella. Just do what he says."

Ella hesitantly held her hands out for Wesley and he fastened the cuffs around her wrists before unlocking the cage and pulling her out.

"You better keep your word and let her go, Wesley," Nancy said, glaring at him as he ushered Ella towards the stairs.

"I have every intention of keeping my word, Nancy." Wesley turned his head to smile at her. "You really should get some rest. You've had a pretty eventful night and you must be exhausted."

With a final chuckle, Wesley pushed Ella up the stairs, leaving Nancy alone.

It was only then that Nancy allowed herself to break down and cry.


Ella couldn't help but inhale deeply as she got her first taste of fresh air as Wesley walked her out to the garage. The large door was open, revealing dark skies dotted with thousands of twinkling stars. Tall trees stood in the distance, only their outlines discernible in the cloaking darkness. Through her limited vision, Ella didn't notice any other lights around the property which had to mean that they were in a secluded area.

It was no wonder that Wesley didn't bother gagging them the entire time. Why do it when no one was around to hear you scream? Not only that, it meant it would be that much harder for Ella to give Nancy's fiancé any clue about where she was being held.

Ella didn't let it get her down, though. As long as she did what Nancy said, and paid attention to her other senses, she should be able to point them in the right direction.

At least, she hoped so.

Pulling her to a stop, Wesley popped the trunk and gestured at it. "In you go."

Panic shot through Ella. She didn't want to be enclosed in such a tight space, not for any length of time. It didn't matter if it was five minutes or five hours—claustrophobia was a real concern for her.

"You can either climb in yourself or I can put you inside," Wesley said, his eyes darkening with malice. "And believe me, you want to pick the first option."

Ella swallowed down the lump in her throat before taking a deep breath. She could do this, especially if it meant that she was going to get to go home. Lifting up her leg, she climbed inside and lay down inside the cavernous space, trying to get as comfortable as possible. Wesley reached beside her and pulled out a roll of duct tape and proceeded to wrap it around her ankles a few times before tearing it off.

"Comfy?" Wesley asked, smirking.

"Like a baby," Ella answered, rolling her eyes.

"Good." Wesley started to close the trunk, but stopped himself. "Oh, I did forget one important thing."

Ella suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "What's that?"

Reaching into the waistband of his jeans, Wesley pulled out a wicked looking blade with a serrated edge. "This."

"You told Nancy you were going to let me go!" Ella said, trying to move away in the cramped space. Unfortunately, there was only so far she could move.

"I am letting you go. But I never said anything about not hurting you," Wesley said with a cock of his head. "Besides, how would that look for me if I let you go without a scratch?"

"Please, don't do this. Take me back to the basement. I'll go willingly!"

"That's very admirable of you, but I'm afraid I can't do that."

Ella let out a terrified scream as Wesley brought the knife down, sinking the blade into her stomach. Pain was instantaneous and blinding for only a second and for a moment, Ella was confused by it. It should hurt more than it did.

Her opinion quickly changed when he jerked the knife back out. Her blood was warm as it trickled out of her wound, saturating her shirt. Ella put her hand on the injuring, trying to stem the flow of blood as she let out a pained sob.

"Don't worry, Ella. The wound is only fatal if you don't get help within the next few hours. As long as you keep your hands pressed against it, you should be okay." Tearing a strip of tape off the roll, Wesley leaned forward and placed it over her mouth, muffling her whimpers.

"Let's hit the road, shall we?"


Sorry that I haven't updated sooner, but I have a family emergency that I am currently dealing with and will be dealing with in the days to come. I will still try to update quickly, but I just want you to be aware of what might prevent me from doing so.

I cannot thank you guys enough for all of the positive reviews I received for the previous chapter. The support I received from you was unbelievable and left me speechless at times. So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

Alicia Hardy (I love bringing characters to life and making them as human as possible. I am so happy that you liked it! And allow me to apologize now for hurting both Nancy and Ella…), Michelle Gallichio (It was very difficult to write, so thank you! I don't think that Nancy has to really give Wesley a reason to hurt her—it's something that he enjoys doing), Angelvie S (Thank you so much…and we'll wait and see about Nancy and Frank), SC15 (Wesley is definitely trying to manipulate her…psychological torture at its finest), MinecraftDanny (Thank you…still more creepiness to come!), catlover1033 (Nancy has slept with Frank, earlier in the story. So, Wesley at least didn't take that from her), Caranath (Even though something so horrible and traumatic happened to Nancy, I still feel it would be in her character that she would still think of others before herself. If she wasn't going to be able to win her freedom, then she would at least try to win Ella's), FreshKicks (Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!), W00W (Thank you so much—your word mean a lot!), Cupcake (I really appreciate your support—you absolutely define what a fan is by sticking with me through the good and the bad, so it really means the world to me to have readers like you!), max2013 (Please don't come after me—Wesley, yes but not me!), misslady92 (Welcome back! You're exactly right about fighting a helpless situation. You can fight as hard as you want and more times than not, it's simply not enough), VerityD (Thank you so much for your private message—it really made me proud of what I had written), LilyoftheValley4 (It's hard to explain Wesley's motivations so the only explanation I can come up with is that he has a skewed vision of what love is. He's been infatuated with her for quite some time, so he doesn't see her as another of his victims. Because she survived him the first time, he sees her as different—someone worth keeping instead of killing like the others), dolphingirl7 (I agree with Nancy's personality—it's just who she is), Megaledon (Welcome! Thank you so much and I am so sorry to know that you were almost in a similar situation. I have a friend who unfortunately was in that type of situation), Jabba1 (Nope, Nancy isn't getting any breaks this time…), and Editor Chick (I really thank you for your critique and I will try my best to remedy my errors).

In case you're wondering, the story is not coming to an end any time soon. There is a lot more in store…

I apologize for any mistakes and let me know what you think!