“See! You can do this.” I smiled. She had no reason to be nervous. She had already screwed the guy more than once, but she was right. Tasting feelings of my own, I understood how nerve-wracking it could be—especially the first time. It was like losing your virginity all over again.
I couldn’t have drunk much, maybe three shots at most, but my vision distorted as if I were trying to see through a pool full of chlorine, and each time I tried to stand on my feet, the floor moved from under me.
I blinked rapidly, and Bria and Isaac came into focus. Bria was completely nude across the floor, her breasts bouncing as Isaac had his way with her. But she wasn’t moving. She wasn’t saying anything. Her eyes were closed.
“What are you doing?” I called out. “What’s wrong with her?”
But Isaac didn’t respond. He never turned around. Was I even talking?
“Ollie?” I called out. “What’s happening?” I sat at the edge of the bed, leaning, almost falling over, or already lying down. How did I get here? Nothing was making sense.
After finding the strength to turn my head and look behind me, my eyes found Ollie sleeping against the wall over his mattress. He’d had one sip; how was he already passed out? Had I passed out?
I had.
I tried to crawl my way to him, but my limbs were useless.
Fear gripped me entirely.
“Ollie, wake up,” I tried to say.
Suddenly, someone dragged me to the foot of the mattress by my feet. “Oh, no you don’t.” My eyes went wide when I noticed it was Isaac. “I need to get you good and ready.” I shook my head as Isaac cocked his head at the door. “Shit. He’s late.”
“What are you doing?” I tried kicking my legs, but nothing. There was no strength, no movement. The ability to resist and refuse failed me.
He dropped my legs over the edge of the mattress and returned the bottle to my lips. “Open up, Mia.” He pushed my cheeks together with one hand and poured the liquid over my face. The liquid burned the inside my nose and my eyes as I tried freeing myself from his grasp. His hold became forced as the alcohol hit the back of my throat. Isaac laughed as he glanced over in Ollie’s direction. “No one is saving you tonight. Ollie’s out, and he’s not waking up for a while.”
Struggling to keep my eyes open, sounds muffled around me and through me. The door bolt unlocked, and the outline of a side profile blurred as someone came through the door, but I knew it was him.
It was Oscar.
“Blimey! You already fucked this one, yeah?” he asked, moving Bria to the side with his foot. Don’t touch her. My lids fought to stay open as Oscar took a few steps toward me. “You haven’t touched her, have you?”
“No, bro. We had a deal.”
Oscar looked behind me to Ollie and nudged his head. “My brother take a good bit?”
“No, I had to take your advice and knock him out.” Isaac ran his hands over his hair. “I don’t get it, man, he’s your brother.”
“And he’s your mate.” Oscar’s evil glare landed back on me. “We have a rule. Oliver knows this. She was mine first. This will show him never to take what’s mine.”
“Whatever, man. Did you bring what I asked for?”
Oscar dug into his pockets before withdrawing a bag full of pills and handing it to Isaac.
Ollie. “Ollie …” I think I moaned. My tongue felt fuzzy—numb. “Ollie.” All I saw was Oscar and Isaac. All I felt was the numbness, the cold, and the darkness.
“He’s out like a light bulb.” Oscar laughed.
There were two Oscars and two Isaacs in front of me, blurring together and spinning and I tried to reach up to grab hold of Ollie’s legs, but suddenly, I was moved around like a rag doll as the room shifted.
“Damn, such a fine pussy right there. Ever been with her?”
“No way. Ollie would fucking kill me.”
“I’ll let you get her wet for me.” It was the sound of his haunting laugh and the belt coming off that had me clawing at Ollie’s legs. Digging my nails into his flesh in desperation, I silently cried until Ollie’s voice blessed my ears.
“Mia …”
“Good, it’s about damn time. Watch, brother. Watch me fuck your girl.”
The bed moved around me, and everything disappeared. “Get the hell off her!” Ollie’s voice boomed. Sounds came from me, and I couldn’t see him. My head couldn’t move to either side. Darkness.
“Mia …” A blanket consumed me before everything went dark.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Damn, baby.
Take a moment,
Look in the mirror,
see how strong you are.”
—Oliver Masters
“OLLIE?” MY STOMACH stirred, and I threw my body over the mattress just as someone pulled a trashcan under me.
“I’m right here, Mia. I got you,” Ollie whispered, stroking the back of my head. “You have to get this crap out of your system.”
Hardly able to lift my heavy, pounding head when I finished, Ollie pulled me back onto the mattress. It was warm here, in these clothes, and … I turned my head. “Bria,” I whispered. She lay helplessly beside me.
Oscar.
Isaac.
My body flinched as the memories flooded.
“They’re gone. They can’t touch you.” Ollie moved the trashcan and crouched down beside me. “You have to drink some water.” He held a bottle in his hand, twisted the cap, and brought it to my lips. The water instantly soothed my throat. “There you go.”
“What happened? Why aren’t you …”
Ollie dropped his head to his chest for a moment, and when his eyes met mine, I was met with a bruised face.
“Ollie, your face.” I reached out to touch him, but he grabbed my hand before it made contact.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Ollie forced a small smile. “You need to get some rest.”
“Why aren’t you …”
Ollie shook his head. “I was only knocked out. I’m fine.” He kissed the palm of my hand. “Promise.”
“Did he?” I winced at the thought. But it wasn’t me I was worried about; I was afraid of what Ollie had witnessed. What exactly had he seen? Had I been touched? Raped? I couldn’t seem to remember.