Page 66 of Forever Found

“You’ve been strong for long enough, Addy. Let us be strong for you now.” I looked up just enough to see Adam on his knees before me, his hand over my knee as he ran his thumb back and forth comfortingly. I didn’t know what it meant, and in that moment I didn’t really care. I was just so relieved to have him close. I was a wreck and I needed them all.

I didn’t care for one second about looking weak, or about any of that feminism spiel that said I needed to be tough and stand on my own, that would say I should never need to lean on a man to feel safe. I couldn’t! I didn’t have the fight or strength to stand at all right then and I felt so fearful and vulnerable. I needed the people around me to keep me going, because without them, I’d already have given up a long time ago.

CHAPTER 22

ADDY

The loud crash of the warehouse door being opened rips me from the restless sleep I had fallen into, too scared to fully sleep in that nightmare place. I still had no idea why I was there, or even how. Why on earth had these depraved men come to the most dull and boring town on earth, looking for women to kidnap? Surely not because they were targeting me – the most dull and boring woman on earth. It made no sense. But those were later questions. Now questions were what were they going to do with me and all of the women in the cages with and around me? Was this truly sex trafficking? It seemed like a similar set up to crime dramas I had watched on television and that thought was completely terrifying.

I’d already witnessed the violence these men were capable of. A young girl, definitely not more than eighteen years old, had been in a cage beside me the day before, and when she wouldn’t stop crying, or crying out in what ever her native language was, one of the armed men had opened the cage, ripped her out, and beaten her to within an inch of her life before us all. I hadn’t been able to watch the brutality, but I had heard enough to fuel nightmares for the rest of my life. Then the young girl had been dragged out, unconscious and bleeding, and never brought back. I knew it was likely they’d killed her and gotten rid of the body, shutting her up while also giving everyone ofus left behind a warning. No one had dared to make a sound above a whimper since.

I had never been so terrified in my life. I hadn’t stopped shaking in days and the need to break down and sob was constant, but I didn’t, because I didn’t want to show these monsters weakness. I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of dragging me out and beating me to death just like that innocent young girl who was just petrified and far from home.

I lifted my head just enough to look to the door of the warehouse, staying sat on the floor and hiding behind the other girls that filled the cage with me. My goal was to remain unnoticed as much as possible until help came. Because help would come. It had to. I couldn’t die this way.

A well dressed, middle aged man in a grey suit with a black overcoat strolled into the warehouse like it was the lobby of some fancy hotel. He nodded in greeting to the guards sat at the table in the middle of the huge, cold space, then he turned his attention to the cages, and all us trapped within.

I prayed he was there to help us. Could he be an undercover detective, maybe? He had to be there to end this whole thing and set us free. But it became very clear I was wrong when he started to peruse the cages and the women as though he was trying to pick out a new suit, or shiny pair of shoes.

I ducked even lower, pressing my head to my knees as he came closer to the cage I sat in. I was near the back of the cage and there were others before me. He probably couldn’t even see me, right? I told myself he couldn’t as I stayed hidden, my heart pounding so hard I swore it was going to burst out of my chest at any moment.

“There. That one. Bring her to me,” A well-spoken voice declared and I cowered as the cage was opened. I didn’t even know if I believed in God as I begged silently for it not to be me. Over and over I pleaded that I just be spared.

A strong hand landed hard on my head and I was wrenched up violently by my hair, crying out as I scrambled to get my bare feet under me.

“Ah, that’s the one,” the suited man declared happily from where he remained outside the cage. I turned to look at him as fear consumed me. He was watching me with so much delight, like I was his every wish come true.

I was thrown at him like a ragdoll, and before I could even try to catch myself the man in the suit had his arm around my waist and my back pressed against his front. He ran his other hand down my chest and squeezed my right breast so hard I cried out.

“Perfect,” he muttered against my ear. “Tell me, dear girl, are you a virgin?” His hand slid from my breast further down my body and I started to struggle desperate to get free of the grip of this sick pervert. “I think you are,” he sneered as he reached down and grabbed a handful of my skirt, ripping it up to my hips. “Or at least you will be for me,” he added as he cupped me between my legs and squeezed tightly.

“No!” I cried as I lost the ability to breathe in my desperate panic. He moved his hand, sliding it into my panties and I fought even harder against the iron like grip he held on me to get free, but it was no use. He roughly pushed his finger inside of me and I screamed in pain and utter terror at what I was already sure would follow.

I snapped my eyes open and tried to jump to my feet, but something was holding me in place. Him! God, he still held me!

“Addy?”

I frantically flailed, knowing I had to get away shucking my body to free myself of his grip as I hit out behind me with my elbows. A loud grunt as I hit something assured me I was winning, but still I couldn’t get free.

“Addy! Addy, stop!” The voice brought me back to reality and I looked up and found Asher in the seat before me, on his knees and looking right at me as he reached for me. I looked to the seat beside him and saw Kane, driving.

“It’s just us, beautiful. You’re safe.” Jordan was right beside me, his hand running up and down my thigh as he gently tried to reassure me. I remembered then, us all getting into the hired car and heading for home from the hospital. I glanced behind me and found Eli leaning in, his hand on my shoulder. Adam was beside him, his hand covering his lip, which seemed to be bleeding.

“Adam!” I gasped. “Wh-what happened?” I tried to pull out of Jordan’s hold to help Adam, but he didn’t let me go.

“I’m okay, baby. I’m fine,” Adam assured me as he pulled a napkin from somewhere and pressed it to his lip.

“Did I do that?” I realized as I looked around me and down to the seatbelt, which was what had been restraining me.

“It’s nothing, Addy. Stop worrying about me and just take some calmer breaths, okay?” he told me.

“I’m s-sorry, Adam,” I whispered as I turned forwards and collapsed against Jordan again.

“Sshh now, princess. Just settle down. You’re safe,” Jordan soothed as he pulled me tighter against his side and ran his thumb over the back of my hand, back and forth.

Max, I remembered as I tried to calm myself down. He was the suited man from my nightmare. Had it been real, or a conjuring of what Asher had told me earlier about Max taking girls from the warehouse? Had Max hurt me too? How could I ever know? It wasn’t like it was easy to differentiate the nightmares I concocted from the memories of what actually happened. Had that really happened, I questioned myself. Had Max hurt me too, and I hadn’t even remembered when he was right before me, pretending to be Mr. Nice Guy?

“I…I n-need to stop!” I gasped as my stomach started to turn violently.