Trapped (Bullied Book 4) (Bullied Series) Vera Hollins (best large ereader txt) 📖

“Take them to the basement,” Bobby Q said. Blake flinched. No, not the basement. “Leave them there to reevaluate their life choices for a while.”

“No,” I whispered. Blake grew pale at once, and a sudden burst of anger carved a path through me. He was reliving his trauma all over again because of the same horrible people that had caused it.

“Walk,” Isaac said, yanking him by his upper arm toward the hallway. Blake’s steps were slow, laden. He had no choice but to face what he feared the most, and it wasn’t fair. I wished I could at least touch him or hold him to dispel his demons.

“What are you waiting for? A blessing? Move.” Lawrence nudged me with his gun.

My legs felt heavier than ever as I followed Isaac and Blake out of the living room. We descended the narrow stairs that led to the basement, the surrounding silence in the house falling heavy on my ears. There was no one who could help us. There was no one who could even hear us. We were on our own.

Blake stumbled when we got inside the small, stale room, which was completely empty save for the ropes stacked in the corner. It was lit by a light bulb that was so weak it seemed like it could burn out at any moment, and I wondered if that was the whole point. Maybe they wanted us to be in complete darkness.

Blake’s words about his experience in the basement four years earlier came back to me with a vengeance, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the worst. No food, no water. Dark. Punishment. Emma…Emma had gone through hell before she…

A whimper wanted to tear out of my mouth, but I had to keep it together. I mustn’t lose it.

“This time you won’t be able to untie yourself that easily,” Isaac said as he grabbed one of the ropes. “Maybe that’s better. That way you won’t be responsible for someone’s death.” He winked at him, sharing a vicious laugh with Lawrence. Bastard.

Blake went even paler. I was sure the words had a devastating effect on his mind.

“Did you know?” Isaac asked me, tying Blake up as Lawrence held us both at gunpoint. “We kidnapped Blake and his lil’ girlfriend four years ago. And guess who died then?” He secured Blake’s wrists behind his back before he moved to wrap his ankles together. “His girlfriend! But not before we got to play with her. Men have needs, you know? And what can a man do when he has such a perfect pair of young tits and pussy in front of him?”

My heart felt like it would burst from its rampant pulse. I was nauseated.

“But in the end she died because of the tough boy here. He didn’t listen. He wanted to play the hero, and that poor girl tried to protect him. So sweet.” His fake dulcet voice added more weight to the lead in my stomach. “In the end, she paid the price because of him.” Isaac stared coolly at Blake. “She died because of you.”

He pushed Blake to sit on the floor against the wall. It concerned me how unwell Blake looked as he stared off into the distance.

“No,” I said firmly. “She died because of you.” I pointed an accusing finger at Isaac before Lawrence twisted my arm behind my back to tie my hands. “You’re the one who killed her. It’s your fault and your fault alone.” I yelped because Lawrence tightened the rope around my wrists too hard.

Isaac raised his eyebrows at me. “So you heard the sob story from Blake, eh? I guess it’s a good story to tell if you want to get into a girl’s panties.”

Blake didn’t react, and I doubted he’d even heard Isaac because he was lost in his own world.

I spit in Isaac’s face in a sudden spurt of courage and anger. “You’re sick.”

Lawrence stopped moving, as if waiting to see how this would unravel. Isaac wiped my spit off his face with a grimace and took a slow step toward me.

“Bitch.” He slapped me across the cheek, hard, and I stumbled against Lawrence. My skin burned like thousands of needles had prodded my skin.

Cursing Isaac, Blake scrambled to get to his feet, but Isaac stepped above him and hit his temple with the handle of his gun, which sent him back down.

“Sit the fuck down,” Isaac bit out.

“No, Blake.” My legs moved toward him of their own volition, but Lawrence grabbed my hair and yanked me back, creating a burning pain in my scalp.

“I’m not done,” he hissed into my ear. “So don’t fucking move. You either, tough boy. Make a move, and I’ll pull her hair out.”

With a whimper, I looked back at Blake as Lawrence tied my ankles together, my eyes prickling with tears. We didn’t look away from each other until Lawrence finished and pushed me to sit down next to him. I lost my balance and slid against the wall, landing on the ground with a thud.

Lawrence and Isaac laughed at my expense, getting sick pleasure out of all this. I tested the ropes around my wrists. They were too tight. There was no way I could ever get them loose.

“See ya in a while,” Lawrence told us with a wink, and they left the basement.

A thick silence dropped on us. Blake’s ragged breathing and the loud thumping of my heart were the only things that filled it. My skin stung from the tight ropes, and my cheek pulsated dully in waves. I listened for any sounds from up above, but there were none.

The shock was slowly wearing off, and I started realizing the full gravity of the situation. We could be trapped for days. They could torture us however they wanted and we would most likely end up dead. How much time would pass before they were back?

My stomach churned as my breathing grew