Hell and Close Call

EMMA

What the hell is going on? My head is pounding like it’s been used as a drum. I squint, trying to make sense of my surroundings. I’m in a steel cage. The sun is beating down on me.

My hands and feet are bound with cable ties. I glance to my left and see two more cages, each holding a single person. Neither of them is Dean.

I look to my right. There’s Dean, in the cage next to mine, his hands and feet tied just like mine. He’s still out cold.

I turn to the man in the cage to my left.

“Psst. Where are we?” I whisper.

He glances at the guards before answering.

“We’re in Iran,” he whispers back. “I know Dean; he’s my boss. But who are you?”

“I’m Emma. You’re part of his team, right?”

“Yeah, I am. He’s mentioned you so much, I feel like I already know you. Did they catch you near the camp like us?”

“I think so. Last thing I remember, we were checking out where they were keeping you guys. Then I woke up here.”

“That’s how they got us too. Security is tight, but if we can figure out their routine, we might have a chance. They never open all the cages at once, though. They hardly open them at all.”

“Shit. We’ll just have to watch for an opening and catch them off guard,” I whisper back.

This is definitely not how things were supposed to go. Diablo and the guys must be freaking out.

LEVI

I’ve reached out to every Mafia boss I know, hoping they might have some information that could help us find Emma and Dean. So far, nothing.

It’s been five days since they were taken. Diablo is losing it. He’s running on pure adrenaline, just like the rest of us.

None of us have slept since I told them Emma was taken.

We still don’t have any solid leads on where they might be. With each passing day, the chances of finding them alive and unharmed get slimmer. Things aren’t looking good.

DIABLO

It’s been ten days since Emma disappeared.

I’m usually the calm, collected one. If I’m not, Emma has a way of helping me see things clearly and calming me down so I can make rational decisions. But now she’s the reason I’m losing my mind.

My baby love has been taken. My love, my everything, my reason for living, is gone and there’s nothing I can do to help her or bring her back until Levi finds something.

I’ve tried using all my contacts to get even a hint of where they might be, but the Mafia bosses are a tight-knit group and with everything that’s happened, they’re wary of me.

Can’t say I blame them. I blame myself too.

After the eighth day, I start drinking heavily again and using cocaine, trying to numb the pain in my heart. God knows what they’re doing to her. The not knowing is killing me.

Will Levi ever catch a break?

EMMA

It’s been nineteen agonizing days. The guards toss their leftover food scraps at us through the bars of the cage whenever they feel like it.

At first, I ignored my hunger, but after a few days, I’ve had to eat whatever they throw at us. I’m not feeling well. I’ve been nauseous every day, even throwing up a few times.

They must be poisoning the food. The guys seem to be handling it better, but my nausea comes and goes.

We hardly ever get water, and when we do, it’s from a bottle the guards have already drunk from. I’ve caught them a few times taking a swig, swishing it around in their mouths, and spitting it back into the bottle before tossing it to us.

They’re treating us like animals for their amusement.

I’ve noticed one of the guards keeps looking at me like I’m his next meal, undressing me with his eyes. It’s making me extremely uncomfortable; he doesn’t even try to hide his lust.

I really hope the guys are looking for us. I should have been home days ago.

DIABLO

Twenty-one fucking agonizing, hopeless days since she disappeared.

We haven’t heard a word from them or anyone else about whether they’re still alive or not. I’m losing my mind. Actually, I’ve already lost it.

I’ve been drinking non-stop, using cocaine more often than not for the past three days, trying to forget. I’m not sure if I’m trying to forget her, the fact that I love her, or the fact that she’s never coming home.

Everything is a blur. One day bleeds into the next. I can’t even tell if it’s day or night anymore. I glance at my phone and see it’s past ten at night.

I need a distraction from all of this. The alcohol and cocaine aren’t numbing the pain of losing her anymore. It’s a lost cause.

I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t take it anymore. I scroll through my phone until I find her number. It rings twice before she picks up.

“Meet me at my office at the club in an hour,” I slur. “Wear a long coat with nothing else underneath.”

^Meanwhile, at the exact same time, in Iran^

For the first time in twenty-one days, my cage is unlocked. It’s the creepy guard who’s been eyeing me this whole time. He kneels down in front of me and cuts the cable tie around my feet.

He yanks me up roughly. I stumble as he drags me to one of the offices. My legs feel like jelly; they haven’t been used in so long.

He shoves me roughly into the office and closes the door behind us. My hands are still tied behind my back. He walks toward me with a wicked smirk on his face.

Suddenly, he sweeps everything off the desk in one swift motion. He strides toward me, yanks me to him, and then tosses me face down onto the desk.

His hand moves to the waistband of my pants, struggling to unbutton them with one hand while he pins me down with the other. The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. He’s going to rape me. I’m dehydrated, starving, and worn out.

I don’t have any strength left, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let this asshole rape me. I’d rather die than live with that.

Rape is one of my biggest fears, one of the reasons I trained so hard. I try to summon the last bit of energy I have to fight him off.

With a sudden upward jerk, I slam the back of my head into his nose, sending him reeling backward. I spin around and kick his knee, forcing him to the floor.

Unfortunately, I’m too weak to break his knee. As I try to get past him to the door, he grabs my hair, yanking me back.

“You fucking bitch, you’re going to pay for that.”

He punches me in the face, and I crumple to the floor. He starts kicking me in the stomach over and over until I can barely breathe. After venting his anger on me, he hauls me up.

I can’t stand. I have no strength left, and it feels like I have more than just a few broken ribs this time.

He drags me by the hair to the desk again because I can’t stand. He lifts me up and throws me face down again. He pins me down with his forearm against my back, leaning on me with all his weight.

With his other hand, he finishes unbuttoning my pants, yanking them down along with my panties to my ankles. I try to fight, but I’m just too weak.

I hear the pop of his pants button and the sound of his zipper going down. My worst fear is about to become reality.

I close my eyes, thinking of Diablo, trying to focus my mind on the love of my life, hoping thoughts of him will distract me from what this man is about to do.

I feel his cock at my entrance, but before he can thrust into me, I hear someone enter the office.

“What the fuck are you doing? Get off her. This is not how we treat women in this camp. You know better. You will pay for this.”

Too weak to turn around to see who saved me, I feel darkness closing in, and I collapse to the floor, unconscious.

When I open my eyes, I find myself inside the office. The door is open, and I see two men dragging the man who almost raped me out the door.

There’s a bullet hole between his eyes. He’s dead. I scan the room slowly and see a man sitting behind a desk. I also notice my pants have been pulled back up.

“I’m sorry about him. He knew better. We don’t treat women like that. I don’t tolerate rape in my camps.”

“Thanks for saving me,” I manage to croak out. My mouth is so dry. I’m thirsty and hungry.

“What do you plan on doing with us?” I whisper. My voice is too raspy to come out clearly.

“Nothing yet. I’m still trying to figure out who all of you are and if you’re valuable.”

“I’ll give you everything I own. Just let all of us go, please,” I plead with him.

“I don’t know you, lady. Just because I saved you from being raped doesn’t mean I have any compassion for you. You were trespassing, and I want a reward.

“I’m waiting for confirmation from my sources to find out what I can get for all of you if I release you, but the issue is your country does not negotiate with hostages.

“I’ll pay you millions of dollars for our release. Please,” I beg.

“I’ll think about it.”

The office door opens, and the same two men grab me, taking me back to the blistering heat of my cage.

^While Emma is almost raped—back in New York^

“I’m so glad you called me Diablo. I’ve missed you so much. I told you, you’re mine. I told Daddy sooner or later you’d be mine again.”

“I’m not yours, Lauren. I just want to fuck you. I need to forget her. Now drop your coat, bend over the desk, and let me fuck you.”

Without hesitation, she unbuttons her coat and does as I say. I free my dick from my pants and slam into her pussy roughly, making her flinch.

I’m close to finishing when the door bursts open.

Levi freezes in his tracks. At first, he doesn’t say anything. He just stares at me, disappointment etched on his face.

“Not that you really care, but we found their location and we’re going to get them.” With that, he turns and leaves.

Fuck. I’m a weak fucking man. Emma won’t forgive me. Maybe the alcohol and drugs, but not infidelity. I really fucked up this time.

Why can’t I keep my cock in my pants? I just hope our love for each other will allow her to forgive me.