Distorted Hope (5 page)

“What boyfriends?”

He snorted. “Right. Lying won‘t help you.”

“I’m not lying. Jason’s my first boyfriend.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-two.”

“And he’s your first boyfriend? How is that even possible?”

“Why does that surprise you?” I blinked back tears of shame. Why did he keep making fun of me?

“What do you do when you want to have sex?”

My cheeks reddened.

“Do you do the anonymous thing? Meet a guy online? Meet him someplace and fuck him? I never pegged you for that type of woman.”

I shook my head and twisted my fingers together.

He was quiet and studied me for a long minute. “Kyra, have you ever had sex before?”

I looked away and bit my lip. Would he dump me off the boat if he knew?

“Kyra.” His voice was deep and commanding, and I looked up at him and shook my head. Leaning back against the wall, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Why not?”

I shrugged. “So many reasons…”

“Any
physical
reasons?”

I snorted. “Just my looks.”

“What’s wrong with your looks?”

I stared at the ground and didn’t answer.

“Were you ever sexually abused?”

I shook my head.

“Kyra, look at me.”

I did.

“When we get to Panama, Nathan is going to take you to his room and fuck you. You won’t stop him.” He pushed away from the wall and arched his brow. “You
don’t
want him taking your virginity.” He walked across the room to the door and opened it.

“Why do you say that?”

Dark-Eyed Man turned back around to look at me. “Because he’s not going to be patient or gentle with you.” He left, returned with a plate of steak and vegetables, and told me to eat. When I finished, he pulled a syringe from his pocket and knocked me out again.

“Kyra.” A gentle hand brushed my cheek. The voice sounded familiar—a man’s voice.

I opened my eyes slowly, squinting in the bright light, and saw Jason looking at me with concerned eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked gently. “Did he hurt you?”

I blinked, trying to remember what happened. “I—” I paused and sat up on my hip. “I’m okay,” I mumbled, and then turned away from him.

“Kyra, what happened?” He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my shoulder. “I’ve been going crazy, worrying about you. I haven’t seen you in two days and have had all sorts of horrifying images as to what they might be doing to you.”

“Two days?”
No wonder I was hungry.
“I’ve been knocked out for most of it.”

“I’m glad they didn’t hurt you.”

“Yeah,” I said absently. Dark-Eyed Man hadn’t hurt me. I swallowed, thankful the taste of him was gone from my mouth. I looked around. We were in a large bedroom on a king-size bed. A white couch and chair sat along one wall and a dresser along the other wall. Long windows on either side allowed sunlight to brighten the room. The walls and floor were all light-colored wood with a large, white rug on the floor. “Where are we?”

“On a yacht in the middle of the ocean. Mark brought you in here a while ago. Where were you?”

I shrugged. “Some little bedroom.” I stood and looked out the windows. The ocean went on and on in either direction with no land in sight. “Who’s Mark?”

“One of the guys on board. I think he’s the leader. The tall one.”

Dark-Eyed Man has a name. Mark.

Jason came to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist again. “He didn’t hurt you?”

I shrugged.

“Kyra, did something happen?”

I looked at my hands and nodded.

“What did that fucking bastard do to you?”

Turning, I looked at him, surprised at the anger in his voice. He was normally such a quiet, easygoing guy.

“Kyra, please tell me.”

“He… made me give him a blowjob.”

Jason’s jaw clenched and he let out a low growl. “Are you okay? Did he have sex with you?”

I shook my head. “He was going to make me do it a second time, but… changed his mind.”
And told me I didn’t want to be a virgin when I arrive in… Panama?
“We’re going to Panama?” I asked.

“That’s what I was told.” Jason hugged me to him. “I’m so sorry, Kyra. I begged them to let you go when we stopped in Acapulco, that you hadn’t seen anything, but…” He shook his head. “I’m so sorry.”

“Why? What do they want with me? What do they want with
you
?”

“Apparently, Mark’s boss wants me for a new project he’s been given.”

The door opened and I looked up to see Mark standing in the doorway with an amused expression.

Jason growled and lunged toward him, taking a swing at his face. He made contact and Mark grabbed him, pinning him up against the wall. “That was a stupid thing to do, Jason,” Mark said between clenched teeth. “I didn’t fuck her, although I should have.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Jason asked, his voice muffled from the side of his face being pressed into the wall.

“It means I usually sample the new girls before I take ‘em to my boss. I didn’t when I found out she hadn’t been with a man before.” He twisted Jason’s arm, causing him to yelp. “If you’re stupid enough to try something like this again, I’ll fucking rape her in front of you.” Mark released Jason and took a step back.

I backed away to the dresser and clung to the edge, staring at the men. Jason glared at Mark and Mark studied him for a moment and then turned to me.

“There’s a bathroom behind you, Kyra. A pretty nice once, as a matter of fact.” He motioned around the room. “This is my boss’s stateroom.” He nodded to the dresser. “There are clothes in there for you. When you’re cleaned up, you two can come out and have dinner.” He pressed his lips together and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Jason looked worried as he stared at the door.

“Are you okay?” I asked, walking over to Jason and putting my hand on his cheek.

He placed his hand on top of mine and gave me a sad look. “Yeah. You should go shower,” he said in a low voice.

I searched his eyes for a moment. He was troubled. “Jason, what’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “You look pale. Get cleaned up and then we can go eat.” Jason turned me around and guided me to a wooden door at the back of the room.

“Oh my gosh,” I exclaimed, looking around after Jason closed the door, his troubled look forgotten. It was the most luxurious bathroom I’d ever seen. The floor was white and gray marble with thick golden veins running through it. The mirror running the width of the room had a TV in the middle of it. In the center of the back wall was a bathtub that could easily fit three people. A glass-enclosed shower ran along one wall with a room for a toilet behind it.

I caught sight of myself in the mirror—my hair was tangled and my dress was wrinkled. My makeup had worn off except for a bit of eyeliner. I looked… well, about normal.

I undressed quickly and went to use the shower but when I got in, there were no knobs, just a series of buttons. After playing with several, I figured out how it worked. I poured scented body wash onto a cloth and immersed myself in the relaxing scent, trying to forget the last two days.

When I was done, I pulled a towel off a high shelf in the shower enclosure and realized I hadn’t brought any clean clothes in with me. That meant I was going to have to go out into the bedroom wearing nothing but a towel. That meant Jason would see me in nothing but a towel.
Oh, God!

After debating for several long minutes about whether I could just stay in the bathroom the rest of my life, I realized that probably wasn’t feasible and looked down at myself. The towel was very big and covered everything sufficiently. It was only slightly shorter than the dress I’d been wearing the night before.

Ok. I can do this.
I hesitated at the door for a moment but then held my breath and opened it. Jason was sprawled on the bed watching TV and looked up when I walked out.

“I forgot to get clothes,” I said, thoroughly embarrassed but somewhat delighted about the appreciation on Jason’s face as his eyes swept over me from head to toe. I wished I had combed my hair before I’d come out, but it was too late now.

Walking over to the dresser, I searched until I came to a drawer with definite feminine clothing. When I realized it was full of short shorts, tank tops, and baby tees, I shook my head in disbelief. I’d
never
worn stuff like this. There were no panties and no bras. I found two bikinis, but there was no way I was wearing those. I stared at the drawer, not knowing what to do.

Jason came to stand next to me. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t wear this stuff.”

“Why? Is it the wrong size?”

I had already checked. “No.”

“Then why can’t you wear it? I think you’d look cute in that purple thing.” He pointed to a purple spaghetti tank.

“I don’t have the body to wear that sort of stuff.” Maybe that was the point. To humiliate me.

“What are you talking about?” Jason gave me a bewildered look.

Frowning, I shook my head and blinked back tears. I grabbed the purple top and a pair of denim shorts and then went into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. I dressed quickly, braided my hair, and then leaned against the counter, staring hard at the golden veins in the marble. Maybe if I looked bad enough, this Nathan person wouldn’t be interested in me and would let me go.

Jason grinned as I walked out. “Wow. You look hot.”

I turned away. “Please don’t patronize me, Jason.”

“What do you mean, ‘patronize’ you?” He came up behind me and turned me around by my shoulders. “Why don’t you ever believe me when I tell you you’re beautiful?” He took my hand and led me back into the bathroom. “Kyra, look in the mirror.”

I shook my head.

“Kyra. Look. In. the. Mirror.”

I looked up and met his eyes, refusing to look at myself.

“Look at yourself.”

I gave his reflection a pleading look and he raised his eyebrows. Blinking, I looked at myself briefly and then back at Jason. “Okay.”

“Kyra, I think you are one of the prettiest girls I have ever met. You look… hot, in those things. You normally dress so… I don‘t know… Conservatively? I never knew you had such great legs and… other things.”

I blushed, wondering what ‘other things’ he was talking about.

“Look again.”

Gazing into the mirror again, all I could see was how short and hippy I was. Stacey looked great in this sort of thing. This made my thighs look huge.

“What do you see?”

I sighed. “A short, fat girl with no boobs.”

Jason laughed and pulled my back to his chest with his hands on my waist. “I see a beautifully-curved woman with strong legs, a waist I can fit my hands around and…” He leaned forward to look down my shirt. “…very nice cleavage.”

I giggled and slapped my hand over my chest.

“And a beautiful smile,” he added.

“Jason,” I whimpered, turning around and burying my face in his chest.

“And a really nice ass.”

I laughed and shook my head.

Jason lifted my chin with his finger. “Beautiful, green eyes I lose myself in every time I look at you. Pink, full lips I love to kiss.” He kissed me gently on the lips. “Soft, brown hair I could play with all day long.” He ran his hand over my hair. “Don’t sell yourself short, Kyra. You’re beautiful.”

“I wish I could believe you,” I mumbled, staring at his brown t-shirt.

“I’m telling you the truth. Hell, even Mark thinks you’re pretty. Why would he lie?”

“He doesn’t think that.”

“He does. He called you pretty when he had a gun in your ribs and called you beautiful twice when we were in the van.”

I thought for a minute. “Maybe he’s just mean.”

“Why is it mean to tell someone they’re pretty?”

“To make them think it so they can crush them later.”

“Did someone do that to you?”

I shrugged.

“That’s just sick.” He hugged me to him and released a chuckle. “I think you’re beautiful, Kyra. If it would make you feel better, I could make a mail bomb small enough to fit in an envelope and we could send it to the guy who did that.”

I giggled. “Really?”

“Well, it’s illegal, but yes, I could.”