Page 49 of Baked

Don’t panic. It’s gonna be okay. Hunter will come looking for you any second now.

“You’ve been a hard woman to get alone, darlin’,” the man continued. “That boyfriend of yours doesn’t let you out of his sight, does he?”

“Not today though,” the shorter man, who she was guessing was Den, spoke up. “We were sure to keep him busy while we had our little chat.”

Oh God. Hunter.

“W-what did you do?” she managed to croak out.

“Nothing you need to worry about, darlin’.” The walking ashtray sneered. “Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?”

“I don’t have any money,” she blurted.

Her words were met with snickers. “Oh yeah? What did you buy this bakery with then, huh? Cupcakes?”

“I got a business loan,” she started, before realizing that explaining what a business plan was to these two men was likely a monumental waste of time. “I’m not rich. I make enough to pay my rent and bills, but that’s it. I don’t have the money Leo owes you.”

That was about the time her heart stopped. As a shiny blade was brought to her cheek.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“I’m sure we can work something out, darlin’.” Sleazy eyes dragged down her body, making her stomach turn. “Let’s take a drive, shall we?”

If she’d learned anything from binging detective shows, is that you never, ever, ever get into the car. If you did, you were fucked. She had to buy time. Time until Hunter could get to her.

“Wait,” she stammered, “I have some savings. Not a lot,” she rushed out, “but I have a few thousand.”

Both men snorted. “Nowyou have money,” the man still holding the damn blade to her face mocked. “I guess we’ll be making a stop at the cash point, Den.”

Shit. They still wanted to take her.

As if to prove it, the knife went to her throat as Ashtray Man clumsily pulled her into him and rearranged them until her back and his front met.

“I-I need to transfer the money. It might take a few days,” she tried to reason.

When the man’s hips thrust into her, she trembled. “Don’t you worry about that. I can think of plenty of things we can do over the next few days.”

Her vision started to blur and the tears she’d been fighting back broke free. Next thing she knew, she was being propelled forward through the concrete yard. Stumbling over every step with the force in which she was being shoved.

This was it. After years of fighting it. Leo had finally managed to break her. And she had a feeling it wasn’t just her spirit that was going to be shattered if she stepped foot into the blue pickup they were leading her to.

Just as she was about to empty the contents of her belly, a loud thud rang out. The man holding her swung them both around until she was looking at the heavy door she’d just been pressed up against. Hunter.

Air finally filled her lungs. There was still a chance. Still hope.

“Move and I slit her pretty little throat.” The man sneered as he dug the blade further into her skin.

It was hard to gulp. Hard to move. And even harder to watch Hunter’s handsome face crease in fear.

She had to do something. She had to untangle herself somehow, so Hunter could go all Hulk on these guys.

Think, Rachel.

Suddenly, Cat came into her head. Last month, her friend had been telling Luke how she could damage his balls from any angle if he continued to give her husband shit.

Rachel followed Cat’s instructions to a tee. Shifting her hips, she dropped her arm and smacked the man’s groin as hard as she could before letting her body drop down.

Yes!She was free.

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