Page 11 of Desert Rose

I groan, pressing two fingers to my temple while sipping my whiskey. We pass time playing cards and eating the steak someone put on he grill to keep our bellies full and stop us from getting too buzzed. I don’t know how much time passes by when Tate comes blazing in with two loaded semi-automatic rifles. “Two girls are missing.”

All of us stand, grim and ready. Concussion or not. Women go missing all across Indian reservations in America. They just vanish without leaving a wisp of a trace. And all of a sudden, the foreboding feeling I had driving put here makes sense. One of Tate’s men comes out of a backroom carrying long rifles and more semis. We are each handed one. The barking of dogs comes from outside. What’s scary as fuck as they practice for this shit. Do drills.

I take a long rifle. “The Suarez Cartel. I’d bet money they took them.”

“If they did the alliance is over. It’s war.”

“I nod. We’ll be in it with you brother.” We head out into the dark, desert night sometimes we are the grim reapers and other times the avenging angels. I just hope we aren’t too late to be the latter.

REAGAN

5

They walked us through the desert canyons and loaded us into the back of a trailer like livestock. Inside the metal cage, huddled on the floor were a dozen women and children. Terror rolled through me. I was face to face with the evil Tarak often warned about but stupidly felt would never touch me.

I whispered comforting words to Amanda while tears ran like a river down both our faces in the dark. Words of hope that I knew meant nothing, for the hell in which we were headed too, I knew the statistics of survival were nil.

The truck rolled to a stop after some time. I swallowed hard not knowing what we would face when the doors opened.

I looked away as a flashlight shined inside. “Her,” was followed by a rapid back and forth in Spanish. One of them men leaned inside, snaked a hand around my ankle, dragging me out as I desperately fought against it.

My chin was forced up. “I’m taking this one for myself.” I refused to look at the man who spoke those words, but the smell of expensive cologne wafted from him. He wore an expensive suit and watch. I refused to look at his face but as he stood close to me, I was able to get an impression of sorts.

He snapped his fingers twice and I was thrown into the back of an Escalade converted into a limo. He climbed in after me and the door shut. My nails curled into my palm. But I needed to face this. Him. Maybe I could smash his head with one of the expensive bottles of alcohol sitting in special pockets of a sort of bar.

I sucked in a breath. He was handsome. But evil. I knew immediately who he was. Costa Suarez… head of the Cartel.

“What do you want with me?” I gasped as his knife cut through my gag.

He seemed amused by this. “What do you think?”

“You could have anyone… models, actresses…”

“I can and I have.” He straightens the ends of his sleeves and my eyes are drawn to the shiny cufflinks at his wrists.

“Come here.”

Swallowing hard, I shake my head. His low, evil laugh fills the space between us before I’m cruelly yanked onto his lap. His hard erection presses against me as his breath which is not unpleasant, repels me nonetheless hits my face.

“You know why I wanted you? Because you have a virgin pussy that is sure to be tight but after I break it will be as big as my fist. Fuck… you’re beautiful. Untouched. Nothing turns me on more than purity waiting to be sullied and you know what, little doll? You’ll be wet and aching for my cock, for as much as you’ll want to fight it; you’ll crave the sweet pounding of my dick on your G-spot. My lips tugging that cherry nipple of yours. Because little virgins have never been touched but their nerve endings crave seduction just the same.”

He’s sick. Demented. But his hands skimmed under my shirt, gently tugging on my nipples that he plucked from my bra and fuck I hated myself as his lips sucked one and then the other.

I didn’t want this. Or him. But I was wet just the same. I struggled, hissed, and spat as his hand moved into my jeans one finger delved into my slit.

He groaned finding me slick. I struggled against him, but one of his arms was wrapped behind my back like an iron band. He found my clit, made it swell and be needy. I screamed, clawed but it was of no use. His mouth fell to my neck, sucking, kissing, biting.“Come for me, Querida?”

“Never!” I screamed.

His response was to cruelly pinch my clit so hard I saw stars. He lunged forward pushing me back against the opposite bench seat and jerked down my jeans before taking himself out. My mind couldn’t process this was actually happening. My hands were still restrained, and his cruel kiss silenced my screams. I felt his heavy, naked cock on my bare skin. All of a sudden, my mind raced backward in time. Instead of him, I saw old memories flash like a movie across my mind. The desert sky at night. The feel of Mom’s hug. Tarak’s smile beforeher.The smell of the clay Earth after a spring rain… tears fell and I knew I was safe, tucked away inside my own head.

Suddenly the SUV swerved. Gunfire echoed around us. The sound of bullets hitting the metal side of the car erupted by my head. He cursed, shoved himself away from me and hollered at the driver and guards on the other side of the glass partition. I stayed down and prayed. I’ve never prayed as much in my entire life as have these past hours.

I fall to the floor; my body has no choice but follow the rules of gravity as the driver loses control. Suarez had opened the window trying to shoot back at whoever is pursuing us. I scream as a tire blows and the SUV spins out of control. I squeeze my eyes shut. My head bangs against the floor. In a weird way I guess my prayers were answered. The gunfire interrupted Suarez before he could… get what he wanted. Everything happens so fast, yet time seems to go so slow. Eventually everything stills. Suarez is either dead or out cold. His pants are still unbuckled. I year shouts form outside the vehicle. Minutes later the door is ripped open.

My eyes go wide in shock. It’s him. Edge. He peers into the wreckage, eyes bouncing until they finally settle on me with my clothes disheveled showing him everything he touched once but never saw.

My eyes fall in shame right onto the gun inches from the gun that must’ve dropped from Suarez’s hand. I don’t think. Numb from everything, I act on instinct, my zip-tied arms lift my finger able to grab the butt. I lift it, pulling the trigger five times right into Suarez’s chest.

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