Page 54 of Full Throttled

Bile rises in my throat and I cover Aubree’s ear with my hand. She doesn’t deserve any of this. A hard slap lands on my ass and I have to fight back the yelp. As we get closer to the exit, I slowdown in hopes of the cameras catching us. It’s the only hope I have to get Aubree out of this mess.

We step outside into the sunlight and I’m surprised that no one can see how wrong this whole situation is, but then again, everyone is tied up into their own lives nowadays. Everyone walks past us, oblivious to the turmoil going on just a few feet away.

A thought forms in my mind. I speed up to gain enough distance to whisper into Aubree’s ear. “Sweetie, I need you to be the big, brave girl I know you are. In a minute, I’m going to do something that makes me sick and I’m going to say things I don’t mean.”

“Do you mean lie?” she asks quietly.

“Yes, sweetie, I’m going to lie…a lot. I’m sorry that I have to do it, but at some point I’m going to put you on the ground and you have to let go of me and you have to run as fast as you can for the doors we just left out of okay. You go to the first store you find and holler for help. Tell them you were taken and you need to find your daddy.” She’s silent, but her grip tightens on me again. “Do you understand, Aubree?”

She shakes her head. “No, I don’t want to leave you with the bad guy?”

“I know sweetie, but I’ll be okay. I promise. You go back to your daddy. Promise me, you’ll run as fast as you can and holler for help, okay? Promise me Aubree,” I tell her.

“Okay, I promise.” She buries her head into my neck.

“Remember that no matter what, I love you.” I squeeze my eyes shut and pray that’s not the last time I get to tell her those words. I slow my pace back down so that I’m only a few feet away from him. “Look, you have me so what do you need with the kid?”

“It’s to keep you in line, Z. You like to run away,” he growls into my ear, as his chest collides with my back. I have to fight every urge I have to move away from him. I want to run as fast as I can, but if I don’t play this just right then I won’t get Aubree out of this mess.

“I could be in line for something else,” I tell him, trying to sound seductive.

He captures my earlobe between his teeth and we both stop walking. This is what I needed. I needed to distract him so I moan like him biting my earlobe is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. We are close to the parking lot and I need to get Aubree free right now. I lean into him and rub myself against him. He growls into my ear and I swallow past the bile in my throat.

He’s so wrapped up in his lust that he doesn’t see it coming. I lift my leg and slam my foot down on his. I drop Aubree to the ground before spinning around and lifting my knee to his crotch. “Run, Aubree!” She takes off as fast as her little legs can get her. She starts hollering for help as soon as she sees people. My eyes fill with tears at the relief that she’s free.

As I’m looking over my shoulder to check on Aubree, another set of arms grip my waist from behind. These arms are all too familiar. “Now look what you went and did toBuzzbaby,” Gregg tells me. “Get up you sex crazed shit! Look what you caused all because you fell for her game.”

I thought when I fled from the place I called home months ago, I’d never see Gregg again. If I hadn’t planned on Gregg you can bet money that I didn’t plan on seeing Buzz again either.I was wrong. Imagine my surprise when I ran intoBuzzon the other side of the carousel and he had Aubree in his arms. He wasskinnierthan before, but he still had that same balding raven hair onlythere’s even less of it. His eyes have dark circles around them and he seemed to fidget more than I remembered but he was there. I figured ifBuzzwas here,he had backup somewhere but I never imagined it would be Gregg.

I fight against Gregg, but it’s no use. He’s got his grip on me and I’m not getting anywhere. He picks me up, throwing me over his shoulder, wrapping an arm around my legs, so I can’t kick him. I beat on his back and scream bloody murder untilBuzzshoves the gun back in my face. “Man, you sure have put on the weight since you left.”

“Yeah, well getting to actually spend money on food will do that to a girl. You still look like a strung-out druggie,” I reply.

Buzzshoves the gun against my forehead causing me to scrunch up my eyes. “Easy there, Z.Buzzhas a happy finger. He won’t think twice about pulling it.”

I scoff. “What the hell do you want with me?”

“Well, you see we need money and I know you’ve been working, which probably doesn’t pay much, but thenBuzzhad an idea. You’vegot a tight little body that we could use to our advantage.” All I can think is not this again! Seriously, what is with all these people in my life thinking selling your body or someone else’s for money is a good idea. First, my father,Allen and Buzz and nowGregg.

I hear the rumble of motorcycles before I see them. I don’t know if they’re really there though or maybe it’s my mind playing tricks on me. “Well, if you aren’t a sight for sore eyes,” I hear Gregg say.

“I wish I could say the same, but we both know that’d be a lie considering I never liked your sorry ass,” Zayde says.

My heart leaps with hope and joy. Zayde is here. I didn’t imagine the motorcycles. We’re in the parking lot, in the sea of cars. People have started to stop and watch. I guess Gregg carrying me like this is drawing unwanted attention. “Buzzhas a gun!” I holler out, so Zayde will be aware.Buzzslaps me across the face and I wince at the immediate ache it leaves behind. Sirens fill the area and I hope that means that Aubree found someone to help her.

The sirens draw closer and then I hear my name being hollered by a familiar voice. “Put the girl down and put your hands where I can see them,” a male voice bellows through the parking lot.

Gregg tenses and the next thing I know he lets me slide down his body until my feet hit the ground. I stumble back away from him into Zayde’s arms. “You, dumb bitch,” Gregg seethes.

Zayde moves so that he’s standing in front of me. “You might want to be careful about how you talk to her. You might remember how my temper works and I have no problem putting you exactly where you should be.”

I notice Greggclenchinghis hands into fists but luckily more cops show up, and before I know it, just like a scene from a movie,Buzzand Greggaretaken to their knees with their hands behind their heads before they are handcuffed. Zayde wraps me in his arms as the overwhelming tears pour out of me.

I feel his presence, but I don’t have the energy to acknowledge it. Drake wraps his arms around me from behind and I take the first deep breath in what feels like a week instead of just minutes.

Forty-Six

Zoey

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