Page 10 of Coercion

I don’t move. I’m too paralysed by my fear to do anything now. My hands are wrapped around my head like a shield but I know it won’t do any good.

“Two.”

Maybe he’ll kill me too.

Maybe he’ll decide I’m not worth all this drama or whatever the hell this deal is.

I close my eyes, praying that’s the case. That a simple bullet to the head might finally end this all for me.

A boot kicks into my side. I grunt as it makes contact and the pain radiates down my ribcage. It’s not enough to break them, just enough to really hurt.

“Get up, Ruby.”

The guard hauls me to my feet before I can move. But I’m quick to react, kneeing him in the groin and he falls back, groaning in the dirt.

“She’s a feisty little bitch when she wants to be.” Another one laughs, dragging me out by my hair and tossing me into the dirt in front of everyone.

I look up, staring at Finn. Levi has him in a headlock now.

Levi tilts his head, sneering, with the gun rammed into Finn’s temple.

“Don’t kill him.” I whisper but I know he hears.

His response is to pull the trigger. To blast half of Finn’s head off.

I scream, shutting my eyes but that horrific image is still plastered there along with the ones from before. My father. Abraham. All of them dead at Levi’s hands.

He tosses Finn’s body into the ditch, then grabs hold of me by my throat. “You’re lucky you’re worth so much.” He mutters. “Otherwise I’d put a knife in your belly and leave you here to bleed out and die.”

“Maybe I wish you would.” I spit back because right now I’d prefer death. I’d prefer even a lonely agonising death than the awful future this man is forcing on me.

His lips curl. Ordinarily he’d hit me for my insolence but I know he won’t this time. Not when the wedding is so close. Hewouldn’t want to have a battered bride showing him up now, would he?

He tosses me into the waiting car.

The partition is already up. I frantically try the door and it’s locked from the outside.

There’s no escaping this.

No last minute reprieve.

I’m so totally fucked now.

I sink into the leather of the seat, silently sobbing as I’m driven back to purgatory.

They lockme back into my cell like room. I don’t even have the strength to wash the dirt off me. I just collapse onto the bed, too exhausted and defeated to even attempt to take care of myself.

No doubt tomorrow Levi will ensure I’m all done up and presentable, ready for my new husband to use and abuse.

I scowl, biting my lip. I never wanted to get married. I never wanted to live this life. Her life. My mother’s. I dreamt for so long of escape. And I told myself it was possible, that one day when I was old enough, Levi would either no longer see me as a threat or that I’d fool him enough that he’d let me go.

I guess that was wishful thinking but a girl has to hope, doesn’t she? You can’t spend your life in the dark and not dream of seeing the stars.

As the key turns in the lock, I freeze.

Something in my gut tells me already who it is.

Who’s there.