Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 160782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
“Are you cuddling my back?” I ask.
He smirks. “I think I can do that.”
I lie to the front of the lounge and lie on my side. “Get in behind me,” I say.
“I thought you were never going to ask.” He smiles as he stands and pulls his jeans down. I instantly look away. If I see he’s aroused it’s all over. I am only human after all. He leaves his t-shirt and tight trunk underpants on and crawls in behind me. He puts his bottom arm under my head and his top arm around my waist and kisses my temple.
“That’s better,” he whispers into my ear as goosebumps run over my body.
I smile at the feeling of him wrapped around me and his lips on my temple. This is more than better. This is heaven. I start to relax and listen to his regular breathing.
I hold my hand up and he takes it gently in his and we lie together in silence watching a stupid show on ice truckers.
After a heavenly comfortable silence of about half an hour, Joshua kisses my temple again and I smile into him.
“Josh,” I whisper.
“Mmm,” he answers sleepily.
“If I could be anywhere in the world tonight, doing anything I wanted…”
“Mmm,” he answers.
“I would want to be here with you, doing just this.” I feel him smile behind me.
“Really?” he replies.
“Really,” I smile. He kisses my temple again.
“You can be quite endearing when you want to be, Miss Marx, and very easily pleased,” he whispers.
I smile again and turn my face, so he kisses my cheek. “You can shut up and look pretty now,” I whisper. I feel him smile behind me as he kisses my temple again.
“Goodnight Josh,” I smile.
“Goodnight Tash,” he whispers.
I struggle to break free. The sound of Joshua groaning as they hit him echoes through the dark wet tunnel. Three men are holding him while three others are taking turns hitting him.
“Stop it. You’re going to fucking kill him. Please, let him go,” I sob out loud.“ Please, what do you want?”
They start to kick him, and I scream. “NO! You are going to kill him! Please stop it.” I sob while I fight the two men holding me as I try desperately to break free. They throw me onto the ground and one of them kicks me in the stomach. I scream in pain and I hear Joshua go crazy again as he tries to break free.
“Let her go,” he screams. “Kill me… just let her go. It’s me you want.”
They pick up a metal bar and hit him across the face. “Nooooooooo!” I scream.
“We are not letting her go. Who will we take turns fucking with her gone? There are nine of us to please, you know.”
Joshua goes crazy. “I’ll fucking kill you when I get free,” he screams. “I swear to God, if you touch her, you gutless pricks you’re fucking dead.”
I look to the corner where Ben’s dead body is slumped in the corner.
I close my eyes, the pain too much to bear. They continually hit him until he slips into unconsciousness.
Dear God, no!
One of them hits me hard across the face and I fall to the ground. They gather around and one of them unzips his pants.
“Joshua!” I scream. “No!” I struggle again as I try to break free. “Joshua!” I scream.
I am shaken awake. “Tash…baby, I’m here. It’s ok.”
My terrified eyes flick around the room as I sob and shake in fear. It was just a nightmare. Joshua pulls me into an embrace.
“You’re safe, it’s ok,” he whispers. “Jesus. What were you dreaming about?”
I sob into his chest as he cuddles me, and my eyes flick around the room again. We are in my living room. My body shakes with fear, and perspiration dampens my skin. My chest racks with sobs, why am I still having this horrible nightmare? What does it mean?
“Tash, talk to me. What were you dreaming about?” he whispers into the top of my head as he holds me tightly.
I sob again. “The one where they kill you and rape me,” I whisper.
He frowns. “The same dream you had in the hospital?” I nod and start to wipe the tears from my face.
“How often do you have this dream?” he asks, horrified. I shrug. “At least twice a week,” I whisper.
He frowns again. “What? You are this scared at least twice a week on your own, in the middle of the night?”
I nod as I drop my head in shame. “I feel like I am going crazy,” I whisper.
“Tash” He pulls me back down to lie with him. “It’s ok. I’m not going to die, and no one is going to rape you…no one, except me maybe.” He smiles as he kisses my forehead again.
I snuggle into his chest as my heartbeat starts to slow down. His t-shirt is wet from my tears. He idly starts to run his fingers through my hair as he thinks.