Crushing Desire by April Dawn

manhood stood against his dirty body, looking filthy as the rest of him. But there was a frightening power in the rigid length.
    Reena scuttled back, trying not to cry out. This disgusting man wanted her, and she was sure he would not be alone in this. She would be ruined after all, but not by her own choice and not by a handsome man that made her tingle.
    She could hear Michael cursing and threatening the men, but it seemed from somewhere far away, in another time, another world. In her world right now, there was only this man with his menacing grin, his long knife, and his dirty manhood. She found herself pleading without even realizing it.
    “Please don’t. Please. No.” Her voice was soft, as if coming from a great distance and not from herself.
    She shook her head at the sound of her words and the contemptuous sound of William repeating them in a sarcastic mimicry. In an instant, anger filled the void terror had left behind, and her jaw clenched.
    Bertie was above her now, smirking. She lay on her back, arms outstretched in defense. Even if it meant that before this night was over, she would be murdered in a most painful and gruesome way, she would fight. She wouldn’t—no—couldn’t let this happen.
    Reaching behind, she pushed up with her hands and scuttled back, watching Bertie’s shining eyes while he advanced. He tossed his knife in the sand not far from her. He was toying with her, like a cat playing with a mouse before making the kill. Letting her run just a little, knowing that he could fall on her at any moment.
    “Ya don’t got the stamina to please this fine lady. Your gonna go second.” Bertie laughed.
    “I’ll please her right good. She’ll be fair screaming her head off when I’m done with her.” William’s chin notched high.
    She struck out at Bertie, scratching and clawing at the air as he leaned toward her.
    “Real tiger, ain’t she?” William chuckled.
    “Come on, Tiger. You’re gonna love this.” Bertie grabbed at her flailing arms.
    Click .
    The loud noise filled the clearing and everything stopped. Reena lay on her side, half on the beautiful white blanket, one wrist held secure by Bertie, the other pushing at his chest.
    At the edge of the clearing stood Jerrold, the coachman, a rifle braced against his shoulder. Behind him, Emily held a pistol with a resolute grip. The five people stared at each other for a moment. Then Bertie’s gaze lowered to the knife he’d dropped stuck in the sand.
    “Don’t even think about it, palie. You move one bleedin’ inch, and I’ll make sure you can’t piss standin’ ever again.” Jerrold’s voice was steady, and the rifle never wavered.
    Reena didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until she let it out.
    “We was only having fun.” Bertie’s eyes never left the rifle. “Ya can’t blame us for that.”
    Bertie stood, dragging Reena up with him. He put her in front of him like a shield.
    “Don’t ya be trying to shoot me mate, now, else I might have to take me grief out on the lad,” William said from somewhere behind her.
    The coachman remained steadfast and so did Emily.
    “Release both of them and leave with your hides intact.” Emily’s eyes flashed steel. “You try anything funny, and I’ll shoot you both on principle.”
    Reena tried and failed to stop the tremors that shook her body. Bertie began to back toward the forest where William stood, restraining Michael. Bertie’s path dragged her to within a foot of his discarded knife, but the blade was still too far away for either of them to make a dash for it.
    “Not too close to him, then. If you get her near him, I’ll put a hole in his head and then in yours,” Emily warned.
    Bertie paused, looking over his shoulder at where William held Michael, his knife slackening some as his gaze swung from Bertie to the guns and back again. She knew that a plan was forming, and she had to stop this now. Moving quickly, Reena stomped back hard on his foot, sending