Darkest Desire by Tawny Taylor Page B

Scream? Call the police?” Pete leaned closer, too close. “You’re a hooker. Do you want everyone here knowing that?” With his free hand, Pete reached for her breast.
    She slapped his hand away before it reached its target. “I am not a hooker.”
    â€œI saw you. At a party. You were one of the girls there. Fucked my friend. He said you were good with your mouth.” Pete dragged his thumb over her lower lip.
    About to gag, she jerked back and smacked his hand away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re wrong. That wasn’t me.”
    â€œSo . . . what? You’ve retired? What’s one more time?” Pete said coolly as he started walking through the kitchen, hauling her along. “Come on, Rob. You in? She can handle us both.”
    â€œSure.” Rob stepped up on her other side, looped his arm around her waist, and gave her a nudge.
    â€œI said no,” she shouted, her gaze jumping from one cluster of party attendees to another. Nobody was looking at her. Nobody was noticing she was being half-dragged out of the room. Not one person.
    Where was Gwen?
    In the kitchen? No. The living area? No. No Gwen. No Brent.
    She was on her own. Standing in a crowd, but alone. Defenseless.
    Rob and Pete hauled her forward another several feet.
    Going into full panic, she started fighting back, trying to break free from her would-be rapists before they got her outside. But Pete had a strong grip on her arm, and Rob grabbed her other arm as they dragged her toward the foyer.
    â€œDammit, somebody help me! You bastards!” she shouted, desperate now. If they raped her. Oh, God, if they got that far, she didn’t think she could make it through that.
    â€œShut the hell up,” Pete growled. “It isn’t like we’re doing something you don’t do every day. You’ll like it. I promise.”
    â€œGwen!” she shrieked as they shoved her toward the front door. If they got her outside, it was over.
    Pete opened the door. “Shut up, bitch. Sheesh. Quit making such a fucking scene.”
    â€œExcuse me,” someone said behind her. That someone was a male.
    Tears started blurring Lei’s eyes. She was relieved. Petrified. Desperate. Embarrassed. All she wanted to do was get the hell out of this place. Go home. With Malek. Where she was safe.
    Dammit, all she’d wanted to do was find Kate and warn her that she might be in danger. She’d never in a million years thought she’d run into one of the agency’s Johns at this party.
    How many more times would this happen? When? Where? Would the nightmare ever be over?
    Pete snarled. “Fuck off, she’s ours.”
    â€œWhat the hell are you talking about, yours?” the man behind her said.
    â€œThis cunt is a whore. Here to do a job. Don’t worry. We’ll pay her.” With his free hand, Pete grabbed a wad of bills from his wallet, waved them in front of her savior’s face, whom she still hadn’t seen because he was standing directly behind her, and shoved them down the front of her dress. The unmistakable rip of the fabric echoed through the foyer.
    â€œI’m not a whore,” Lei said, teeth gritted. Humiliated, furious, and just plain freaked out, she threw her hands over her chest, closing her fists around the shredded material.
    â€œYes, you are,” Pete said, as he cupped her mound.
    Bile surged up her throat and she gagged. She twisted, trying to break free. She kicked. She tried to shove him away. But between Pete and Rob, her arms were absolutely no use.
    â€œLet her go,” the man behind her said in a low but even tone. That tone, and the energy she felt buzzing through the air, reminded her of a dog that was about to attack.
    â€œFuck off.” Pete pinched Lei’s nipple and she screeched in pain and smacked her hands over her breasts. “Go find your own whore. I paid her. She’s mine. I can do