Matthew and Dan had been camping for two days, getting high and fishing by the river, when they spotted her. A lone woman slipping into the cave just as the sun dipped below the horizon. At first, they figured she was meeting a lover; why else would she wander into such a secluded place? But as the minutes stretched into an hour with no sign of her coming back out, they exchanged knowing glances.
She was alone.
A runaway, maybe. Lost or desperate. Either way, she was theirs now. Out here, miles away from anyone who could hear her scream, she had no choice.
Dan chuckled, flicking his cigarette into the dirt. "Think she's one of those girls who'll put up a fight before giving in?"
Matthew smirked. "Does it matter?"
They moved toward the cave, their boots crunching against the dry leaves and gravel. The air inside was damp, thick with the scent of earth and lingering moisture from the river. Shadows twisted along the rocky walls as they stepped in, their eyes adjusting to the dim light.
And there she was.
She had her back against the cavern wall, dark eyes darting between them, her breathing shallow. She wasn't stupid; she knew what was about to happen. Matthew could see it in the way she squared her shoulders in an effort to appear intimidating, as if that would make a difference. It almost made him laugh.
"Relax, sweetheart," Dan drawled, taking a step forward. "We just want to have a little fun. No need to make it hard on yourself."
Her silence only fueled the sick thrill curling in Matthew's gut. He loved it when they tried to act brave. It made breaking them so much sweeter.
"Tell you what," he continued, his voice smooth. "If you're nice, maybe you'll even get something out of it." " You look like you could use the money or maybe something to eat, nice dresses."
Her lips curled in disgust, and for a second, Matthew thought she might actually spit at them. But then she moved fast. Too fast.
Dan never saw it coming.
She twisted, grabbed a loose rock from the ground, and slammed it into his face with enough force to send him staggering backward. Blood sprayed from his nose as he collapsed onto the cave floor, groaning in pain.
Matthew stiffened.
So she was a fighter.
He felt his pulse kick up, excitement mingling with irritation as he touched his nose and licked the blood from it. The plan was to just have fun with her; now he was going to kill her slowly once he and his friend finished having fun with her, maybe slit her throat when he was deep inside her, and watch her bleed out.
"Feisty little thing," he murmured, his voice deceptively calm, eyes narrowing.
She turned to run, but he caught her wrist and yanked her back, shoving her hard against the wall as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked at it hard enough to pull it.
Luna screamed then, raw and desperate, the sound bouncing off the cave walls.
Matthew just smiled.
"You can scream all you want, little girl," he murmured, leaning in close. "Nobody's coming to save you."
Pure white panic shot through Luna as the second man strode toward where she struggled against Matthew. His voice was smooth, almost amused.
"I quite like my women loud and ferocious when I take them," Dan murmured, his dark eyes drinking in the scene before him.
That brief distraction was all it took for Luna to regain control of her hands, but before she could act, he seized her wrists, slamming them above her head against the cold, damp cave wall. His other hand moved quickly, shoving up the tattered remains of her dirty gown, baring her thighs to the stale air.
Luna's breath hitched. The realization that she was exposed, that she had nothing beneath, sent a fresh wave of terror through her veins.
Dan leaned back against the cave wall, arms crossed, taking in the sight with an appreciative smirk. He let his gaze roam over her olive skin marred by dirt and bruises, the soft curve of her hips, and the trembling of her thighs. She was beautiful. Ruined, perhaps, but still beautiful. And all theirs.
"Take your time," he said lazily. "Let's see what she does next."
Luna thrashed wildly, twisting her body in any way she could to escape Matthew's iron grip. Her nails clawed at his arms, and her knees jerked up, seeking a target. But he was too strong, too prepared.
Desperation made her reckless. She gathered every ounce of spit in her mouth and launched it straight into Matthew's face.
For a split second, his grip faltered. Then, his expression twisted into something dark and ugly.
"You filthy little urchin." His palm cracked across her cheek, snapping her head to the side. The sting burned, hot and humiliating.
Dan sighed, irritated, shifting his weight. "Don't ruin the goods."
Matthew barely acknowledged him, still seething. He wiped his face with the back of his sleeve, fingers tightening around her wrists again.
"You're making this harder than it needs to be, girl," he growled.
Dan watched, unimpressed, his patience thinning. Matthew was taking too long, too caught up in his own anger. The whole point was to enjoy her, not beat her senseless before they had their fun.
"Are you done yet?" Dan drawled, pushing off the wall. "Or are you going to keep playing with her?"
Matthew shot him a glare but said nothing, his focus snapping back to Luna. His hands resumed their task, shoving her gown higher, exposing more of her trembling body to the cool air.
Luna clenched her teeth. There had to be a way out of this. A weapon. A weakness. Anything, completely forgetting the poison she had earlier concocted, but from the position she was currently in, it was too difficult to reach; she needed something more easily accessible.
Her heart pounded as she caught sight of something glinting just a few feet away in the dim light. A jagged rock sharp enough to cut, if she could just reach it.
But first, she had to get free.
And for that, she needed them to underestimate her.
So she stopped struggling.
She forced her body to go still, swallowing her revulsion as she let out a shaky breath, as if resigning herself.