Chad started down the hill toward the barn. He knew that these first few interactions were going to be crucial in setting the tone for their training and he was prepared for several scenarios. Based on what he had seen last night, the way she had broken down to a blubbering mess, he thought it very likely that she was going to beg him for mercy and freedom. That would be ideal for the sake of ease as breaking her would be as simple as remaining stoic and waiting for her to wear herself out.
The second scenario, while much more difficult, would be more interesting. Considering what he had learned of her personality - strong, independent, and for the most part reserved, it would mean that she would be angry at her situation and would fight everything he did. She would be defiant and foolhardy in which case he would have to exercise a little more dominance from the get go and wait for her to make a mistake and show her weak side. He would prey on that and force her submission.
Either way, Chad felt confident that within the week his filly will have found her place at his feet and they could begin to really play. It was with that confident foresight in mind that he opened the door to the barn and entered to find her standing in the center of her stall. From the looks of it, her harness had held up nicely and her wrists were still bound. While there was evidence of crying by the black make-up streaks down her beautifully pale cheeks, her eyes were bright and clear.
He approached Lady's stall first, ignoring Lindsay's presence, and broke off a couple of flakes of hay. The dappled mare nickered appreciatively as he tossed her breakfast into the feeder at the back. She turned her back on him and began to tear at the hay, dismissing the two humans' tension behind her. He steeled himself and turned to face his first round with the red-headed challenger.
He decided it best to limit her movement and made his way into the stall adjacent to hers. He fiddled with the rope on the pulley system and began to crank it tight, losing the slack he had given her the night before. He could feel her watching him all the while, though she remained silent. This was not something he had counted on, but Chad was sure that she would show her colors with a little prodding.
He cranked the rope up until he began to feel her lifting of the ground. He heard a sharp intake of air and glanced up to make sure that he hadn't gone too far. She looked surprised, but there was no pain on her face. He continued to crank until she was on the tips of her toes before locking it in place. Still she said nothing. He made his way around to the front of her enclosure and grabbed a riding switch off of the tack wall - just in case he was facing scenario two. He unlatched the gate and entered.
***
Lindsay watched the cowboy take something off the wall outside of her cage, but it was still too shadowed in the early morning light to make out what it was exactly. Then, as she expected, he entered.
Relax, you can do this.
Fight or flight instincts had been wrestling around in her head all night. She had tried to find a way out, but it was futile. Her only out was going to be through this animal. She was battling every voice inside her head that made her want to cry out, but something deeper that all of that was telling her to watch him, read him,
find your escape
.
He closed the gate behind him and came to stand just a few feet in front of her. For the first time she was able to see his face, and to her horror she recognized him. He was the very cowboy that assaulted her at the farmer's market.
And the one that you fan- SHUT UP!
His mouth drew up into a half-smirk and she knew instantly that her face had given away her revelation. Apparently this sicko enjoyed her fear and indignation, so she wasn't about to give him anymore of that. She formulated her first sentence carefully. Trying to pick harmless words and imagining the tone of her delivery that would show the least amount of the emotional turmoil raging within her.
"Long time, no see." As soon as the words left her mouth she realized how completely lame they were.
Long time, no see. That's all you can come up with? Good god, woman, we're never getting out of here.
She felt a sharp pain on her left hip and jumped, losing her balance. She swung around, dancing on tip toes and trying to regain her foothold on the soft straw under her feet. She felt two very large and callused hands settle on her waist and steady her, though now she was facing away from the cowboy. This only added to the fear that was building inside of her. She looked down and saw a triangular welt bubbling up on her upper thigh.
"What did you just -" Another sting this time on her right and she jumped once more, this time no hands came to steady her. She danced around like a fool trying to catch solid ground once more. She heard a deep chuckle come from her left and she whipped her head around at the cowboy. His arms were crossed now, a small smile on his face, and in his hand was a short crop.
A whip, seriously?
She finally found purchase and small relief to see that she had landed facing him once more. She braced herself, "Why are you -" It landed hard this time on her left hip but she was ready for it. It smarted horribly but she managed to keep her toes on the ground and her wince to a minimum. The cowboy smiled again.
He began to walk around her as though this were some type of inspection but he didn't touch and he didn't speak. His movements were slow and she turned her head to follow him. His eyes were drinking her in, raking up and down her naked flesh.
Thank god he left my panties on, sick freak.
His gaze sent chills up her spine and made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, but she managed to keep herself calm and quiet.
When he finally came back around to face her, their eyes locked. Lindsay lost herself for a moment, staring into those uniquely fading brown eyes and thinking that once upon a time, she had found them stunning. But then she remembered where she was and that those eyes were just another part of the mask hiding the monster. The cowboy smiled once more, this time his teeth breaking free to gleam down at her.
He reached out a hand and ran one finger underneath her jawline, lifting her chin up. "That's a good girl, easy now." He cooed in a molten chocolate tone - too warm and too sweet. She flicked her chin back, pulling away from his touch and when she did she screamed. She couldn't help herself, as soon as she had begun to move, he had smacked the crop across the back of her thighs. The pain was enormous and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She bit down on her lip and focused on staying erect. It was all she could do not to crumple up and dangle off the rope at the mercy of this beast.
She could feel him moving but was too focused on the throbbing pain on the back of her legs to pay attention to what he was doing. It wasn't until she felt the cold metal of a blade pressed against her shoulder that she looked up again. In the blink of an eye, he had cut the strap of her little black bra. The tightness of her harness kept the fabric from falling completely free but Lindsay could see where this was going. She had only moments to decide whether or not this was a battle she wanted to fight. She knew that the last thing she wanted was to be naked in front of this man, but he had a knife and she couldn't move.
She felt the defiance leave her, and she sagged in her ropes while he set about cutting the rest of her bra free. He made a few slices in the back and she watched hopelessly as bits of fabric began to fall to the ground.
And that was brand new too; does he have any idea how expensive this shit is? Seriously Lindsay, you're worried about the bra?
But truthfully, it was too painful to think about how she was letting this happen to her. Knife or not, she needed to do something. She needed to stand up for herself, if she was going to die by this man's hand, she needed to at least die with some scrap of dignity.
He made his way around to the front and hooked his fingers on the outside of each cup. With one firm tug, the fabric came loose and set free her breasts into the air. He didn't get to enjoy his first sight of them however, as Lindsay brought up one knee straight into his groin. She did so with all of her might and the cowboy crumpled. She lost her balance again and spun around, flailing and screaming the whole while, praying that someone would hear her.
***