Raymond regained consciousness and slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Charmaine lying still on the sofa with her eyes closed. He shook his head and tried to move his arms but they were tied behind him. He moved his eyes around the room and saw Ron, also strapped to a chair. “Ron,” he called out but no answer. He turned towards Charmaine again, “Charmaine, wake up.”

“No use doing that,” Joe said from the hallway, standing astride with a glass of liquor in his hand.

Raymond turned towards him and hissed, “What the hell do you want Joe?”

Joe laughed and walked towards him to stop a foot away. “Why are you asking me that stupid question?” Then his eyes darted over to Charmaine and a sinister smile curved his lips, “You know what I want.”

Raymond’s eyes turned to Charmaine as he realized that her hands had also been tied from behind. The gleam in Joe’s eyes told Raymond of his intentions towards Charmaine and fear racked his body. “Leave her alone! If you touch her I’ll kill you!” Raymond roared as he fought roughly against the restraints.

Joe laughed again and walked purposely over to where Charmaine lay. He perched on the coffee table as he ran his hand down her face and her arm lifting a hand to his mouth where he gently kissed the knuckles.

Raymond tried to kick out but it was useless. “Stop it!” he screamed as he resisted harshly against the wires that secured him in place.

Joe glanced at him, a smug smile played on his lips, “Or else what? What will you do to me? Or shall I say what CAN you do to me?”

Raymond tried getting up with the chair and lost his balance. He toppled over along with the chair to the floor with a loud thud.

Joe chuckled as he stood up to stand before Raymond. “I don’t know what is it about you that have these women falling for you.” His eyes met Raymond’s and he saw the hatred plain in his eyes. Still that didn’t affect Joe as he continued, “I don’t care about the others but I do care about Charmaine. I mean to have her no matter what.”

“But she doesn’t want you,” Raymond said snidely staring up at his enemy. “None of them did which makes you the loser. You have to force her to want you.”

Joe gave Raymond a strange look before returning to Charmaine’s side. He brought his hands to the top button of her shirt and undid it.

Raymond was thrashing wildly now against the restraints, pain etched in his eyes. Pain not for himself but for what Joe intended to do. With fury he fired out, “Don’t touch her! I’m going to kill you!”

Joe turned his head towards Raymond for a few seconds, “I’m going to let you watch. That way you could at least have something to remember Charmaine from.” He proceeded to undo the next button but stopped when Charmaine’s eyes fluttered open and she looked directly at him with confusion, “Joe?”

When Joe looked at her with an unreadable expression, she turned her head and saw Raymond staring at them in anger and horror. She turned back to Joe and saw his hands on her shirt and knew what was going on. She tried to twist away from him but there was no where for her to go. She looked over at Raymond, her eyes wet with tears as she cried, “Raymond!”

Joe saw the terror on her face and he softened towards her, soothing her by gently caressing her face, “I’m sorry Charmaine. I don’t want to hurt you. I never did.” He looked at her intently and said, “Soon you’ll forget all about Raymond.”

Charmaine whimpered as she flinched from his touch which has now become bolder as he traced his fingers along her exposed collar bone. Her eyes fell on Raymond with panic as she mouthed his name.

Raymond fought back his own tears as he looked at the frightened Charmaine. “I’m going to kill you Joe!” he yelled out in frustration as he watched Charmaine squirmed beneath Joe’s unwanted hands.

Charmaine managed to sit upright but Joe pushed her roughly back down knocking her head against the sofa’s hand rest. The sudden blow stunned her and she moaned in pain. Joe’s face has now changed to one of desire as his breathing became faster as if anticipating the dish before him. He lowered his fingers and undid another button.

“Don’t touch her!” Raymond yelled, “You bastard! Don’t touch her!”

Tired of Raymond’s ceaseless threats which was beginning to spoil his mood, Joe picked up his gun and aimed it at Raymond. He walked slowly towards Raymond, his finger on the trigger.

Charmaine saw the gun in Joe’s hand and cried out, “NO!”

Joe laughed maniacally as he inched closer and closer towards Raymond. When he was about ten feet away he stood still and aimed his gun towards Raymond’s chest, “Say goodbye to Charmaine.”

Jessica heard everything through the door of her room and knew that if she didn’t do something soon, Raymond would be dead. She can’t hide in here and pretend nothing was happening outside. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a can of mace. The can was small and thin enough for her to slide it inside the sleeve of her shirt. With it neatly tucked, she made a racket of opening the door and stepped into the hallway. Joe turned around when he heard the movement and looked lost as to why Jessica was there. She slowly walked towards him and said, “Stop what you’re doing.”