"Shut up, both of you," Billy said with ominous softness.

Vito stood, trembling with barely suppressed violence. His glance of hatred raked over the tall brunette's body, then flickered – snake like – toward Ellen seated at the table. If anything the murderous look intensified.

Ellen shuddered in spite of herself. Vito was really the only one that truly frightened her. Pop was evil, but she had discovered last night with her mouth full of his hotly throbbing penis that she could handle his particular brand of evilness. Vito, though, was something else than human… and she was eternally grateful that he had not been given a chance to use her as the others had last night. Now she could feel his eyes course viciously down the length of her young body, and she felt vulnerable as she sensed his lust mounting anew as he made an obscene appraisal of her still partly exposed breasts and the line of naked flesh showing openly through her ripped jeans.

The young blonde hostage instinctively drew nearer to the gang leader who kept a watchful eye on Vito and her. She had already forgiven him for using her body as a wager in a crap game the night before. He had lost her in a game of chance that had as much value to the four desperate criminals as any judgment from a high court of justice. She sensed that Billy had resolved to hold his gang off from her and would do all in his power to keep them from using her as they had during the long and horrible night. He wouldn't reprimand them, but they wouldn't get the chance to abuse her again… not while he was alive!

Ellen felt relatively secure now that Billy was still here close by her side to protect her. He wasn't angry at her escape attempt; it seemed as if he liked her even more as a result. Her thoughts automatically turned to ways she might please him if she really had to, and she knew that if called upon to give herself to him she would do it in gratitude, but she would never permit herself to be handled by the others again.