Roxanne shook her head. "We do check these things out. You'd be sitting, watching television, all weekend, and we offer you unlimited sex, and you turn us down. Shame."

"Yeah, shame." Matt advanced into the room.

"If this is some kind of joke…" Fear suddenly seized her by the throat. "I don't think…"

"No fuckin' joke, kid," said Roxanne.

"Now, why don't you sit down again and get to know us all? We're real nice. Underneath."

"Let me out of here!" Natalie turned and ran straight into Matt. "Let go of me, let go!" She struggled in his iron-hard hands.

"Is this bitch playing up?" boomed a massive man, appearing in the doorway.

"Yup, Dad," said Matt, twisting Natalie around to face him.

Zane Bryden was as compelling as one would expect from a man who had built himself up from ranch hand, to the owner of several million acres. He was in his forties, broad-chested and dark like the rest of his family. He tossed his chaps into the corner and looked around.

"Well, the way I figure it, is that our proposal has been kinda sudden. So string her up and let her see what we do to unruly bitches. Then she can make up her mind, kinda easy like."

"Let me go!" Natalie screamed as Matt gripped her arms tighter.

Lance lowered a rope that ran over a pulley in the kitchen ceiling. Natalie shuddered.

"What are you doing?" she moaned, terror clutching her throat as strong leather bonds were put around her waist and the hook at the end of the rope ran through them. "Stop!"

Natalie screamed, but Lance heaved on the rope and her arms were pulled up, over her head until she almost hung from them, her feet just touching the floor. She struggled, but she was utterly helpless.

"Let me out of here!"

She screamed again, twisting around to the window where the low sun beamed through. It was late in the afternoon already and there was no possibility of help.