As dawn broke, Derick rejoined Juliette and Hunter. The first thing Juliette noticed when the door swung open was the pale sunlight streaming in. Neither she nor Hunter had actually slept much, their attempts half-hearted at best. Despite numerous efforts, Juliette had miserably failed to slip out of the zip-tie binding her wrists—it always seemed easier in movies. In resignation, she shared more details about her chat with Celine, sparking Hunter's amusement and his remark that Celine always had his back. "So do I," Juliette assured him with a wry smile, "even with all the moody confusion."
Much of the night passed this way—bantering and pretending they weren't confined in a shipping container, awaiting an uncertain fate. They managed to stave off the looming truth for a while, but by morning, denial had worn them out.
At the clanking sound of chains being unfastened from the door, Juliette instinctively positioned herself protectively in front of Hunter. Derick entered sans mask—his identity no longer concealed—but now sporting bleached hair and a shaved mustache. The sight nearly made Juliette snicker; Hunter didn't stifle his laughter.
"Hello Derick," Juliette greeted curtly, glaring up at him as he towered over her. "Blond doesn't suit you."
She pressed her back against Hunter, pinning him between herself and the wall.
"Juliette," Hunter whispered urgently into her ear, reminding her of his earlier advice. Let it happen.
"No!" she hissed back, as he tried to slip out from behind her. She shoved him harder against the wall, kneeling to straddle his legs and keeping him shielded—for now.
Derick looked down at her with a coldly unimpressed expression. "I don't have to hurt you."
Juliette's face contorted with rage—pure fury seething within her. She struggled to control her breath enough to speak clearly through the tempest of emotions engulfing her. She aimed to raise her voice but found herself drained by the sheer intensity of her wrath. "Leave him alone," she growled quietly but vehemently.
Derick laughed derisively. "You honestly believe you can protect him?"
"It's pathetic that I have to," Juliette retorted sharply, tightening her grip around Hunter and looping her bound hands over his neck for added hold. Desperation welled up inside her as she resisted the urge to bite down on his shirt collar just for more contact. She fixed Derick with an unwavering glare. "Let him go," she demanded fiercely. "Do whatever you want with me instead. Whatever your plans are for him, I'll take it." Her determination was unbreakable; fear was a distant memory drowned in resolve. "I'll take his place. You can't touch Hunter."
She could see Derick was merely playing games with her resolve, but she didn't care—let him mock all he wanted; she would force him to take her seriously.
"Hunter," Juliette whispered again. "Please."
"Shut up!" she commanded. Her grip on his neck tightened. "Shut up. Stop talking."
"This is delightful," Derick sneered, his initial amusement fading. She was seriously testing his patience. "I'm genuinely touched."
"Then do it. Take me." Before Hunter could utter another word in protest, Juliette clamped her hands over his mouth again. She repeated firmly, "You can't touch Hunter."
Derick retorted, "Step aside before I do something we'll both regret."
"Do your worst," Juliette spat out furiously. Hunter tried to pull away from her hand, but she held firm.
Derick sighed deeply. "This isn't how this will go down. You won't wear us out like this."
As he stepped closer, Juliette straightened herself as much as she could while still on her knees. Despite Hunter's larger frame, she managed to shield most of him. She let her hands drop from his mouth and gripped the sides of his neck instead.
Hunter squirmed, and Juliette pressed back against him with renewed determination. His whispered words tickled her ear, "You can let go of me now."
Juliette shook her head firmly.
Suddenly, Hunter stood up, taking her by surprise; she hadn't anticipated such strength while she was latched onto him. She stumbled but quickly regained her footing and stood as well. She spun around to face him and shoved him back.
"Listen to him," Derick urged with an exasperated tone that suggested an eye roll. "He doesn't want you getting hurt."
Her bound hands were a constant frustration. Despite countless attempts to free them, she tried again with renewed determination, gripping the zip-tie strap with her teeth and pulling it tighter until it couldn't go any further. "I never do what Hunter wants," she declared.
She spun around and slammed her hands down as if stabbing herself in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her but finally breaking the zip-tie properly. Her hands sprang free, and in the same motion, she stepped back into Hunter and wrapped her arms around his back. She clamped down on each of his chained wrists and pushed him backward until both their hands pressed hard against the wall.
"Leave him alone," she ordered again.
"Oh great," Derick sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes once more. "This is your last warning: drop him and step aside, now."
"You don't know me at all." Surrendering wasn't in Juliette's nature; she'd never stood by while loved ones were under threat, and today wasn't going to be any different. She dug her nails into Hunter's forearms resolutely. Derick would have to tear her away from him if he wanted to separate them. "What the hell do you want?" she demanded fiercely at Derick. "What do you think you're going to do?"
"I think..." Derick's amusement was evident in his eyes. "I'm going to mess him up."
Why had she even bothered to ask? She knew the answer already. Maybe she just needed to hear him confirm it, to assure herself she wasn't losing her mind, that this wasn't a fabrication fueled by her long-standing hatred toward Derick.
"Not a chance," she interjected. "You'll have to ki—"
Hunter tripped her, sweeping her feet out from under her with his own. She staggered, one hand losing its grip on his arm while the other clung desperately.
"Hunter!" she exclaimed, shock lacing her voice.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he muttered as she regained her balance. His eyes were filled with guilt, but when she attempted to position herself in front of him again, he nudged her away. It wasn't a hard kick—more of a push—but it was enough to make her lose balance. As she stumbled once more, his foot connected with her stomach, and this time she fell.
"I'm sorry," he repeated. "Stay back. Stay back."
She felt the urge to slap him.
"Ah, well," Derick snickered unexpectedly. "Thank you, Hunter."
Before Derick could take another step toward Hunter, Juliette was on her feet again, launching herself at Derick and catching him off guard. She kicked and punched ferociously while clinging to his back. She had no real fighting experience—just a few harmless tussles on the soccer field that didn't prepare her for this. Yet despite her lack of training, she fared reasonably well against him for a bit.
Eventually though, Derick managed to fling her off. The fight was unfair; she was just a teenage girl against a grown man in a fistfight. When his elbow struck her throat and she tumbled off him, he pinned her down and restrained her hands above her head as she thrashed about. He tied her wrists with rough rope. Juliette turned and bit into his arm furiously. He yelled in pain and shock before slamming his fist into her jaw and forcing her to release him; blood trickled down his arm, mingling with the metallic taste in her mouth.
Dizzy from the punch, she rallied and began beating at him again with bound hands clenched together like a hammering fist. Though aware of Hunter pleading for her to stop, rage rendered her deaf—only the pounding of blood echoed in her ears. She wouldn't stop by herself; she'd win or be forcibly stopped.
Derick caught hold of her hair and flung her aside once more. As soon as she tried to push herself onto her knees, he seized hold of her before she could rise fully upright. His steel grip locked around her tightly; tied wrists pressed against her chest as she struggled fruitlessly against his overpowering strength—a strength she hadn't expected from him before now.
In that brief moment amid panic suffocating like smoke filling a burning room trapping its inhabitant inside—she wondered if Derick had grown stronger purposely preparing for this moment…this torment on Hunter looming ahead gravely…
Her heart raced wildly realizing how little chance remained stopping him hurting Hunter—
Summoning final desperate effort—she craned head sharply—and snapped teeth towards Derick's head aiming ear hoping hit right target...yet he jerked backward out reach---
Keeping imprisoning arm securely---free-hand reaching behind drawing handgun swiftly---
Juliette hurled full force forward---clashing futilely---his vice-like grip unyielding
"Hunter," Derick snarled through clenched teeth. Juliette was testing his patience, struggling fiercely. If she had just a bit more time, she could break loose. "Control your attack dog, or I'll put her down myself."
Hunter was the one in chains, though he was far from the aggressor. If Derick had any clue about their true nature, it would be Juliette under restraint. She jerked violently again. "Just release him. That's all you have to do. Let him go and I'll st—"
A gun smacked against her mouth, splitting her bottom lip as blood dripped down her chin. Recovering from the blow, she was forced onto her knees.
"Hunter," Derick warned again.
Hunter's eyes darted between Juliette and the threatening gun in Derick's hand. Feeling helpless, he admitted, "I can't – I don't control her."
"Hm. Pity." Derick struggled to keep Juliette subdued as he cocked his weapon.
"But I control myself!" Hunter cried out desperately, stepping forward only to be yanked back by his chains.
Derick gripped Juliette's neck and shoved her head down, pinning her against the gun barrel pressed to her temple. Panic welled up in her eyes; she couldn't die here, not so easily, not before she could protect Hunter. Without her, Hunter was as good as dead — there'd be no mercy bullet waiting for him.
"Fucking LISTEN TO ME!" Hunter's shout made Juliette jump. He never swore or yelled like that. Yet his voice managed to delay the trigger pull that would end Juliette's life.
"Please, listen," Hunter pleaded with a crack in his voice. "Give me a chance. Give her a chance to stop."
"I won't," Juliette blurted out unwisely with a gun still pressed to her head. Fear choked her; those words could have been their death sentence.
"JULIETTE!" Hunter's voice broke and tears streaked down his face. "Shut your mouth."
She bit her tongue and etched those words into memory — Derick was ready to kill her.
"I'm listening," Derick replied with a slight smile.
"Keep her alive and you'll get what you want," promised Hunter desperately. "I'll let you do anything to me."
"Anything," Derick echoed smugly.
"Yes. Yes," Hunter affirmed quickly. "Do whatever you want to me if it means sparing her life."
Juliette started to protest but stopped cold when she saw Hunter's desperate glare. "Don't talk, Juliette," he warned.
She heeded his command but silently mouthed 'no.'
Hunter clenched his jaw and met Derick's gaze. "I swear on her life, I'll make it easy for you. I'll do anything you ask."
"Fine. Done," Derick replied. "I'd rather not kill her anyway."
He lowered his gun, and Hunter exhaled in relief. Juliette's heart pounded with confusion. She had genuinely thought she was going to die. But this wasn't any better; she would still fail to stop Derick, and now Hunter wouldn't try either. Though his chances were slim, he might have done something to help himself.
Derick stood up, dragging Juliette with him as she resisted with all her might. He hauled her over to the hook hanging from the ceiling. The chain around her ankle clinked as it scraped along the floor. She had too much leeway—an error Derick had since recognized and corrected. He didn't release her until he secured the hook through the rope binding her wrists. When he let go, her hands shot upwards as the hook ascended toward the ceiling, leaving only the balls of her feet barely touching the carpet, while she dangled in midair.
Juliette attempted to lunge at him but only managed a futile sway forward and back, entirely powerless. She kicked and flailed her arms, achieving nothing. She tried jumping to slip free from the hook but lacked the momentum on her toes, twisting 90 degrees and swinging back instead. A furious scream burst from her clenched teeth.
"You are…" Derick hesitated, searching for the right word as he watched with raised eyebrows at her wild behavior. "Quite the little animal," he settled on, a smile tugging at his mouth's corner. "Aren't you?"
Juliette indeed felt animalistic enough to tear him apart with her teeth if that were all she had left to use. Words escaped her as rage clouded her mind.
He taunted her further by slipping a hand under her chin, inviting her to bite him. She snapped viciously at his fingers but caught only air as he pulled back just in time. Again she kicked, but he'd moved out of reach, eliciting another enraged scream from her throat.
"Please stop," said Hunter desperately. "Just get on with it; she's out of the way now. Don't toy with her."
Derick's smile widened further as he pointed over his shoulder toward Hunter's general direction. "See? He has manners." Approaching closer while dodging Juliette's swinging legs until proximity rendered them ineffective, he let them bump against him without force enough to hurt or repel him until she stopped kicking and glared at him instead, spitting at him unsuccessfully.
"I figured you'd try that," he chuckled while gripping her face tightly, forcing cheek against teeth and puckering lips; despite this humiliating hold making jaws clench into snarls tickling across his grin—all under towering height—even when poised onto toes arching neck strained upward meeting low-toned taunt pushed roughly eliciting caught breaths resumed quietly grunted—pride gleaming through gaze—
"Maybe when Hunter teaches you to heel," His rough jolt synchronized words catching breaths mid-resume eliciting pleased gleam crossing glance—obedience training next perhaps…
Derick let out another sinister, twisted laugh but finally released her. Juliette's cheeks ached from the prolonged pressure. "How about a drinking game? Each time one of you says that to me?"
"Come on, leave her alone," Hunter intervened. "I'm right here."
"I know," Derick replied.
And then he slapped her hard enough to bring tears to her eyes. "Now behave," he ordered. "You're just here to watch."
Juliette blinked away the involuntary tears and glared at him. "Watch what? You're not hurting Hunter."
"Oh, I will," Derick replied with a grin. "But if you prefer that I slap you around first, I'm okay with that."
"Don't—" Hunter began, but Derick had already struck Juliette again. The blow rocked her whole body, straining her shoulders and pressing the rope deeper into her wrists.
"Hunter," Derick called, though his eyes never left Juliette's swaying form. A satisfied smirk danced at the corner of his mouth.
"What?" Hunter demanded through gritted teeth as he glanced over his shoulder, futilely tugging at his restraints.
Derick heard the chains rattle and turned to watch Hunter struggle, his satisfaction growing even more vile.
"What?" Hunter repeated, his voice rough. He ceased obviously attempting to free himself, though his flexed arms betrayed his continued efforts—a futile endeavor, as Juliette knew.
"Testy," Derick observed before continuing. "Do you know what your mother said about Juliette the last time she complained to me?"
"I don't care!" Hunter snapped.