"No! Collin! Don't do this! Please! You don't want to do this!"

Tumawa sya ng malakas. "Are you kidding me? I want to do this, Cara. I've been dreaming of tasting you since I met you!"

"I wanted to do you right by courting you. It took almost a year before you said you'd be my girlfriend but it was worth it. When we got together, you made me very happy, kitten." His eyes softened as he stroked my tear-stained cheek lightly while he reminisced.

"But then I made one mistake. One mistake, Cara, and you immediately broke up with me. If that wasn't enough, you sent me a restraining order and you filed a case against me!" His eyes suddenly filled with rage.

"Do you see these? Huh? Do you?" he pointed to the scars on his otherwise flawless face. Napalunok ako. "Why was he so quick to rescue you, Cara? Tell me, now! Kayo ba? Was he also your boyfriend then?"

I shook my head strongly. Jaxx and I were nothing then. We were nothing until eight years after that incident. He was with Grace that time and I was sure he was crazy about her then.

"How about now? Are you together?" I shook my head again, even stronger this time. How I wish, pero hindi e! And now, I don't think he will even want me. I don't even want myself anymore! Tumulo na naman mga luha ko.

"Bullshit! I know you have a son together! I know he protects you and your son. He would do anything, and I mean anything, to protect you. Do you take me for a fool, Cara?"

"Collin, we're not together, we're hardly even talking!"

"Hindi ako tanga, Cara. I know why you two are pretending. You can lie to me all you want. In fact, why don't you say that to the camera. I'll have the last laugh when he gets this." He quickly got his phone from his back pocket and started filming, aiming the phone's back camera at me.

Pumikit na lang ako. Hiyang hiya ako sa ginagawa ni Collin sa akin. I was half-naked, my breasts were barely covered by my underwear and I don't know how desperate I look.

"Tell me Cara, are you and Jackson together?" I shook my head. He slapped me hard.

"Wrong answer. Let's do this again. Are you and Jackson together?" I still shook my head. "Then I guess, it's safe for me to have you without him coming after me," he chuckled before placing the phone on the nightstand and turning on the front camera, positioning it so that we were both inside the frame.

"Watch this Jackass. This one's for you." He said to the camera before he took off his shirt and unbuckled his belt. Nanlaki mga mata and my heart pounded hard in my chest. I had to do something!

I bucked my hips and twisted my body pero hindi ko siya maalis sa pagkaupo sa mga hita ko. I screamed and screamed hoping someone would hear me and stop him.

Hindi na sya nag abalang buksan ang butones at zipper ng pantalon ko. Basta nya na lang ito pinunit at hinila ang pababa ang pantalon at panty ko, leaving me in nothing but my bra and the torn blouse covering almost nothing. Nawalan na ako ng pag-asa.

This was going to happen. It was happening. And Jaxx was going to see it. God, everyone was going to see it. Nanghina ako ang nagsimulang humagulhol. Isang masamang panaginip lang ito, kinumbinsi ko sarili ko. Masamang panaginip lang! Gising na, Cara!

"God, you look delicious, kitten," he groaned in my ear. I felt his length on my abdomen as his hand traveled up my thigh. Pilit niyang ipaghiwalay mga hita ko habang pinulupot ko ito ng mas mahigpit. I prayed so hard for an intervention, kahit ano! Brown out, ipis, multo, kahit ano just make him stop!

"Collin, what's taking you so – what the fuck man?!" may napasigaw at naiyak ako sa galak! Thank you, thank you, Lord!

"Tang ina, Collin, get off her!" a sigaw ng pangalawang lalaki pa.

Hinila ng lalaki si Collin at agad agad akong nahimashasan! I've been saved! Nakahinga ako ng maluwag at wala na akong hiyang naramdaman kahit na naka panty at bra na lang ako at nakatali pa. Someone came to save me! Collin cursed at may iba pang mga dumating, isa doon yung unang nakakita sa akin na gising.

"Tang ina, let go of me! Fuck you, Pancho!"

"Oh my God, what are you doing? This wasn't part of the plan!" Grace screamed.

Burning hot rage surged in my heart and in my head seeing her dressed fully habang ako, hubo't hubad na naka gapos sa kama na parang hayop! Sabi ko na nga ba! Siya may pakana nitong lahat! If I get out of this alive, I will personally beat her to pulp bago ko sya ipapakulong! I will make sure she will suffer, wawasakin mo mukha nya!

Pero nagulat ako sa sunod na ginawa nya: hinubad niya ang kanyang leather blazer at tinakip sa katawan ko. Mabilis nya rin pinasuot sa akin ang aking underwear at pantalon pero hindi niya ito masara dahil sira ang zipper at lock.

"Tang ina, what the hell is wrong with you man? I said I'd help you but I didn't sign up for you to rape her!" tinadtad nung pangalawang lalaki ng suntok si Collin at binalik ni Collin mga banat nya. Siya yung kaninang pumasok na unang nakakitang gising na ako.

"What the hell is going on?!" sigaw nung Pancho, habang pinapanood na ang susuntukan ang dalawa.

"You son of a bitch! You lied to me! You said you wouldn't touch her!" gumulong-gulong ang dalawa sa sahig.

"Panch! Help me cut this cable tie and where are the keys to the cuffs?" tawag ni Grace.

Hindi ko napansin na nahanap nya na ang susi ng posas at napakawalan na ang kaliwang kamay ko. Hindi ako nakapagsalita. I was grateful for her help but I still didn't trust her. Pano kapag drama lang to lahat at may iba syang balak sa akin?

"Cara, I swear I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm so sorry, you have to believe me!" she begged me. I saw the fear and the sincerity in her eyes pero hindi pa rin ako kumbinsido. "Pancho, hurry!"

Bumalik sya galing banyo na may daladalang nail clipper. Tiningnan namin sya ng masama. Nail cutter?! Ano naman magagawa noon?

"Hey, it's the only thing I could find!" paliwanag niya. He proceeded to attack the cable tie but before he could finish, he toppled over me. Nadaganan nya ako and all the air in my lungs escaped. On top of him were the two men who were struggling against each other. Di na ako makahinga sa bigat nilang lahat!

"Tang ina mo, Collin! You said you just wanted to scare her a bit and get a confession! And you promised you wouldn't touch her! That was my one condition in helping you!"

"You're a fucking hypocrite, Damien! You fucked your own cousin!"

Tumigil ang lahat at biglang tumahimik ang buong kwarto. I gasped, Grace gasped, Pancho's jaw dropped. Pero dahil doon, biglang nag-iba pa ang mukha ni Damien. Kulang na lang lumaki katawan nya at maging berde. Akala ko galit na sya pero noong sinabi 'yon ni Collin, the burning embers in his eyes turned into a fiery blaze and all hell broke lose.

Damien ground his teeth and threw Collin across the room, smashing him against the vanity table.

"Mother fucker! You don't bring her up here. You don't know what happened!"

"Bilis! Bago tayo madaganan ulit," Pancho pulled me off the bed as Grace helped me with her jacket. But as I was about to run, I felt a searing pain on my right foot and I stumbled. Seeing my foot, Pancho immediately picked me up.

"I can hobble, you don't –"

"Shut up, for chrissake! I don't understand a word you're saying and I really want to get out of this place ASAP!" he grunted.

Pagkalabas namin ng pinto, nandoon si ate na naghatid ng pagkain ko kanina. Mukhang kanina pa syang gising at mabilis niya kaming pinagbuksan ng gate.

Pancho threw me unceremoniously at the back of his two-door hatchback sports car, shoved the driver's seat back, and sped the hell out of the house. He was driving so fast I feared for my life for the second time that hour.

"Slow down, Panch, you're going to kill us!" Grace screamed as he suddenly swerved, missing the ten-wheeler, which was on the opposite lane, by a centimeter.

"Shut up, Grace, and let me drive in peace! I know what I'm doing!"

"Where are you going?"

"Jesus, woman! Shut the hell up!" he growled in reply. Hindi ko alam kung saan kami galing at kung saan kami papunta. Ang pinagdadasal ko lang ay makakarating kami sa paroroonan namin ng buhay. At sana hindi na ako itatali pa ulit sa kama.

Fifteen minutes of mad, reckless, balls-up-your-throat driving later, he finally parked on the road beside a long strip of vacant lots in Macapagal Boulevard. He took a minute to calm himself down before giving Grace a death glare.

"Talk, Grace. Now."