He backhands me, drawing blood by splitting my bottom lip open. When he notices, he smashes his lips against mine and licks the droplet off.
I do the only thing I know to do. I bite down on his lip as hard as I can until I can feel the give of his flesh as my teeth sink in. His blood flows into my mouth, and he screams, pulling away from me. His cock is flaccid now, and he is holding his hands over his mouth. I spit, spewing his blood that’s gathered on my tongue. A red haze covers his face, and when he drops his hands, the way he looks at me promises nothing but torture.
His brown eyes dance like devils as he looks up me and down. “You found fire while you were away.”
I think about Knives’ nickname for me: Hellraiser. I suppose I am.
I’m not about to let this monster put my flames out.
“That only makes it more fun for me.” He reaches up to the post on the headboard and unwraps the belt, then loosens the clasp, and I gasp, welcoming the oxygen. It’s all he gives me, though, before choking me again and wrapping the belt around the post. “I love you so much,” he says, rubbing his nose against my cheek.
I stop struggling for a moment, needing to get as much air as I can. The more energy I have, the better chance I have of getting away.
“It’s why it’s going to hurt so much when someone else will own you.”
I’m not perfect. I try to school my features, but the shock shakes me.
“Oh, yeah. Your beauty is money, sweetheart.” He traces my jaw with his lips, inhaling as he licks the tears off my face. “Our time will come to an end. I think you’re going to make someone very happy. There’s an auction in ten days. So many other women, so many men wanting to buy.”
“You’d sell me?” I choke.
“I love you. I don’t want to, but there’s an offer on the table for you that is too good to pass up.” He checks his watch and sighs, placing a kiss on my cheek. “I have a sermon to give. I do virtual church now, and it’s brought in so many new believers, Mary. You could be a part of it; you could be at my side instead, do you want that?”
He is giving me an option?
My tug on the belt around my neck, sneering at him. “You’re giving me an option? I thought the money was too good to be true?”
“If you wanted to be with me, start a family, be at my side as my wife, I will not put you in that auction. I want to know if you’ll be mine or if you want to be someone else’s. Your faithfulness is priceless to me.”
The bile creeps up my throat, helping the belt choke me further. A family? He wants his own daughter to have more children with him?
I can’t hold back. Bile works its way out of my mouth, down the belt, and my chin. What would his followers think? He can’t marry his own daughter. He is delusional.
“Our bloodline will remain pure and holy,” he says, finally taking the belt off my neck. I bend over and throw up over the bed, stomach bile searing my throat. “I know it will take some getting used to, but I think you’ll be happy. I can tell the buyer I’m no longer interested. It’s up to you.”
So my options are, get raped by my father for the rest of my life, or get raped by someone else. With my dad, at least, Knives would know how to look for me. What if I’m at the auction, and the man who buys me lives in Europe? Knives will never be able to find me then, but the thought of being with my father, for years, forced to have his children… I don’t know if I can do that either.
“Where is Mom?” I ask, spitting out the remainder of spit in my mouth. “Is she okay with this?”
“I sold your mom a year ago, sweetheart. I have no idea where that bitch is. She wasn’t a true believer.” He tucks himself into his pants and zips up.
“No! You fucking bastard. How could you do that to her?” I launch myself across the bed to… I don’t know, kill him? But with one backhand to the face, my head snaps to the side, and I fly to the floor, landing with a hard thud on my shoulder.
“If you don’t choose correctly, maybe you’ll see her.” On that note, he walks away, shutting the hotel door behind him.
I’m slipping in my own puke, crying, and I know whatever choice I make, it will kill me. I used to want that, but now that I have something to live for, the last thing I want to do is die.
Putting my elbow on the mattress, I use it to lift myself up. I have to try my best to make sure not to look at the puke against my arm or leg. I need to call Knives, but as I look around the room, I notice there isn’t a phone.
But there is a notepad.
Walking over to it, my heart broken because of my mom and what’s she is going through, I pick up the thick pad of paper. My eyes widen when I see the name.
Maximo has to be behind this auction.
The notepad says, “Circus Circus.” It’s an old notepad, because the hotel and casino no longer have a name while he renovates.
I’m in a web full of lies and deceit.
And the more I struggle, the further I sink.
It’s been ten days since I’ve last seen Mary. Ten, long, depressing days. I’ve lost myself. All I do is search the city. Day in and day out. At night I torture Maximo, but the bastard has stayed quiet. His wounds are infected, and he fucking smells like shit. If he doesn’t speak soon, I’m going to have his tongue cut out, and right in front of Maximo, I’ll feed it to Happy.
Then I’ll start taking from other body parts.
I haven’t slept. I’ve drunk myself into a stupor.
And I wake up at night, crying out her name, fear gripping my heart when my dreams turn into nightmares. I’m always clutching the sheet, drenching the blankets with sweat and reaching out for her.
Only to find her side of the bed cold.
I miss her.
We were supposed to get married, and my job, my one job, was to protect her.
I’m running out of time.
Today is the day Seer said Mary was going to die. I have to make sure that does not happen. The last ten days have made me realize just how precious life is with Mary. I didn’t understand it before, but now that I think about it, all the fighting we did before I kissed her, I wouldn’t have been able to be without it.
“Knives, you need to go get some rest,” Reaper says, standing by the sink. He leans against the counter, crosses his legs at the ankle, and sips his coffee. I’m not the only one tired. Everyone is.
We have searched every single hotel in Vegas. From top to fucking bottom. She’s vanished, and it’s time for me to start thinking that maybe she isn’t here anymore. I’ll need to search the globe for her.
Every damn city, town, and abandoned building this damn world has to offer, I’ll tear it down. I’ll find her.
And if I find her in her grave, I’ll join her.
I need my Hellraiser.
The bickering, the frustration, the madness she makes me feel, I need it. I’ve always needed it.
“Rest?” I laugh bitterly, rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands to bring life back into them. “You wouldn’t rest if this was Sarah, just like any of you wouldn’t. You want me to rest? You want me to laugh too? Tell a joke? Dance? What the fuck do you want!” I slam my fist on the table, and everyone looks away from me. “She’s gone.”