Brie was desperate to cry out for help when the father turned to look in her direction, but she kept silent when she glanced back at the little girl—she couldn’t risk Mary’s life.
Holloway ordered his man to pull into an alley and informed him, “We’re transferring vehicles.”
“Venom will help you out,” Holloway barked to Brie without looking back as he exited the vehicle and slammed the door behind him. The car rocked from the force.
Brie froze when a skinny man climbed out of the dark van in front of her and started walking toward the vehicle. He had a dark countenance that terrified her.
The man had a strange tattoo peeking out of the collar of his shirt. As he approached, she realized it was the head of a large cobra looking like it was ready to strike.
Brie could not explain it, but this man terrified her on an instinctual level she’d never experienced before.
When he opened the car door and nodded toward the van, Brie hesitated—petrified to leave the safety of the vehicle.
The look he gave her chilled her to the bone. The moment she got out of the vehicle, he threw a black hood over her head and tightened the drawstring around her neck, stating, “You are his property now.”
The weight behind those words paralyzed her. Still, she cried out, “Never!”
He leaned closer, warning in a deadly tone, “Every time you speak, Mary Wilson will be punished.”
Brie gasped, offering no further resistance when he grabbed her wrists and cuffed them behind her back. As soon as the man pushed her into the van and slid the door shut behind him, it lurched forward.
She could hear Holloway cussing up a storm in the front seat. It was obvious he was still rattled by the unexpected interruption at the Egyptian Theatre. He hadn’t anticipated it, which proved he wasn’t as clever as he thought.
Brie knew Sir would find her again, and she held on desperately to that hope in the hours that followed as they drove farther and farther away from LA…
The van didn’t stop until late that night. The instant the driver threw the vehicle into park, Brie heard Holloway mutter, “You know what to do, Venom.”
When the van door slid open, Brie was confronted by the heavy humidity in the air. It clung to her skin as it invaded her lungs, making it hard to breathe under the hood.
Strong hands grabbed Brie’s ankles and yanked her out of the van. She fell to the wet ground, grunting in pain. The earthy scent of a forest filled her nostrils as the terrifying man named Venom pulled her back to her feet and uncuffed her.
“Strip,” he growled.
“No.”
Her defiance was met with a hard backhand to her face, making Brie gasp in pain.
He replied darkly, “How much do you want her to suffer?”
She realized he was talking about Mary, and instantly regretted her decision. With trembling hands, she slipped out of her dress, resigning herself to her current fate.
To protect Mary, Brie knew she had to play out this repulsive role Holloway had set for her. But Greg Holloway had always failed to appreciate how strong she was. Whatever he had planned, she would not only survive it but would escape from his clutches, taking Mary with her.
Until then, Brie’s sole focus was to continue playing along to protect Mary and give Sir the time he needed to locate them.
Venom grasped her arm tightly as he marched her down a muddy path. The cold mud was so slippery that her bare feet could find no traction and she fell several times. Each time she slipped, Venom jerked her back to her feet and berated her.
Brie stiffened when she heard Holloway’s low chuckle behind her. It seared her soul to know he enjoyed watching her struggle.
Although the hood still covered her head, Brie held her chin high in defiance of the man. It was foolish of Holloway to think he could ever break her!
Brie cried out when she unexpectedly stubbed her toe on the first step of a flight of stairs. She ignored the pain as Venom forced her up the remaining steps and she heard the creak of a door as it opened.
The instant she walked inside, Brie was enveloped by warmth as the sound of burning logs crackled nearby her.
She was shocked to hear people casually talking to each other in what seemed a party setting. They took no notice of her and their conversations continued uninterrupted while she was led past them.
It was as if seeing a naked girl with a hood over her head was a common occurrence for these people.
Her heart skipped a beat when she was suddenly reminded of the night in Russia when a slaver had brought Stephanie to the sadists’ dungeon. He’d offered to sell her to anyone interested in buying the girl. The man had treated Stephanie as if she were simply property, abusing her in front of everyone to show how obedient she was.
But that night, the slaver paid the ultimate price for his mistake when Rytsar exacted his justice and rescued Stephanie from the man.
By the sound of the party atmosphere going on around Brie, she got the distinct impression that no one here was concerned about her or her fate—it was horrifying to feel invisible when she was desperate for help.
After being led down a flight of stairs and dragged down a long hallway, Brie could no longer hear the people above her. The air was much colder in the basement, causing goosebumps to rise on her naked skin.
Venom stopped to open a door and ordered her inside. When she didn’t immediately comply, he pushed her inside and ripped the hood off her head.
She had expected to see a dungeon cell, and it certainly had that feeling when she saw the chains with metal cuffs on the far wall and the large cage in the corner. However, the room also had a luxurious king-sized bed, along with a roaring fire.
As inviting as the fire was, Brie felt a cold chill run down her spine. She was certain terrible things had taken place in the room, and every cell in her body was telling her to run.
Glancing at the open door behind her, she was severely tempted to bolt.
Venom made no move to stop her. Instead, he asked one simple question, “How much do you want Mary Wilson to suffer?”
Brie shuddered, closing her eyes as she let out a defeated sigh. If she wanted Mary to survive, she must wait to be rescued.
Slowly turning to Venom, she answered, “I do not want Mary to suffer.”
Brie shivered in fear when he said with a cruel glint in his eye, “Let the breaking begin, then.”
Venom pointed to the large cage. Brie’s gaze darted to the strange metal structure styled like a birdcage.
He walked to it and opened the door.
Dread filled her heart. The idea of willingly giving up her freedom to Holloway went against everything she believed in. But, she understood the role she must play and stepped inside.
Venom slammed the door shut and pulled out a key, locking her inside the cage. He scowled at her through the bars, stating in contempt, “You are less than nothing.”
Dousing the fire, he turned off the light in the room before walking out. The moment the door shut, Brie was enshrouded in inky darkness.
Without the fire, the room quickly became cold.
Ever since she was a child, Brie had been afraid of dark, confined places and she was unable to stop the suffocating fear that gripped her heart now. Out of desperation, she grabbed the bars and started shaking the door of the cage, needing to get out.
Brie suddenly stopped herself, realizing that Holloway had probably installed cameras in the room to document her every move. She was certain he was taking great pleasure in seeing how terrified she was right now.