Promise
Brie cried out and woke with a start.
The dream had been so real she could still feel Sir’s presence and the pressure of Rytsar’s teeth on her neck. She whimpered in the dark, the loss of connection eating at her.
“Pleasant dream?”
Chills coursed through Brie’s body at the hated sound of Holloway’s voice. She stared into the pitch-black but could see nothing.
Sitting up, Brie scooted to the far side of the cage.
“I have something for you.”
Holloway turned on the lamp on the nightstand, forcing Brie to shield her eyes from the sudden light.
“The cage is unlocked. You must bow at my feet to receive it.”
She squinted, still adjusting to the light, and saw that Holloway had not only brought a glass of water but a small tray of fruit.
Tears pricked her eyes. The need for sustenance felt like a physical pain clawing at her insides.
When she failed to move, he barked, “Come now or suffer the consequence.”
Sir’s words from the dream played in her head. “You must wait.”
Brie looked longingly at the water and food. She knew she must survive long enough for Sir to rescue her—whatever the cost.
Feeling light-headed, Brie crawled on all fours to Holloway and pressed her forehead to the floor. This was not an act of surrender but survival.
“Excellent, songbird.”
Brie shuddered, remembering what happened to the songbird in her dream. She had no illusions about who Holloway was.
“Turn and kneel, facing away from me.”
Her heart racing, Brie followed his command, afraid of what he had planned.
Holloway wrapped one hand around her throat and lifted the glass of water to her lips. “I want to feel you swallow my gift.”
The sexual undertone of the act was unsettling, but the need for water proved too great and she eagerly swallowed.
He pressed his hand harder against her throat and groaned in pleasure as she swallowed the life-giving water.
“Slow down,” he ordered her. “I want to savor this moment.”
Despite her revulsion, Brie took slower sips to the lurid sounds of him groaning in pleasure.
Once Brie had finished half of the glass, he put it back on the nightstand and picked up a bite-sized piece of watermelon. She immediately opened her mouth and held back a moan when he placed it in her mouth and she bit into the succulent fruit. The sweet flavor of the watermelon burst in her mouth and gave her much-needed hydration and calories.
“Swallow,” he commanded.
When she did, his voice caught as he groaned even more loudly.
Brie shuddered in disgust.
“I feel you trembling,” he stated lustfully. “I always knew you were meant for this.” He took his time, telling her, “Every time you swallow, you are purposely bringing me pleasure.”
The thought of it nauseated Brie. It shocked her how blind Holloway was to her revulsion toward him. However, she knew it would benefit her if he believed he was breaking her down.
Once the fruit was gone, Holloway kept his hand around her neck and tightened his grip. Brie made no move to stop him even when little pinpoints of light blurred her vision, warning her that her she was about to pass out.
To her relief, he let go and she immediately collapsed to the floor, pretending to cough uncontrollably.
“Can’t handle a little breath play, songbird?” he laughed arrogantly. “We’ll need to work on that.”
Still coughing, Brie curled up into a ball on the floor, wanting to appear weaker than she was.
“I’m setting up a special surprise for you.” Holloway held out his hand to her. “But first, you must be properly prepared.”
Brie shuddered when she took his hand and he pulled her up to her feet. She was certain he was planning a new form of punishment.
For Holloway, this was just an elaborate game. She and Mary were simply pawns to be played with because they’d dared to defy him.
The lack of food and water, the cold temperatures, along with her confinement in the dark, were wearing her down. Brie wasn’t sure how much longer she could fight.
There was no inkling of humanity left in the man to appeal to. The only way she could survive was to make him believe he was breaking her down, but the horrible truth was…
It was beginning to work.
Holloway led her to the chains attached to the wall. “I’ll need you in the right frame of mind for your next surprise.”
Brie kept her head lowered and did not resist when he grabbed her wrist, but she whimpered involuntarily when she felt the cold metal against her skin as he secured the cuff and locked it in place. Holloway chuckled in amusement, enjoying her response as he took her other wrist and did the same.
Fisting her hair, he lifted her head to look her in the eyes. “Tomorrow will complete your training, songbird.”
When he released his hold, she let her head drop back down.
He opened the door before turning off the lamp. Laughing on his way out, he added ominously, “You may not survive it.”
The instant the door closed, she was enshrouded in darkness again. Brie could already feel the strain of this new position and knew sleep would be impossible.
But…
She could also feel the burst of energy from the food she’d consumed. She understood she must conserve it at all costs. Sir’s command for her to wait felt like a solemn promise.
Brie only needed to hold out a little longer because Sir was coming to save her.
Not only did her arms, back, and legs ache from being chained to the wall, but her thirst had returned with a vengeance. Brie had to focus on her breathing to survive the unbearable agony.
As she stood there, her thoughts began to drift in and out of reality. There was a point where she swore that Hope and Anthony were playing on the floor in front of her. Hope was building a tall structure out of colorful blocks while Anthony lay on a blanket, watching his big sister.
When the blocks tumbled down and Brie heard Hope’s infectious laughter, she smiled.
Anthony lay on his back and tried to grab a block that had landed near him. Determined to get it, he lifted his legs and rolled to one side. Balling both hands into fists, he powered through, grinning as he successfully rolled onto his stomach.
Brie watched with tears in her eyes as he grasped the block and brought it to his mouth to chew on. “You did it, Antony!” she cried out.
As soon as she spoke, her children vanished, and she was smothered in blackness again. Brie choked back the emotional loss, the ache in her heart suddenly eclipsing her physical pain.
She missed her children on a level she couldn’t endure. The thought of never seeing her babies again tore at her heart, stirring something primal and dangerous inside of her.
Brie stared into the darkness and vowed that whatever Holloway had planned today, she would survive it for the sake of her children.
Nothing could keep her from them!
With her resolve renewed, she waited in the dark for Holloway.
However, it was not Holloway who entered the room. Instead, Venom came for her. Goosebumps rose on her skin as he unbound her from the chains. She could not mask the instinctual fear she had of him.
He watched with indifference as she collapsed to the floor. The disdain he felt for her was palpable. “Get up. It’s time to meet your maker.”