I don’t know which he’s going to choose. If logic wins out, I’m toast. But I can tell his heart thinks differently. His heart wants to save me.
I almost wish he wouldn’t save me. I’ll ruin his soul, and he won’t deserve the pain.
Zeke’s body has hardened, and I can’t tell if his muscles are pumping up ready for a fight, or his brain won and his body is just tense as he forces it to stay in his chair.
Unfortunately, Julian decides not to stay in his chair. He stands and takes his time walking over to me.
“All the women we bring you will be of similar quality as this one. Expensive breeding, exquisite body, and a fight you will enjoy taming.”
I scream as I pull against the ropes as Julian approaches.
The woman laughs. “She’s wonderful. Is she for sale?”
Julian looks at Zeke, who looks like he’s going to murder everyone in the room.
“Sorry, I don’t believe she’s for sale,” Julian finally answers. “But worry not, we will only bring you women of the same caliber.”
There are murmurs throughout the room.
“Come, see for yourself what a treat she is,” Julian says, waving the group over.
No.
I won’t let them touch me.
I have too much self-respect.
I have control over who touches me and who doesn’t.
Zeke sits up straighter, seconds away from launching himself across the table. I want him to save me, but not from this. This, I got.
So I give Zeke a wink. He blinks rapidly, not sure he saw me do it. It makes me smile slightly. He cocks his head, confusion on his face.
This time, I save myself, but you owe me, Zeke. Soon, I won’t be able to.
He nods at me, and then I focus on my target—the woman. She disgusts me more than anyone else here. And if I take her out, this charade will stop. They will focus on helping her, not on parading me around the room for their pleasure. They will hate me.
The old man approaches and grabs my chin—I let him. He inspects my face like a racehorse he’s about to buy.
The next man grabs my waist, pulling me toward him until I smell his whiskey breath and plump belly against my stomach. At least his stomach protrudes enough to shield me from feeling any erection he might have under all that blubber.
The young man keeps his distance, observing from afar. He pretends to be uninterested, although I know differently. It doesn’t make him any more moral than anyone else here.
Finally, the woman approaches. She takes her time looking me over with a bright smile, and then, she goes for my breast. Not today, lady.
The guards are holding my arms tightly out on either of my sides, with the third guard standing behind me. My feet are tied together at my ankles. I can’t break free of the ropes, so I use them.
As the men hold me up, I throw my weight back onto my arms, lift my legs, and kick her hard in the chest with both my feet.
The woman falls back, like she’s just been shot.
I laugh beneath my gag as the guards stand in shock, not sure what to do. The potential buyers bend down to help the woman. She struggles to breathe, and she’ll have a nasty bruise over her heart for a few days. I’m sure I’ll get punished for the move by the guards or Julian, but it will be worth it.
Julian walks over, observing my victim calmly, and without any intention of helping. Instead, he turns and looks at me with fury in his eyes.
Serves you right for treating me worse than an animal.
“Get her out of here,” Julian says to the guards.
I’m starting to get dragged out, when Zeke stands up.
Yes! Now is the time to save me. Because if I leave this room without you, the scars they’ll inflict will never leave me.
Julian steps in front of me, facing Zeke. I can see the side of Julian’s expression. He’s telling Zeke to fix this. Close the deal, or else.
Or else what? What does Julian have over Zeke?
When my view of Zeke is unblocked, I look at him, but he’s no longer looking at me, he’s looking at the mess on the floor and how he’s going to salvage it.
No…
Zeke…
Julian returns his gaze to me, and I see the devil in his eyes. I know what comes next.
The guards pull me out of the room, away from Zeke.
Zeke doesn’t follow.
He stays. He sentences me to my fate.
If he lets me leave with Julian, he won’t be able to save me.
The guards drag me up the stairs and into Julian’s bedroom. I’m tossed to the floor. My body slams against the wood floor. The guards leave as Julian enters the room.
The familiar sound of the lock on the door closing behind him skyrockets my anxiety.
Julian takes his time walking over; he’s like Zeke in that way. How could two men be so similar and yet treat me so differently?
Julian yanks me to my feet, and I’m left standing in the middle of the room, still tied around my arms and legs. My mouth is still gagged. I have the ability to fight—to at least delay Julian’s fury and give Zeke more time to rescue me.
But I’m frozen. I can’t move. I can’t react. Julian is the only man in the world I can’t fight back against.
It wouldn’t make sense to most people. But it’s my reality. That’s why Julian scares me more than most men. Every other man I can fight against. He may still win, but at least I have a chance. With Julian, I’m helpless.
Julian undoes the button holding his jacket together. He slips it off carefully and hangs it over the back of a chair in the corner. Then he slowly rolls up his sleeves. Each of his movements taunt me. My imagination is worse than what will really happen—or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.
Julian grins at me as he takes a step closer, and I don’t back up. He’s won already. He controls me.
“Such a pretty girl, but you didn’t dress very pretty for me tonight, pet.”
I close my eyes. I need to disappear, at least in my head. It’s the only way to survive.
But Julian won’t allow that. What fun would he have in hurting me if he couldn’t see the pain all over my face?
He grabs my chin and uses his other hand to pry my left eye open. It burns being forced open.
And then he spits.
I close my eye quickly, but some of his saliva still enters my eye—disgusting. I try opening, but it stings. I blink, trying to see again, but I can’t. What was in his saliva? Pepper? Alcohol? It’s fucking alcohol. I smell the whiskey.
“Look at me, pet.”
I can’t, I try to say, but it comes out as a moan.
I look at him with my good eye, and his lips curl up higher, loving my sounds.
I won’t make any more. That was the last you will get from me, you bastard.
I swallow down the pain. It’s just my eye. I’m sure with some water, it will be better. My eye is the least of my worries.
I have to frequently close and re-open my eyes so I don’t seem like I’m crying. It’s when I have my eyes closed that he chooses to attack.
His hit is a semi-truck right to my jaw. It takes my breath away and gives me a splitting headache. I’m sure I heard bones break. It will take me weeks to be able to eat properly.
I fall to my knees from the explosion of pain in my head. I try to open my eyes, to prepare for the next attack.
“You can thank your boyfriend for that. He punched me in the jaw; it’s only polite to return the favor.”