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I open my mouth to say… I don’t know what, something—anything—but nothing comes out. Not a single noise.
“How much did you give her? She’s paralyzed, not sleeping.” Though I think I detect a hint of concern, I can’t be sure.
I don’t know the second voice. Do I? No, I don’t think so.
“She still needs to wake up. I will not have her miss it.”
Panic grips me as my mind slowly pieces together who the first voice belongs to. In my head, I’m screaming and fighting, lashing out and baring my teeth. It’s only in my head, though. I know it’s not real since I can’t even open my eyes.
No, this can’t be happening. I won’t allow it. If this is real, we didn’t just lose, it would mean that everything is lost.
“Look at her. She’s trying to fight it, but she can’t move. I think you gave her too much—”
There’s an angry sound of skin meeting skin, followed by a sharp inhale. Then the monster from my nightmares says, “Enough! Fix her.”
I hear the rustling of movement, a door opening and closing somewhere. Footsteps, water running, and then… Arching my back, I gasp out in surprise as icy cold water is splashed into my face, dripping down my body. The chill that follows feels like an omen, and I’m no longer in a rush to open my eyes.
“There we go, she can move.” The tired voice sounds almost nervous, and the way he keeps shifting his weight from one foot to another makes me think I read the tone correctly. “Do you want me to untie her?”
I’m tied down? That’s news to me. Now that my body has been jolted awake, I experimentally try to move my arms, only to be stopped by the rope tied around my wrists. How fucking dare he tie me like I’m his prized possession? Like I’m cattle?
“Untie me right now!” My voice lacks the scathing punch I wanted to really emphasize my words. Coughing, I clear my throat. “I said, untie me right now.”
“Ahh, my darling Baby, you are awake.” My eyes fly open, needing to see him for myself.
And there he is, right in front of me. Impeccably dressed in a light gray suit, red tie, and a dark shirt beneath the suit jacket. His bleached hair is combed to the side. His green eyes sparkle with adoration as he looks down at me, and I want nothing more than to slap the smile off his face.
“I’m not your darling anything,” I hiss. Instinctively trying to kick him, only to find my legs are bound as well. “Untie me, Luis. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
At my words, the smile on his face is wiped away, and in its place is a stoic mask. I know I should control myself, that I should be smart about this. But I can’t. Fear and anger war inside me, making me more apt to strike than cower.
“I will untie you shortly.” The clipped words hold a warning I can’t decipher. “We have business to attend to first. It seems you keep forgetting who owns you, something I’m going to help you remember forever.”
The coldness of his tone and his eyes is clearly meant to intimidate me, something I won’t let him do. “I know who owns me,” I say saccharinely. “Three men, none of which are you.” Even though I know I’m playing with fire, I can’t stop myself.
Luis matches my smile, holding my gaze in something akin to a challenge. I will not back down, so I match his steely look with my own. Big mistake. I’m so focused on this fruitless staring match that I don’t see his hand until his fist connects with my jaw. Pain explodes, and I feel blood drip from my nose and lip.
“I will not tolerate lies in my house,” he simply says. Then he pulls a fucking handkerchief from his pocket and wipes my blood from his fist.
Amanda is pacing agitatedly in my mind, wanting to be free to throttle the bastard who dares put his hands on us. I don’t allow her to take over, never again. This is my fight.
“Why are you punching me when I speak the truth, then?” I taunt him, taking pleasure in seeing the way his eyes widen.
I get the feeling that Luis was expecting me to give in, and I get it. The last time we saw each other, I was a mess, and I embraced Amanda so I could escape in my mind. Maybe that night is the reason he’s so brazen now, thinking I chose him just because I was grinding on him until he came in his pants like a teenager.
Shaking my head, I break our eye contact and look around. Behind him is another man, and I was right. I don’t know him. I can’t see what he’s doing, but something about his stiff movements and the way he refuses to look at me scares me more than Luis’ tying me down.
“Ahh, this is Doctor M.” Following my gaze, Luis turns his head and looks at the man behind him. “My personal doctor.”
A coldness that has nothing to do with the cold and soaked sheets beneath me seeps into my skin. What kind of reason could Luis have for bringing a doctor all the way to America? Whatever his plans are, I’m certain this doesn’t bode well for me.
“You rudely interrupted me while I was trying to explain why he is here. Do not repeat that mistake. Even though I take no pleasure in hurting you, I will as much as I have to.” Is it fucked up that I believe him?
I believe he gets no pleasure from hurting me, just as I believe he will do it repeatedly if he feels he has to. I didn’t need the fist to my face to know that. As I lick the blood from my lips, the metallic taste explodes on my tongue.
Ignoring Luis, I look around the room again. I’m not sure what I’m looking for until I fully take his words in. He wants to remind me I’m his… “Where are they?” I demand.
Luis’ lips curl up at one side, eyeing me like a piece of meat. “I was going to give you the chance to give in without having to take such drastic measures.” The calmness of his tone irks me so much I ignore the flash of anger in his eyes.
