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Ignoring him, I walk up the stairs and sit as far away as possible from him. My pleasured moans echo loudly around me, reminding me of when I was putty in his hands. Turning my back to all three of my captors, I open my can of fruit and fish for a piece of pineapple with my fingers. The moment the sweetness hits my tongue, I moan low as I didn’t realize how hungry I was.
As I’m digging out a slice of peach, I’m hit with a delectable fragrance that has nothing to do with my fruit salad. I close my eyes and take three calming breaths, refusing to entertain the memories of last night as they collide into me. There is no point ignoring him as he’s proven that doesn’t work, but I refuse to be civil.
“Please go away…I’m trying to eat, and you being here is spoiling my appetite.” He has the gall to laugh. I’m thankful my back is to him as I don’t want to look at him.
“You look nice,” he says, which has me inhaling my peach. I thump on my chest, hoping to dislodge it, but nothing can extricate this heaviness he makes me feel.
“Really? I’ll be sure to never wear this again then.” My bravado is big and tall, but I’m trembling on the inside.
“Well, I do prefer you with nothing on, but this is also good.” Damn him and his smugness, and damn him for knowing what I look like without clothes.
My cheeks heat, and I instantly lose my appetite. As I attempt to stand, he places his hand around my hip, stopping me. His touch is electric, and goose bumps paint my skin. “Don’t be shy. I know you liked it,” he whispers into my ear while I hold my breath. “If you behaved…I would have allowed you to finish. But you know the rules.”
“You know nothing,” I spit, referring to many topics. “And rules? These were set without my consent. I don’t want to play your game; therefore, these rules are not ones I will ever abide by. Your boss will never make a submissive out of me because that’s what I am, right? To be his sex slave? Concubine? Whore?”
It’s the first time I’ve expressed aloud what I fear my future holds. Saint doesn’t need to reply because I know the answer. The answer I still do not know, however, is why is Saint here? What’s in it for him?
“I’m beginning to see that,” he replies, his soft scruff tickling my skin as he leans in closer over my shoulder. “But we all break, sooner or later.”
There are promise and knowledge behind his words. “You may have, but I’m a lot stronger than you think I am,” I reveal, unbending as his tepid breath bathes my flesh. “I learned that from when my mom’s boyfriend pinned me down and tried to rape me when I was fifteen.”
A sharp intake of breath escapes him, giving away his surprise as his fingers tighten around my waist.
“So you can do whatever you want to me…nothing can ever compare to my own flesh and blood turning her back on me when I needed her the most.” I have no idea why I feel the need to share my deepest, darkest secrets with him. I suppose, after last night, he destroyed a piece of me. So this is me, taking it back.
His silence is my victory.
“You can break my body. It’s only a shell. But my spirit, you will never touch. That will always belong to me. So I’m ready. Do your best. Take me to Russia and deliver me to your boss, but know that I will never stop fighting for my freedom. I will never stop trying to break free.”
I have nothing left to lose.
“Now, please let me enjoy whatever freedom I have left alone. That’s the least you can do.” This sudden bravery has left us both stunned it appears.
His hold around me loosens, and he stands. “I’m sorry that happened to you,” he says, leaving me winded as his heavy footsteps announce his retreat.
Only when his fragrance fades do I breathe normally again.
I wasn’t expecting that response from Saint. I never wanted his pity. So what do I want from him? That’s the million-dollar question.
I continue eating my fruit, not really tasting it as I lose myself in the vastness of the deep blue sea. Being out here confirms my problems are merely a drop in the ocean as I feel so insignificant, so small. No matter my problems, the world will continue to turn.
My thoughts as always drift to Drew. Is he okay? Even though he’s the apparent reason I’m here, bound for Russia, I still want to know how he is. He made me happy once, and I can’t help but care.
A phone ringing snaps me from my thoughts, especially when Saint’s deep voice answers the call. He’s speaking in Russian, and I get the sudden sense he’s talking to someone important. My shoulders instantly sag as I guess it’s Aleksei Popov.
Lost in Saint’s voice, I don’t notice Kazimir sneak up on me until his stench hits me. “You owe me, bitch. I was supposed to be off this boat a rich man, but I’m still here.”
“Why did you do it?” I ask, leaving crescent moons into my palms as I clench my fists.
“Because your ass is worth a lot of money.”
I was right. “So you sold me to some other asshole?”
His callous chuckle has my hair standing on end. “Yes. I did. But now I look like an idiot. Luckily, I have plan B.”
“What?”My stomach drops. Plan B? I don’t know what frightens me more—Russia or plan B.
My speech now seems obsolete because it appears I don’t know my enemy at all. The unknown is all the more daunting.
