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“What if I need to pee?” she shouted in desperation.
Looking at her over my shoulder, I said, “Then do. There’s no one else here to mind.”
I walked out to the sound of her voice shouting my name until the door closed behind me.
Chapter 6
Grace
When the door swished open and Anton’s silhouette appeared in a halo of light, I thought my foggy mind played tricks on me. Everything hurt. My extremities were swollen. The bones of my ass felt as if they were trying to pierce through the skin onto the cold, hard floor. The bars of my cell were all but embedded in my back. I couldn’t feel my legs anymore they were so numb. In a way, it was a relief compared to the vicious bouts of cramping that had seized them at various intervals over the past twenty-four hours. I tried to shift, but there wasn’t enough room. The sharp pain along my spine convinced me it was a bad idea anyway.
Imaginary Anton approached the cage and crouched in front of me. His black eyes roamed over me.
“I didn’t pee,” I said with a wispy voice.
“I see that.”
Frowning, I blinked at Imaginary Anton. It was the first time the hallucination responded.
“Bars,” Anton said.
The sound of the top grid ascending the bars startled me. Looking up, I watched it fly to the ceiling.
I can stand again.
Except I couldn’t feel my legs. I hissed at the burning sensation of the bars sliding against my naked back as they lowered into the floor. Losing their support, I collapsed. Anton’s hand caught the back of my head, saving me from smacking it against the metal plating.
He’s real! I’m free! It’s over!
Blood rushed through my outstretched limbs, bringing with it fresh pain and feeling. They awakened in a chaos of pins and needles, stabbing every inch of them. I whimpered and attempted to roll to my side but cried out when my leg cramped. I tried to roll back to my initial position but my other leg cramped too.
I groaned and wept at the pain, unable to find relief. My numb hands couldn’t massage the cramps away. An incredibly warm blanket landed on me. The heavenly heat seeped into my tortured muscles all the way down to my bones, loosening the tension. Anton started rubbing and massaging my legs over the thin heating blanket, making swift work of smoothing my excruciating knots. Soon the pain receded, leaving my legs jerking involuntarily to random spasms.
Anton wrapped the blanket around me then carried me in his arms, bride-like, to the lift. By the time we reached the penthouse, I still hadn’t regained enough motor control to walk on my own. Anton set me down by the bathroom. I limped inside, leaning on the wall for support. My bladder sang with blessed relief. I didn’t know why it had mattered so much, but I refused to pee myself.
I wasn’t an animal.
I crawled to the tub and leisured in a hot bath, eyes closed. Interspersed spasms ran through my muscles. When I returned to the bedroom, food was laid out on the small breakfast table. Though it smelled good, I wasn’t hungry since William brought me water and an energy bar every six hours of my incarceration. I almost declined the meal but I didn’t know what Anton had in store for me. Eating seemed the wiser course of action.
Chewing slowly, I forced myself to clean my plate under his watchful gaze. When I finished, he stood in front of me.
“Sade’s launch was a resounding success,” Anton said, casually.
My stomach knotted, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“The celebrations will last for three more days. Night after tomorrow will be the grand finale, which I am expected to attend.”
His cold, dark eyes connected with mine. I shuddered.
“My friends were quite disappointed by your absence last night. They’re hoping you won’t be… indisposed for the finale.”
My hands fisted around the hem of my dress, twisting the delicate fabric.
“I don’t need your answer now,” Anton said as I opened my mouth to speak. “You have two days to decide how you want to spend your evening… and following hours.”
He headed towards the door.
“Why are you doing this?” I whispered.
