Page 14 of Drown in You


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Hell, my entire body isn't mine to touch. Not anymore. Probably never again.

Not until I end this thing. My final moment on this Earth will be the moment I reclaim my body as mine. I almost smile at the thought. There’s a nice poetry to that. A peacefulness. A freedom.

Master – my… old Master - pats me a little too hard on the back of the head, making me startle. "Esclave, this is your new master. Say hello."

"H-Hello, Master," I rasp, my throat aching from being forced to make noise. I cough. Blood lingers on my tongue.

“You live for him now, not me. Do you understand?”

It’s sort of hard to wrap my head around that. I guess that’s how these things work, though. I’m just an object. A toy. I was sold. There’s no reason for Master to get emotional or anything. No reason for me to. I have a new Master now. I can handle that.

“Do you understand?” Master asks again.

I nod, my throat too sore for me to try and speak again. He allows it.

My new master steps forward, his shoes back in my line of sight. Without warning, I'm pulled to my feet by the man and draped over his shoulder so I'm dangling upside down and watching the floor as he walks. The man smells fresh, like he just showered, and his clothing is crisp and clean against my filthy body. I feel like I should apologize to him, but I'm not sure if I’m allowed to speak without permission. Not that I'd be able to get the words out anyway. My throat feels like it’s on fire just from the few words I was already forced to speak.

The fear I probably should have felt sooner kicks in when I feel the cool night air against my naked skin. I swallow a whimper, trying to keep my body from trembling. I fail. Miserably. Maybe my new master will think it’s just from the chill in the air and not punish me?

By the time we reach an idling SUV, I’m shaking hard enough to make my sore muscles ache. One of the man’s guards says he’ll drive. Another opens the back door so the man can enter with me. Nausea crawls up my throat as I wonder how long it’s going to take for me to find something sharp. What if he restrains me right away? What if he never takes me out of a room that’s safety proofed? What if I finally manage to hurt myself and he somehow save me?

My stomach churns. Don’t throw up, Casey. Whatever you fucking do, don’t throw up right now.

The man gently places me on a comfortable leather seat, the hot air of the vehicle chasing my goosebumps away. I know it’s a test. Humans sit on seats. Slaves and dogs kneel on the floor. I immediately slip off the seat and to the carpeted floor by his feet. I feel the weight of his gaze settle on me. My heart pounds a panicked rhythm in my chest as I wait for him to say or do something.

Does this man have different rules? Does he like his slaves on seats? The SUV isn’t even moving yet and already I might have fucked up.

Say something. Do something. Anything. Please.

The man doesn't say a word. The only indication that he even notices that I'm there is the slight shuffle of his dress shoes beside my knees.

When the vehicle lurches into motion, I feel hands on my bare back. I tense at first before forcing my body to relax for him. It's easier said than done when he's suddenly scooping me up into his lap. He settles my body sideways, so my legs are across the empty seat where he originally placed me. I start to shake again as I feel his lips brush my ear. "It's better this way. You need to rest."

I have just enough time for the panicked thought of what's better this way? to flit through my mind. Then something sharp pierces my neck.

The first thing I lose control of is my body, my muscles relaxing until I'm slumped uselessly against the man's chest. I try to force it to sit up, terrified I'll get in trouble for using him as support, but I feel paralyzed. I blink, discovering that I don’t have the strength to open my eyes after.

I try desperately to stay awake, to stay alert, but my mind collapses in on itself. The last thing I notice before the drug pulls me under is the American's warm hand on my back. He's stroking my skin, gentle and soothing. It doesn't hurt.

He's not hurting me.

My mind whirls with the realization.

And then I'm gone.

Chapter Six

Jake

I had a lot of plans for when I got Casey on the private plane. I was going to try to feed him. Give him water. I was going to check his injuries and give him fresh bandages. I was going to try to talk to him, testing his mental state and maybe giving him a rule or two since Travis told me Casey might feel too unsettled without any structure. But all of those plans flew out the window when he had started shaking.

God, the boy was fucking terrified. It must have been painful to shake as hard as he was and it couldn’t possibly have been good for his health. I knew things were only going to get worse if I allowed the panic to continue.

Maybe I could have tried talking to him, tried calming him, but I doubt it would have done any good. In fact, it might have caused more damage, like it did last time we interacted. It was easier to drug him into a peaceful sleep. Easier for both of us, honestly.

Casey stays conked out for the entire flight home, curled up under the blankets on the bed in the private bedroom. I spend most of that time in the chair beside the bed, watching over him with my heart in my throat. I remember watching Travis do the same thing with Carter after buying him. I remember thinking I would give anything to never be in that situation. I remember worrying that he wouldn’t survive it.

I can’t believe I let myself end up here.

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