My palm burns with the contact, the pain quickly sliding into my chest, restricting my air.
Oh, God.
He snaps ramrod straight, his eyes blinking in a daze.
Oh, God.
I hyperventilate through the mania, not realizing the stupidity of my mistake until the dark red of my attack seeps across the left side of his face.
Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.
The damage I inflicted is blindingly obvious. It’s a mark of defiance. Undeniable evidence of my rebellion.
“It’s okay.” He backs away. “Don’t panic.”
It’s too late for that. I’m in full-blown hysteria, my breathing rampant as the glass door slides open down the hall and pounding steps approach.
“What’s going on?” Luther’s bellow echoes off the walls moments before he enters the room, Cole hot on his heels, both their rage clear to see.
Bile rises in my throat. My limbs tremble.
I huddle into the corner of the kitchen, clutching the counter on either side of me as Luca raises his hands in surrender.
He looks guilty, like he’s the one who just threw away his life instead of me.
“Someone better start talking,” Cole snarls. “My patience is growing fucking thin.”
I can’t speak. I can’t think.
Luther will rain hell down on me for this. He’ll take pleasure in the break of my bones.
“He didn’t do anything.” Tobias’s timid voice carries from the doorway on the far side of the kitchen, his head poking around the frame from the hall.
My heart becomes a fragile butterfly, each violent beat threatening to break the thin membrane of my sanity and send me nose-diving.
He heard.
He heard, and he’ll do absolutely anything to make his father proud. Even if it means stabbing me in the back.
“You saw what happened?” Luther asks.
“I was snooping.” Tobias inches into the kitchen. “I know I shouldn’t, but Penny sounded upset and I was worried.”
“And?” Cole growls. “What happened?”
“Nothing. The man was being nice and Penny was…” Tobias glances at me, killing me with his guilt before he hangs his head.
I don’t know what’s worse: his conflict over betraying me or the inevitable possibilities if he tells the truth.
“What, son?” Luther approaches him, placing his evil hands on the boy’s slight shoulders. “What was she doing?”
I silently beg Tobias to keep quiet. To lie. To betray his father even though I know he never will.
“She was being mean.”
Pain slices through me, a soundless sob clogging my throat.
Luther grows an inch with his palpable fury. “You dare to make a guest of mine unwelcome?” He turns toward me, approaching with menacing steps.
I cower, turning my face away, wrapping my arms around my middle. I can’t help the show of weakness. I’m fucking bathing in it, my fragility clear for everyone to see.
That man—that stranger—has fractured a resolve I’d built over years of torture. And he did it all with a few perfectly chosen words.
“I’m sorry,” I plead. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“Fucking stupidity, that’s what.” Luther looms above me, fists clenched at his sides. “Do you need to go back to basic training? Or maybe I should send you to work with the majority of my women so you can understand how well you’re treated here.”
Horror consumes me.
“Please.” I collapse onto my knees. “I didn’t mean it. I apologize.”
“It’s my fault.” Luca’s voice breeches my nightmare. “I got carried away. I tried to make small talk and when I mentioned her past I think she took it as a taunt.”
I hold my breath, the burn of building suffocation sliding through my veins. I don’t understand his motive for taking the fall. Why would he? Why risk his safety for mine?
Luther grabs my chin, his rough grip forcing me to meet his gaze, his other hand raised in threat. “You need to be punished for your disobedience.”
I know.
God, how I know.
And I’ll accept his violations without protest over the hell of being sent away from here. He can hurt me as much as he likes as long as I don’t have to step foot inside one of his brothels.
“Dad,” Cole warns. “I’m growing tired of the adolescent distractions from these women. Can’t we get the fuck out of here already?”
My heart stutters. Stops.
I don’t want a delayed sentence. Giving Luther more time to think is dangerous. I need him to react on instinct, not with well-thought-out deviance.
When Luther doesn’t respond, Cole huffs.
“Fine. We’ll leave.” He starts toward the doorway, murmuring something to Tobias along the way before he disappears down the hall.
I don’t drag my gaze from my tormentor. I don’t quit praying for him to strike. Not even when Luca’s intense stare remains potent in my periphery.
I ignore the jagged seed of hope he planted under my skin. I fight to claw myself back to stability as I blink the heat from my eyes.
Maybe if I hadn’t been here so long I could fall heavily into the fantasy of Luca being my savior. Back then I would’ve done anything, given anything for a warrior to haul me out of this nightmare.
But I’ve learned the hard way that there’s no escape from this hell. And my reality is only cemented in place when Luca follows after Cole, leaving me alone with a little boy who betrayed me and a vicious man who I know is more disgusted in my show of weakness than my rebellion.
3
Penny
Luther didn’t hit me.
He did far worse. He left me kneeling on the cold tile, my thoughts in turmoil as he stormed from the kitchen.
I don’t know where he went. Chloe informed me that Chris drove them from the house. Cole and Luca included. But even with the distance between us, it took hours to steady my rampant pulse.
“What are you going to do?” Lilly snuggles in bed behind me, returning the comfort I gave her earlier in the day, while the other women remain in their beds. “He’s going to be horrible to you.”
“I’ll do what I’ve always done—be strong and fight back.”
I spent the entire day, and well into the night, berating myself for falling victim to something I’ve built walls against since my first days in this living nightmare. I never should’ve taken Luca’s bait. I’d thought I was immune to those types of taunts.
I’d thought my defenses held more strength.
“Where do you think they went?” Abigail asks from the bunk above. “They’ve been gone a long time.”
“It’s an event night.” I clutch my pillow close to my chest and try to lessen my self-pity with thoughts of all the women currently being violated to make Luther money. “He won’t be home until after midnight.”
I still have a few hours.
I tucked Tobias in bed earlier and collapsed onto mine within minutes. Tomorrow will be challenging and I want to be at the top of my game. Not that sleep feels likely to bless me tonight.
“Are you ready to tell us what happened?” Chloe positions herself up on one elbow from the farthest bottom bunk. “What did that man do?”