Chapter 13
Thirteen
“My pretty little pet. Did you think you could escape me? I’ll never truly be gone. You’re all mine, and you always will be.”
The venom in her voice echoed in his head as he shot awake. It took him a moment to realize where he was. To notice the space had changed from where she’d kept him.
Even knowing that, he couldn’t shake her words.
Why was she still showing up? What had he ever done to deserve the things they’d done to him?
Sometimes when he was alone, he’d have dreams of a different life. One with loving parents, toys, and all the food he could eat. There was love in that world. So much love.
But he always woke up.
The dream was never real.
He realized then that it never would be. Even if the woman wasn’t there, she was still in his head. He didn’t want to keep hearing her voice. Didn’t want to try to fight the demons he felt lurking inside him.
Climbing from the bed, he looked around for something—anything—to help him.
Voices in the hall stopped him as he shuffled through the drawer of the dresser. He paused to listen. His body went ice-cold as he recognized a woman’s soft words speaking to someone.
Panic edged through him at hearing her.
No, it wasn’t her. Not the woman he’d known.
But he felt the same amount of terror. He worried this new woman, whoever she was, would see him as a pet too. Would she convince the big man named Carver to do the same? Even men who were considered the boss fell at women’s feet. If they offered certain things, then there was no hope.
His hands ran over his neck as panic tried to take hold. The movement sparked an idea.