Chapter 3
Addison
A chill works its way down my spine. I don’t know what it is, but I can feel something is about to happen. The lights that are usually kept off for us to sleep are switched on, causing everyone to stir. The sound of the metal rod the guards always carry is clanging along the cell doors as he makes his way closer to ours. My heart begins to hammer in my chest when he stops outside our cell. I share a glance with my cellmate, and we both turn to face the man. It’s the same disgusting man who always comes for us. He smiles, his yellow-stained teeth flashing before he pulls the key free and unlocks our door. He pulls it open and steps inside as I scoot to the back of the cell, my back hitting the brick wall.
“It’s your lucky day,” he declares, grimy teeth gleaming in the dim lights.
“What are you talking about?”
“You were just sold. It’s time to go meet your new owner,” he informs me. He reaches for me, but I swat his hand away, standing to my feet on my own. I raise my head, keeping it high as a million things run through my mind. Who bought me? What made me so special? Who’s going to be my new owner? Is it him?
The thought alone makes me sick to my stomach, but I don’t let on. He steps closer to me, running his nose along my neck before his lips touch my flesh. I cringe as his rancid breath dances over my skin. I hold my back as straight as possible as his lips skate a path down to my shoulder. The other girl cries out as if he’s doing it to her. I know what she’s thinking, he’s going to rape one of us.
“You think you’re so special.”
“I’m not,” I argue, keeping my head held high.
“No. You’re right, you’re not.” A fist slams into my stomach, causing me to double over in pain. The air is sucked from my lungs as I cough and try to catch my breath. A hand is twisted into the back of my hair, and my head is yanked up until I’m standing straight once more.
“Walk!” he roars in my face. I start walking even as pain shoots through my body. I’m led out of the cell and down the long line of occupied cells. I see the girls peering out as if they might be next. I don’t know if I’m glad to be getting out of here or afraid of what comes next. I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t know who’s paid for me.
We keep walking until we come to the end of the line, and a metal door is unlocked. Now that I’m out and moving, it looks to be an old prison of sorts. I’m taken through the door and down another dimly lit hallway before being ushered through one more door. That’s it. That’s how close to freedom I’ve been. I was a few doors away from being free this whole time. I internally curse at myself for not trying to get free before this.
Shoved out into the night sky, I shiver before I’m grabbed. My wrists are secured as a van pulls up in front of us. I watch everything. I take in everything even as I’m thrust forward and stumble.
“Stand up!” The man snaps at me. I stand straighter as the van comes to a stop in front of us. “I’m gonna miss you,” he says, biting into my neck. The sting hurts as I cringe and try to pull away from him. I don’t want him touching me. He grabs a hold of me and jerks me back, leading me to the back of the van. When the doors open, another man is waiting. He reaches for me and pulls me into the van, not bothering to wait for me to climb in. My shins hit the edge of the van, and they begin to scream in pain.
I’m dragged into the back of the van and shoved to the floor. I do my best to catch myself, but my face slams into the side anyway. I swivel around and sit on my ass as I glare at the asshole who manhandled me. He sneers at me but doesn’t say a word.
“She’s all yours now. Cocky little bitch,” the yellow teeth man tells him. I’m glad he didn’t see me break. I would never let them see me break.
The man nods his head before the back doors are slammed shut.
“There are rules about touching the product. Did they touch you?” The man asks. I don’t shake my head. I don’t nod. I don’t do anything but stare ahead of me at the other side of the van. He chuckles before sliding closer to me. “This would be a lot easier if you talk. If you don’t, we’ll just check for ourselves.”
I turn my head to look at him and think about spitting in his face. I can’t believe this is what my life has come down to. Either answering this asshole or letting them violate me.
“No one touched me,” I almost growl through my grinding jaw.
“I think you’re lying, and judging by the bruises, I’d say they touched you,” he adds.
“They hit me.” He nods his head and shifts back into his original position, ignoring me as the van jostles me around.
I don’t know how long we sit like this when he starts asking questions again. I ignore most of them because I think he’s a fucking idiot. I don’t answer him, and I don’t plan to.
“This would be a lot easier on you later.” He nods toward the little clipboard in his hand. Is he seriously writing down the answers, checking things off like a to-do list? I was kidnapped, for fucks sake, and now they want to question me? What kind of fucked up system is this?
I ignore the questions, and he finally gives up as the van keeps moving. I’m jostled around but do the best I can to stay in one place with my hands bound.
When the van finally comes to a stop, I’m thankful. I was getting motion sick from all the bouncing around we did, but at the same time, I know we’d arrived at my final destination. My stomach churns as I try to picture who the hell would have bought me. Who buys another person? What kind of fucked up person would do that? I guess I’m about to find out.
The back doors open as the engine dies, and there stands a man eyeing me up and down. He isn’t what I thought he’d be. He’s actually good-looking. Maybe he isn’t the one who bought me. I was picturing some sick-looking overweight asshole, and that’s not what he looks like at all.
“You can get out,” he says, nodding toward the edge of the van. I scoot over, and he immediately grabs my wrists and cuts the binds free. I rub at my wrists as I glance around and try to get an idea of where I am but I have no clue.
“It’s a parkin’ garage,” he informs me when he notices me looking. I snap my eyes back to his and hold them there. I don’t want to get hit anymore for looking around. I’ve suffered enough abuse as it is.
“She wouldn’t answer the question.” The guy who was in the back with me reports as he passes off the clipboard. The man who now has it has a vest on that says Free. I wonder what that means.
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it,” he says as he looks at the paper in his hands. None of the questions have been answered because I refused to say two words to that asshole, and I still don’t plan on talking.
“Everythin’ went smoothly?” Free asks.
“Yeah, Free. Everything was fine. Your brother tried to put in a last-minute bid on her,” the man says as I look at Free. He smirks, and damn, does it light up the night. He shouldn’t be allowed to look that good. Monsters are supposed to be ugly, like the ones who held me in the cage.
“I bet he did. He wasn’t very happy I chose her first,” Free tells the man. The man nods his head before extending his hand and shaking Free’s.
“She’s all yours.” Free nods and grabs my wrist, tugging me gently along with him to another waiting vehicle. He opens the front door and ushers me inside. I climb in and sit when he closes the door. I’d be an idiot not to try the door, which I do. It’s locked. There’s no way to get out of here.
“Doors locked from the outside,” Free states as he climbs in the driver’s seat. He shifts, getting himself comfortable before he pulls a gun from the back of his jeans and sets it on his lap, one hand holding it. “Don’t try anything stupid.” It’s a warning I take. I’m not trying to be shot.
He starts up the truck and puts it in drive before taking off out of the parking garage. I glance around, but I have no idea where we are.
“Shouldn’t I be blindfolded?”
“Why?”
“So I don’t see where I’m going?”
“That would make sense, wouldn’t it? But after you’re there, you won’t want to leave,” he tells me. I don’t know what the hell that means but I sure as hell do want to leave. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be wherever it is he’s taking me.
“You didn’t answer his questions. Why?”
“I don’t have to.”
“Defiant. I like it. It’ll break with time,” he tells me. I huff out a breath and decide I don’t have to talk to him either if I don’t want to. I cross my arms over my chest as he drives, and I take in everything. It isn’t long before we pull into a parking lot. I can’t see much around us, and that makes me nervous.
Free kills the engine and climbs out, walking around to the other side of the truck and opening my door. He helps me out of the truck before gripping my wrist and leading me toward the building in front of us. Once we reach the door, he pulls it open, and the smell of cigarettes hits me in the face.
“Here we are,” he announces as he leads me inside. There’s dim lighting and strobe lights as people dance to the music and drink. What the hell is this place? Why has he brought me here?
He leads me through the mass of people, and some smile, some talk to him, while others just look at me in pity.
“This her?”
“This is her,” Free confirms to the man who stepped in front of us.
“I’m Mask. You are?”
“She doesn’t like to talk,” Free tells him, knowing I’m not going to answer. I glance around at anything but the two hot guys in front of me. I shouldn’t even see them as hot, but damn, they would be my type if I wasn’t in this situation.
“She’ll learn to talk around here,” Mask laughs.
“Yeah, she will. It’s okay for now. From what we got of her information, her name is Addison.” My back straightens, and my head snaps in his direction. How the hell did they know my name? I haven’t told anyone my name since they took me! How the hell could they have known?
“Addison. I like it.” I cringe internally. Is this who bought me? Mask? I’m so confused by all this that I don’t know which way to turn.
“I’m gonna get her settled, then I’ll be out,” Free tells the man. He nods his head as Free continues to lead me through the room. We walk down a long hallway until he stops at one door. He shoves it open, and we walk inside. The room doesn’t look bad. There’s a bed, dresser, closet, and a chair on one side of the room. There’s another door I assume would lead to a bathroom, from what I can tell.
Free closes the door behind us, and I hear the lock click into place. I jolt a little but quickly calm myself. He won’t get the satisfaction of knowing this is scaring the hell out of me. I won’t let that happen.
I keep scanning the room for anything I can see to use as a weapon when I see the chain near the bed.
“Don’t be scared,” Free says as if he could read my mind. My eyes jerk back to his, and he smiles softly at me.
“Who bought me?”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Why not?” he asks as he walks over to the chain and grabs it. He motions for me to come to him, and I debate running. Where would I go? There’s a room full of people I’m sure would stop me if I got too far. I debate it, though. Should I run for it? Should I obey and walk over to him? “You’re not gettin’ out of here. Not until we’re done.” Even hearing his words, I debate it. I look at the door and sigh, knowing he’s probably right. Those guys aren’t going to let me go.
I turn slowly and walk over to Free.
“Sit down,” he orders, nodding toward the bed. I do as I’m told and drop onto the bed and he kneels at my feet. He hooks the soft cuff around my ankle and then attaches the small chain. It’s small enough I can move around with it, but big enough I can’t snap it.
“This is just a precaution for me right now. Later on, we’ll take it off.”