CHAPTER XV
I ’d lost count of how many days I spent in this hell hole.
Valarie’s blood stained the ground, a permanent mark of their savagery. She lay there, still and silent. The faint rise and fall of her chest grew weaker, each breath becoming a battle.
My tears had long dried up, replaced by a seething rage. The pain, the loss, the agony, and the bitter taste of betrayal had all transformed into a burning desire with one singular purpose.
Vengeance.
Death would come to all who harmed me. If not by my hands, then by Nico’s. Despite Nico’s betrayal, I knew deep down within my soul that he would emerge from hell and rain down retribution upon those who had wronged me.
“Gigi.” Uncle Malik’s gravelly called out to me.
“What?” I snapped.
The cold ground had become my bed, and I welcomed the numbness it offered.
“Gigi, please, you need to stay hydrated,” Uncle Malik pleaded.
I scoffed. “For what, Uncle Malik? To endure more of this torture?”
Before he could respond, the worst sound I had ever encountered echoed through the corridor when the heavy doors at the end swung open. I squeezed my eyes shut, a wave of dread washing over me, and I prayed that whatever the Puppet Master had planned would come to an end swiftly.
The metallic clinking of keys reverberated ominously against the old lock, each chime intensifying my anxiety. Then, with a creak that sent chills down my spine, the doors opened wide.
“Smells like shit in here,” the man sneered. I knew that voice.
Ceaser.
“Fuck you,” I retorted weakly.
“What did you say, bitch?” Ceaser fumbled with the key, the sound of metal scraping against metal grating on my nerves.
Finally, with a sharp click, the bars creaked open.
His face twisted with rage as he stepped inside, and before I could brace myself, his boot slammed into my side.
The impact was like a hammer pounding against my ribs, pain radiating through me as I gasped, struggling to catch my breath.
“Leave her alone!” Uncle Malik erupted.
“Fuck off,” Ceaser snarled. He yanked on my collar until I was on my feet and staring up at his scarred face. I glanced past him and noticed another guard taking in the scene.
“Look at me,” Ceaser growled.
I moved my gaze back to the asshole. His eyes glinted with an unspoken desire.
“I can’t stop thinking about you...” he said. “You like it rough, princess?” he whispered, his hot breath on my face. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment. It’s time to make it real. Don’t you think?”
Terror seized my heart.
The guard let out a cruel laugh when he noticed my frozen state.
“Go ahead. Scream. No one will hear you.” A slow, deliberate curl touched the corner of Ceaser’s mouth, an expression utterly devoid of warmth.
“And if they did, no one is coming for you. I’m going to fucking ruin you.
Nico isn’t going to want anything to do with your used-up pussy when I’m through. ”
“No! Stay the fuck away from me!” I cried.
With that, he grabbed me roughly. I struggled, kicking and screaming, but my efforts were futile against his brute strength.
“You son of a bitch! Leave her alone!” Uncle Malik bellowed. I could hear an unmistakable tremor of fear in his voice. “I’m going to fucking rip out your throat!”
Ceaser turned to my enraged uncle. “Shut your mouth, old man, or I’ll make you watch the show,” he threatened.
“I’ll fucking cut your hands off and shove them up your ass if you touch her,” Uncle Malik shouted. “And I promise…it won’t stop there.”
Ceaser signaled to the second guard. The second guard drew a dagger from his belt and marched toward Uncle Malik’s cell.
“No! Please, don’t hurt him!” I pleaded, trying to rise, only to be struck across the face, sending me reeling.
I heard Uncle Malik struggling, followed by complete silence. My eyes grew wide with terror as I spotted Uncle Malik on the ground, appearing lifeless. I launched myself off the ground, catching Ceaser off guard.
“You sick bastard!” I dug my nails into his face.
“You little bitch!” he hissed, his eyes wild. “Someone needs to put you in your place.” He grabbed my wrists, cracking the bones with a sickening sound. I screamed in agony as he yanked on my collar and threw me against the wall, my body crumpling under the impact.
“Now you gone and pissed me off!” he roared in my face. I felt his calloused hands on my legs, pulling me closer as he unzipped his pants.
“Hey, what the hell are you doing?” the second guard asked, sounding uneasy. “This wasn't the plan.”
“Fuck the plan!” Ceaser yelled. “Leave and stay guard.”
The second guard fell silent, and Ceaser snapped, “I said, go!”
Hearing feet shuffling away, followed by the door shutting and locking, I knew I was fucked.
“Now,” Ceaser purred, “where were we? That’s right. I was about to teach you a lesson.” His eyes gleamed with perverse satisfaction.
I felt his hands on me, tearing at my clothes.
“No, this can’t be happening!” I screamed internally as I watched in horror as he pulled his dick out of his pants and plunged inside me, tearing me from the inside out.
Even though I couldn’t unsee what was happening to me, I willed myself to disconnect, refusing to let the trauma consume my entire being.
Instead, I focused on my mother’s smile, Kara and our disastrous blind dates, and Nico’s smile and kisses, anything to distract me while I was being brutally raped.
Ceaser’s actions were brutal, unforgiving, and swift, leaving me shattered on the cold stone floor like broken glass.
Once he was finished, he rose, adjusted his pants, and gave me one final menacing glance.
“Remember this, princess. I own you now. Your body is mine .” His eyes were cold and devoid of remorse.
I lay there, trembling and violated, my tears of fury finally making a presence and mingling with the dirt on my cheeks. His footsteps faded, and the cell fell silent once more as if nothing had transpired.
“Gigi, oh, god, Gigi, Gigi, oh, god, Gigi,” Uncle Malik choked out.
I could almost feel the sadness bleeding from his broken heart.
I was trapped in a never-ending nightmare. The anger burned within me, a raging fire that fueled my determination to survive and escape this hell.