7. Arianna
7
ARIANNA
M y ropes were undone and I was yanked roughly from my bed. The man taking me didn’t say a word, but I knew who he was.
Well, sort of.
He was one of Sever’s brothers. A twin. Roman or Renzo. I wasn’t sure which since they looked exactly alike. It was creepy how much they looked alike. Sometimes, there were little things you could use to distinguish twins apart. Not with them. Everything was a carbon copy of the other. At least that's what I remembered of them.
My heart banged hard as he led me from the bedroom and into a long, dark hall.
“W-Where are we going?”
He said nothing as he dragged me along. When I tried to put the brakes on, he simply hefted me over his shoulder and carried me bucking and crying down the stairs and into a massive living room.
He tossed me onto the floor, and I landed in a painful heap. He stepped away from me and moved to sit on the black leather couch. I went up on my hands and knees and looked forward to see three sets of feet in front of me. Another set entered my vision as someone stepped up to me and grabbed my braid.
I let out a cry as he yanked me up by it.
“Knees. You will always be on your knees when you greet us,” Massimo said sternly, giving my head a violent shake by my braid.
I trembled at his words, fear coursing through me. I wasn’t sure I could run or even move, but I darted my gaze around, trying to memorize everything about the place so I could try to escape the moment I got a chance.
“And don’t try to escape,” Massimo continued as if reading my mind. “There are guards and cameras every inch of this place. You run. We chase. And if we catch you.” He ripped my head back, making me gasp at the pain. “Then we will fuck every hole in your body and maybe even make some new ones.”
He released me, and I fell forward back onto my hands.
“Up,” he commanded with a snarl. “Back straight.”
I was going to lose it. I felt the panic rising, and I knew once it started I wouldn’t be able to control it. I hadn’t had a bad panic attack in years, but I knew what they felt like when they started to brew beneath the surface. I sucked in ragged breath after ragged breath, the very real fear that this was it smothering me.
I was going to die here.
Sever made it clear our friendship and everything else ended the day I ran.
“Up!” Massimo shouted.
I jumped, but I couldn’t bring myself to straighten. I was going to black out as my chest heaved with every struggled intake of breath. My body shook. My head spun. My hands grew clammy, and my lips tingled.
Massimo let out a snarl and wrapped his hand around my throat. With little effort, he slammed me onto the floor onto my back and loomed over me.
I looked up into his gray eyes, losing all my senses.
The room spun wildly.
He cocked his head at me and tightened his grip on my throat. I couldn’t breathe even more now. I kicked my legs beneath him, the room darkening.
With my hands around his wrists, I tried to get him to release me. He only held tighter.
“I will kill you. Is that what you want? Calm down and live another day or keep at it and die right here and now. Either way, your pussy is going to get fucked. Understand?”
Tears poured down my cheeks as I stopped my struggle. He released me, and I gulped in mouthfuls of air. He got to his feet and stood over me.
“On your knees,” he said softly.
It took everything I had to bring myself to my knees. I swayed where I kneeled, my stomach churning and my heart pounding.
Massimo reached out and put my long braid over my shoulder so it hung in front of me before he backed away and stood next to where his brothers were watching from the couch. I didn’t look at them. I kept my eyes on the floor.
“Good girl,” Massimo praised. “Bow your head. There you go. Perfect.”
I closed my eyes as I tried to remain calm, my breathing still coming in soft, sharp gasps.
“Let’s get to know one another. I’m Massimo. These are my twin brothers, Renzo and Roman. And, of course, Severo. You know him as Sever.”
I said nothing and didn’t look up. I didn’t care who anyone was. I only wanted to escape.
“Do you understand why you’re here?” Massimo continued.
When I didn’t say anything, he shouted, making me jump.
“When you are asked a question, you answer. I don’t like to repeat myself, little daffodil, so be sure to act accordingly.”
“Y-Yes. M-My father used me as payment for his d-debts,” I choked out. My throat was aching. I needed water and food so badly. I was weak from it.
“Do you understand what that means?”
“I’m your prisoner,” I whispered.
“And…?” he prompted.
“And you will use me as you see fit until my father’s debt is paid.”
“Or until you die. If you die, we kill him too.” Massimo walked to the other side of the couch. “Ren. Roe.”
The twins rose to their feet. I shivered even though the room was warm, my gaze set on the floor.
They circled me like vultures, this fingers lightly touching me as they moved around me like a well-oiled machine.
“When was the last time someone fucked you?” one of the them asked, stopping in front of me. I stared up at him, noting he had similar eyes as Massimo. They weren’t nearly as silver and had a hint of blue in them.
I shook my head, my pulse roaring in my ears. I’d never had sex with anyone before. My idea was to focus on getting out of college and moving as far away as I could. Running. Hiding. Leaving my old life behind. Love and relationships had never been part of the equation for me. Aside from Sever, I’d never even kissed anyone before.
“A virgin?” The second twin stopped next to the first. I could feel them looking down at me as I sniffled on my knees, my eyes on their designer shoes.
One of the twins reached out and placed a finger beneath my chin and tilted my head up so I was staring at him.
“Little snowflake, why do you weep?” he asked, cocking his head at me.
I swallowed hard and drew in a shaky breath.
“I’m scared,” I admitted softly.
“So sweet and innocent,” the second twin commented. “We can fix that, kitten.”
His words sent a shard of ice through my soul.
“Sever, perhaps you have some ideas to help us get acquainted with our new toy.” The first twin called out, his gaze never leaving me as I shivered with fear at his feet.
I snapped my attention to Sever as he rose to his full height, which was just as tall as the others and easily had me dwarfed by at least a foot. I swallowed hard, remembering how only hours ago he’d poured water over my face.
The twins stepped aside as Sever moved to the center. Massimo remained watching from his spot in his chair, his eyes narrowed.
“S-Sever—” I pleaded softly, hoping there was part of him that hadn’t been corrupted by violence and hatred that would spare me even for a moment.
“Take your shirt off,” he said softly.
My heart skipped at his words. When I didn’t move, one of the twins moved forward and twisted his fingers in my hair and tugged my head back. I let out a gasp of pain at the move, the panic coming back for a second round.
I didn’t move to take my shirt off. I couldn’t if I wanted to. The twin grasping my hair was splintered it from its roots as he held me and my panic was getting back to uncontrollable levels again. I was barely able to breathe let alone unbutton my top.
“TAKE. OFF. YOUR. SHIRT!” Sever shouted.
I shook violently, sobbing and gasping for more air.
When I failed to comply, Sever reached forward and grabbed me, tearing my shirt off. The buttons pinged and scattered across the floor as it fell open, exposing my bra to the room.
I watched in horror as the second twin pulled a knife out and gave an elaborate twirl of it in his hand before surging forward and cutting my bra between my breasts and effectively splitting it in two.
My breasts spilled out as I continued to sob, the twin holding my hair not bothering to loosen his grip.
“P-Please…”
“Mark her,” Sever said, stepping away, nothing but hatred and darkness in his pretty blue eyes.
I had no idea what that meant, but I knew I didn’t want any part of it.
I screamed as the twin holding me brought me to the floor and pinned me down while the second twin gave me a maniacal grin, his knife in his hand.
“We mark our toys so they don’t get lost,” he said, twirling his knife again before he brought it down over my heart.
I screamed in pain as he carved deep into my flesh. The rivulets of blood raced from the wound, the burning ache making me scream louder.
He hummed while he worked, each slice into my skin sending me spiraling just a little bit more.
The pain became too much and before I knew it, darkness was blotting out my sight.
And eventually, I passed out, the situation and agony simply too much for my body.