Twenty
Paisley
Once Glasgow and I returned to his mansion in France, I knew I had a punishment coming my way. Or at least a night of very rough sex, since I'd requested as much before we left the party.
My mind flashed with images of the evening as I sat with Sky in the girls' lounge a couple of days later. I thought of Hawkes night and day, completely obsessed with the thought of my only savior. He'd proven to me he was powerful - but was he powerful enough to get me out of my gilded cage?
"Your mind is somewhere else entirely," Sky sighed as she beat me at another game of chess. Her eyes darted to the guards. Of course, we could never talk completely freely with them watching our every step. I couldn't tell her I knew someone on the outside, someone I'd force to save my life, and hers, too.
The guards were always listening.
After my outing with Glasgow, I was still black and blue from the bruises he'd painted my body with once we returned home. He left me bound to a St. Andrew's Cross for hours. But now, it was as if he'd lost interest completely.
I hadn't been called into his chambers after that, and Glasgow kept his distance from me.
I had no curiosity about the man that called himself my Master. He was as good as dead in my mind, because I was going to end him sooner rather than later for everything he did to me. Still, his preference for me came with some perks - one of them, Sky and I being able to sit here alone, with just a lone guard to absent-mindedly watch us.
I took a look at my new best friend. She truly was beautiful, and as sickening as it was, I understood why Glasgow had picked this rose among thorns.
Her fiery red hair descended her back in waves. She had cream-colored skin with smatterings of chocolate-colored freckles. She hid them under makeup, since Glasgow said they were too much of a contrast, but I loved when she let them peek through the paint our captor made us wear.
"I need you to help me," I mouthed at Sky, praying she'd gotten good enough at reading lips that she'd be able to understand.
Her eyes followed the movements from my lips.
"Kill Glasgow," I mouthed again.
She swallowed thickly, then nodded. Sky picked herself up and waltzed over to the guard, standing by the French doors leading into the sunroom.
"Excuse me, Sir..." she asked innocently, snapping the guard from whatever was happening on his phone. "I had a question?"
I watched her talking, pretending to be engrossed in the chess board, studying my past moves. Really, I was looking everywhere for anything I could use as a weapon.
Hawkes Rizzo had made it clear - I would repay my lie by killing Glasgow. And then I'd get the hell out of this place, help Hawkes find his daughter, and... rest in peace.
My eyes wrapped around the chess figures - unusable. Too small, and, while made of glass, wouldn't kill anyone. The board wouldn't either. I could unscrew a lamp, but that was risky. I only had so much time before the guard noticed what Sky was doing, twirling a strand of red hair around her pointer finger.
She was counting on me, and it wasn't just myself I was fighting for anymore.
I couldn't save Rubi in time, but I was going to save Sky.
Before I could think better of it, my fingers wrapped around a letter opener. Shockingly, it was sharp enough that I nicked my fingertip on it. I yelped as I pushed it into my sleeve, catching the guard's attention.
"Hey!" he called out, marching over to me. "What the fuck are you doing?"
I pointed to the chess book on the table, one of the rare forms of entertainment in the wretched house. I sucked my finger. "Papercut."
He looked suspicious until a call on his phone distracted him enough that he walked away. Moments later, Sky sat back down, and the guards changed shifts. I felt triumphant, my eyes glowing enough to tell her I was successful.
It was days later. I'd managed to keep the blade hidden, but opportunity evaded me, as Glasgow didn't call me into his chambers once. Sky was becoming more popular, and I helped her apply salve to the cuts the imprinted on her skin. I hated him more with each lash of a whip.
With the anger, my resolve grew too, and I knew I'd get my chance to slice the prick's neck open sooner rather than later. The fact that the letter opener was there was pure serendipity. They never allowed us anything resembling a weapon. All our food was cut up. Too many of the girls were untrustworthy, I assumed myself included. But for now, Glasgow trusted Sky - and she was my best friend.
I knew once our jailor realized how close we were, he'd separate us forcibly. He'd get jealous, and couldn't stand us bonding. It was only a matter of time until one of the guards told him we spent a lot of time together, or discovered my still hidden letter opener. I needed to act fast.
My opportunity came when I was invited - forced - into Glasgow's office that night. It hurt to see the pain of relief in Sky's eyes. At least I'd be taking the lashes instead of her this time. Her body was already so frail.
I walked into Glasgow's office wearing a white lingerie set made of feathers. He seemed pleased to see me, as much as I could tell since he always had that stupid mask on. I didn't like looking at it, it was too disturbing. It hid everything except his eyes, dehumanizing Glasgow into a monster straight from my nightmares. I shuddered at the thought of him letting me see his face. I was sure it meant certain death.
That night, I sucked his cock obediently and forced myself not to bite it off, like I always did. Afterward, he wanted me to sit on his lap. I'd tucked the knife into my bra, so I knew it was my only chance to get him vulnerable.
After he came, he leaned back in his executive chair, arms bent behind his back. He seemed pleased as he exhaled a sigh through the mask.
I saw his eyes closing, and I quickly pulled out the knife. His eyes remained closed. We were alone. I placed the blade silently at his neck, where his black metal mask met a strong jaw.
"Would you like to know why I'm called Glasgow?" he suddenly asked, eyes flying open. His hand wrapped around the blade, and the knife dug into his palm. I screamed as blood poured between us, pulling the knife back.
I scrambled off his lap, but his meaty arm wrapped around my middle, pulling me back forcibly. He knocked the knife out of my hand easily, putting his bloodied palm over my lips. I opened my mouth to scream, and swallowed his blood instead.
"Stupid bitch," he muttered against the shell of my neck. "Do you even realize what you've done?"
I screamed some more as he wrangled me to the floor, easily overpowering me. I thrashed wildly, but it was no use. He tied me up with his ropes, not the silky, soft ones he used when he was in a good mood. No, these ropes were rough and scratchy, digging bloody marks into my skin.
He dragged me down the hallway until he came across two guards, forcing them to drag me along.
I resisted them, shocked they hadn't drugged me. Some of the girls had gathered in the hallway to watch, and I roared with rage and humiliation when I saw Sky among them.
The guards forced me into a windowless, noise-proofed room and slammed the door on me. Utter darkness engulfed me, and I was still tied up. I stumbled forward, all of the walls and floor soft and squishy beneath me. I couldn't even hurt myself here.
Glasgow had made sure my punishment would be severe. I'd never seen this room before.
I slumped against a wall in the darkness, screaming until my throat went raw. I knew no one could hear me, that I was wasting time. Just like I'd wasted my only chance to get away.
As the hours ticked by, I wondered how long he'd leave me in there. I was hungry, thirsty, desperate for the bathroom.
The doors didn't open another twenty-four hours.
My stint in The Quiet Room, as I now knew it was called, lasted a week. I was allowed to use the bathroom daily, along with a meal. I didn't understand why. I was convinced if any other girl had tried what I had, Glasgow would snap her neck instantly. But not me. For some reason, I was important to him. He needed me alive.
I counted the days by tearing holes into the upholstering. On the seventh day, blinding lights came on and I screamed as the door opened. No longer tied up, I was ready to kill whoever happened to be on the other side of the door.
Luckily for me, it was Sky.
"Shh," she whispered. "You'll wake up everyone. I've brought some..."
"Sky!" I cried out, eagerly throwing myself in her arms. I couldn't believe she was there. That she was still my friend, even though I'd wasted such an amazing chance at freedom.
She hugged me back, then sat down with me, offering me some food from the kitchen. I couldn't help myself - I gorged myself with bread, cheese, and yogurt while my friend talked.
"Glasgow told one of the girls the letter opener was placed as a test," Sky whispered as I ate. "You took the bait."
"I was desperate enough," I muttered between bites of cheese.
"Paisley..."
"What?"
She hesitated. "Do you really want to get out of here?"
I stopped eating for a second. "Of course I do. Don't you?"
"I'm not so sure," Sky whispered. "There's not much out there for me..."
We didn't talk much about our lives on the outside. The guards would have reprimanded us.
"I'm sure there is," I insisted. "I'll help you."
"I'm not worth it," Sky said.
"We all are. I won't let you end up a prisoner," I added heatedly. "I won't let any of these girls die, Sky. I'm going to save us all."
She smiled as if she didn't quite believe me, but then reached into her dress's bust. "Look. I brought you something."
In her hand, she held a gun.
I'd never seen one or held one before.
"Where did you get that?" I whispered.
"One of the guards," she flushed. "I traded a lot for it..."
I closed my eyes. I didn't need to ask to know what she meant.
"Thank you. Can you shoot it?" I asked.
"No," she shook her head. "Can you?"
"I'll figure it out," I whispered. "I'll kill him."
Her fingers wrapped around my forearm. "Be care-"
"Fuck," I hissed, pulling away. "Someone's coming. Hide!"
"Where?" she managed. The room was, as I now realized, an empty space. I switched the lights off as the footsteps neared us, hands shaking as I held onto the gun.
They'd be here any second.
And if it was Glasgow, I'd kill him without hesitation.
"Paisley!" he roared, and I smiled shakily, realizing it was him. He was going to kill both of us for conspiring against him, but I owed it to Sky and myself.
I trained my hands on his silhouette in the hallway.
It was him. Wearing silk black pajamas, and no mask.
But I would have recognized the bastard anywhere even without that atrocity decorating his face.
So this was Glasgow...
I knew why he hid his face now.
TO BE CONTINUED
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