8. WINTER
WINTER
Pain.
Broken.
Hopelessness….
Thoseare the only things my body and mind can comprehend as I lay here on this thin and uncomfortable bed. I fucking hate this bed so much.
I’mso exhausted. The thoughts in my mind have become such a burden that I’m just feeling drained, while wishing for something to give already. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. Every inch of my body hurts, hell it even fucking hurts to cry and that is not something I thought I’d ever say.
Thisexistence I’m currently living through is one I don’t want to endure. I wish he’d just kill me already instead of the constant mindfuck and games he keeps playing with me.
Isilently ask the GodI no longer believe in what I did to deserve this fucking nightmare but of course I don’t get an answer. I don’t think I have it in me to live anymore and that just makes me sad as fuck. I don’t know what to do anymore. I just want to get out of here, but what happens after I do? WillI even be able to function like before?
Whenwill this fucking torture end? I have no idea how many days it’s been since I’d arrived here, but it feels like a fucking lifetime already. The days all seem to blend together and the daily torture sessions don’t help me with keeping track either.
“How do you feel today? What’s the level of pain you’re feeling?” Scarlett asks from her door. I twist my head to look at her, still laying on my bed.
“Same as yesterday, like I want to die and my pain level is like a million. I don’t know. Every fucking thing in my body hurts,” I say through the tears that I finally let sound out of me.
“Don’t talk like that. You have to survive through this. You have to live so that you can make sure this asshole pays,” she tells me with anger in her voice. I know she’s angry on my behalf for what this monster has been doing to me.
“Easy for you to say, you haven’t been touched!” I snap at her. She doesn’t respond for a moment and I instantly feel bad for my outburst at her. She’s just trying to be a friend and I’m over here acting like a bitch to her.
“Oh, I’ve been touched a lot and it’s disgusting so I understand how you’re feeling. Believe me I was so mad at people for so long that I almost couldn’t recognize myself any longer.”
“I’m so sorry for saying that. You didn’t deserve that. I absolutely don’t want any of these assholes touching you. I’m just irritable and being a bitch and I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
Ialready know what she went through before she ended up here and now, I feel like an asshole. Obviously, I don’t want them hurting her like they’re doing to me. I wish I could save us both but I feel so fucking weak.
Weakfrom not eating properly and weak from not being able to save myself and her. I’m just feeling pathetic and I hate it.
WillMason be happy if I just find a way to end it here? BecauseI’m not sure I’m strong enough to hold on for much longer. I already feel like I’m one step away from insanity, from losing myself completely to the darkness that keeps beckoning me to join it.
“You ever have that feeling where you just know something big is about to happen? Like you know it’s the calm before the storm?” she asks and I let out a hollow sounding laugh.
“If? I’ve had so many of those since moving back to Ravenwood it’s not even funny. I just wish I knew that all of that was leading up to this shit,” I mutter.
“Do you think we’re ever going to make it out of here?” she asks with sadness filling her voice.
“I don’t know, but I hope we do,” I tell her honestly, not wanting to give her any false hope in case we don’t actually make it out of here.
We’reinterrupted from speaking further when we hear footsteps coming down the corridor. Even though my entire body is in pain, I pull myself up into a sitting position to see what’s going on.
Asecond later an older man in an ill-fitting expensive suit stops in front of the door where Scarlett is still sitting, looking down at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
“Have you had time to think about what you’ve done?” he asks a little angrily. “Because it’s time for you to begin facing your punishment now.”
“Just leave me alone asshole! I wouldn’t have set your stupid club on fire if you didn’t have me there against my will!” she snaps at the man.
“I see your solitary time alone didn’t teach you anything! Not to worry, I have all your punishments ready and waiting for you,” he says, smirking down at her. This guy kind of looks like he might be the boss or something so I decide to butt in so that Scarlett doesn’t have to face this asshole alone.
“Hey asshole! Why the fuck am I in here?” I snap at him and he takes his attention off Scarlett to look over at me.
“Ah, MissWinterCrowne. Why the fuck would I know why you were here or not? WhateverAntonio does on his own time is his business. AllI really care about is this little bitch here,” he growls.
I’mso confused right now. Geez, I’m about to get another freaking headache thinking about all this shit. “Aren’t you supposed to be Roman something or the other?”
“Why the fuck would I want to be that fucking prick? That asshole is so full of himself that he doesn’t even know that his man is working with me or that he’s been throwing his name around,” the old man cackles which just makes him look insane.
“What the fuck are you on about? So, he’s not after me?”
“He probably doesn’t even know you exist sweetheart. You’re probably just here because of some side job that Antonio took, greedy bastard.”
“So, what’s going to happen to me if this Roman person isn’t the one who was after me?”
“No idea sweetheart. You’reAntonio’s to deal with. AllI’m concerned about is this one here which means I don’t give a shit about what happens to you,” he says callously. Ouch! Well that fucking stings.
“Well then, what do you know asshole? It’s the least you can tell me instead of being such a damn tool,” I snap at him.
“You have quite the mouth on you. No wonder someone wanted to get rid of you!” he grumbles. “Look, all I know is that Antonio was paid a lot of money to take you and kill you. But for whatever reason, he decided to keep you alive.”
“W-who?” I ask, not wanting to know but also needing to know. I need to know who the hell is behind this shit. ThoughI know exactly who it is before he even says their names.
“OneEmiliaCrowne and AlisterKing if I remember correctly,” he says without a care in the world while I feel my world crumbling further around me. I mean I knew they hated me but I didn’t really think they’d stoop this low to have me kidnapped by this psycho to be abused. Like how the fuck can you even sell someone?
“You’re all assholes!” I mutter, not knowing what else to say.
“Well, it was nice to meet you but I must take my leave now. I need to deal with this troublemaker for what she did,” he says with a smirk on his face while looking down at Scarlett again.
Heopens her door a moment later and she scrambles back from him, well tries to but he just grabs her by the back of the neck and pushes her in front of him to walk.
“No!” I scream, scrambling off my bed and rushing to my door. “Leave her alone!”
Hedoesn’t listen to a word I say and just continues to walk down the hall with her. I start crying again, because I know that whatever that asshole has planned for her, it won’t be anything good.
“Fuckkkkkkk!” I scream at the top of my lungs. When will this fucking nightmare end? I think as I slump down onto the floor still sobbing. A few minutes later, I hear the sound of footsteps coming down the hall again, stopping in front of my door this time. I look up to see Antonio staring down at me.
“It’s a shame that I didn’t get more time with you,” he says in a sad tone that sounds nothing but mocking.
“And it’s a shame you’re not fucking dead already asshole!” I snap at him. I’m angry and just want to get all of these emotions out of me.
“Too bad that’s not going to happen,” he says laughing.
Heopens my door and pulls me up to my feet before walking us over to the shower room. He pushes me toward the back of the room where the shower is and turns it on. The cold spray hitting my bruised and wounded body causes a yelp to escape me. I have so many small cuts all over my body from the nicks he gave me whenever he was ‘playing’ as he likes to call it.
Amoment later he turns the knob and the water turns warm. But then I hear the unmistakable sound of him lowering his zipper and I freeze. PleaseGod no, I beg. I’m just standing there, not able to move a limb when I feel him at my back.
“Since today is our last day together, I have to make it count and fuck you one last time,” he whispers in my ear. I feel nothing but disgust wash over me at his words. I honestly can’t wait for this asshole to just fucking die! AndI hope it’s as painful as ever.
Withoutwaiting any longer, he grabs my hips and bends me down a little before lining his dick up behind me. He rams into me in one go and I let out a scream at the feel of him stretching me.
Mypussy is already sore and the feel of him moving in and out of me fucking hurts. Tears are rolling down my face as he continues to fuck me. I focus on not being here right now and a moment later I’m no longer here, it feels like I’m somewhere else. Somewhere it no longer hurts.
I’mdone.
Sofucking done with this life.
Idon’t even know when he finishes or when I finish showering and cleaning myself up. It feels like I’m in a daze, I’m just automatically going through the motions. I’m in a haze where nothing matters anymore.
I’mstill in said haze when he dries my skin, cuffs my hands in front of me and walks me back up to the room I was in before, the one where he had me strapped to the X-cross. He moves me to the center of the stage and pulls my hands up and over my head before attaching my bound wrists to some kind of attachment to the ceiling.
NowI’m just standing there with my hands above my head, legs spread and naked in the center of the stage. I finally manage to look up and I’m surprised to find the room full and I feel like I’m going to throw up. What the fuck?
“Thank you all for coming here tonight for our very special auction,” Antonio says into a mic a moment later and cheers and claps ring out around me. I’m being blinded by the single stage light that is focused on me so I can’t really see into the crowd to make out any faces. This asshole is going to sell me?
“I hope everyone in this room dies!” I snap loudly. No one takes me seriously though because they all just laugh.
“As you gentlemen can see she’s a feisty one and you’re guaranteed to have a lot of fun with her,” he says smiling to the room. “Let’s start the bidding at twenty-five million.”