Chapter Sixteen
Amara
A s I slowly awaken, I take note of my body. I feel sluggish. I must have had a seizure in my sleep. It wouldn’t be the first time, but Sky usually tries waking me up before it hits to take my nose spray. Maybe he was in a deep sleep and didn’t catch the changes in my body. It’s never happened before, but there’s a first time for everything.
My eyes flutter open, adjusting to the dim light filtering through a small, high window. The room is unfamiliar, dank, and musty, with concrete walls and minimal furnishings. Fear grips me as I realize I’m not at home. Memories flood back—seizures, the hospital, packing my bags, being kidnapped and threatened.
“Here’s water. Drink it. Can’t have you dying on me just yet.”
That voice. The malice in it sends a shiver down my spine, freezing me in place. My heart races as I turn towards the source, finding Hunter standing there, a bottle of water in his hand. He looks different now, his pleasant facade shattered by the cruelty in his eyes. He reaches down, adjusts himself, and licks his lips.
Panic claws at my chest. Did he rape me?
I force myself to sit up, ignoring the dizziness, and take the water from him with trembling hands. I drink, trying to push down the fear threatening to overwhelm me. My mind races, trying to make sense of the nightmare I find myself in. Hunter, someone I barely know, someone I thought was nice when we met briefly. How could he do this?
The room feels smaller, the air thick with tension. I cross my arms across my chest, feeling exposed and vulnerable. Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them back. I can’t let him see me break down.
But the questions won’t stop. Did he hurt me? Did he take advantage of me while I was unconscious? My heart races when I realize that my pants and underwear are off. My whole body hurts, but I try to focus on my private parts. They feel sore. Tender.
I was raped. This sick bastard raped me while I was unconscious from another seizure.
I swallow hard, trying to push away the rising panic. I have to stay strong. I have to find a way out of here. I have to survive this.
I frantically search for my pants and put them on.
“Ghost is going to kill you for this,” I say. I can’t help the tears that fill my eyes and fall down my face, but I refuse, absolutely refuse, to let this man know how much he broke me.
“He’ll never know,” Hunter laughs. “In a few weeks, he won’t even remember you existed. And as for me, he plans on buying my half of the Undercage. I overheard him talking about it. I could say no, but then that fucking King will beat the yes out of me. So, I’m going to act shocked, put up a fight, and then give in. With the money I get from that, plus what you’re making me, I can leave this fucking town and start over somewhere fresh. Might even get a dog.”
“What’s going to happen to me?” I ask.
“Who knows,” he shrugs. “I’ve never killed anyone before, and I don’t plan on starting now.”
“But you don’t mind raping them?” I ask sarcastically.
“You’re still breathing, ain't ya? Besides, it wasn’t even that good. Took ages to get started. Can’t even relax when you’re asleep. Muscles were clenched too tight.”
“I wasn’t asleep, asshole. I was unconscious and having a seizure.”
My words hitch as I fight the emotions going through me.
“Let me go,” I beg. “I won’t tell anyone about what happened. I even have a little money saved up that you can have.”
“How much?” he asks curiously.
“A couple grand,” I admit.
“Oh, please. I made more than that in the past hour. Nah, when I’m all done with you, I might just leave you here. Gotta go to work. I got you a loaf of bread. It’s in the bag by the pot. That’s for you to piss in. I’d rather you not shit. Don’t really want to have to smell it when I come back.”
“Hunter, please,” I beg again. “I have a child. Please, let me go.”
“I’m about to call that man of yours,” he says. “Using a voice modulator, of course. Smile.”
A bright flash blinds me as he snaps a picture. My already frayed brain rebels at the sudden flash. A migraine is fast approaching.
“Yeah, that’s a good one. I’ll send him this along with the one of my dick in your ass. That way, he knows you’re alive. Now, where did that boy go to send a fax? I might send these the same way. Hopefully, I can send it myself. I’d rather not have to explain these images.”
With that, he leaves and locks the door behind him.
I’ve always considered myself a strong person. I’ve always been able to take care of myself. Depend on myself. Love myself. I’m not a very social person, but I’ve always found solace in my independence. Now, though, I feel stripped of everything that made me strong.
I feel helpless. I feel used. I feel dirty. I feel weak.
I stare at the door, my mind reeling. Hunter’s cruelty knows no bounds, and the thought of him sending those photos to Ghost makes me sick to my stomach. I need to get out of here. I need to find a way to escape, to survive.
Even as the thought of survival takes place, another thought, one less hopeful, bursts into life. Do I even want to survive after this? If Hunter plans to keep me here and abuse me on camera for sickos to see, why would I fight to stay alive? The next time he rapes me, I’ll be conscious. The thought of what he did to me sickens me to my core, but how will I feel when I’m awake and can feel and remember everything?
I force myself to stand, ignoring the dizziness and the pain. I walk over to the bag by the pot, finding the loaf of bread he mentioned. My stomach churns with hunger, but I can’t bring myself to eat just yet. I take a deep breath, trying to clear my head. I have to stay focused. I have to remember that surviving isn’t just about me. It’s about my daughter.
I have to find a way out of this nightmare.