Chapter Twenty-Three
Wren
I’M FUCKING EXHAUSTED. My head is pounding and I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to remain awake.
My morning sickness hasn’t been bad, but from the second I woke up, I’ve been nauseous.
I’m thirsty and starving. My appetite has definitely picked up in the last week and I’m constantly hungry.
Leah has made sure I have plenty of food and I get at least two meals during each shift I work.
I’m trying to stay standing while looking around for anything besides this rusted pipe I can use for a weapon against Karmen and whoever else she has here with her.
Based on the voices, I figure there’s five people here.
I don’t recognize any of them with the exception of Karmen’s.
She’s the only female I’ve heard as well.
It doesn’t surprise me to know she’s alone with four men.
I wouldn’t be shocked if she’s fucking them all in exchange for them helping her.
Walking toward the stairs leading up to the main floor, I spot a large shard of glass laying on the floor.
Grabbing it, I keep it in my hand as I move back in the room I woke up in.
I place the glass on the floor where I was sitting.
It’s not the best solution, but all I can think of right now as I slowly make my way back over to the door I found earlier.
There’s an old lock on the inside and I examine it to find this door takes one of those skeleton keys.
I look around the floor and feel along the top of the door frame for any sign of the key.
When my hand brushes up against something metal in the middle of the frame, I almost jump for joy, but I don’t think that would be a good idea.
Instead, I wrap my fingers around the object and pull it down to find exactly what I’m looking for.
I don’t make a move to unlock the door though.
Making my way back in the room, I grab the glass and pipe before heading back to the door.
With the key in hand, I unlock the door carefully because I don’t know if it will make any noise and I don’t want to alert anyone else to what I’m doing down here.
Karmen really isn’t very smart and neither are the men she’s working with.
If they were truly thinking about the situation clearly, one of them would be guarding me since I’m in a room with a window and no door to prevent me from wandering around.
Especially considering the fact that they didn’t tie my legs up.
I can walk and only don’t have the use of my hands.
At least that’s what Karmen believes. I really don’t know what she thinks is going to happen here, but if I can help it, I won’t be the victim of her schemes.
To think that she’s sunk low enough to sell another person.
I never believed she’d stoop that low, but I guess I was wrong.
Karmen sells herself daily, though, so I really shouldn’t be surprised.
The lock doesn’t make a sound other than a small clink as the lock disengages.
I pause and listen to see if anyone upstairs heard it because to me, it sounded loud as hell.
Like it echoed off the walls of the basement to alert every one upstairs of my attempt at escaping this prison.
I might be able to move around freely, but it’s still a prison of sorts.
After a few minutes, I open the door and stop when it makes a loud creaking noise.
Again, no one stops the conversation as I try to figure out if they’re discovering my secret.
When no one comes downstairs to stop me, I open the door far enough for me to slide out without hurting my stomach.
The second I’m outside, I lean against the wall of the building and gather myself.
My breathing is ragged and I feel like I can’t suck in a full breath.
At the same time, my heart is pounding hard in my chest. My hands are sweating and there’s a nervous shakiness to my entire body. Especially my legs.
It feels as if an eternity passes before I feel strong enough to move away from the building and start making my way toward the forest. I’m about halfway there when I hear shouting coming from the building behind me.
Karmen’s loud shrieks sound loud enough to make me believe she’s outside with me as I look over my shoulder to find the space between me and The Hide Out empty.
I start moving faster than before since they’ve discovered my disappearance.
My goal is to get in the forest so I can hide behind a tree or something until they stop looking for me.
Then, I can move away from the bar and find my way back to the compound for my car.
I want to get home as soon as possible and forget this day ever happened.
My thoughts turn to Leah as I continue moving forward.
I wonder if she got away from the place and managed to find someone to help her.
If she can’t send help back for me, that’s okay.
Leah needs to get checked out at the hospital so I know she’s safe and they didn’t hurt her more than what I could see.
“There she is!” I hear shouted behind me as I look again and find two men and Karmen outside the bar and already heading in my direction.
I start to run, but it’s difficult with the pregnancy.
I’m already out of breath and ready to collapse in exhaustion.
As hope fades from me, I realize I should have thought this through better.
Like make an attempt at my escape when there aren’t so many people here to see it happening.
Or to chase after me. Before I can get to the tree line, a large hand clamps down on my shoulder and grips it tight.
I know I’ll have a bruise left behind as I look back to find one of the men grinning like a damn fool as he halts my steps and almost yanks me down to the ground.
I stopped so suddenly from his grip that the pipe and glass shard fly from my hands.
He doesn’t let go of me long enough to grab anything so I can beat this fucker off of me.
“You’re not fucking going anywhere. Your new owner will be here soon to collect you and this is a payday for all of us. Well, everyone except for you,” he says as Karmen and the other man wait closer to the bar.
“Get her the fuck back here!” Karmen shouts, her voice a shriek that pierces my ears even from this distance.
I’m roughly pushed and trip over my own feet by the asshole still gripping my shoulder.
That’s the only reason I don’t hit the ground face first. While I’m thankful I don’t hit the ground, I hate feeling his touch on my body.
It feels as if I’m naked even though his hand is over the shoulder of my dress.
The material seems to burn into my skin as I have to repress the shiver threatening to roll my entire body.
If I thought I was nauseous before, it’s nothing compared to now.
The man holding me has a beer gut and his clothing is stained with holes here and there.
His hair is all over the place and greasy as if he hasn’t washed it in days.
The body odor coming from him is enough to make anyone gag.
Dirt and grime cover his bare skin. I don’t want his touch on me for any reason.
None of these fuckers deserves the right to touch me, look in my direction, or say a word to me.
I’m not saying I’m better than they are, but they associate with Karmen which tells me all I need to know.
“You think you can fucking run away from me?” Karmen growls, her voice low and controlled as she glares at me. I simply smile in her face.
“Yeah. I know I can run away from you, Karmen. You’re too fucking stupid to kidnap anyone properly.
I’m surprised you’ve done this as well as you have if I’m being honest. At the end of the day, I’ll get away again and there’s nothing you can do to stop me,” I state as if it’s fact and I’m not talking out of my ass because I don’t know what’s about to happen to me.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. Get her the fuck back inside!” Karmen screams as I’m pushed harder than before. This time I do fall and hit the ground as Karmen starts laughing her ass off. “You’re so damn pathetic. Look at you on the ground.”
One of the men kicks me in the upper thigh as I move my body just in time so his boot doesn’t connect with my stomach. My head is wrenched back by a tight grip on my hair. Karmen is standing over me with a smirk on her face.
“I can’t bruise you up too much because your new owner doesn’t want you marked up before he takes possession of you.
If that weren’t a stipulation of the sale, you can bet I’d beat your ass until you couldn’t move.
And I’d make sure you lose that bastard you carry.
For now, I’ll let the new guy deal with that shit so it’s one less thing I have to deal with,” Karmen tells me as she tightens her grip on my hair and I feel a strain in my neck.
It hurts the harder she pulls and I want to scream out in pain, but I hold it back.
“Fuck you, Karmen. This right here is how you fight. I’ve seen you in a bar fight. You’re weak and pathetic. I punch and land solid hits. That’s what happens when you train with guys,” I tell her, trying to force my voice to be strong despite the pain I’m in.
“Get her in the office. Lock the fucking door and stand outside it. One of you stand outside the windows so she can’t escape that way.
Where’s the other bitch who was down there?
” Karmen asks me and I remain silent. I’m not about to tell her a damn thing as I’m lifted off the ground and held tighter than before.
He leads me in the bar and toward the office.