Chapter 1
Penelope
Cold seeps into my bones before I even open my eyes. My teeth chatter, my body shivering against the damp mattress beneath me. The smell of mildew and smoke fills my nose, thick and suffocating. My head pounds, every pulse a hammer.
I try to move but ropes bite into my wrists. Panic claws at my throat. My hands are tied above me, raw from struggling. My legs are heavy, useless.
The flicker of a bare bulb overhead throws shadows that crawl across the filthy cabin walls. I blink hard, trying to clear my vision, but the only thing I see is emptiness. No phone. No bag. No one who can hear me scream.
Cas. His name is the only thing keeping me from drowning. If I can just hold on, if I can just stay alive long enough, he’ll find me. He has to.
The floor creaks. A door opens. My stomach lurches.
Mark steps inside. The mask is pushed up now, revealing his twisted grin, his eyes wild and fevered.
“Pretty little whore,” he mutters, voice thick and ugly. “Miss me?”
I flinch as he moves closer, my breath coming in shallow gasps. His fingers curl into my blouse, fabric tearing with a violent rip. The sound rips through me. I choke on a sob, thrashing, fighting against the ropes even as they cut into my skin.
“No!” My voice cracks. “Don’t! Don’t touch me!”
He laughs and hits me in the face. The smell of stale beer clings to his breath as he leans in. Tears sting my eyes. My cheek hurts, and I know my lip just split. My chest heaves, frantic, desperate. Fear is everywhere, in my lungs, in my blood, in my bones.
“Mark, don’t do this, please,” I beg, but the look in his eyes is one I know too well as he starts to punch me in the stomach. I scream as I hear a crack.
Cas, please. Please find me.
Then he starts to lower the zipper on my skirt, and I start to cry, one last scream filling the room as another blow lands on my eye.
“Shut up, bitch!”
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