by J. L. Beck
“Markus,” she pleads, and I snap.
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear you talk.”
Grabbing the handcuffs, I secure it around her wrist and bring the other part to the iron rod headboard, cuffing her to it. Shivers rack her body, and I pull back the comforter on the bed and pull it up and over her. She tugs against the cuffs and turns her face to me with pleading eyes.
“Please, don’t leave me here.”
I shouldn’t touch her, not after what I almost did, but I can’t help myself. Ever so gently, I cup her bruised cheek and turn her face up toward mine, so I can peer into her eyes. All it takes is one single look to tell she’s confused.
“This room is the only safe place in the house. Until we leave, you will have to remain here. I’ll get you some clothes in a little bit. You need to go to sleep.” I pull away, and she shakes her head.
“No! I have to save my sister,” she cries and thrashes against the mattress.
I start toward the door. “I know.”
“Then why tie me to the bed?”
“I have to. I’m never letting you go, Fallon. Never. Not even after we find your sister.” Her face falls completely, and I know she had hoped for a better outcome.
Maybe she thought I would grow tired of her? That I couldn’t possibly want her, but the truth is that’s exactly what’s happening. I’m lying to both of us because the truth is, I’m falling for her even while knowing I’m incapable of love.
The only thing I can do is hope that by the end of this, her fate doesn’t end similarly to Victoria’s.
29
Fallon
The apartment is nice, but it would be nicer if I wasn’t confined to one room for the majority of the day. Markus says it’s for my own good, but I think he’s lying.
I’ve been cooped up in this bedroom for days while he does errands and makes phone calls. It’s frustrating because while he tells me to trust him, he seems to keep everything to himself, making it hard for me to want to put anything regarding my sister’s life in his hands, and we won’t even mention how crazy he acted when we got here. He almost fucked me on the couch before changing his mind and handcuffing me to the bed.
He’s pent up here, much like a dog in a cage. The feeling is mutual. It’s obvious he isn’t used to living here, at least not recently. Every so often, I find him looking over his shoulder like he’s waiting for someone to jump out and get him.
There is something different about him today when he walks into the bedroom with breakfast in hand.
“After you eat, I want you to get dressed. We have somewhere to go.”
I just about leap off the bed, “That’s all you’re telling me? We have somewhere to go?”
“Don’t get mouthy with me,” he warns.
“Or what?” I don’t know why I’m pushing him, probably because I’m on edge too. I’m past being obedient. It hasn’t gotten me anywhere with him. I’m almost certain misbehaving would get me more places than being good has.
“You do realize I could treat you much worse, right? I could beat you, starve you, whore you out to men daily. You could have it much worse than being cuffed to a warm bed, being fed, and cared for.”
“You’re right. I could have it worse. I could be my sister. Who is probably going through exactly that. So save me your comparison because I would gladly trade spots with her,” I scream into his face, not caring about the repercussions.
At the end of the day, I’m stuck with him no matter what. He won’t let me go, even after all of this is over.
“You don’t know what you are saying.”
“No, you don’t know! You don’t know what it’s like to be helpless. And for your information, just because there are worse people out there doesn’t make you any better than them. Stop comparing yourself to awful people so you can make yourself feel better. Just because you have an ounce of compassion doesn’t make you a good person. You have no morals and no grasp of reality. You are caught up in your own little dark world, watching everything slip by you.”
“Are you done?” he asks, annoyed by my outburst.
Of course, he doesn’t care. He knows all of this already.
At least I got to say my peace, which does make me feel a tad better.
“Yes,” I huff, irritated by him patronizing me. “I’m not hungry. Can we just go wherever you want to go?” I won’t admit it because he would probably cuff me back to the bed, but I need to get out of this apartment, this bed, this goddamn room.
“Fine, get dressed.”
I do just that. It’s not like there are many clothes to choose from, so the decision is basically made for me.
“Are you sure you don’t want to eat something?” Markus asks as I walk past the plate of French toast he made for breakfast.
“I’m sure.”
He shakes his head and grabs my hand. My treacherous little heart jumps in my chest as the warmth of his touch zings through me. At least he’s not dragging me behind him like a lost puppy. We exit the apartment complex through the underground garage, and as soon as we step out onto the concrete floor, his entire body tenses.
I wonder how many enemies he’s made to make him feel that he needs to peer over his shoulder, even in broad daylight?
Hitting the key fob, he unlocks the car, and we quickly walk across the garage. He glances over his shoulder like he expects someone to be there.
Once in the car, he starts the vehicle, and the engine purrs to life. He drives out of the garage and out onto the busy city street. I don’t bother asking where we’re going, not when I know he won’t tell me, but also because I don’t really care.
I need this reprieve, a drive to wherever to clear my head. Thankfully, that’s exactly what I get. We drive through the city, and I stare out my window with my face glued to the glass. Turning in my seat, I glance over at Markus and find him white-knuckling the steering wheel.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, trying not to sound concerned for him.
“I’m fine.” He slams his foot against the gas pedal, causing the car to exhilarate faster. Moving into the next lane, he darts around cars like he’s in a Nascar race.
The rational part of me knows I should be scared, afraid we will slam into a barrier and explode into a raging inferno, but I’m not.
Using his turn signal, he takes the next exit off the interstate. My stomach tightens as we slow and turn left at the stop sign. I have this really bad feeling for some reason, and it only seems to intensify as we continue driving.
I’m struck with fear when Markus parks the vehicle at the back of a building. Something tells me this is going to end badly.
“Where are we?”
Putting the car in park, he kills the engine and turns to me. “The auction.”
I freeze. “N-no. I’m not going in there.”
Markus grits his teeth. “Come willingly, or I’ll drag you inside. The option is yours.”
I knew this was going to be bad. I had hoped we were going to get out of the house, not go back to the place that he bought me. With a cringe, I look up at the building and weigh my options, which are none. One way or another, I have to go inside.
“I’m scared,” I admit, turning to face Markus.
His face is a pane of glass, emotionless and cold. “Fear is normal. When we get inside, I need you to keep your eyes down on the ground and be quiet. I can’t guarantee your protection in this place, not by myself.”
I gulp. “That doesn’t really help, but okay.” That only scares me more.
“I just need you to know what to expect.”
“Why are we here? Why bring me somewhere that you know I’m not going to be safe?”
“You’ll see. Just do as I say, and everything is going to be all right.”
“Okay. I’ll listen.”
Markus nods, and together we get out of the car and walk up to a door. My knees knock together with each step I take. Raising his closed fist, he knocks three times against the heavy
wood, and then a little pocket hole slides open.
“It’s Markus,” Markus growls impatiently, his demeanor changing instantly.
The pocket hole closes. And a second later, the door is being pulled open.
Markus gives my hand a hard squeeze, and I do just as he instructs. With my eyes trained on the floor, we cross over the threshold.
“Take me to Tony,” Markus orders harshly.
A man chuckles. “The boss sees who he wants to see.”
Coldness whips through me when Markus releases my hand and steps away from me. I’m compelled to lift my eyes to see what he’s doing, but in a way, I already know. The sound of a body hitting the wall meets my ears, followed by a gurgling sound.
I peek up through my lashes out of pure curiosity and find that Markus has the man pinned to the nearest wall, his hand wrapped around his throat.
The man’s eyes bulge in his skull. “I said I want to see Tony. Do you think that’s going to be a problem, or should I rearrange your fucking face before I find someone else to show me to his office?” The man’s features fill with panic, and his lips start to turn blue. I should step in and put a stop to this, but I don’t care enough to.
As if he realizes the seriousness of the situation, he shakes his head. Markus releases him like he’s disgusted, and the man gasps, sucking greedy air into his deflated lungs.
“Past the bar, all the way down the hall,” he gasps, “last door on the right.”
Markus nods and grabs my hand, tugging me behind him as he trudges forward. Nausea builds with each step I take.
Why are we here? What’s going to happen? The sound of our feet echo around me. I try to focus on anything but the bile rising in my throat.
Oh god, I think I’m going to puke.
Markus stops, and I nearly crash into him, stopping just short of burying my face in his back. He lifts his closed fist and pounds it against the closed door in front of us.
“Come in,” someone yells on the other side.
Markus pauses, and I can feel his eyes on me even though I’m not looking at him. “Remember what I said. Eyes on the ground. Quiet. Be seen and not heard.”
I swallow thickly and nod my head briefly. He doesn’t waste any time after that, opening the door and waltzing in like he owns the place. With my eyes trained on the floor, Markus is my only source of guidance. Pulling me behind him, he drags me inside the room.
The smell of smoke and men’s cologne clings to the air, and I hold back a cough. The legs of a chair come into view, and Markus gives me a gentle push in the direction of it. We both sit at the same time.
“What a pleasant surprise it is to see you, Markus.”
This must be the man he was looking for.
“Tony, I would love to say I came here to thank you, but I didn’t.”
“What seems to be the problem?”
“You. I purchased her at your last auction. Not only was she bruised from one of your men when I got her, but I also found out she wasn’t a virgin, which is essentially what I paid for.”
My mouth pops open. I’m dumbfounded. No way did he drive all the way here to complain about me. Then it hits me. What if he didn’t just come here to complain about me, but to return me? What if he’s going to leave me here?
Fear latches onto me, sinking its nails deep into my flesh. He wouldn’t leave me here, would he? The answer is yes, yes, he would.
“Virgin or not, she seems to have taken a liking to you. Are you looking to return her? We don’t offer returns generally, but she’s pretty enough, and she doesn’t seem too damaged. We could definitely resell her.”
Forget the rules. Forget what he told me to do. None of it matters if he gives me back to them. I’ll beg and plead if I have to, but I am leaving this place with him.
Latching onto his arm, I lift my head and find him staring at me. His expression is cold and deep like the ocean. Real genuine fear swirls in my gut.
“Please… I’ll be good,” I plead and grip him as tightly as I can.
Disappointment flickers in his eyes. “Shut your mouth,” he growls before looking away and back at Tony.
Tears well in my eyes, and Tony says, “We can take her and give you a new girl. A virgin, perhaps. You did pay a pretty penny for this one if I remember correctly.”
A second passes, and then another, and I swear my heart stops beating. My hands tremble uncontrollably, and I can’t even get a breath of air into my lungs. After everything, it comes down to this. I can see my one and only chance of saving my sister slipping through my fingers like grains of sand.
Finally, Markus answers, “No. I want to keep her, but I want another girl in return for my troubles.” I tug my hand away and practically melt into my seat with relief.
“Mmm, I’m not sure about that. To lose a girl would be a huge hit on the books. I know she’s not what you expected, but…”
“I want another girl,” Markus roars and slams his fists down on the heavy desk, driving home his point.
“We don’t have any new girls in yet. We do have one left over from the previous auction that never sold, but… I don’t know if you would want her.”
My heart grows wings in my chest, and it takes every ounce of restraint I have not to jump out of my chair and order him to take us to Julie.
“Let me see her,” Markus barks.
I’m so shocked. I don’t even know what to think. I can’t believe he came here to get Julie. Or that he cared enough to remember me asking about her when he first brought me to the cabin. I’m not sure if I want to hug him or run away from him. When he does things like this, it’s hard for me to remember how monstrous he is.
“We can take a walk down to the basement.” Tony shoves out of his chair, and the feet make a scraping sound against the floor that makes me shiver. “I will be honest, I’m not sure what use she will be to you. My men have been fucking her since the night of the auction.”
“Don’t care. I want to see her.” Markus ignores everything he’s said and comes to stand as well, grabbing onto my hand and pulling me up with him.
My throat tightens, and my heart clenches at the words Tony has said. I can’t imagine all that she has had to endure over the months, the pain, heartache, and loss.
By the time we reach the cell Julie is in, I’m paralyzed by sadness. Still, as soon as the cell door is opened and we enter, I tug my hand free of Markus’s. I’m tempted to rush toward her still body, that’s nothing more than a heap in the corner of the cell, but one look from Markus has me stopping in my tracks.
“Like I said, she’s been thoroughly used. However, if you want her, she’s yours. We don’t usually do business like this, but I’m making an exception; the Moretti family has helped us a lot, after all.”
I want to cut this man’s tongue out of his mouth and feed it to him. The way he talks of Julie like she is nothing more than a piece of meat, and not a living, breathing, human with feelings. Markus takes a few steps toward her, and she doesn’t even react.
Her face is tucked into her chest, and her body is nothing but bruised skin and bones. It’s obvious they’ve been starving her and raping her repeatedly.
It isn’t until I blink and feel wetness against my cheeks that I realize I’ve started to cry.
“I’ll take her,” Markus says, and I want to hug him.
He saved her. He rescued her even when he didn’t have to. He went against everything he’s been claiming and showed me a sliver of the human he really is.
Both elation and sadness encompass me in a tight hold. Even after doing this, I will still have to betray him. No matter what feelings I’ve developed or how much kindness he shows me, my sister must come first. I came here to save my sister, and that’s all that matters. Rescuing Julie might have brought us closer, but none of that will matter when I find what I need to save my sister.
30
Markus
Placing the beaten girl carefully on the backseat, I try to ignore Fallon’s cont
inual questions.
“What did they do to her? How could they? Who are these people, and why did they not get her any help when she so obviously needs it?”
“Get in the other side and hold her head in your lap,” I order, instead of answering her questions, and thank fuck, Fallon listens for once. She climbs into the backseat, carefully lifts the girl’s head, and cradles it gently in her lap.
I get into the driver’s seat and start the car, wasting no time in getting the fuck out of here. We’re lucky we got out without there being a scene. Tony isn’t usually as understanding as he was today.
“Where is the closest hospital,” Fallon asks as I pull out of the empty parking lot.
“We can’t take her to a hospital—”
“What? You have to be kidding me. We have to. Do you not see how badly hurt she is? If we don’t, then this will have all been for nothing. She’ll die without a doctor.” I hate to tell her, but that’s what was going to happen to her anyway. I hit the gas and drive back toward the interstate. Every piece of my plan has been put into place. Now I have to see if Fallon falls into line as well.
“I guess you’re holding her life in your hands then.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I grip the wheel hard. “Give me the number, Fallon. Give it to me, and I’ll get her help. I’ll have the best doctor in town come to the apartment.”
Fallon snorts. “You’re joking…”
I catch her shocked gaze in the rearview mirror. “Nope, that’s the deal.”
“Do you even know what you are asking? You want me to choose between Julie’s life and my sister’s.” She shakes her head, looking utterly defeated, and I hate myself for doing this to her, but it’s the only way. She’s too stubborn to put her trust in me. It’s either I force her or nothing.
“Either way, I’ll be responsible for someone’s death.”
