by J Marie
“Come on,” he said, sitting up and forcing me to rise up with him. “It’s time for dinner.”
I stretched my arms and torso only to remember that the only thing I was wearing was a torn to shreds dress, and I immediately closed the ends together in embarrassment.
“Can I change first? Please?” I looked up at him with hopeful eyes.
“Fine, but you’d better make it quick,” he said, holding out his hand to help me off the couch.
We left the basement, and Darren headed over to the dining room while I ran upstairs to find some clothes that didn't resemble that of a homeless person. As I looked in the mirror trying to wake myself up, I suddenly thought of Kayla again. She had been popping in and out my mind for days, and I missed her like crazy. She had made our days back at the warehouse bearable, and now, I had no one to cling to. I wondered where she was at this exact moment. Was she in pain? Was she scared? Was she even alive? I had to know. It would drive me crazy until I got my answers, and I hoped Darren would oblige me.
I ran back downstairs in a pale pink sundress and didn't bother with shoes as I made my way to the dining room. I passed a guard who stood just outside the dining room, noticing I had seen him at other posts before.
As I sat down to the small plate of lasagna before me, my appetite was nowhere to be found. Sleepiness did that to me. I took tiny bites with Darren’s giant silverware and sipped on water, but I knew it would be a matter of time before Darren got angry. Maybe I could distract him with conversation.
“Darren?” I said, fiddling with my fork.
“Yes?” he said, peering over at me.
“I want to ask you something—something that is very important to me—and I’m really hoping you’ll answer, even though I know you don’t have to and probably won’t. But I really need to know,” I said carefully.
“What is it?” he asked as he took a sip of his red wine.
“What happened to Kayla?”
His brows furrowed as he considered my question.
“Who?” he asked, as he set his glass down.
My eyes lit up with disbelief and outrage, my hands falling into my lap as I clutched my fork with an iron grip. But I worked hard to keep it in check.
“Kayla,” I pressed. “The blond I befriended at the warehouse?”
“Oh, right,” he said with obvious indifference. “What about her?”
“I want to know who bought her,” I said
“And what business of that is yours?” Darren said, turning to me with that warning glare in his eyes.
“I just want to know if she’s okay,” I replied quietly.
“Kayla is no longer your concern, Jaden. I’ve told you that already.”
“I can’t just pretend I don’t care about her. I’m not asking for a name, I’m just asking for a type.”
“A type,” Darren repeated, eyeing me.
“Yes. On a scale of one to ten, how sadistic is the person who bought her?”
A dark evil chuckle rolled up Darren’s throat, and it made me sick to my stomach. I didn’t like the sound of that.
“You really want me to answer that question?” he asked with amusement in his eyes.
“Yes,” I prodded.
He laughed again like I was going to regret my decision.
“Let’s just say I know Kayla’s buyer on a very personal level, and she will be spending most of her time on her knees.” Darren flashed a sadistic smile, one that practically begged me to challenge him.
A tight line formed on my lips as I felt both my hands grip my fork and pressed my hands together as hard as I could, the only thing I could do not to bite Darren’s head off.
How. Fucking. Dare. He.
“Oh, come on, Jaden.” He laughed, amused by my anger. “Smile. I’m sure Kayla is having the time of her life.”
I brought the fork back up from my lap, now bent into a perfect curve, and placed it in front of my mouth, imitating a smile. Darren snatched it out of my hand with an agitated grimace, bent it back into place, and banged it down on the table beside my plate.
“As I said,” Darren began, returning to his plate, “Kayla is no longer your concern. Now, finish your dinner and stop bending the silverware.”
I had zero interest in doing either.
After dinner, we retired to Darren’s bedroom and watched Mr. & Mrs. Smith in his bed. Technically, I watched it while he read some proposals from whatever other illegal business he was probably running. When I called him out on it, I did not expect the reaction he gave.
“Jaden, I’m only going to tell you this once,” he said with a very serious tone, eyes glaring at me. I felt my heart quicken. “Don’t ever ask me about my business. It doesn’t concern you and it never will. Understand?”
I furrowed my brows and gave him a look. Well, someone was secretive.
“I just have one noninvasive question,” I said as I glared back at him.
“What,” he said with that stupid warning look in his eye.
“Just how exactly do you sleep at night knowing you’ve destroyed the lives of so many young girls?” I asked angrily. I probably shouldn’t have said it like that, but he was being an asshole now.
Leaning toward me, he spoke with more conviction than God and stared directly into my eyes, sending a chill down my spine. “Like a baby.”
I shook my head at him, disgusted by his lack of empathy for the misery of others; misery he created for his own selfish desires. Turning back to the TV, I laid on my stomach, resting my head on my arms and just stared at the floor, wallowing in a shadow that threatened to consume not only me but also everyone else who came in contact. Darren was a goddamn disease that needed to be eradicated. Quickly.
How could he be so cruel? To have no regard or consideration for human life and revel in the destruction left behind in your wake. I truly belonged to a monster, and the comprehension of it made me sick to my stomach.
“I’m going to go to bed if you don’t mind,” I said getting up. “I suddenly don’t feel well.”
“You’re sleeping with me tonight, Jaden,” he said, his eyes still on his paperwork.
I turned around and scowled at him. As if I had any interest in sharing a bed with him tonight, especially after what he had just revealed.
“Can I, at least, go change and wash up?”
“Ten minutes,” he said. I nodded and headed out of his room. Relief flooded me, but it was only for a brief moment.
In eight minutes, I had washed up and returned in one of my lacy nighties. I was back in his bed before he had even moved.
“I knew I would like those on you,” he said smiling at me as I entered the room. “But it hits the floor when those lights go out.”
Yeah, yeah …
I didn’t say a word as I walked around to the other side of the bed, pulled back the covers, and climbed in. Settling against the pillows, my back facing Darren, I curled the blankets around me until I was nothing but a ball of warmth and Jaden.
After a few minutes, Darren got up, used the bathroom, took off his shirt and pants, and climbed into bed with me. His arm reached over, pulled me all the way toward his side, and removed my nightgown before tucking me against him. Burying his nose in my hair, he inhaled deeply and relaxed against me, resting his chin on top of my head.
“I’m sorry I upset you, Jaden,” he said softly, and his sudden apology surprised me though I doubted he meant it. “But I’m not sorry for the things I do, and one day, you’ll learn to accept that. I am who I am and there’s no changing it. The best way for you to understand me is to refrain from questioning me.”
“But I want to understand you. How am I supposed to accept your will if I can’t understand where it comes from?”
“Just rely on my rules and you’ll be able to figure it out from there.”
I released a sigh and just sank into the mattress while his arm crushed me to his body. I shook my head lightly and closed my eyes, falling heavily into the sleep I had b
een craving since he’d woke me up from my nap.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Branded
The rest of the week went by in a blur. Thankfully, I only had to sleep in Darren’s bed on the weekends since most of the time he’d be away on business, but there were a few times I woke up in the middle of the night to find him between my legs. It was very hard not to fight him on instinct then, as it always scared the shit out of me.
Some days, I wore his clothes, and some days, I wore a dress. I still spent my time in my room while Darren was away at work, but luckily, he would let me bring one book from the library upstairs with me each day. It helped to keep my boredom at bay since I could only practice yoga for so long before it got old. I had managed to beat my forty-two-second handstand now that I had so much more time on my hands. I was now at forty-six seconds.
Eventually, I gathered the courage to ask Darren for an iPod so I could listen to music. I somehow managed to convince him it would keep me sane and calm while he was away. So at the beginning of the week, Darren presented me with gift-wrapped box at breakfast. It contained a silver and pink iPod with headphones and access to an iTunes account. He just loved to torture me with pink.
So long as I behaved, I could download ten songs a week, though he had to approve them first. I was so grateful, I could have cried, but Darren saw to my repayment for his generosity with an under-the-table session while he finished reading his morning paper. I didn't plan to ask him for another thing for the rest of my captivity after that if I could help it.
I fucking hated how he kept me locked up in my room all day while he was gone. It angered me to the point of absolute rage, but I tried to rationalize it from his point of view. He didn’t trust me. That was understandable. I wouldn’t trust me either. But it didn’t mean I couldn’t hate it any less. I tried to be good, hoping that when my week of reflection was over, he’d release me from my room since he would then see I could follow his rules while he was away. I had managed to make it to only two strikes for the entire rest of the week, so that had to count for something.
The iPod did make the boring days in my room easier, though. I could listen to music for hours without even realizing it, especially now as it was the best distraction from my current nightmare. Sometimes, a song would come on that would remind me of someone I missed, but I couldn't linger on my family or Jason. Thinking about them hurt too much, and I needed to stay focused on myself and what I needed to do if I ever wanted to make it back to them.
I only allowed myself to linger on one person, a person I really missed: Kayla. I still wondered where she was, who had bought her, but at least, I knew she was alive. I wanted to bring her up again so many times to get more info from Darren, but I knew he wouldn’t disclose anything. I would have to worry about rescuing her later. I had to focus on myself first before I could help anyone else.
The Russian women came back earlier in the week to repair and repaint my nails. This time, they did something fun with the French manicure, leaving a sparkly silver line just below the white tip. They did the same to my toes. Since I lost at pool, I did not get to pick the color, but I didn’t really care that much about it. The ladies even removed the unwanted hair that began to grow back since my last waxing treatment. I wasn’t too pleased with it but what could I do? The ladies still seemed skittish, and Anya remained quiet as ever, but Irina tried to keep things light with her fake-ass smile. She knew something was wrong with me, but she was too afraid to act on it.
As Thursday approached, I found my isolation from the world to be another mind game of Darren’s. He was the only one I talked to, or was allowed to talk to, so when he finally came to collect me when he came home for the day, I was happy just to finally have someone to converse with, even if it was only him. I tried talking to Scott one time when he brought my lunch up, but that didn’t last long and a short-lived phone call from Darren removed any thoughts of ever uttering another syllable to anyone other than him.
I tried to keep myself light and positive most of the time to show Darren that he had not broken my spirit. I still sparred with him every now and then, but he was a liar if he said he didn’t enjoy it. The tent in his pants always gave him away. It was aggressively playful at best anyway, and if it stroked his ego then fine, but it usually just ended in me inevitably stroking something else. That was all part of the plan, though. If he could have fun with me, even if it were a form of abuse, then I would take it if it meant he would fall for me. And he was. He just didn’t know it yet.
For the most part, Darren had become somewhat tolerable to me during that week. He was almost a perfect gentleman – sweet, attentive, polite, but it only remained as long as I followed his rules. If I stepped out of line by even an inch, he would pounce with that warning glare of his, reminding me that he was only holding back from his usual punishments due to my week of reflection.
I was learning quickly when it came to his triggers and when to pull them or not. Anticipating his demands was coming easier, too, but when he reminded me that my week of reflection was coming to an end, it made me wonder if everything would really change that much. I had managed to remain good all week, and I was hell-bent on staying in Darren’s good graces. But little did I know how quickly things were going to escalate when my week of reflection was over.
On Sunday, Darren was late coming home from whatever shit he was doing that day, and I ended up having my dinner alone in my room. He finally came and got me around 7 p.m. I somehow found myself excited to see him, but I told myself it was only because I was lonely and I wanted to get the fuck out of this room.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” he said as he entered my room. “Something needed my immediate attention.”
“That’s okay,” I said getting up from my chaise and walking over to him.
He took me into a heavy embrace and kissed me for a long time. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he missed me.
“Come on,” he said taking my hand and leading me out to the hallway. “I have a surprise for you.”
My stomach immediately twisted into tight little knots as I remembered the last time Darren had a surprise for me. I hoped today would be different, but I was so fucking wrong.
He led me down one of the hallways and we came into an office containing a long medical bed with outstretched arms in the center of the room. A man sat on an ottoman next to a tray of instruments that I was not able to make out. Tattoos covered the man, and he had his back to me as he fiddled with the instruments. Fear broke out over my entire body as I was hoping to God that the tattoo gun I finally saw wasn't for me.
“Darren, what the fuck,” I said, looking up at him, visible trepidation and anxiety spread all across my face.
“Your week of reflection is over, Jaden. It’s time to show me what being mine means to you.”
And then I heard the buzz of the tattoo gun, and I flinched as the sound penetrated my ears. Fuck. No.
“Darren, p-please. This isn’t necessary.” My voice shook; I couldn’t contain the fear in it if I tried. I knew what he wanted on my body, and the thought of seeing his fucking name permanently scribed on my skin made me want to claw my own flesh off so there was nothing left to tattoo.
“Jaden, this is happening whether you want it or not. Now, get your ass in that chair and don’t make me tell you again,” he instructed as he pointed at the chair. His voice was cold and sharp, but I couldn’t concede yet. I had to reason with him.
“Darren, please!” I pleaded, backing away from him and the chair. “You don’t n-need your name on my skin to prove I’m y-yours. I’ll do anything! I’ll admit it to you every day if that’s w-what you want. Just please don’t do this. Please!”
Darren sighed with annoyance, pulled out a tiny syringe from his pocket, and held it up to me. I was shaking like a fucking leaf now as I brought my hands up defensively.
“This can happen in one of two ways, princess. You can get in that chair and let this nice young man do what he’s
here to do, or I can use this and you’ll wake up with my name on you anyway and suffer severe punishment. Which is it going to be?”
Tears started coming down my cheeks now as he laid out two choices that did nothing but torture me. I knew it was going to happen, but I honestly didn’t think I had the strength to willingly sit in that chair while Darren’s name was pierced into my skin.
I took a few steps away from him and wiped my tears from my eyes. I didn’t give a damn that my week of reflection was over, I wasn’t going to willingly let him do this. I knew I was probably going to lose, but I didn’t care; I was going to fight him anyway. I wiped my eyes one last time, squared my shoulders, and turned around with my hands balled into fists. Darren looked at me expectedly, raising any eyebrow with that warning look on his face.
“No,” I said bitterly.
Darren shook his head at me through hooded eyes, and I knew I was in for a world of hurt. But I had to stand up for myself. He had to know I wasn’t just going to be a pushover for him to order around.
Darren then charged at me like a tank and my stomach instantly dropped with fear. Seeing someone of his size with that look on his face would cause anyone to retreat in terror … but I was not anyone.
Darren grabbed my arm, but I deflected his hand as it attempted to come down with the syringe. I tried to kick him, but by the time I had lifted my foot, he had already roughly pushed me up against the wall, his forearm pressing against my chest as he held me in place.
“No!” I shouted as Darren stuck me with the syringe.
The dose must have been strong because I instantly felt my knees go weak while my head spun from a wave of dizziness that quickly came over me. Darren then picked me up, threw me over his shoulder, and slammed me down in the chair, strapping my arms in. It only took another fifteen seconds before a blackness surrounded me that would only be the beginning of what was coming next when I woke up. The image of Darren's angry expression would dominate my nightmares for the next six hours.
