Page 10 of Acceptance
Hailey looks over Amanda’s shoulder. “There are open rooms?”
Moving to sit next to Lindsey, Amanda puts what is meant to be a comforting hand on her knee. “The veterans get moved to the lower floors. After a while, you become complacent, and you won’t try to run. You’re given more freedoms because in the end, if you try and run, they’ll just kill you.”
“Jesus,” Hailey says.
“Don’t try to escape. There’s a large room on the first floor, and they gather all of the girls together to watch as they rape and murder you for trying to get away. I hope you never have to witness it.”
The look on her face shares how many girls she’s seen this happen to. “We were grabbed because they shuffle people around,” Hailey says, giving Amanda a look that shows she’s aware it likely means someone was killed to trigger it. It’s the last thing Lindsey can handle right now.
The returning reaction from Amanda makes Hailey’s stomach flip, and if she’d eaten anything, she might throw up right there. “You’re smart. You look quick on your feet, and I wouldrecommend you lose that real quick. They’ll see it, and they’ll target you. Don’t talk back, don’t fight, and don’t try to run. It’ll never work, and you’ll just get hurt.”
Looking at the ground, Lindsey begins to rock back and forth. “They’re going to sell us to have sex with random strangers?”
“Yes.”
“Are they… Are they nice to the girls?”
Amanda looks up at Hailey, and she shakes her head to indicate not to tell Lindsey the truth. The last grip of sanity she clings to will snap, and she’ll completely fall apart.
“As long as you’re good to them, you’ll be okay.”
Okay, so they have at least a day. Hailey refused to sleep last night so she could hear all the noises around her. The noises in the rooms are loud until what she suspects is six or seven in the morning. That’ll be the best time for her to execute her plan. The only chance she has to get out before being forced to do something she never wants to do.
“There are outfits in the dresser there. You need to pick one and change into it. If you do it now and show you’re willing to follow orders before they have to strong-arm you into them, they’ll go easier on you. At least, to start with.”
The glance Amanda gives Hailey says they’ll be given to someone softer to start with, instead of the hardcore sickos, if they don’t need to bebroken in. Ones who are into sex that would be considered normal compared to alternative.
A loud sob comes from down the hallway, and Amanda looks out through the open doorway. It seems Hailey and Lindsey aren’t the only new ones in this place.
“We’ll pick outfits. We’re okay here,” Hailey says.
Amanda smiles and scurries from the room, and Lindsey finally looks up at Hailey. “Is this really happening? Are we really doing this?”
It’s hard not to snap at her. Hailey’s far more jaded than Lindsey, and she hasn’t lived through tough enough times to know not to trust people.
She will never trust anyone like she has until now. This will ruin her.
“We don’t really have a choice.”
“This is all my fault, isn’t it?” she asks, tears filling her eyes. “I got us into this mess, and now we’re going to have to…”
“We’ll figure something out,” Hailey assures her and stands to look through the dresser.
Most items are see-through and barely worth putting on because they’re basically naked, but she manages to find two teddies that cover most of the important bits. As long as they don’t bend over.
“Hailey, I’m scared.”
“I know. Me, too.”
Chapter Five
Griffin’s Beach
Lex
Lex Nichols walks into the clubhouse and looks around. Her husband walks up and wraps her up in his muscular arms. He kisses her, moaning in appreciation of having her here so early.
“Hey, beautiful. What are you doing here?”
