“I heard Jason’s voice, then heard him leave. Where’s he going?”
I sighed and patted the bed next to me. “He was having problems sleeping. He was going over to the new house to check on things.”
Luke frowned as he took a seat next to me on the bed. “When are you moving in there?”
“Not sure yet. Jason called around to get the floors done. He wants new carpet upstairs and the hardwood refinished downstairs. Could still be a couple weeks.”
“Why doesn’t he ask Uncle Johnny? He owns a construction company.” Luke was so matter-of-fact; I was caught off guard.
“Uh, guess we hadn’t thought about it.” I huffed a laugh and rubbed a hand over my head. “Yeah, definitely forgot about that.”
Luke giggled softly, sliding onto his side, next to me on the bed. “Well, ask him tomorrow, I bet he can get it done ASAP.”
“I’ll talk to him.” Silence fell between us, both of us lost in thought, zoning out on the wall in front of us. I let it linger for a few more minutes before I spoke softly. “You did good tonight, at the gym.”
A slowly smile pulled across Luke’s face. “Thank you.”
I chuckled softly. “I’m proud of you, Luke. I know this is hard. I know it hurts, but it’s going to be ok. I’m going to get your mom back.”
The smile slowly faded from Luke’s face. He nodded his head once, but didn’t reply.
I frowned, knowing there wasn’t anything more I could do for Luke to reassure him.
Maya
I didn’t know what day it was or how long I’d been captive. I didn’t know if it was day or night, or when the last time I even ate anything.
I knew only this: a bone deep exhaustion, pain of unimaginable levels, and I wished for death.
My eyes were puffy and swollen from both crying and the slaps to the face that I’d endured for the sake oftheir viewers. The fact that even my teeth ached, told me the fever coursing through my body was serious.
Lying on the threadbare mattress, my mind drifted to Lucas, as it often did, then to Marcos and Jason and Nico. My precious Nico, who had forgiven me explicitly and loved me no matter all the heartache I’d put him through.
I wondered how Luke was doing without me, but knew that Marcos would take care of him. Was my mother enjoying the peace and quiet? Or was she upset that something happened to me? We might have had a rough relationship over the years, but I had hoped we had moved past it.
Did Jenna know I was gone? My sister would have sped down the highway to raise hell if she knew. Was she causing a shit storm for Marcos to deal with? I almost smiled at the thought of my tiny, yet older sister wreaking havoc on my guys. Jenna had loved the stories I had told her over the years. She had always been adamant that I should have told my guys the truth, but Jenna also hated that they never came to Chicago. Never fought for me.
Would they come for me this time? Would they even be able to find me?
There was a bang as the steel door slammed against the wall. I barely flinched as Dax Hillcrest stalked into the room. I didn’t bother to look at him, still lost in my mind as I zoned out on the concrete wall in front of me.
“Up an at ’em, little whore,” Hillcrest said, amusement in his voice.
I didn’t move.
He grabbed my foot and roughly yanked my body down the mattress. I immediately began to flail and fight him, but two other men walked in the room. They moved quickly, helpingHillcrest grab me. Despite my thrashing, I was too weak to get away, and the three of them quickly subdued me.
I was carried out of my cell and down the hall to the filming room. It held all their torture equipment and lights, though knowing Hillcrest, one of the men was filming me even now. They always had a camera on me.
They tossed me onto another mattress and I stayed where I landed, too exhausted to move. It wouldn’t matter; they would move my body where they wanted me. Sure enough, a moment later, hands were on me. The men rolled my on to my back and slid my body to the edge of the mattress.
Leather cuffs bound my hands and stretched them taut above my head. I barely uttered a sound as my legs were bent back and my ankles landed somewhere near my head. Somehow, they were tied in place and I was left contorted on a bed with bright lights shining from every angle.
“Fantastic,” the camera man said. It was the same guy, always the same guy that gave orders on how to arrange my body, how far to push me, how to give the audience what they wanted.
“Where are the nipple clamps?” Someone asked.
“Here,” Hillcrest responded.
