Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86240 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
I didn’t immediately open my eyes. Don’t Panic, I thought to myself while taking a slow, cleansing, silent breath. Instead, I listened for any sound. There was none. Slowly, I let my eyes open. I didn’t recognize the room that I was in. What I realized rather quickly was that my hands were tethered above my head to a white metal headboard. The metal bent in whimsical, swirling scrollwork from what I could see.
Continuing my perusal of the room with my eyes, I found a small table on the opposite wall in the corner. There was a lamp with a scalloped edged shade that was feminine. A dim glow from the lamp chased away some of the shadows in the room.
What I didn’t see was a window, and I knew instantly that I was likely in an underground room. This was because of the complete absence of sound except for what was created by me.
If I couldn’t hear anything, then most likely no one could hear me. Thus, I didn’t call out, not yet, at least. I also hadn’t tugged on my bindings. I hadn’t wanted to alert anyone I was awake until I could assess my situation. That done, I finally took note of what I was wearing and what I wasn’t.
My jeans and shirt were gone. The silky material that lay against my skin and nearly skimmed my thighs wasn’t mine. But nothing felt weird between my legs, so I assumed I hadn’t been molested in any way. This was a blessing as I did my best not to freak out.
This wasn’t the first time I’d been in this situation. I could survive this. I’d done it before. I could endure again. It would have been easy to succumb to the nightmare that wanted to bubble out of my subconscious. It wouldn’t do me any good. So, I took precious seconds to push it back into the shadows.
Shawn’s face popped into my head. Though my personal Superman couldn’t save me, thinking of him did bring a beacon of light into the darkness that was heavy in my heart.
Finally calmer, I tugged my arms to see if there was any way I could set myself free. Metal dug into my skin around my wrist. It was no use. The frame was sturdy, so I stopped as to not waste energy. I was well and truly fucked.
This had been a possibility. I’d accepted my superior’s claim that my little experience didn’t justify my worries about what Ruin could do. No one had expected to find Ruin at any of the clubs I visited. They wrongfully assumed, against my assessment of the man, that I would be told to come back or meet Ruin at another location at another time. They didn’t think I’d be taken on the spot, though they had agreed to cover all exits.
Likely, what happened was my phone had been placed in the van based on the woman suggesting that if I’d brought company, they would follow it. That would have given them the diversion they needed to drive away with me in the trunk of the sedan.
Since I did not know how long I’d been out, they could have waited hours before they left. Of course, they would have had to drug me with something else. If they had pricked me with a needle while out, I wouldn’t know.
At this point, I considered calling out. Yet, if I could be heard by strangers, they would have covered my mouth. Before I could contemplate the pros and cons of such an act, I heard the unmistakable sound of locks turning. There were likely cameras in the room, especially given the little-girl decor. The pictures of bears and princesses on the pink-colored wallpaper were something I hadn’t wanted to consider. Because that meant acknowledging what this room was for.
The door opened and in walked the monster I’d wanted to slay. Gone was the dyed-blond hair. In its place was a messy mop of brown hair going every which way, yet still worked for him.
“Pet,” he said and came and sat on the bed beside me. My skin crawled like maggots covered them. “You asked, and I’m here. Tell me why.”
I didn’t mistake the placid smile on his evil yet handsome face. I licked my dry lips and began to give a speech I’d rehearsed in my head.
“I missed you,” I said shakily. The tremor in my voice wasn’t faked. If I didn’t convince him of my sincerity, he would kill me, but not before he made me wish for death. “I missed—” I turned away like I was embarrassed. “I missed that feeling. I can’t explain it, but I can’t find it on the outside. I tried things, but nothing worked. I missed—” I tugged at my bindings as if I wanted to show him but couldn’t. “I need—“ I glanced away again and tears spilled from my eyes. They weren’t faked, either. I thought of Shawn then.