“Please,” I whispered with tears in my eyes. “Don’t leave me down here.”
His hand brushed my cheek and he looked at me like he would a lover. “One more week.”
He pushed the cell door open, but I wanted to get in one last plea.
“Will you visit me?” His eyes studied me and I let my bottom lip tremble. “I don’t want to be down here alone. I can’t sleep and…” I dropped my head as the tears started to fall, pretending that I was embarrassed to admit that I needed him.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
I nodded and watched him leave. I huddled up in the corner, wrapping myself tightly in the jacket he had wrapped around me. It was the closest thing to a blanket that I had, and even if it was Wes’s, I was grateful for the warmth.
The next day, he visited me around dinner time, smirking at the excited expression on my face. Two men followed behind him, one bringing two trays with food and another with a small table and two chairs. They quickly set up the table and Wes motioned for me to take a seat. I did as he requested and was pleased when he pushed my chair in as I sat.
He took his seat once the two men left and lifted the cover on his tray. I did the same and was shocked to see steak, pasta alfredo, and asparagus. I wasn’t sure that I could eat the meat with a rotting corpse just ten feet from me. Apparently, Wes had no problem with it and dug in right away, smiling widely as he chewed his steak. I took a bite of my pasta and did my best to swallow, even though the smell made eating impossible.
He picked up his glass that had been covered with a lid to prevent spilling and took a drink. “Please, drink your wine.”
I took off the lid, but when I looked at the red wine and then to the blood stains on the floor, I couldn’t do it. “I think I’ll pass.”
“You’ll get used to it. You just have to accept what’s going on around you.”
“Is that all?” I laughed, as if we were talking about something much more casual than a body decaying on the floor.
“So, tell me about yourself.”
I sat back in my chair, not sure what I was supposed to tell him. “I would think you would already know everything about me.”
“Mostly, but there are always stories that can be entertaining.”
I took another small bite as I thought about what I could tell him. I didn’t want to bring my family into it, so I steered clear of that topic. “Well, when I was a little girl, I always wanted to learn to ride a horse. I thought it would be really fun. A friend of mine had horses and I tried one day, but I was terrified. She kept telling me not to show fear and don’t kick the horse with my heels. Relax, but be in control. It scared me so much that I only did one lap before I asked to get off.”
“And you never tried again?”
“No. I figured once was enough. What about you? Do you ride?”
“Every once in a while. I have a ranch that has horses, but I rarely get there.”
I nodded, pretending to be interested and took another bite of pasta. “So, is this your primary house?”
“One of them,” he grinned. “It depends on where I’m traveling to and how long I have to be there.”
“Do you just keep packing and moving all your stuff every time you need to go to a new house?”
He chuckled as if it was the stupidest question he had ever heard. “No, I have wardrobes and everything else I would need at every location.”
“That must be nice,” I said, trying not to sound too irritated.
“You’ll have the same.”
My head shot up and I tilted my head in confusion. “Why would I-”
“Because you are mine. Once you come to realize how good we can be together, you’ll get everything you could ever need.”
“I need my daughter.”
“And you’ll have her. Just as soon as I trust that this will work between us. I would hate to feel that you were using me just to get your daughter back.”
I dropped my eyes, knowing that I was going to have to put on the performance of a lifetime to convince him. And it would have to be all the time. I couldn’t ever risk him seeing me drop my guard.
“Will I be traveling with you?”
“That depends on a few things. One, I need to trust you. Two, I want you to enjoy our trips together. It won’t do any good to have you with me if you’re going to be pouting all the time.”
“What will I do in the meantime?”
“Enjoy your life here. Become accustomed to your new way of life. There are books in the library and a heated pool inside. On nice days, you can sunbathe or swim in the outdoor pool. We also have a tennis court and several trails for running.”
I looked up in excitement. That could be my way out. If I could find a way to get lost in the woods, I might be able to find a weak link and escape. He must have thought the same thing.
“There are guards everywhere and the fence is impenetrable.”
“I wasn’t thinking of that. I love to run. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to, but I used to run every morning. It would be nice to get back in a routine.”
“Well, once I’m satisfied with how you are acclimating, I’ll make sure to inform the staff that you can take the trails.”
“Thank you,” I smiled.
We finished eating in relative silence and I had to admit that even though I didn’t like my situation, I was happy to have someone to talk to, if only for an hour.
“Well, I better be going to my office. I have a few things to finish up for the night.”
“You’re leaving already?” I asked, leaving a note of panic in my voice.
“Don’t worry, Dushenka, I’ll see you again.”
Dushenka. I didn’t know what that meant, but I had to assume it was some kind of endearment. I waited until he left to take a seat again. It was strange to sit in an actual chair after a week of sitting on the floor. By the time I was tired, I ended up on the floor anyway because I couldn’t sleep sitting up. I made some headway with him tonight and that was all that mattered. I would eventually get him to think that he had me under his spell. I just had to find a way to really get him to show me sympathy.
✯✯✯✯✯
When he came downstairs the next day, I paced the cell until he reached the bottom of the stairs. I didn’t rush over to the bars to see him, but smiled hesitantly, like I didn’t want him to know how glad I was that he was there. A glimmer of triumph flashed in his eyes before he unlocked the door and came in. A few minutes later, two men came downstairs with a recliner. They carried it into my cell and placed it in the corner. There was also a blanket on top of the seat. I smiled at him gratefully, but didn’t approach. It would seem fake.
“I thought maybe you would like something more comfortable to sleep on.”
“Yes, thank you. It was very thoughtful of you.”
“Well, should we eat?”
At his question, another man came downstairs with trays, just like the night before. After everything was in place, I took my seat with Wes’s help and placed my napkin on my lap. Tonight’s dinner was spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. This time, he brought me water.
“Thank you,” I smiled as I took a sip of water.
“You’re welcome.”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to do without me for a night. Tomorrow, I’ll be going out of town.”
“What?” I let panic seep into my voice and stared at him in shock. “I’ll be here…alone?”
“There are other people in the house. You’re never alone.”
“But…” I dropped my head again, like I was embarrassed to admit to him that I wanted his company.
“But what?”
“I just like having dinner with you.”
“You’ll be fine for one night.”
I nodded and took a bite of spaghetti. I had learned to breathe through my mouth at all times now. The stench in the basement was so bad that the smell permeated my mouth when I breathed. After a few bites, I had eaten all
I could. If I didn’t get out of here soon, I would waste away.
“Would it make you feel better if I had the body removed?”
“You would do that?”
“If it will make you feel better while I’m gone.”
I looked at him like he had just given me the world and placed my hand over his on the table, squeezing it lightly. I pulled my hand back quickly, pretending that I was conflicted over my feelings.
“You don’t have to hold yourself back from me. I’ve made it no secret that I want you.”
“I know, it’s just…you have me down here and now you’re being so nice to me. You brought me a recliner and a blanket when you didn’t have to. I’ll be warm tonight because of you. And then coming to visit me has been a relief. I was starting to feel like I was losing my mind.”
He smiled, but didn’t say another word. He ate in silence while I watched him. When he finished, he wiped his mouth and stared at me. I started to feel uncomfortable, mostly because I didn’t know how to play this. It was easy enough to react in a conversation, but just staring at me, I wasn’t sure what he was looking for.
I sighed when he finally spoke. “Why don’t you talk to your parents anymore?”
I could be honest with this one. It might even do the trick for the night. “After I found out I was pregnant, they were upset with me because I had slept with my boyfriend without any promise of what kind of future we would have. They wanted me to have an abortion, but I knew I could never do that.”
I stood and walked over to the bars, looking at the window, my only source of light.
“When I told them I wouldn’t do it, my father got angry with me, telling me that I was ruining my future. He said that my boyfriend obviously didn’t love me that much if he left me when I was pregnant. He told me that the best thing that could happen was if I had an accident and lost the baby.”
Arms wrapped around me from behind, holding me in comfort. I rubbed his hand in thanks, grateful that my plan was working. I wanted to gain his sympathy. It was the only way for me to have him respond this way to me and allow me to fall faster for him.
“He was foolish. He should have been happy to have a grandchild on the way.”
“He was very old-fashioned. He didn’t approve of me living with my boyfriend, but he also thought that Matt was this amazing guy. In my father’s eyes, he could do no wrong. So, when I told him Matt left me, he immediately accused me of doing something that made him leave.”
“You aren’t responsible for Matt’s actions. He’s a fucking jackass for walking away from you. You’re lucky to be rid of him. He would have hated being with you every minute of the day, and he would have made your life miserable.”
I turned in his arms and placed my hand on his cheek, letting my eyes fill with tears. “No one’s ever said anything like that before.”
“Not even friends?”
“I’ve been on my own for so long. All of my friends were friends with Matt and they didn’t want to pick sides.”
“But they did.”
I nodded. “Then Payton was born and I had her. It didn’t seem like I needed anyone else.”
He cupped my face and placed a soft kiss on my lips. “You’re not alone anymore. I swear to you, we’ll get Payton back and you won’t ever have to worry about anything again.”
Those words were so similar to what Chance had told me, but coming from him, they felt genuine. Coming from Wes, everything felt tainted and came with stipulations. He would only get my daughter back if I was a good girl. He would only treat me right if I proved myself to him. With Chance, there were no guidelines to follow. It was just a promise of an honorable man that he would help in any way he could. And I had led him right into danger. Tears for an entirely different reason clogged my eyes and I looked away, trying to reel in the anger I felt at myself for betraying him.
“Don’t cry. I told you I would fix this and I will.”
I gave him a watery smile and didn’t pull back when he leaned in to kiss me again. This time, he ran his tongue between my lips and I let him kiss me the way he wanted. I pretended it was Chance. I thought about the last time I had been with him and how I was starting to feel things for him. I just needed to channel that when I was with Wes. If I didn’t, he would pick up on my hatred for him.
He wiped the tears from my cheeks as he pulled back. “I won’t be gone more than a day. I’ll send someone down in the morning to remove the body.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll see you soon, Dushenka.”
CHAPTER TWO
Chance
I was back in my cell again. My head was killing me and I could feel the lump growing on the back of my head without touching it. I swiped at my neck and came away with blood and dirt. I was going to have one hell of a headache for the next few days. I’d had enough concussions to know that this was not just your average headache.
I knew they would be coming for me at some point today, so I had to be prepared for that. I needed to take in everything I could while I was outside my cell. The more information I gathered, the better my chances were of getting off this island with Payton.
The guards weren’t the problem here. I could already tell that they were lazy and trained only as much as needed. The Broker had made a mistake when he figured that I wouldn’t be able to get off this island. I was a trained Navy SEAL and they didn’t fuck around with their training. If I had to, I could find a way to swim off this island with Payton. There was always the chance that we wouldn’t make it, but I was never one to give in.
About midday, four men came to my cell and dragged me out, then flung me against a tree. I took in everything around me while I had the chance. About one hundred yards away, nestled in the tree line, was a shed. The lock was one I could easily pick if I had the right tool. A man pulled on my arms, tying them around the tree.
The first crack against my skin was painful, but tolerable. I flinched slightly, but tried to keep my face impassive. I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me crumble. The cracks continued to come, hitting me in the back and the ass. A few hit my legs, but the majority were burned into my back. With each strike I went over details I knew about the island to distract myself from the pain. I pictured Morgan and focused on what I was here for. Payton was on the island and I had to find a way to get us out of here. I wouldn’t give up until I was dead, and I was far from the grave right now. I had dealt with torture before and I could handle it again. It was all about turning that pain into anger. The minute I couldn’t take it anymore was the minute I took my last breath. Because giving up meant there was no hope, and what was the point of living if there was no hope for the future?
Twenty lashes, but they didn’t stop. I could feel something trickling down my back, but I gritted my teeth and pretended like it was sweat. My legs shook, threatening to give out as the lashes moved further down my body. When they didn’t get the response they wanted, they focused on the backs of my knees until I could no longer stay upright. When they finally finished, I was sagging against the tree, trying to hold myself up somewhat. The bark of the tree dug into my skin and the rope was burning my wrists.
A man cut the ropes and I fell to the ground with a thud. Before anyone could reach for me, I pushed myself off the ground, determined to go back to my cell of my own free will.
“Maybe we didn’t give you enough,” one man said in Spanish. All of the men I had seen so far spoke Spanish, but there were different dialects being used as they spoke to one another.
“The gringo won’t last more than a week before we break him,” another laughed.
They continued to banter, but I tuned them out. I didn’t need to hear all the shit they were saying about me. It was best if I just focused on myself. Unless I heard them talking about something important, anything they said was pointless.
I was shoved roughly into my cell, and only once they walked away did I let myself really feel the pain. My back was stinging, as were
the backs of my knees. The rest of my body was sore, but didn’t feel too bad. I laid back in the mud, the cool earth soothing my torn flesh. I was risking infection, but the chances of staying clean in here were slim to none.
I mentally mapped out what I knew about the area in my head. The path directly across from my cell that led through the trees had to lead to the house or the compound that everyone stayed in. Then there was the shed that was to the right in the tree line. That would be the most likely place to find a weapon, but I didn’t want to attempt getting into there until I knew more about the area. If I made my move too soon, they would just move all supplies away from me.
My dinner arrived hours later, the same slop and bottled water. The man that brought me food on the first day was back and I could tell he was eyeing my injuries. It was time to see how much sympathy I could gain from him.
I made sure that my body shook as I reached for my food. “Thank you,” I croaked.
He jerked his head at my back and the marks that wrapped around my ribcage. “You’re going to get an infection laying in the mud.”
I snorted at his comment. “Look at me. I’m in a fucking dirt cell. There’s no way I’m not getting an infection. The good news is that I won’t have to put up with this shit for too much longer. The infection should kill me off in no time.”
His gaze was penetrating, taking in every mannerism. I had to make this look as realistic as possible, which wasn’t too hard considering how bad my back hurt. Still, I could push through the pain, but I couldn’t fight off an infection on my own. He glanced around outside and then pushed away from the cell. Every instinct told me to yell at him not to go yet, because I needed more time to work on him, but that would get me nowhere. I needed to appear to give up. This guy had orders to keep me alive and if it looked like I was giving up all together, he would be more easily persuaded to do anything he had to in order to keep me alive. After he left, I laid back down on the ground to soothe my back. A light breeze drifted over me, settling me into a deep sleep.
Chance Page 2