Filthy: A Dark Romance (A Damaged Romance Duet Book 2)

by Michelle Horst

  I open the back door and lean into the car. Once I feel that each of them still has a pulse, relief washes over me.

  I slip my arms under the girl’s body. I can’t believe it’s Sophia.

  As I lift her from the car, River snaps, “Be careful! She’s hurting.”

  I watch as tears streak down her face. She can’t lose her shit now. We need to get home and I can’t do that if she’s not with me all the way.

  “She’s out cold,” I snap back at her. “The sooner we have them home, the sooner we can ease their pain. I’m not going to waste time, and risk them coming to while we’re on the road.”

  Once I have Jack in the back of the station wagon, I search all the usual places they would plant a tracking device. It’s a fucking mess but I finally find one on Jack’s hip. I use the pocket knife I always carry around and quickly cut the device out. It’s just another shitty part of the whole process.

  I set the car alight before running for the station wagon. As River gets us back on the road, I close my eyes.

  Only when we drive through the gate of the sanctuary, do I feel like I can finally breathe.

  We all work together to get Jack and Sophia into the house. We place them in one of the rooms that has twin beds.

  When Nanna places the buckets of water between the beds, I start to work on Jack. I can’t look at Sophia right now. I’ll go insane with anger.

  We can’t risk their wounds getting infected. While cleaning Jack, I notice that some of the wounds have already scabbed over. That means they were beaten yesterday.

  We should have insisted on leaving immediately with them. Fuck!

  We spend hours trying to clean and attend to their wounds. It’s gut-wrenching seeing them beaten like this.

  I’ve done all I can for Jack. I stand back up and take in his broken body. What the fuck is wrong with people? How can you do this to another person? If you hate them so much, then put a fucking bullet in them. But to torture people for fucking fun? I can’t wrap my mind around this kind of brutality.

  River places her hand on my shoulder. I glance at her and see how visibly shaken she is.

  With a trembling hand she points to Sophia’s leg. There’s a chunk of flesh ripped out of her thigh. The sight of her once flawless body, brutalized so violently, makes my insides shudder with rage and aggression.

  I sit down next to Sophia and drag the first aid kit closer. I try to focus all my attention on the needle and thread, but nothing stops the nightmare from overwhelming me.

  My ears ring from the blast as I choke on every breath of dust I suck in. I struggle into a sitting position and quickly inspect my body. I only took some shrapnel to my side.

  I hear a pain filled groan somewhere behind me, and I quickly get to my feet. I glance at my rifle that’s grey from all the dust.

  When I look up, I’m gutted by what I see. I was lucky, but my team was not. Ryan is mere inches from me. It looks like his body has been put through a grater. There are only shreds of meat where his legs once were.

  I fall to my knees beside him. Quickly, I yank the first aid kit from my pack. Common sense tells me it’s of no use trying to patch him up. Human spirit begs me to try and save him.

  “Fuck,” Ryan whispers, and it makes droplets of blood fall on his chin. The red is in stark contrast with the deathly grey of his skin.

  “Hold on. We’ll get you out of here now. They’ll fix you up.”

  Lies! All fucking lies.

  I give him a shot for the pain before I start to bandage what’s left of his legs. I have to stop the bleeding.

  Fuck, there’s so much blood.

  He wails as I tighten a bandage around his left leg.

  “Hold on, buddy. Just one more minute. They’ll be here now.”

  When I start on his right leg, he cries out, “Stop. Fuck, please stop.” He gasps and I can hear the air rattling in his lungs.

  He grabs hold of my left arm. Tears streak from his eyes as he whispers, “It’s no use. I’m fucked.”

  “Just one more minute, Ryan. They’ll be here now.”

  Just then, we hear a chopper, and it makes hope soar in my chest.

  “Just one more minute,” I say, smiling down at Ryan.

  His eyes turn glassy, and I watch life fade from them. I hear the chopper land behind me as Ryan’s hand slips from my arm.

  Just one more minute …

  I’ve somehow managed to stitch Sophia’s leg without losing my shit. I get up and reach for River, needing to hold her right now.

  She’s more than just my best friend. She keeps me grounded. River gave me purpose when I had none and right now, I need to be reminded of that.

  I need her strength to get through this. River has always been the stronger one between us. I’d walk through hell for this woman. Fuck, I have. But none of it compares to the hell she has saved me from. I owe her my life, just like everyone else here at the sanctuary.

  I tell River to go clean up first. While she’s gone I stare at Jack and Sophia. The deeper we dig into the world of human trafficking, the more fucked up it gets. In the beginning it felt good saving people, now I fear what I’ll see next.

  After River has showered, I leave the room. Instead of heading for the shower myself, I walk to the kitchen.

  Nanna is standing by the backdoor, her eyes on nothing specific. I wrap my arms around her. This woman is more than just my grandmother. She raised me. She’s always been there.

  She pats my arm. “You did good, my boy.”

  She says the same thing to me every time we come back with someone.

  “Your parents would be so proud of the man you’ve become.”

  Chapter Nine

  Adam~

  When everyone’s turned in for the night, I sit down on the chair and prop my feet up on the edge of Sophia’s bed.

  I can’t bring myself to leave the room. Sophia stirs during the night, but that’s about all she does. I keep telling myself that at least they’re alive.

  Doc came to check on them earlier. At least he gave them antibiotics. He took some blood to check. I just hope Doc comes back with good news. Fuck knows, they’ve been through enough.

  So far we’ve been lucky with the people we’ve saved. None of them tested positive for HIV.

  With my eyes locked on Sophia’s face, I feel a twinge of fear for her.

  I shift in the chair, trying to rid myself of the uneasy feeling.

  It’s in the early morning hours that I hear Sophia’s breathing change. Her breathing falters and I hear a soft sob. I drop my feet from the bed and slowly get up. The last thing I want to do is scare her.

  I walk closer, and look down at her. Her left eye is swollen shut, but her right eye meets mine for a split-second before she looks away.

  “Morning,” I whisper. I watch her like hawk, not sure what reaction I’m going to get.

  She starts to struggle into a sitting position. Even though she pales from all the pain she must be in, I keep my distance. But then she throws her legs off the side of the bed and it makes me take a step closer. I honestly think it’s way too soon for her to be getting up, but maybe she needs to use the bathroom.

  She slides off of the bed and my heart almost stops as she sinks to her knees.

  “No!” I crouch down beside her and placing my hands on her arms, I pull her up. My insides twist with rage. I clench my jaw to keep from cursing. I struggle to calm myself as I help her to sit on the bed.

  “No more kneeling, Sophia. I never want to see you kneel again. Do you need the bathroom?”

  “No, Master.” Her voice trembles and it’s just another fucking blow to my heart.

  “Please, lie down again,” I say, doing my best to keep my emotions from seeping into my voice. As soon as she starts to lie down, I step away from her.

  I need to get some painkillers in her.

  “I’m going to go get you some food. All you have to do is rest.”

  I wait a few seconds to make su
re she understands before I walk to the kitchen.

  Nanna is already up and getting things ready for breakfast. She’s always been an early riser.

  “Morning, Nanna.” I place a kiss on the top of her head. “Sophia’s awake. Can I have some soup? I want to get some painkillers in her so she can sleep again.”

  “Of course.” She quickly readies a tray with a bowl of soup, and some coffee for me. “I’ll be along soon to check on the children.”

  “Thanks, Nanna.”

  When I get back to the room, I’m relieved to see that Sophia listened. I place the tray next to her bed, then sit down next to her. I help her sit up and quickly prop a pillow behind her.

  I sit back and pick up the bowl. She’s got her head down low. I reach for her face, and keeping my touch gentle, I nudge her face up.

  “Look at me.”

  She tries to duck her head down, but I keep my hand under her chin.

  “You’re safe now, Sophia.” I don’t know if the words mean anything to her, or if she even understands them. “I won’t let anyone hurt you again. You’re safe here.”

  Chapter Ten

  Sophia~

  I feel lost in this world of pain I’ve been thrown into. It feels as if my reality has been fractured. I’m unwanted. I’m filthy.

  Without a purpose, I’m nothing.

  My thoughts and emotions are a mess. It feels as if they hollowed me out and stuffed me full of pain.

  On top of it all, Master Adam’s behavior is so confusing. I don’t understand why he’s being kind to me. After all, I was punished because I didn’t please him. He should be beating me, not placing a pillow behind me. The gesture is by far the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me.

  Hearing him say that I’m safe only makes my insides churn with fear. I’m quickly learning that when Master Adam is nice, bad things will follow. I don’t know when he will punish me, but I have to ready myself for it.

  He sits back and picks up a bowl. He scoops some of the broth into a spoon.

  It’s been a long while since I’ve had a Master that likes to feed me. But it does explain things better. Those Masters love full control. They might be quiet but it’s only because they’re so violent.

  When the spoon reaches my lips, I open my mouth. Some of the broth spills and it dribbles down my chin.

  “Shit, sorry,” he mumbles.

  Shock ripples through me. He’s sorry? Did I hear him right?

  Maybe this is just a dream? In no reality of mine has anyone ever said those words to me.

  Taking a napkin off the tray, he dabs at my chin.

  “Let’s try this again.”

  When I swallow a sharp pain stabs at my throat. I force the liquid down, not daring to spit it back.

  I can feel his eyes on my face, so I try my best to hide the pain. That’s another lesson I’ve learned over the years. If you show that you’re in pain it only makes them beat you more.

  Every spoonful of broth feels like shards of glass cutting their way down my throat.

  When he’s finally done, he reaches for the coffee and tablets.

  “It should be cold enough for you to swallow the painkillers down with.”

  He takes a sip of coffee and then says, “Yes, it’s cold enough.”

  When he brings the tablets to my mouth, I open so he can place it on my tongue. They taste bitter and I try to swallow them dry.

  “Hold up.” He brings the cup of coffee to my lips and I gratefully take a few sips to swallow the bitter tablets down with.

  It’s with stunned wonder that I watch him drink some more of the coffee. He’s drinking from the same cup as me.

  Master Adam didn’t even wipe away my filth before taking a sip.

  He places the cup down. “Let’s get you settled. You need to try and sleep. The more you rest, the sooner you’ll be back to your normal self.”

  He slips an arm under my neck and helps me move back down. He adjusts the pillows before gently easing my head on to them.

  He doesn’t pull back immediately, but instead says, “Look at me.”

  Not wanting to anger him, I look up. His eyes are intense and I have to force myself to not look down.

  “All you have to focus on is getting better, Sophia. There will be no more kneeling, no looking at the floor, and no calling us master or mistress.”

  I frown, not sure I understand what he wants from me. He leans closer to me and slightly tilts his head as if he’s going to kiss me.

  Not once does he take his eyes away from mine. It feels like he can see all the filth in me, how ugly I’ve become.

  “You’ll call me Adam. Just Adam. Not master Adam.”

  He kisses my forehead and whispers, “Sleep so you can get better.”

  I watch as he picks up the tray and leaves the room.

  I’m not sure about anything anymore. Fear of the unknown overwhelms me. I’ve heard of slaves being traded, but I never thought it would happen to me.

  Chapter Eleven

  Adam~

  When I get back to the room, River’s already there. She’s busy cleaning Jack’s wounds. When Jack stirs, she freezes. It doesn’t look like he’s waking up so she carries on cleaning him.

  My eyes are drawn to Sophia, and I’m relieved to see that she’s still sleeping.

  “I brought you some water, too, if you’d want to clean her,” River says, not once taking her eyes off Jack. “I can if you’re not up to it.”

  “Thanks. I’ll clean her quickly.” I rinse out the cloth before pulling the sheet back from Sophia’s body.

  I start to wipe down her left arm, gently working my way around all her wounds.

  “She woke up. I got some soup into her and some painkillers. I’m sure Jack will wake up soon.”

  “I hope so,” River whispers. “At least it looks like they’ll pull through.”

  We work in silence and it’s the first time that I get a good look at Sophia’s wounds. She has red welts and angry gashes all over her body. The gash on her leg is the worst. I don’t even know what they used on her to cause the wound.

  When I’m done with her front, I rinse the cloth again. I’m just about to reach for her so I can roll her onto her side, when I see her eyes are open. She’s watching me with a confused look on her face. I hate that she looks so lost. It fucking digs into the darkest part of me.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, not sure how long she’s been awake. “Do you want me to stop? We can clean your back later if the pain is too much.”

  She licks her lips nervously and it looks like she wants to say something.

  “You can talk freely, Sophia. You don’t need permission to talk to anyone.”

  For a moment she looks dumbstruck, then she whispers, “Master doesn’t have to clean me. I can do it myself.”

  I shake my head and a tsunami of frustration and anger crashes over me.

  “Sophia, I know you can do everything yourself. I’d like to do this for you. Please, let me help you.” I hope none of the anger shimmers through in my voice.

  “Why?” she almost croaks the words out. “Forgive me for asking, Master, but why are you doing all of this? Am I going to be punished again for not satisfying Master?”

  I recoil from her words. I drop the cloth as rage explodes in my chest.

  I’m going to fucking lose it. I’m going to kill every last one of those fuckers. They almost beat her to death, and she thinks it’s because she couldn’t satisfy me. Fuck, this is too much.

  “I’m sorry, Master!” she says desperately. “I didn’t mean to anger you more.”

  “What’s going on?” River asks and she comes to stand next to me.

  I turn half into her and hiss, “Those fuckers. I’m going to kill them, River. God help me, I’m going to kill them.”

  I turn my back on Sophia so she can’t see my anger. I’ve already upset her enough.

  “She thinks she was punished because I wouldn’t have sex with her.”

  River
pales and she swings around to look at Jack. “No! They think we’re responsible? That’s going to make it so much harder to win their trust.”

  I rub my hands over my face and fight to regain control over my rampant emotions. I take a few deep breaths. I force a smile to my face before I turn back to Sophia. Her eyes are huge and filled with fear.

  “Sweetheart -” I kneel next to her bed and take her hand in mine. “We’re not your masters. You are free. You’re no longer a slave. You will never be punished again. You can ask us anything and talk when you want to. You can do what you want. You can stay here, or leave and go make a life for yourself out there. You can stay here with us as a friend, Sophia, not a slave.”

  Her breathing speeds up and she whispers distraughtly, “I understand, Master. I’m ugly and master doesn’t want an ugly slave.” She sucks in a few shaky breaths and it all becomes too much for me. I drop my forehead to our joined hands. My heart aches for her.

  What if she’s broken? How do I fix her?

  Where do I even begin?

  Chapter Twelve

  Sophia~

  They’re not my Masters. I’m no longer a slave?

  I’m no longer a slave, because they don’t want me. It’s just like Master David said it would be.

  It feels as if my heart is cracking. I suck in some air and I try to breathe past the shame and disappointment I feel for myself.

  I bow my head low. I have to beg. Maybe that’s what they want.

  “Please, Master, I didn’t mean to upset you. Please, keep me as a slave. Master can punish me. I’m strong and won’t cry. I’ve been trained well. Please, Master.” I bite my bottom lip and hope I can make this whole confused mess just go away.

  Suddenly, he sits on the bed. His arms go around me, and he pulls me to his chest.

  I feel a glimmer of hope.

  “It’s okay, Sweetheart,” he whispers. “It will please me if you call me Adam, and not master. It will please me if you look at me and not drop your eyes to the floor. It will please me so fucking much if you just rest and get better. I just want you to heal, Sophia. We can deal with the other stuff later.”