Survival

by J Marie

Finally, I could feel the limo slowing as we pulled onto a backroad in a very woodsy area. Within the next five minutes, the limo stopped for a split second and carried on through. We then passed what looked like a large black and gold gate. It was hard to tell with his knees blocking my vision. As we pulled into a circle drive, I could see a large fountain spewing out crystal clear water surrounded by an array of rose bushes.

  Gradually, the grip on my hair tightened and brought my attention back to the bag of douche sitting up behind me. “When I open this door,” he said, leaning over me, “you’re not going to put up a single ounce of fight or resistance, or I will make your first night here far more memorable than you'll ever want it to be.”

  Like it wouldn’t already scar me for the rest of my life …

  “Fine,” I scoffed. He jerked my hair again sharply and pulled so hard, I thought the strands would rip from my scalp. “Ah! Yes, sir!” I corrected quickly.

  “Much better,” he rumbled and released my hair.

  He then opened the door, reached down to my knees, and lifted me to his chest. I felt a small twinge of panic from being lifted like that, but I kept myself in compliance. He turned and stepped out of the car, clutching me tightly before righting my body and throwing me back over his shoulder. He then put one hand in his pocket and proceeded to fucking whistle on his way to the house. I silently shook my head in protest with a scowl on my face.

  The things I could do to him from this position …

  Directly in front of me was the gorgeous large fountain in the center of a circle drive with the gate about a hundred yards back. I turned my body slightly to see the house the owner apparently lived in, and it honestly took my breath away.

  The house, or mansion I should say, was absolutely stunning and not at all what I expected him to live in. It was a nice sandy brick with numerous white paneled bay windows and white marble pillars holding up the large dark roof at the front door. Roses and flowers adorned the front and sides of the house that complemented it beautifully.

  When we passed through the front door, he gently eased me down onto the cold grey-colored marble floor but kept a firm arm around my torso while he pulled out his phone. When he’d finally deactivated my cuffs, he turned me around and placed his hands on the back of my shoulders.

  “Welcome to your new home,” he said in my ear with so much delight it made me want to throw my elbow back into his face.

  I stood there, taking in the scene before me. We were standing in a grand foyer with a large enchanting crystal chandelier hanging beautifully above us. A small wooden chair and a small table was situated across the way from us, while a little tree in a beige planter sat next to it. Standing strong and intricate was a wide and beautiful hardwood staircase that twirled up to the second floor.

  I made a small step forward, hoping I was allowed, as I took a hard look around. My new cage was much bigger and much prettier, but it was still a cage nonetheless. I could feel my rage starting to seep in again as this asshole thought it right to call this my home. He didn’t know a damn thing about my home.

  Surprised that he let me continue my steps, I nonchalantly walked forward until I was a foot away from the chair. Then, before I even had a chance to reconsider my next move, I gripped the arm of the chair in my hand, turned, and hurled it with all my strength right at the owner’s perfectly built body. Thankfully, it wasn’t very heavy.

  “This isn’t my home, you piece of shit! I don’t belong here, and I certainly don’t belong to you! Ever!” I screamed as the chair flew through the air.

  God, it felt good to release some rage and break some shit at the same time, especially if it involved breaking shit on this son of a bitch’s body.

  The look on his face was priceless as he took half of the chair’s impact, bringing his arms up and blocking it while taking a step to the side. The chair crashed to the floor beside his feet in a pile of wood splinters and expensive cushion.

  I took off then, running before he even knew I was gone. I passed what looked like a parlor, eventually running down some kind of hallway. Hoping that even if I didn’t get away, I could, at least, find something slim and long enough to fit nicely into his jugular. But I didn’t get very far. My cuffs were activated, and I couldn’t resist the strength of their pull as they instantly threw me off balance, causing me to crash to the ground. Pain radiated from my side as my shoulder and hip took the brunt of my fall; I tried to roll but failed miserably.

  The owner was not far behind. His strides were long, and the power in his footsteps told me I was in for a serious fight. Fear prickled over my skin as I tried to crawl and wriggle away from him, but it was pointless. He grabbed my arm in a tight grip, pulling me roughly to my feet and slamming me into the wall. I pushed and fought against him, but he trapped me with his massive body and took hold of my wrists, pinning them above my head with one hand.

  “Look at me,” he said calmly. I hated looking up at him. It was just a reminder of how fucking small and weak I was compared to him. “Jaden,” he warned. I finally raised my eyes to his, but I had to crane my neck to do so and gave him the most annoyed look I could muster. “Whether you like it or not, you do belong to me now, and nothing you do is going to change that. There is no going back, and there is no escaping it. Whatever life you had before is gone and irrelevant. There is just me now.”

  His voice was cold and calm, and it chilled me to the bone, but then his grip tightened on my wrists and a dull pain enveloped them. "So if I tell you where you'll live, what you'll wear, how you'll behave, or whatever the fuck else I tell you to do, you'll do it without complaint or question. Because the only thing you need to worry about for the rest of your goddamn life now is pleasing me.”

  My wrists were beginning to throb, and I squirmed involuntarily to alleviate the pressure on them. I didn’t even care about what he was saying to me. They were just words, and they meant nothing to me.

  “Now, I can understand your rage, and I’ll forgive your little stunt back there, but you pull that shit again, and I’ll have you crawling on your hands and knees for the rest of the month.”

  “Oh, fuck you!” I shouted at him. “Is that it? You’re gonna have me as your perfect little slave for the rest of my life? Don’t fucking deny it. I know it’s true,” I jabbed. He smiled down at me—that shit-eating grin back in place.

  “That and so much more,” he practically beamed, and I felt my stomach shrink in on itself. “Now, if you can behave, I’ll show you to your room. Can you?”

  I thought my glare was fierce enough that he could see the “fuck off” clearly in my eyes. Did I want to behave? What the fuck was I, a child?

  “I won’t ask you again,” he growled, his free hand striking out and clutching my throat. I tried to fight against him, but for every second I didn’t answer, his grip became tighter and tighter. “Jaden,” he warned again, more anger in his voice this time.

  “Yes,” I finally choked out.

  “Yes, what? What are you going to do?”

  “Yes, I’ll behave.”

  “Good girl,” he said and released my throat. I coughed fiercely as I sucked in the air I had been denied, still fighting against the hold he had on my arms. Would this never get old?

  Chapter Three

  The Rules

  Still gripping one of my wrists, the owner released my ankles, pulled me from the wall, and led me up the staircase. When we reached the top, he tugged me down one of the many hallways and stopped at the third door on the right. Opening the door, he pulled me inside and finally released his grip.

  Turning gradually, I looked around at what was probably now my bedroom and a sense of warmth slowly enveloped me. The colors of the room reminded me of fall, as the walls were warm reds, soft peaches, and pumpkin oranges. A bed was to my right and it was a beautiful four-poster canopy with a soft satiny dark red comforter and tons of fluffy, frilly pillows. A white dresser with a large mirror was set against the wall not too far from the bed and a
white vintage-looking vanity sat in the right corner of the room between two windows.

  Light cream colored drapes fell to the floor to accommodate the tall windows that stretched from the floor to ceiling, but the best window of all was the bay window with a reading nook, decorated with more cushions and pillows that led out from the corner of the room. Sitting in another corner of the room was the comfiest-looking chaise I had ever seen. Cream colored and plush, it was beckoning me, promising me the best nap of my life, but that would have to wait. Behind me to my left was a rather large white desk. Placed next to it was a small white bookshelf adjacent to the white wooden framed fireplace. Why was everything white?

  I slowly walked around the room, trying to familiarize myself with it. Further down, directly opposite the bed, was another door I hoped led to a private bathroom.

  “What do you think?” he asked from behind me, general curiosity filling his voice.

  “It’s beautiful.” I sighed, folding my arms across my chest. It really was, but I still hated the fact I was there. I turned back around to find him leaning against the wall, his hands in his pockets and the small hint of a smile on his lips.

  “I’m glad you like it,” he said. “I had it decorated especially for you.”

  Did he now …

  “How long ago did you plan on purchasing me?” I asked. It had only been a few hours since the auction. He waited a few moments, calculating his answer, and then finally spoke.

  “If I’m being honest with myself … yesterday, but when I saw the way you fought in the viewing room, there was no question about it. You were mine.”

  “That was kind of the opposite effect I was going for.”

  “Oh? And what were you going for?”

  “I knew there wasn’t any hope for me, but I thought maybe if I could show your clients how unsuccessful your methods were at breaking slaves, they’d lose faith in your business.”

  He laughed at that. “Nice try, but that would have never worked. There are people out there with desires far more twisted than mine are. Broken girl or not, they all sell eventually. If anything, your little stunt just made them want you more. You should be grateful I stepped in to rescue you.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him. “And what about the rest of the girls? Were they not as lucky as I was?” I suddenly feared greater for Kayla, wondering what kind of sadistic fuck had purchased her.

  “Those girls are no longer your concern. They will acclimate to their new lives just as you will.”

  “Assuming they live long enough,” I shot back.

  “Again, not your concern.” He narrowed his eyes at me, that silent warning to drop the matter, but I wasn’t very good at subtle hints.

  “Well, tough shit; it is my concern. I care about those girls because they aren’t just chattel to me as they are to you.” He stepped away from the wall during my little rant and began sauntering toward me, but I didn’t care. I continued on, giving him exactly what I wanted him to hear. “And if you think I’m just going to forget about it, then you’re dead fucking wrong.”

  He was only a foot away from me now, so tall and solid like a brick wall. It was so easy to be intimidated by him, but I refused to show it, standing my ground and refusing to allow my feet to take a single step backward.

  “If you’re so concerned, then maybe once their new owners are finally done with them, I’ll have them deliver to you what’s left of their bodies. Just to bring a little peace to your mind,” he said, his voice smooth and venomous, chilling me to my very core.

  My stomach churned and dropped at the thought of a sick and twisted individual abusing Kayla or any one of those poor girls. I hated him for his cruel words.

  “You’re such a cruel bastard,” I said in disgust.

  “And don’t you ever forget it,” he shot back harshly.

  I stared at him with so much hate in my eyes I thought they would burst, but I wasn’t finished with him yet. I needed to move the subject along and get him to divulge more information.

  “If you’re so cruel, then why ‘rescue’ me?” I asked, bringing my hands up in quotations.

  “Because of your fight, your strength, and your resilience. Your resistance does something to me I’ve never felt before. It’s strong and intense, and it has a hold on me greater than anything I’ve ever known. I couldn’t ignore it any longer. I had to have you. Very soon, Jaden, you'll come to see that you and I are one and the same. It was difficult for me to admit at first, but now, I see it couldn’t be clearer. I could tell from the first moment I saw you that you had exactly what I’ve been searching for, and I’ve been searching for a very long time.”

  “And just what is that?”

  “I'm a bit of a hurricane, Jaden, and I need someone strong enough to be able to withstand it. And I know you're the perfect one to do that."

  “Is that supposed to scare me? That’s precious,” I mocked.

  I stared him down. I would not let him intimidate me, no matter how much of a threat he was. I had the ability to turn my fear into anger and aggression, and I would show him my hurricane was just as strong and destructive as his was.

  His chuckle was low and devious, and his eyes gleamed with intensity. Without warning, his arm shot out for my throat, but my reflexes, unaffected by my fight downstairs, deflected his strike. But I lost it when his leg viciously swept the back of mine and I fell to the floor on my back. He was on top of me before I had another chance to react.

  “I know … you’re little miss tough shit, aren’t you? Nothing scares you, right?” he growled inches from my face, his hot breath warming my skin. I pushed against him, trying to find space and room to maneuver, but there was none. He pushed himself harder against me, practically crushing my body under his. “I can’t wait to be the one to change that.”

  “Fuck you! No one intimidates me!” I tried to shout at him, but it came out as garbled, gasped air. My fight was officially back, and I wasn’t letting it go this time.

  He chuckled again and pressed his forehead to mine. “We’ll see about that,” he declared confidently.

  Taking his weight from me, he picked me up by my neck and threw me against the wall, his big body trapping me in place.

  “Just what the fuck is it that you want from me?” I shouted at him.

  Placing his hands on my shoulders, he seemed to relax a little. “I want your utter and complete obedience, Jaden. I want your body. I want your loyalty. And I want your mind. I want you screaming my name while I fuck you into submission every night. And then I want you begging me for more.” He smiled cruelly at me.

  For the first time, I was fucking speechless. I stared at him with a look of shock and disgust on my face because that was all I could muster. My brain and heart could barely handle what he just said to me.

  “There are going to be rules for you, kitten,” he continued, relaxing a bit now, “and they are not only for my benefit but for yours as well.”

  “Yeah, well, you should know by now I don’t do well with rules.” I rolled my eyes, discovering I could finally talk again.

  “You might be surprised at how easily I can motivate you to follow them,” he growled, gripping my chin.

  I glared at him again, imagining a stampede of bulls with spiked hooves trampling him.

  “The rules are simple,” he started. “You will obey every order I give you. No arguments, no hesitations, no questions. You are under my rule now, and whatever decision I make for you is final. As I mentioned before, your submission to me is non-negotiable. I'm a bit of a control freak, Jaden, but you'll come to understand that soon enough.”

  I scoffed at him. Control freak was probably a bit of an understatement.

  “The second rule is you will always be ready for me. That means you will always look presentable. No more sweatpants and messy hair. You will always look your absolute best no matter what. Hair, makeup, nails, clothes, the works. You will also be permitted to work out, as I expect you to keep up your trimmed physiq
ue, but nothing terribly extreme. I don’t need you trying to turn yourself into one of those mutant female bodybuilders. I haven’t determined how I feel about this yet, though,” he said trailing his finger over my abs. “Regardless, I expect absolute perfection and nothing less. You can also expect the same from me.”

  There was no fucking way I was letting him soften my stomach. I had worked hard for those abs of steel, and I was keeping them, damn it.

  “Rule number three. Armed guards live in the security wing of the estate and patrol the grounds. They are here for my protection as well as yours. You are not to speak or even look at them unless absolutely necessary. The only man you will ever need to speak to or look at will be me. I’m a jealous and possessive man, Jaden. I don’t want others looking upon or stealing the attention of what’s mine.” He smirked then and I let out an exasperated sigh, blowing the hair out my face.

  Goddamn it; jealousy was the worst emotion a man could possess. I hated dealing with it. It was so irrational and constituted a lack of trust in me. I just didn’t have time for that shit.

  “Rule number four. You will never run or hide from me unless I tell you to. That means no trying to escape and not a single attempt to bar yourself from me. If you ever do try to run, make no mistake, I will catch you, and when I do, you will know nothing but pain and suffering for a very long time.”

  Fuck him; I would get out of here eventually, no matter how much he threatened me. Normally, I was very fast on my feet, regardless of my short legs and stride. He was just lucky I was barefoot and unaware of my surroundings.

  “The fifth rule entails your etiquette. You’re a young lady, and, thus, will be expected to act like one. You are to remain polite, well mannered, and maintain an excellent posture. No slouching and no swearing. You will pay me the proper respect I deserve at all times. You will come when called and answer my direct questions accordingly. Though I thoroughly enjoy your feisty attitude, there is a time and a place. You should watch the amount of sass you let fly off that silver tongue or yours unless you want to find yourself in trouble often. But, for the most part, I suggest you just keep your mouth shut if you want to remain respectful.”