by Evie Harper
“You would have told her that, whether it was the truth or not, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes,” I answer honestly, and I notice Jake rubbing at his chest again. “You’re a good sister, Lily.”
“I’m doing what anybody would do for someone they love,” I reply.
“Yeah, you are.” Jake’s voice sounds far away and he faces the window and gets lost for a moment.
Whatever thoughts are haunting him, he shakes them off and says, “Her face looks better.”
“She does look better and thank goodness there are no new bruises or cuts.”
“The two of you looked to be having an intense conversation. Also you both seemed happier than two sisters should be, saying goodbye before one goes off to an auction.”
Damn, he’s suspicious. I feign a shocked expression, “So there’s a manual I should read on how to say goodbye to my sister? Anyway, it’s not goodbye. I will see her again, and that’s what I told Sasha. I kept our time together light and happy,” I lie.
“You’re not telling me everything, Lily. I can see it, and you suck at lying,” Jake states. His eyes are boring holes into me.
I hold his stare as long as I can, and then I head to my messy bed and start pushing the covers up to make the bed up.
“Lily,” he growls at me.
“Leave it alone, Jake,” I say, trying to stay calm,
“Fuck, Lily, what have you done?” His voice is firm.
“Nothing that concerns you, Jake. You made it very clear you wouldn’t help Sasha and me get out of here.” I continue to make the bed, trying to ignore the storm building behind me.
“I understand you want to help your sister, but trying to get her out is going to get her killed. I know what’s happened to her so far isn’t nice—”
I cut Jake off, my anger growing every second he keeps talking. “Isn’t nice?” I whisper. “What you and these men do here is evil, and I will do whatever it takes to get my sister away from this,” I end on a growl.
Jake freezes and stares straight at me. Guilt and remorse flash in his eyes. “Whatever has or is happening to Sasha, Lily, at least she is still alive,” he stresses to me.
“You think after being sold to someone who will do God knows what to her, who will probably beat and rape her, that she will be alive? No, if I don’t get her out soon, she will be a fucking shell of who she is now. And I will have no idea how to find her. I will not let her be sold.”
“Whatever plans you have, Lily, let them go, please,” Jake pleads.
“I can’t. You need to understand if Sash gets sold, if that happens, it will kill me,” I say calmly, trying to make Jake accept what I can’t live with.
“Fuck,” Jake shouts to the roof. “I know, Lily. I know.” He breathes out. “I hope whatever plans you have fail, Lil, because the alternative could be so much worse than being sold.” Jake turns and storms out of the room.
I look out through the barred windows to the deep blue ocean, hoping I’m not making a huge mistake, and sending my sister off to a worse fate than the one we are already headed toward.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Bang!
I barely slept at all last night, too anxious and excited about Sasha escaping today. I shower early and get dressed in jeans and a deep blue lace tank top.
I’m not sure what time it is. The only way I can tell around here is when I get my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I try to read but can’t focus on the story.
I’m looking out the window when the door opens. Jake walks in with the table cart and wheels in my breakfast. There’s no way I can stomach food this morning; I feel like butterflies are killing each other in my tummy. However, I need to. I can’t let Jake see there is anything different about today.
He sits and watches me while I eat, and it makes me slightly uncomfortable because I’m hiding something. Any other time, I love it. Usually, it’s like he’s trying to peel back layers to see my soul, like my physical being sometimes isn’t enough for him, and he wants more. It’s intoxicating to know just how much I intrigue him.
“Lily, there’s something you need to know.” I stare up at Jake, waiting for him to finish. “Sasha’s auction is this afternoon at five pm.” Jake’s face is soft as he tells me, apprehension flashes through his warm brown eyes.
I blink a few times and leave my expression blank for a moment thinking how I should react. Jake knows I’m planning something, but not when. If he knows it’s before the auction, will he try to stop it? I trust Jake, but that trust hasn’t been tested yet, and Sasha is too important to me to test if Jake is being honest with me. So I decide to lie, nothing is more important than Sash.
“What?” I whisper, pretending to be shocked. I jump from my seat. “So soon, that’s too soon. I thought her face had to heal completely first?” I challenge loudly, continuing to surprise myself with my acting skills.
Jake stands with me, stretching his arms out to touch me, but I back away. “I’m sorry, Lily. I know this is going to be hard for you.”
I walk over to the window, finding it difficult to keep looking at Jake as I lie. “Can you please leave me alone? I don’t want to talk to anyone right now.”
I sense Jake come up behind me, and he softly touches my waist. “Knock if you need me.” His voice is thick and full of understanding.
I give a slight nod, and then hear the door close.
I blow out a breath and pray. Please, God, let this work. Take my sister home safely.
I grow more anxious as time progresses and it’s showing. I’m fidgety and I start biting my nails until I’m sure it must be eleven am or just after. I’m mentally exhausted, and my emotions are all over the place.
A knock comes at my door. It opens, and I spin around with wide eyes. I’m on the edge, feeling that at any moment my life could implode.
A slave girl brings in my lunch cart. She shuts the door and motions her head toward the bathroom. Oh, my God, she wants to talk to me.
I race to my pillow and grab the pencil, then pick up the closest book to me and tear out the back page. I hurry into the bathroom and close the door, not bothering to lock it.
Instantly, I ask, “Is everything okay?” I push the paper and pencil at her, and she starts writing.
Beth asked me to see you after they departed, to ease your worry and let you know they left the house without any problems.
My whole body sags against the bathroom door. I finally feel like I can breathe again. After her words sink in, a massive smile erupts on my face, and I grab the girl and hug her tightly; she lets out a squeak at the shock of it.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” My heart is soaring, nothing could bring me down from this high.
I let the girl go, and she begins to write again.
Myself or Beth will come and see you later to let you know how the rest of the trip went.
I nod, still smiling brightly. “What’s your name?”
Sally
“Well, thank you for letting me know, Sally. This news means the world to me.” My smile seems to be contagious because Sally’s lips spread to a grin as she leaves the bathroom and heads out of my room in a hurry.
I turn to the mirror and see my sister’s smile. Maybe some people were right and we do look alike.
I hear the door open and step out of the bathroom, attempting to put a blank expression on my face, obviously failing as Jake narrows his eyes when he sees me.
“I thought being cooped up in this room all day might have been too much for you.” He lifts an eyebrow in question as to why I might be trying to hide a smile, but I stay silent, and he continues speaking, “I thought you might like to go down to the cliffs, get some fresh air and enjoy the wide open space.”
“That sounds perfect,” I say, hopefully not too cheerful.
Jake tilts his head the side, and it’s easy to see he’s trying hard to decipher my mood today. Apparently, I failed at blank.
“I’ll go get ready,” I say as I walk
to the closet and get some sandals.
***
Jake leads me through the house and down to the cliffs, about one and half acres from the house. It’s beautiful down here. The fresh sea air with the sun shining down warms me from the cold breeze. The view is stunning: giant cliffs with clear blue water crashing against them.
Jake is over to my left, sitting against a tree, watching me closely. A small part of me loves that he’s trying to distract me from what he thinks will be Sasha’s auction day, but another part of me is angry he has anything to do with this in the first place. I want to know how he got here. He’s compassionate and gentle. How can he stand to live like this? There has to be so much more than what I’m seeing.
I close my eyes and breathe in the fresh ocean air. My mind goes to Sasha and Maria. By now, they would have arrived at the grocery store. They would have made their escape from the trunk of the car and be on their way to Dr Kingsley’s house. Then she will be on her way home. Finally, my sister is free and safe. Keeping my eyes closed, I take a big breath in, and I laugh as a memory of Sasha comes to my thoughts.
“Lily!” I hear Sasha yelling for me.
“In the kitchen, Sash,” I shout back.
Sasha enters the kitchen like a bull seeing a red flag, feet apart and her nostrils flaring.
“You were right. That asshole Jimmy was seeing that whore behind my back.” Oh no. I didn’t want to be right about that.
“I’m sorry, Sash. Are you okay?” Her chest is rising and falling rapidly. She is pissed.
“Oh, I will be. Where is that bat Dad kept in the house for when we had dates?” Shit, she’s furious.
“Umm...I’m not sure I want to tell you. What do you plan on doing with said bat?”
She gives me an evil Cruella de Vil smile. Uh oh.
“Sasha Morgan, you touch his car and he will go ballistic.”
She walks out of the kitchen still talking to me as I follow her through the house, and she starts her search.
“He should have thought about that before he cheated on me,” she seethes.
She did eventually find that bat. However, Jimmy’s car didn’t get a beating, Jimmy did. He loved that car so much, he took every swing she aimed at that car.
I open my eyes and giggle, remembering him walking around town with a black eye and his arm in a sling for weeks. Looking over the blue sea, it feels like my home is worlds away from here. I just have to wait now, because I know Sasha will go straight to the police as soon as she can. I just have to hope I don’t get moved before then or figure out a way to prolong it as long as I can. Thinking about leaving already has me missing Jake, which is strange. I’ve only known him for a short time and already I miss him before we are even separated.
My ears pick up a piercing sound coming from somewhere. I still my body to hear it again or see if it’s just in my head. I hear it again. It’s a scream. It’s coming from somewhere around me.
I whip my head around and peer up at the house. Another scream hits my ears. It’s coming from the side of the house. The screams are blood curdling; someone is in a lot of pain.
I turn my whole body around toward the house, glimpsing at Jake, who is also staring up at the house, confused.
I put my hand over my eyes, squinting, trying to identify what I’m hearing. Another scream, louder this time.
My blood runs cold. No! Sasha.
Instantly, my legs start pounding the ground. I’m running faster than I ever have in my life. I hear another scream. My heart pushes at me to run faster. My legs and arms are pumping ferociously. My ankles twist on the ground as I hit small holes and rocks in the earth, but I keep going, not feeling the pain. I vaguely hear someone running after me, but I don't stop or look behind me. I hear another scream and my heart threatens to burst from my chest at hearing my little sister in so much pain.
I finally get close enough to see her. Her hands are tied above her head to a wooden pole on a concrete slab. The back of her white dress is soaked in blood. Oh, my God, there’s so much blood.
I push myself harder and faster. I see a lash from a whip come down on Sasha's back. She doesn't move.
I screech, “STOP!” No one notices me.
I keep sprinting toward her while screaming at them to stop. Another lash hits Sasha’s back. She's still not moving. God, no, this is not happening. I'm so close I can hear the sound of the whip as it’s retracting.
I approach the area, my throat burning from my shrieks. I head straight for Sasha. My only thoughts are to protect her.
Reaching out with my arms, I fall on top of her, and cover Sasha with my body. A second later, I take a hit with the whip across my neck. The pain is excruciating, and a piercing scream rips from my throat.
There’s loud angry yelling in the background. “Fucking stop! She’s in the collection.” Immediately, I pull at Sasha’s ropes and stumble trying to untie her hands.
“Sasha? Sasha, can you move?” No answer. My heart constricts painfully. I pull Sasha's hands loose and bring her arms down. I haul her into my body and turn her over as I sit back on my calves. I inhale sharply at what I see and tears pool in my eyes. With shaking hands, I gently touch her face. Her once beautiful face is now bruised and bloody. She’s been severely beaten. She makes no movement at my touch.
"Sasha!” I shake her shoulders and shout in her face. Nothing. No response.
I look around me wildly and scream, “Someone help her, please!" No one moves.
I look back to Sasha. Think, Lily. What do I do? I look to her swollen eyes and see a sliver of her beautiful blue irises. If she were dead, her eyes wouldn’t shine so bright would they? She's awake! Hope blooms instantly and then fades away just as quickly as I notice they aren't moving. My eyes slip to her chest. It isn't rising or falling. I put my ear to her mouth and feel no warm breath coming from her. No, No! This isn’t happening!
I shake Sasha mercilessly. "Wake up! Don’t do this. Don't you dare leave me!" I beg. A sob explodes out of my mouth. "Please, don't leave me here. Take me with you," I plead softly.
Tears are now pouring down my face, raining onto Sasha's chest where a red pool builds. I twist back to the guards, imploring them with my eyes to help me. My sight is blurry. I attempt to wipe the tears with my shoulders but more just keep falling.
Jake is standing closer to me than anyone else. I lift Sasha up to him, begging him to take her, to help her. But I'm too weak to hold her up while Jake stands frozen. The only movement is his glassy eyes hitting mine: agonised pain reflecting my own. A high pitched cry violently rips from my chest as he stays frozen just staring at me, while I hold my dead sister in my arms.
I stare back down to Sasha and put my hand to her chest, trying to feel for my little sister’s heartbeat, but I find nothing... stillness.
I lift my hand to her head and cup her cheek. Blood smears her face. Shaking, I kiss her temple. "I love you," I say, barely above a whisper. "I will see you soon, sis.”
Another screaming cry forces its way out of my lips as I can’t stop myself from staring down at my little sister, laying lifeless in my arms, her dead swollen eyes staring back at me. My mind desperately calls me to the dark corner, to be as far away from here as possible.
I twist my neck as my head grows heavy on my shoulders, my eyes stinging. I gently place my baby sister on the dirt and blood below me. My body feels lifeless and weak; sobs keep crawling from my mouth.
I want to lie down next to her and beg God to take me too.
Movement has me turning my head to the guards standing around me. Some with wide eyes, and others, their expressions blank, not caring that they have torn my world apart.
I catch sight of a gun sitting on a chair to my right. I blink twice, clearing the tears from my eyes.
Vengeance! Roars through my mind.
I understand what I have to do without even thinking, I'm up and running. I can vaguely hear yells, orders. I’m not sure; all my focus is on getting to that gun. I'm almo
st there and fall to the hard cement ground, feeling my jeans rip, and my skin peel as I slide to the chair.
I grab the gun and twist the top half of my body around. As soon as I look up, my eyes find Mick with the whip in his hands. I let out a deep guttural scream I don't recognise as my own; it rips its self from my throat, but I know it’s me from the shaking in my arms and the rumbling in my chest. This is something ugly inside of me. It's madness. I've been standing on the edge of a cliff and I was just pushed, and all the rage building inside of me from the first day I arrived in Hell is thirsting for revenge, for blood to be spilled.
Bang!
I pull the trigger as Mick drops the whip and heads toward me. I watch as he’s forced back by the bullet, and he falls to the ground. I’m shocked by the force of the gun as my arm knocks back from the recoil.
Hazily, I hear Jake in the background yelling not to shoot me, but I can't be sure. There’s too much noise in my ears, a roaring sound telling me to avenge my sister and kill these monsters.
I aim the gun at another guard and shoot without a second thought. I’m ready for the recoil this time and adjust to aim at the next guard quicker. Then the next guard. I feel a pain slash through one of my thighs, but nothing matters more than killing them. Kill. Them. All.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, I hear a clicking sound, but my arm isn't forced to brace, and I realise the gun is out of bullets.
The haze clears, and I focus on what's in front of me. Five dead men lying on the ground, blood seeping from their wounds. Four dead guards and Jake, dead. Blood spills from his neck and chest. I drop the gun immediately and cover my mouth as a cry escapes. Jake.
I hear yelling from faraway and boots crunching on gravel running toward me, but they aren’t here yet.
A gun is haphazardly lying on the ground between me and a dead guard.
I pick it up and put it to my temple. I close my eyes and drift off into the darkness, thinking only of seeing my sister soon.
Bang!
Abruptly, I’m taken out of my thoughts by a guard picking up the gun sitting on the chair. I look up and see all four guards and Jake still alive and staring at me. I shake my head, trying to clear my mind of what is real and what I wish I could do.