No. No, I didn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it.
Athena wouldn’t … Athena couldn’t …
My phone buzzed inside my suit pants, and I yanked it out, answering the call without looking at the contact. It had to be Sierra or Heather, or maybe it was even Athena, calling me back.
“Did you find her?” I asked.
“Find who?” an amused Derek asked over the phone. “Your wife? She’s with me.”
Adrenaline rushed through me. “What the fuck did you do to her?”
“Say hi, Athie,” Derek taunted.
There was silence on the other end, and then my phone buzzed in my hand. I peeled it away from my ear and stared at the pictures on the screen. Rage bubbled up inside me, and I slammed my fist right into Athena’s car door.
With blood dripping from a gash in her forehead, Athena lay in a cage in the middle of my parents’ living room, naked and on display for my entire family of fucked-up animals.
“Looks like she hasn’t woken up yet,” Derek hummed. “But don’t worry. We’ll make sure she gets a good introduction to the family when she does. See you soon, brother.”
CHAPTER
FORTY-FOUR
ATHENA
Head throbbing, I pressed my hand against it and whimpered. What happened?
My body was cold … extremely cold, the ground underneath me like ice. I turned onto my side and curled up into a ball, not wanting to open my eyes.
Last thing I remember was …
What was it again?
I had been at Heather’s to get ready for the party, and then I bought wine and saw that video and?—
My heart began thumping so loudly that I could hear it in my ears.
And the last thing I remembered was Derek standing over me.
Oh my God.
After willing myself to open my eyes, I tried to adjust to the sudden rush of sensations. There were bright lights pointed on me from all directions, and beyond that, there were people in the darkness.
Faceless men and women. Laughing, drinking, and … fucking.
“Oh my fucking God,” I whispered to myself, eyes widening.
Using all my strength, I pushed myself up to a semi-seated position, resting all my weight on my left arm. Moans drifted out from all places. I spotted glimpses of fur and lace and mesh, ropes and swings.
This can’t be happening. This really, really can’t be happening.
This wasn’t any party. No, this was a sex party.
And Derek had brought me to a sex party? What kind of sick family were the Eastons?! Had Charlie grown up around this? Why hadn’t he told me? No, surely, if he had known, then he wouldn’t have decided to come here at all. They must’ve been planning this for a long time now.
Another cold gust of air hit me, and I looked down to see that I wasn’t just at a sex party. I was sitting in a cage, naked, at a sex party, in the center of the room, as if I were entertainment. Or maybe … Derek planned to use me as the main event.
Maybe Charlie’s father did.
