I love that we’ve managed to stay close despite the bullshit of our past. Unlocking my door, I step inside my house, glancing over my shoulder to see that Syrus is still waiting for me to get inside safely.
Ugh, he really is so good. Raising my hand, I close my door and lock it. Flicking on lights, I pull off my boots and head toward my kitchen to dig into my food, all while my stomach howls wildly.
“Okay, okay.” I groan, deciding against a plate.
Putting the pizza box on the island, I get myself a glass of water before opening the box and pulling out a slice of pizza. It’s perfectly crispy, and the cheese is delicious as I take a large bite.
I think I just died and went to heaven.I make sounds in my half dark kitchen that border on pornographic, unable to be bothered to turn on any more lights. I make it through half the pizza before my stomach stops cramping and decides that I’m full.
“Fuck, that was good.” I moan, putting my leftovers in a container and putting it in the fridge. Polishing off my water, I quickly wash it and leave it in the rack to dry.
I’ll pay for that tomorrow because there will be obvious water spots, but that’s a problem for tomorrow. Dragging myself upstairs, I drop my bag at my bedside table, pull off my clothes, and shower off the day. I refuse to wash my hair until tomorrow, and instead fall face first into my bed with just a long sleeved t-shirt on.
I’m crossing my fingers that the nightmares will stay away. I’m fucking exhausted.
Chapter Three
Silva
I’m a perfect doll, standing by a gorgeous column in Gideon’s mansion as alphas stalk around me, taking in the “merchandise” he has to offer. I’m not meant to say anything I shouldn’t, so I smile, sip champagne, and circulate around the room so I can be seen.
I’m not meant to be heard, have dreams, or any aspirations at all. I’m simply a perfect omega, waiting to be bred, fucked, or experimented on by an alpha in the room. Nothing says “fresh meat” like recently turning twenty-one, I guess.
There are women circling the room with their too sharp smiles, men who ooze money, and the scent of fear is prevalent in the air as I walk through the room as if nothing is wrong.
Every step I take is steeped in training and lies. This gold low cut and backless dress isn’t me, and there are too many calculating gazes on my body, making my skin pebble with goosebumps.
All the things in this room are run by the money flowing from these alphas’ pockets. You can wrap me up in a beautifuldress, fix my hair, groom me within an inch of my life, and throw on a pair of expensive heels, but at the end of the day, there’s no mistaking what this is about. I’m being sex trafficked to be someone’s fuck toy.
I’ll occasionally make eye contact with Lark, Aries, Luna, Briar, or my sister, only to glance quickly away. No one can know we have no intention of staying here a second longer than we need to, or our plans won’t mean shit.
Beth is going to come find me in my room tonight once the glitz tarnishes and fades and the money is in Gideon’s bank account. I have my orders, and no one expects me to disobey them.
Only I don’t plan to be there. None of us will be. Tonight, we’re making our escape.
My lungs fill with air as I gasp, my eyes opening wide as I struggle to breathe. Sitting up quickly, I can feel the coolness of the sweat soaked sheets, and the sun’s weak rays are beginning to shine through my window as dawn breaks.
I can feel how cold the mansion was kept, how it always felt like I was freezing, and remember the too sweet smiles of my keepers. They pretended to care about us, but all they wanted was to keep us in line and compliant. At first, I revolted, screamed, and broke things, only to break when they promised my actions would only hurt Lexi.
Their actions didn’t seem insidious, but not being able to see my sister after everything that happened before we were captured was too much. It’s how they kept me under their thumb.
Behave or be transferred out of the group was the overall message I was given over and over again, until I became what they wanted me to be on the outside.
Inside? I stewed, plotted, and waited for our chance to leave.
My heart pounds as I hold my hand against it as the memories ravage my mind. I was scared every fucking day I was there, because I knew the day I accepted things or bought into their bullshit, my life would be over.
It wasn’t terrible every day. They took care of us, gave us medical and dental care, and even fed us, but the price tag attached to it was our freedom. I might have accepted my fate if I knew my sister would get out, but it was all or nothing.
Lexi made me promise we would all escape together, which is why I’m here today.
“Fuck,” I whisper, pushing off the sheets as they stick to my naked body. At some point during my fight with my sheets, I pulled off my clothes as well.
Sometimes, I can’t stand the way they feel on my skin. Getting up, I fish out my phone from my purse and check my messages.
Lexi
You have twenty minutes until I storm your house for answers.
