Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
“Such a determined girl,” Raymond mutters, and he shoves the key into the lock. “Maybe you need a little more convincing.”
He opens the door, and it squeaks loudly as he steps inside and closes it behind him, slipping the key back into his pocket.
Maybe I can try to steal it.
My eyes skid back and forth between the door and him, his pockets, his eyes, and the piece of bread dangling between two fingers. I feel like an animal ready to hunt.
“C’mon then, take it if you want it,” Raymond says, licking his lips.
I inch forward across the concrete floor, my stomach growling at the sight of that delicious piece of bread.
And when I’m close enough, I lunge forward.
Not at the bread.
At the keys in his pocket.
My hand dives in quickly, searching, but the second I grasp them, he snags my wrist and flicks it to the side until it hurts.
“I knew it,” he growls as I yelp in pain.
“Stop, you’re hurting me,” I say.
“Should’ve taken the bread,” he replies. “Guess I’m gonna have to teach you a lesson in humility.”
He spins me on my feet with ease, covering my mouth with one hand while the other is firmly lodged around my wrists, preventing me from moving away.
“Seems to me you like being pushed to your limits,” he whispers into my ear. “Maybe I should just take what I want and make you beg for it.”
Tears spring into my eyes as I vigorously shake my head.
“Then apologize,” he says through gritted teeth.
But instead of doing what he asks, I bite him.
Hard.
He roars out in pain, tearing his hand off my mouth. “You fucking bit me! You bitch!”
I don’t say a word. I know what I did. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
“Apologize!” he roars. “Or I’ll make you regret you even tried.”
A single tear rolls down my cheeks. “No.”
His face contorts. “So be it.”
Suddenly, he shoves me into the bars, my head hitting the metal so hard I see stars for a moment. I’m too disoriented to notice his hand diving underneath my dress until it has already snaked around my underwear and is pulling it down.
Oh God.
“No, don’t do this,” I yell.
This can’t be happening. This can’t be real.
“I told you, you should’ve taken the bread,” he growls.
Suddenly, the door at the top of the stairs opens again, and Raymond pauses.
“Please, help me,” I say with tears running down my cheeks to whoever is coming down the stairs. “Don’t let him do this to me.”
But the second I spot that wicked old smile on that wrinkly old face, all hope of a savior vanishes.
“Got yourself in quite some trouble, little girl,” Lex mutters as he struggles to get down the stairs. I hate how everyone calls me little. I am not little.
Lex’s eyes fall onto his guard, who stopped groping me the minute someone started walking down the steps. “You, out.”
Just two words are enough to make the guy stop. And I can’t say I’m grateful, but I am relieved when his hand disappears from underneath my dress, and he steps away.
“I was just teaching her a lesson.”
Lex doesn’t even respond, and Raymond takes notice as he quickly unlocks the cell and steps out again.
Raymond holds up his hand to show Lex the wound. “She bit me. She fucking—”
Lex holds up his hand.
Just that, and Raymond shuts up.
Is this man that powerful?
I don’t understand much about Papa’s dealings, mostly because he didn’t want to involve me anymore, but I knew he was messing with the wrong people.
I just didn’t know how wrong.
Lex waves his hand, and Raymond runs back upstairs, leaving the two of us all alone.
And even though Raymond was physically much stronger, Lex instills far greater fear in whoever dares to get in his way.
I gulp as he steps closer to the bars.
“Enjoying your stay? I hope the room is to your liking,” he muses.
“I didn’t do anything to deserve this. Let me out of here,” I say.
“I don’t think I’ll do that. You see, I have issues with your father,” he explains. “And those issues need to be resolved before I let you go.”
I push back more tears. “Whatever my father did has nothing to do with me.”
His brows rise. “You think?”
What?
My eyes widen in shock, but there’s no time to think about his words.
“You’re his daughter, and if he wants you back, he’ll have to come to me.” His face darkens. “On my terms.”
“You just want him dead,” I spit back. “And when you’re done with him, you’ll kill me too.”
“Maybe I won’t wait until after I’ve found your father,” he retorts.
I step back from the bars.
He wouldn’t.
Would he?
“You know, you should be happy you’ve survived,” he says. “Not many do.”
What?
The hit?
This cage?
Or … Beast?
“I’ve put people in this cage before,” he says with such a calm voice it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “They barely make it through a single day.”