Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 52178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
“I feel nothing,” he roars, shaking the cage with his outburst.
“Liar,” I throw back. “At least I’m honest. You are a lot of things, Marek, but I never picked you for a fucking liar.”
“Shut your fucking mouth,” he warns, his voice icy.
“No,” I croak, and then the tears flow harder. “God damn you. Please don’t leave me here.”
He stares in at me, and, for a split second, I can see something flash across his face. I would almost guess it’s hurt, like he doesn’t enjoy seeing me cry, but he quickly covers it with that same old, hard expression.
“Marek,” I wail when he pushes to his feet. “Please. I hate it here. Please.”
He stares down at me, his fists clenched by his sides.
Something about my tears breaks him, just a little.
“I’m afraid in here,” I sob. “Please don’t leave me here.”
I think he might just release me, just for a moment, but he doesn’t. He turns and walks out, without once looking back. My cries fill the empty tent as I curl onto the cool grass and wail. I don’t care how loud or pathetic it is. I hope it fills this entire camp. I hope they all know what he’s done. I hope he lies in his bed tonight and hears my sobs over and over until it torments him.
“I hate you,” I scream until my voice breaks.
Curling into a ball, I use my arm to rest my head, and I cry until there is nothing left but breathy sobs. Eventually, those stop too, and I hiccup as my body comes down from the intense emotional break I just experienced. Finally, everything settles until I’m lying in sheer darkness, not a sound to be heard.
My heart is broken, mostly because I know I’ve left myself feel something for a man I should have never allowed in.
He acts like he doesn’t care, but something about all of this tells me he does.
Marek is a monster – he would have killed me long ago if he wanted.
So why didn’t he?
Why do I matter?
Yet, at the same time, he can so easily lock me in a cage and forget about me.
Is it always going to be the same?
Will he always just use my body and then fight against himself to hate me again?
I’m certain he will, because I’m certain Marek has never cared about another person in his entire life.
He has no reason to, his mother never taught him love and his father left him.
The man has no idea what it feels like to care.
That leaves me with only two options.
I can either keep going and let him in my bed all while risking my heart.
Or I can put a stop to it, not allowing him to come near me at all.
I know which choice is the best.
I know if I fuck him again, I’ll only want him more.
That leaves me with one option.
I have to put a stop to it, completely.
I will dance.
I will perform.
But I will never lay another hand on Marek again.
13
Marek lets me out of the cage, and I don’t speak to him.
Not a single word, not for weeks.
Bonnie releases the article retracting her previous information and stating that Marek is keeping girls in cages for the show, as they are practicing and that he would be holding a free show for people to see. It won’t sway everyone, but I’m hopeful that if they come and watch the show I have been working my ass off for, they might just let it go and we can move on.
Marek is angry, moody, and blunt.
He hates that I’m not speaking to him, but I don’t care.
He should never have locked me in that cage.
It’s the day before the show, when we’re busy setting up, that a man walks into the tent. I can see right away that he’s somehow related to Marek. His features are strikingly similar, the only difference being he’s a little shorter, clean skinned, and has his hair cropped messily against his head. Otherwise, if you put the two of them side to side, you would almost say they were twins.
Is this Marek’s brother?
The one he hasn’t seen in a really long time.
My question is answered when Marek catches sight of him, and his entire face freezes.
Oh boy.
Approaching Marek, the man smiles, but it isn’t in a loving, friendly way. It’s more in a shit stirring, tormenting type of way.
“Hello, brother,” he purrs when he stops in front of Marek, who has his fists clenched by his sides.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
Marek’s voice is icy, and without being asked, his second in charge, Fred, clears the tent. I’m not leaving though, oh no, I want to watch how this one unfolds. Fred gives me a scalding look, but I ignore him. I’m Marek’s prized possession, he’s not going to force me to do anything, and we both know it.