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)
“We’ll see just how long you can hang before you break,” Marek calls up.
No.
He won’t leave me here.
Clenching my eyes shut, a tear runs down my cheek. I have to be strong, I have to. I’m safe, I’m strapped in, I’ll be okay. Right? Right? He won’t let me die up here. He won’t, because he wants to keep me. If he wanted to hurt me, he would have. I need to be strong, now more than ever. Swallowing the bile that rises in my throat, I finally come to a stop, swinging in the middle of the tent as high up as I can go.
The blood rushes to my head, and I know soon, everything is going to hurt. My heart will begin thumping, my ears will ring, my face will swell and go red, and I’ll struggle to breathe. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that hanging upside down for long periods of time isn’t a good thing. I know that no amount of screaming will change his mind.
I have only one option – pretend I’ve passed out.
Marek hangs me there for a while, watching me, but I keep my eyes closed. He calls out, taunting me, telling me I can stop this at any second. At one point, I flip him the bird, but not once do I beg or ask him to let me down. I will not give him the satisfaction. He can take his sadistic personality and shove it clean up his ass.
After a while, dizziness begins to consume as my heart thuds angrily against my chest, unable to push the blood where it wants. I close my eyes, and let everything hang as loose as I can, making it look like I’ve passed out. Marek calls up to me once, then twice, and then I hear him order someone to lower me slightly. They do, and I swing a little, but I let my arms flop where they want, not letting a single part of my body tense up.
“Fuck, lower her.”
My plan worked, as I suspected it would.
Inch by inch, he lowers me down until I flop onto the floor slowly. I let my arms fall to my sides and decide to milk it a little longer—after all, I need him to worry he might have taken it too far. Hot hands touch my face, and someone unties my feet. He slaps me a little, but I don’t move. Then, I’m being hauled up, and I can feel every stride as he takes me out of the tent.
I suspect he’s going to drop me back in my cage, but I’m surprised when I notice him climbing a few steps and then the cool air from an air conditioner tickles my face. It’s a relief, and I want to sigh at how good it feels. Even better when he places me down on a soft bed. Keeping my eyes closed, I let myself enjoy the feeling of lying on the soft mattress for a moment longer, before Marek’s gruff voice breaks the silence.
“I know you’re awake, Ellie Mae.”
I hate the way he uses my name, and yet when it rolls off his tongue in that thick Russian accent, I can’t help that my skin tingles. It’s pathetic, and I’m certain a therapist would have a field day with me, wondering why I’m getting turned on by a devious dick of a man, but here we are. That’s a problem for another day.
“I’m enjoying a moment on the bed, if you’ll please keep it down,” I murmur, not opening my eyes.
“You’re clever, I’ll give you that. Sit up.”
Ugh.
I push up, and my head swims a little, swaying. I brace myself for a heartbeat or two before sitting. My legs dangle over the side of the bed as I peer around the room I’m in. Well, it isn’t a room, but it is a home on wheels. I can see the driver’s area up front, and the rest is a large living space with a bed, a sofa, and even a small kitchen. It’s a huge RV, and it’s pretty damn nice.
“You live in this full time?”
“Why are you asking questions?” he bites out, and my eyes meet his.
God damn him, why does he look so good with that thick dark hair and those striking eyes? I hate that I find him attractive, but it’s really hard not to.
“Why not?”
“You’re a prisoner here, Ellie Mae. This is not a vacation.”
He pushes off the large, long, bookshelf type piece that he was leaning on and strides towards me. I try not to notice the way his pants hug his dick as he moves. Fuck me, what the hell is wrong with me? This man is an absolute fucking monster and I’m here, checking him out like I’ve never had sex in my life. I need to remember exactly what it is I’m doing here and snap out of it.