to my sides, face down on the bed, but I did. I didn’t wake until I heard knocking at my door. I knew who it was—Esteban knocked, Javier didn’t—and hoped that he would just go away. But I guess his politeness didn’t extend that far.
The door opened and I heard Esteban say, “Wow, he wasn’t kidding.”
It closed behind him and he walked over until I felt him hovering over me. I stiffened, wondering what would come next.
Esteban placed his hand on the small of my back. “Would you like me to untie you?”
Again, I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to beg or ask for anything.
“Well, I’m going to,” he said. He started undoing the rope and soon it loosened my arms falling beside me, my muscles screaming from the pain.
“You know I’m not going to hurt you,” he murmured. “Let me help you up.”
He reached for me, but with what strength I had, I sat up and swatted him away.
“Don’t you touch me,” I scowled.
He raised his palms at me. “All right. Just trying to help.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” I said, sliding the shirt back to normal and making sure I was decent.
He nodded at it. “I have something here for you.”
I looked down at his hands and noticed him carrying a piece of fabric in hot pink.
“It’s a dress,” he said. “You know, if you don’t feel like wearing Javier’s shirt for the rest of the week. Or, you know, you can go naked. If you want.” He gave me a cocky grin and I wished I could do the same to his face as I had done to Javier’s. I just wasn’t sure I had the strength. My arms felt weak from being tied all night and I was absolutely starving.
When I didn’t move or say anything, he threw the dress on my lap. “Put it on,” he said. “I promise to turn around. I won’t look.”
“I don’t care if you do look,” I told him, raising my chin. I didn’t want to do a single thing Esteban or anyone told me to do, but I also wanted to get out of this shirt.
He raised his brows but slowly turned around anyway.
I quickly slipped off the shirt, wincing as it brushed against the cuts on my back, and pulled on the dress. It was strapless and had a smocked bust and waist that conformed to my body perfectly. To what little credit Esteban had, he didn’t turn around for quite some time.
“You look very fresh,” he commented, looking me over. There was a strange look in his eyes that I couldn’t quite place. It was as if he were devious, but at the same time, it wasn’t lustful or sexual. “Are you ready to eat, or do you still want to be stubborn about it?”
I wanted to say yes to both those questions. “I’m fine.”
“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice, hey,” he said. Before I could move, he reached over and grabbed my arm, yanking me straight out of bed. My wrist twisted painfully, and his fingers pressed into me with startling ferocity; enough that I couldn’t help the yelp that escaped from my lips.
“You’re hurting me,” I managed to say, staring up at him, at the highlighted hair that fell in his hazel eyes.
“You’re being an idiot,” he said back, smiling, the scars looking unsettling on his face. “Now come on. You’re having breakfast with us and you’re going to behave. A big smile for the boss.”
He let go and grabbed my upper arm, not as tightly as before, but I obviously wouldn’t be escaping. He led me out of the room and down the carpeted hallway to a set of stairs where a guard was standing watch. I stared at the guard while he took me past. He winked at me in response.
Downstairs the house was a bit more modern. Light pierced through the slats in the blinds. I noticed all the windows were covered, and the furniture in the living room was bare yet still tastefully decorated. I’d never been in Salvador’s torture houses, but I assumed they weren’t as nice as this. It could almost be a middle-class home if only I didn’t know its purpose.
“Right in here,” Este said, leading me through a doorway and
The door opened and I heard Esteban say, “Wow, he wasn’t kidding.”
It closed behind him and he walked over until I felt him hovering over me. I stiffened, wondering what would come next.
Esteban placed his hand on the small of my back. “Would you like me to untie you?”
Again, I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to beg or ask for anything.
“Well, I’m going to,” he said. He started undoing the rope and soon it loosened my arms falling beside me, my muscles screaming from the pain.
“You know I’m not going to hurt you,” he murmured. “Let me help you up.”
He reached for me, but with what strength I had, I sat up and swatted him away.
“Don’t you touch me,” I scowled.
He raised his palms at me. “All right. Just trying to help.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” I said, sliding the shirt back to normal and making sure I was decent.
He nodded at it. “I have something here for you.”
I looked down at his hands and noticed him carrying a piece of fabric in hot pink.
“It’s a dress,” he said. “You know, if you don’t feel like wearing Javier’s shirt for the rest of the week. Or, you know, you can go naked. If you want.” He gave me a cocky grin and I wished I could do the same to his face as I had done to Javier’s. I just wasn’t sure I had the strength. My arms felt weak from being tied all night and I was absolutely starving.
When I didn’t move or say anything, he threw the dress on my lap. “Put it on,” he said. “I promise to turn around. I won’t look.”
“I don’t care if you do look,” I told him, raising my chin. I didn’t want to do a single thing Esteban or anyone told me to do, but I also wanted to get out of this shirt.
He raised his brows but slowly turned around anyway.
I quickly slipped off the shirt, wincing as it brushed against the cuts on my back, and pulled on the dress. It was strapless and had a smocked bust and waist that conformed to my body perfectly. To what little credit Esteban had, he didn’t turn around for quite some time.
“You look very fresh,” he commented, looking me over. There was a strange look in his eyes that I couldn’t quite place. It was as if he were devious, but at the same time, it wasn’t lustful or sexual. “Are you ready to eat, or do you still want to be stubborn about it?”
I wanted to say yes to both those questions. “I’m fine.”
“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice, hey,” he said. Before I could move, he reached over and grabbed my arm, yanking me straight out of bed. My wrist twisted painfully, and his fingers pressed into me with startling ferocity; enough that I couldn’t help the yelp that escaped from my lips.
“You’re hurting me,” I managed to say, staring up at him, at the highlighted hair that fell in his hazel eyes.
“You’re being an idiot,” he said back, smiling, the scars looking unsettling on his face. “Now come on. You’re having breakfast with us and you’re going to behave. A big smile for the boss.”
He let go and grabbed my upper arm, not as tightly as before, but I obviously wouldn’t be escaping. He led me out of the room and down the carpeted hallway to a set of stairs where a guard was standing watch. I stared at the guard while he took me past. He winked at me in response.
Downstairs the house was a bit more modern. Light pierced through the slats in the blinds. I noticed all the windows were covered, and the furniture in the living room was bare yet still tastefully decorated. I’d never been in Salvador’s torture houses, but I assumed they weren’t as nice as this. It could almost be a middle-class home if only I didn’t know its purpose.
“Right in here,” Este said, leading me through a doorway and
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