Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 80207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Alek’s body stills, and with our eyes locked, we stare at each other until Prodi chuckles. “Take the love birds back to their cage.”
Alek pulls out of me, and when I feel the warmth of his orgasm trickling down my legs, I almost die of shame.
He adjusts my panties, which quickly become soaked with his release.
When Alek reaches for my pants, Prodi says, “No.”
My eyes dart to the crazy Italian, then he adds, “The girl strips out of the jacket and shirt. She’s only to wear her underwear.” He gives Alek a taunting smile. “Be thankful I’m allowing the underwear.”
Alek lets out a threatening growl, and it has Dario pointing his gun at him. “Do as the boss says.”
Crap.
Not wanting Alek to get shot, I shrug off Svetlana’s jacket, and with trembling hands, I pull the silk blouse over my head. After I drop the fabric to the floor, I cross an arm over my bra and cover my soaked panties with my other hand.
Just pretend you’re wearing a bikini.
In the middle of winter.
Just freaking great!
Prodi waves a careless hand at us. “Get them out of my sight.”
Alek grips my hips and moves in behind me as we walk back to our room.
When the door is locked behind us, my body begins to tremble badly, and air bursts over my lips.
I just had sex with Alek in front of five men who, at any point, can decide they want to rape me.
Crippling shame shudders through me, and it feels as if the ground is ripped from beneath my feet.
Alek’s arms wrap around me, and as I sink down to the ground, he pulls me against his chest, his body folding over mine as I shatter into a million pieces.
I thought I broke when my parents died, but I was wrong.
Nothing kills like the shame I’m feeling right now. It strips me of my confidence and makes me feel like a cheap toy that can be used for others' entertainment.
As I weep, Alek just presses his face against the back of my neck. He doesn’t try to say anything.
What can he say?
He suffered too. It wasn’t just me.
Turning around on his lap, I wrap my arms around his neck and cling to him for dear life. Or what’s left of it.
For the first time since we were thrown into this room, the lights turn off, and we’re plunged into pitch-black darkness.
I can’t see anything, and I cling tighter to Alek.
It feels like hours pass before he whispers, “I’m sorry I hurt you.”
I shake my head. “We’re alive.”
More time creeps by, then he says, “Please tell me it wasn’t your first time.”
I suck in a lung full of Alek’s natural scent. “It wasn’t.”
I feel his muscles tense before he lifts me as he stands up. Slowly he moves us to the wall, where he sits down again. He positions me so I’m straddling him before wrapping his arms around me again.
I lie against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart while trying to find a sliver of the old me. It feels like there’s nothing left of the girl I used to be.
There are just shattered pieces of my soul and shame that burns hotter than the flames of hell.
“I’m sorry that happened,” I whisper. “Are you okay?”
He kisses the top of my head and keeps his mouth pressed to my hair. “I’m fine.”
The darkness settles heavily around us, and it feels like we’re wrapped in a bubble where it’s just us.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
I nod even though it’s the furthest thing from the truth.
I’m not okay.
I’ll never be okay again.
Chapter 11
Alek
When the room becomes unbearably cold, Everleigh begins to shiver.
I push her away from my chest, and taking off my shirt, I struggle in the darkness to make sure it’s the right way around before I tug the fabric over her head.
“It’s not much, but it will help,” I say as I adjust the fabric around her torso and hips.
“Thank you.” Her voice sounds hollow and fragile.
I pull her back against my chest and soak up the heat from her body. “You okay sleeping like this? It will help us generate some heat.”
“Yeah.”
It’s the middle of fucking winter, and if we don’t use our bodies to keep each other warm, there’s a possibility one or both of us will get sick. The old radiators I saw in the hallway and the heat from the building pipes might keep away the worst of the winter, but it’s still going to be cold as fuck in this room.
Minutes pass before I ask, “How are you feeling? Physically.”
“Sore,” she admits. “It didn’t hurt as much when I lost my virginity.”
Christ.
Guilt rears in my chest, and I press a comforting kiss to her hair. “I’m sorry.”
“We had to do what was necessary to stay alive.”