Page 37 of Red Waters

Completely exhausted from being a part of his insane world, I dropped my arms to my side. My mouth barely made audible words. “What did you do?”

He replied with hatred. “What was deserved.”

I wanted to find the strength to say people didn’t deserve to die, but I was depleted. Depleted in every way. And, the crimes being committed in that facility may have deserved such punishment. “Yury.” If he was willing to kill for me, I hoped he would be willing to save me. “Let me go.”

Still breathing hard, his jaw locked. “I don’t want to.”

My hands touched my body to show all the damage his wants had caused. “Soiled.”

Yury glanced away, shame present. “Fire—”

“You once asked me not to let you break me—”

“Stop.”

“I failed, Yury.”

“Stop!”

“You broke me.”

He rushed me and began kissing me all over my face. “Give me a chance to make this right.”

I had no more chances to offer, nor kisses. They had been stolen when he offered my body to others. I whispered, “You have to let me go.”

“Fire. Please.”

Feeling blood smear against my skin, I whispered, “I can’t stay here anymore.”

He nodded, his forehead rubbing against me. “That’s why I’m here. We’re leaving.”

Leaving was the best start I could’ve hoped for. If no longer contained within the four walls, I knew I had a chance to find my way back to Link. Without questions asked, I let Yury hold my hand to lead me to freedom.

In the hallway, I should’ve shrieked seeing three dead bodies on the cold floor, but I was far past reacting appropriately. They had been shot. One of the bodies was Aiden. After the rape, I was in such shock I never heard one bullet ring through the air. Now, the only sound that could be heard were keys jittering in a lock. I blinked as I watched Yury open a door.

In the room identical to mine, a naked young man was on the floor, knelt in his servitude position. Yury barked, “Rise. I am setting you free.”

I couldn’t place the slave’s accent, but I knew it wasn’t Russian when he replied, “Master?” while following directions as if extremely confused. Cautiously, he stood.

I cringed, realizing Yury had been training this young man.

To say the slave was beautiful was a gross understatement. He looked as if perfectly sculpted. I had never seen anything like him. It wasn’t that I was attracted to him; it was that I knew why he had been abducted. “How much, Yury? How much were you going to get for him?”

Grey eyes peered at me from under shiny black hair. They were begging me to know my place and not get punished. His haunted expression told me of all the abuse he had already endured. Had he been raped like me?

My eyes closed when I realized he had not one flaw, not one visible bruise or scar caused by Yury. This slave had not been starved. He was practically glowing with good health. My months of hell had me shaking. I growled, “How. Much?” Were my thoughts rational? No. Not in the slightest. It would be some time before I had sound thoughts again.

Yury stared at me, knowing I was catching on, then finally exhaled. “One point five million.”

My eyes opened to stare at the scar on my leg, the reason I had become disposable. I held no anger for the innocent slave. It was all for Yury. His selfishness allowed me to be irrevocably violated. Slowly, I peered up to my captor. “I’m going to smack you now.”

I was full of rage for two reasons:

One: I was now a rape victim on top of everything else I had been put through.

Two: I was heartbroken to still care for the man to blame.

I don’t think Yury nodded with regret because he was in fear of my small hand. I think it was because he realized anything that had been built between us was fading away, minute by minute, and it was all his fault.