a's
t her here
cious yet, but the sound sliced through the fog in my head like a blade. My eyes
uldn't speak. All I
e I couldn't place yet. "The enforcers said it was either I repay the debt and walk away... or th
ied with a calmness too controlled to be real. That k
second voice stuttered. "Everything I to
ds cut through the air, sharp and offend
lan any of
loan." His voice stayed low. Steady. Unmoved. "I don't care. R
olently against the
talking
did it sound like some
id, final. "Cross me again, and wh
eavy enough to choke the room. A door slammed moments later, echo
hing until my body jerked violent
Used to clear someone
scream. The tape s
wnership into the air. "Put her in one of the cellars. Give her what
one." The title l
dr
name lightly in
is
pe was ripped from my mouth in one brutal motion. Fire shot across my skin,
ked rapidly, my eyes burning unt
. Alive. This place wasn't
k hair. I only saw his back, but authority radiated from the way he
ice broke. "Please l
Didn't even acknowledge that
fortless force. My feet stumbled against the floor
nd sp
anyone. I didn't know gamblers. I didn't kno
o a man whose face I hadn't even seen. What
y head multiplied
ak. They didn't look at me. Black from head to t
That day. The mask
. Dressed the same way. Sile
from this. The ropes bit into my wrists as they tightened their grip on my arms. My chest
g? I didn't do anything wrong. Please just let
le
ubborn. S
, no hesitation-just cold bodies escorting me d
wer me!" My breath sped up with every step. I twisted my wrist, yankin
no res
ding us somewhere I didn't want to see. One man walked ahead. The other
ht of stairs. The air gr
Uneventful. I kept to myself. I avoided trou
t. Or argue. Or scream. My voice trembled. My
sto
midating, industrial, humming faintly with secukeep something
ont punched i
was dim, its edges swallowed by shadows. One man stepped inside first and reached for a
ed me down another set of stairs. The moment my feet touched the concrete
al table sat at the far end of the room. Tools
n the cente
rai
it settled de
door slammed shut behind them, the so
Locked
geway that required a code, not with a
d into a cellar like livestock sold to the highest bidder. My legs gave out. I stumbled to the fa
~
ke. My eyes flew open as the door un
road. M
own the stairs slowly, deliberately-each step measu
ontroll
ght yet, but everything
lf backward, my palms scraping the floor. "Jus
halted, stoppi
ade the word feel filthy. "You're already mine
pa
n home to. Not even your pretty family. I'm sure they'll find som
osses
e fear burning my chest. "Y
le
fully into the f
from his face, and everything snapped into
How is that
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