Maddie flashed me a relieved, timid smile and moved back to the bed, resuming her usual seat by the window, watching the outside world, learning how to survive.
Exiting the door, I felt a flood of relief that Flame had left his post, and I locked the door, ensuring Maddie’s safety. With a racing heart, I ran down the stairs and headed for Ky’s private room. I did not, and would not, ever venture into the yard; it was still too intimidating for me, too open to this life, so I planned to wait for him in his personal quarters, outside of his door.
I opened the entrance door to the hallway, allowing my feet to head in the direction of his room. Then I heard the hallway door slam shut behind me.
A loud, menacing hiss filled the empty hallway. Freezing on the spot, cold shivers raced up the length of my spine.
Someone was here.
“Well, hello beautiful,” a female voice said and I instantly recognized who it belonged to.
Unable to muster strength, my body could not turn, to run, to do anything but stay rooted to this spot.
Two pairs of heeled footsteps approached me, and with every step, my mouth became drier. The smell of strong perfume mixed with liquor drifted over my shoulder and a finger ran down the back of my neck.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to fight off panic, but I was entirely unsuccessful. Wet, soft lips circled the shell of my ear, as another began caressing the side of my throat.
“Why does he want you so badly? What’s so special about you?” a different female voice asked and I almost threw up in fear.
Fingers suddenly tightened on my neck, and I cried out as sharp nails stabbed into the skin. “Please! Do not hurt me…”
“Why does he want you above us? You’re virgin *, we’ll do anything he wants. What’s he so drawn to?”
“He is not… he does not want me…” I whispered almost inaudibly.
The hand released its grip on my neck for but a moment, then tightened harder than before. “Maybe we’ll just have to find out for ourselves,” the voice said.
A hand jerked me around by my shoulder, almost ripping it from its socket. Tiff and Jules were before me, their faces livid and their eyes were unfocused and glazed. They were intoxicated, very intoxicated. This only fueled my fear.
Jule’s firm grip grasped my cheeks, and she forced me back toward Ky’s room, Tiff opening the door and slamming it closed when we were through.
I managed to pull from Jule’s tight grip and back away to the door, but Tiff swung out her hand and hit me across the mouth and I fell down upon the bed, the two women looming close.
Lights danced in my eyes at the force and I tried to focus.
“We’re gonna taste you, Lilah. We’re gonna show you how to have a good time. We wanna show Ky he can have all of us.”
“We’re gonna show you why Ky used to come to us. Before you came along and fucked everything up. You’re gonna enjoy it, baby. You’re gonna come so hard.”
“No!” I cried, my body racked with fear as Tiff kneeled on the bed at my head and Jules at my feet. Jule’s blurry eyes narrowed and, slowly, she looked me up and down.
“I’m sick of seeing these fuckin’ ugly clothes.” She bent down and started pulling up my long dress as Tiff grabbed my hands and held my wrists above my head. I cried out, tasting blood in my mouth from Tiff’s hit as air hit my exposed legs, and Jules and Tiff only laughed, seeming to enjoy my pain.
“I beg you, please. Do not do this!” I whispered, but Jule’s hand continued to lift my dress until it was gathered at my waist. Fingers gripped onto the side of my undergarments and, in seconds, Jules had thrown them on them on the floor.