It doesn’t last long but leaves a foul taste in my mouth. The need to hurl pulses through me but before I can, Giovanni is forcing me back down the aisle as his loyal family applauds his new marriage.
12
The black SUV pulls to a stop at the top of the big circle driveway, and I stare up at the castle. There used to be a time that I liked being here. I liked waking up in this prison knowing the boys were there, and that despite everything shitty in the world, I had a place to call home.
Not anymore. I’m dreading walking back into that castle more than I hated it those first few weeks as the boys’ prisoner. I was petrified and certain that death was knocking on my door, and now, I’m right back there, only I know exactly what’s in store for me.
Giovanni is going to consummate the marriage. He’s going to hold me down and fuck me until I bleed. My only saving grace is that a man like Giovanni would most likely have a micro cock and last less than five seconds. It’ll be over quickly, but that doesn’t take away from how brutal and painful it’s going to be, the havoc it will rain down over my mental wellbeing, the pride I’ll lose, or the way I’ll be left with no dignity.
How the hell am I supposed to walk back in there knowing what’s waiting for me?
The driver, who doubles as one of Giovanni’s many guards, pushes out of the car and storms around to the back as my heart thunders. Giovanni took his own car, leaving me with a two-hour drive to stew on everything that just happened … everything that’s going to happen.
Fuck.
The door opens and I shrink away as the guard leans in and grabs my arm. I pull back but the fucker is too strong, and I’m too defeated. He drags me out of the SUV and my body drops heavily to the asphalt. My knees scrape through the white silk, and as he hauls me to my feet, the dress catches on the loose stones, tearing the fabric with ease.
“No,” I cry, pleading with everything that I am. “Please. Please don’t take me back there. Please.”
The guard ignores my every cry as he drags me up the big entrance steps of the castle. Dread sinks heavier with each step, and by the time we reach the top, I’m clawing at his arm, all but shredding his flesh to ribbons.
The guard presses his hand to the scanner, and it flashes green before the automatic lock clicks and the door releases. The guard struggles to hold on to me, and I use it to my advantage, remembering every last thing Zeke and the boys have taught me.
I bring my elbow around in a quick arc and slam it down over his arm, hitting him right in the soft spot below his bicep. The guard cries out in agony and I tear my arm free from his strong grip before hightailing it back down the steps.
Not today, asshole!
My feet slam against the stairs, taking two at a time, and I concentrate with everything that I have, knowing damn well that coordination simply isn’t my thing. The likelihood of misstepping and sending my ass flying over my head is too great. I haven’t exactly had the best luck lately, and now really isn’t the time to test that theory.
The guard bounds after me, and I don’t dare waste a second looking back, but if the sound of his feet against the steps is anything to go by, the fucker is gaining quickly.
My heart thunders wildly, and I resist the urge to scream, needing to conserve whatever energy I have left. I haven’t eaten or drank even a sip of water since leaving Gia’s home. That was barely even twelve hours ago, but so much has happened since then, so much of my energy has been drained and I won’t get far before this asshole is bearing down on me.
My feet hit the asphalt and I sprint like a motherfucker, but the guard is behind me in seconds, his arms locking around my waist as he throws us down to the ground. My jaw crushes against the hard driveway, and I cry out, certain that something is broken. “You think I fucking enjoy this?” the guard spits in my ear. “You're not the only one with something to fucking lose. Stop fighting me.”
My elbow barrels back into his throat and he releases his hold on me just enough for me to begin scrambling out from under him, but he’s not having any of my bullshit today. Apparently, it’s been a long day for everyone, and I almost feel sorry for the prick. I can only imagine what Giovanni is holding against him to force him to do his bidding, but I can’t force myself to care. His problems are his alone. I have my own issues, and I won’t be blamed for the position he got himself in.
He lashes out, gripping my ankle and yanking me back before I get a chance to take off, and my body crumbles back to the driveway, my white gown well and truly fucked now. He gets a good hold of me, pulling my arms behind my back and I fear that my shoulders may pop out of their sockets. Pain tears through me as the guard hauls me up off the ground, keeping at my back and disabling any chance of getting away. “Fucking grin and bear it,” he spits in my ear. “Whether you like it or not, you’re his now. There ain’t no escaping it. So do yourself a favor and just get it over and done with. The sooner you let him fuck you, the sooner he’ll leave you the hell alone.”
I swallow hard, knowing he’s right, but I can’t accept it. He’s going to destroy me. He’s going to take everything that I have and he’s going to use the boys to do it.
I can’t … I can’t allow this to happen.
A sob tears from deep in my throat as he forces me back up the stairs. Every step feels like lead in my soles, dragging me down as tears stream down my face. Fear settles deep into my gut, and for a moment, I wonder if this is what Jasmine felt like, terrified of what was about to happen to her.
No … no, I shouldn’t compare this to the fresh hell Jasmine suffered through. She was bound and gagged, stolen out of her home and brutally raped. This is … it’s different. I came back here to save the boys knowing there was a possibility that Giovanni would get me. I knew what he wanted, and I still came, risking it all just to see that the boys were alive.
They’re going to hate me for allowing myself to get into this position. They told me to run, and I refused to listen, but in the end, if I can get them out, if I can save them, it’ll all be worth it, right?
Fuck.
The guard gets me through the front door and the massive castle seems so much smaller now. He doesn’t waste time getting me back up to my room and the soft cries of the baby deeper in the castle are the only thing that can take my mind off what’s going to happen.
He throws me down on my bed and I crumble, my will to fight quickly dissipating, but when he comes down on top of me and flips me over, I stare up at him with wide eyes. “What are you—”
His thighs press down on either side of my chest, locking my arms by my side as he grips my jaw with one hand. I try to pull away, terrified of what he might want from me when a small pill appears in his other hand. He forces it into my mouth and before I can even attempt to spit it back at him, a jug of water pours down over my face. I sputter against the water, but he keeps my mouth open, forcing me to swallow or risk drowning in it, and only when the pill effortlessly slides down my throat does he let up.
Water drenches my face and my bed as the prick places the jug back on the small bedside table. “You’re going to thank me for that,” he mutters, climbing off me.