Page 30 of KAI Tortured

“Kai, I want you to take the DNA samples to a lab. I’ll text you the address. And wait there until they’re done. Is that okay?”

“Sure.”

CHAPTER 8

MAISY

The sight of Orion’s and Logan’s bodies, crumpled and lifeless in a pool of blood, is something I never want to be faced with again. At that very moment, my whole world collapsed.

The echo of gunshots reverberated in my ears and tears blurred my vision as the man dragged me away.

Even if I wanted to run, there wasn’t any place for me to go to. Rosey wanted me. The Slavs wanted me. The only way out was to die.

But I didn’t. The darkness of that basement was my home. I barely slept or ate. I was terrified that at any moment, the Slavs would storm in and rape me. Make more Slav babies. I had panic attacks, and my chest hurt with every ragged breath I took down there. Because it also reminded me of my time there with Logan. The time when Marina got killed right in front of my eyes.

I felt utterly alone and abandoned.

I wished Orion and Logan were alive, but as the days stretched into eternity, despair crept in and I gave up hope. Then I began to wonder, if Kai was alive, where was he?

Being all alone for what seemed like forever, I realized there was something new developing inside me, some kind of spark of defiance, something that refused to be defeated.

Rage maybe, similar to Orion’s. I was angry at what my life had turned out to be.

And it started the moment I was taken to the Slavs, to the house Rosey had taken over. The men who met me at the entrance were vile; they kept groping me and all of them told me how they couldn’t wait to put a baby in me. It was Rosey who saved me from their grubby hands. I kept thinking she’s good, she’ll be there for me, she’s my sister, but I forgot what I am to them. Actually, to her. A vessel for bearing children. Milan brainwashed her thoroughly. My sister. I will never forgive myself for that.

I was taken to the basement where I spent the following two months. Lucky for me, my cell was locked, because every Slav had access to the basement, and they used it too. They’d come at all times of day to jerk off, telling me they couldn’t wait to get their hands on me. To defile me.

On my first day there, a man in a white coat came and, rather roughly, cut my arm and removed my implant. Then, he’d check me daily for my period. He’d touch me between my legs, and sometimes his fingers would slip inside me. He probably expected a different reaction than retching, but it was nauseating enough having him in my cell.

I asked Rosey what her plans for me were, and she responded with a frightening honesty. She wanted to get me pregnant as soon as possible; she’d had enough of having babies. It’s your turn now, she said.

With my period still missing after two months, the Slavs became impatient. That’s when they decided to take me to a real doctor, I think.

But I never got there. Was it luck? I don’t know. All I know is that the moment I saw Vitali Tower through the window, I knew I had to jump. I opened the door and threw myself out. Then, I ran. I ran like hell.

Logan just took a swab of my DNA; I didn’t ask why. Whatever it is, I’ll do it. Are they trying to see if I’m really a Slav? And could there be a chance that I’m not?

He muttered something about going downstairs to see what the damage is in the reception area, in the aftermath of me getting inside.

Wherever I go, death and destruction follow me, but hopefully not anymore. Now that I’m here, I’m never leaving this place. The bath has been the best thing so far. I’ve scrubbed my body clean from … from the Slavs. Although I know I cannot swap my blood with someone else’s. I am who I am. At least now I’m clean. I shaved too. I had so much hair on me, it was ungodly. And finally, I got to brush my teeth. Now I smell fresh, like peonies or lavender - who knows? All I know is that I’m clean.

Before I exit the bathroom, I take the plug out. The color of the water is vile and I scrub the bath clean. I want no evidence here of my time in that basement.

Once I’m finished, I wrap my body in the white Egyptian cotton towel Logan left for me. I sigh from the luxurious feeling that encases my body. Then, I towel-dry and brush my hair. It’s shorter now, just about touching my shoulders, unevenly cut. Rosey did it herself. She must see me as her competition because she hoped it would make me look uglier. I don’t care how I look.

I step back into the living area, and this time I get a better look at the grandeur that surrounds me. Orion is by himself, sitting on the couch and looking at his cell.

“Where’s Kai?” I ask.

He raises his head, fixing his gaze on me. He watches me with a mixture of adoration and longing. Being watched like that makes me feel like I’m free to show my vulnerability and desire at the same time. Orion does something to me on a different level.

“He’s running an errand for me,” he replies, setting his cell on the coffee table. He leans back and takes his time regarding me.

I’m drawn by the mesmerizing view that stretches before me and I approach the floor-to-ceiling windows, admiring the city lights. We’re so high up, it’s like being cut off from the real world.

I’m not sure how long I’ve been standing like this, loving everything before me like the true New York girl I am, when in the reflection of the glass, I see Orion behind me. He gently wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me flush to his body. With his other hand, he moves my hair out of the way and kisses down my neck. “Maisy, darling, how I missed you,” he whispers in my ear, before inhaling deeply.

I lean back into his shoulder. I need someone holding me, telling me I was missed, that my nightmare will be over soon.

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