Page 1 of Free

Chapter 1

Addison

It started like any other day before going south. I was at the mall minding my own business when the men took me. It all happened so quickly that I didn’t have the chance to scream or fight. I was snatched in broad daylight. I don’t know how long ago that was because I lost track of days and nights. I’ve lost track of who I was and where I was.

I look to my left and see the girl who’s in the cage with me. She’s younger than me, but that doesn’t mean she endures less. She gets put through the same hell as the rest of us do.

The chains rattle as the guards open the cage door and slide two pieces of bread and a bottle of water in before it slams shut once more.

“You need to eat,” she tells me. I nod my head and grab the small piece of bread, bringing it to my lips. I take a bite and chew, swallowing. I grab the water bottle and twist the cap off, taking a small amount into my mouth before passing it to her. I didn’t bother asking her name. Most of the girls don’t stick around for long before they’re moved someplace else. I don’t know where. Some die in here. I fear that’s what my fate holds. Girls, they come and go, but I stay. I don’t know why. I don’t know what’s happening or why I’m forced to stay in this hell, but I am.

Dark, dingy cells keep us contained. We’re let out a few times a day to walk around a little and shower before being shoved back inside. Some days, I wish for death. Others? I turn my anger and hatred toward the guards. That doesn’t end well for me. It never does. I’ve been hit and beaten with the threat of rape. Although that hasn’t happened yet, the threat is still there, and I don’t take the threat lightly.

We share the small bottle of water, passing it back and forth until it’s finally gone, and we toss the waste into the corner with the others.

“Today is shower day,” the girl speaks softly as if it makes things any better around here. It makes it worse if you think about it. They always watch us, our naked bodies. It makes me sick to think about it, but I never give them the satisfaction of knowing how much I hate it. I keep my head held high in defiance as they do what they please.

Speak of the devils, and they appear. Clanging the metal rod against the cell bars, they stop at ours first. We stand and wait for them to open the door before we step into a line. The guard at the back eyes my body. I don’t give him the satisfaction of shuddering from his disgusting stare. In fact, I ignore it and look straight ahead. I know this bothers him. He wants a reaction. He wants us to beg, and there is no way in hell I will ever beg them.

Keeping my eyes on the girl in front of me, he steps up behind me. I can feel his body as he pushes it against mine. I swallow the vomit, wanting to rise in my throat as his hand comes around to my stomach and pulls me back into him.

“Such a pretty little thing. I bet you taste like heaven.” His voice is too close to my ear. I suppress another shudder that threatens to take over me and keep my eyes glued to the girl’s back in front of me. “You act like you’re better than them. You know you’re not better than they are. Once a whore, always a whore,” he states. I’m not a whore. I never was. The only thing I’m guilty of was being a stupid girl who didn’t pay attention to her surroundings and ended up here. It was entirely my fault for thinking the world was safe when it wasn’t.

“Let’s go,” one of the other guards orders as his hands slide further down my stomach. My stomach knots at the thought of him touching me, but again, I swallow the urge to vomit. When his friend clears his throat, he releases me and shoves me forward. I stumble a little but right myself and follow the line of girls as they’re released from their cells and stagger into the line.

We’re led down the same nasty hallway and into the shower room. The floor is yellow, no doubt from all the grime. It’s never cleaned, and the water is always cold.

We’re let in in shifts. When it’s my turn, I can feel the asshole’s gaze on me. I lift the dress I’m wearing and drop it to the floor before stepping under the cold water. It hits my skin, and I shiver. I hear him groan, but I don’t bother to look over my shoulder at him. It would make me sick to my stomach if I saw what he was back there doing.

“Why can’t we buy our own girls?” he asks, no doubt to the other asshole who watches over us.

“Against the rules, Rafe.”

“I know, but fuck me, man. Look at her,” he urges. I don’t need to turn around to know he’s talking about me. I finish washing and walk over, picking up one of the dingy towels, that lie on the chair for us and dry myself. Then he walks over with a clean dress in hand.

“You want my help?” he asks, his breath smelling like liquor. I snatch the dress from his hand and slip it over my head as I glare at him. He just laughs. “One day, girl. One day.”

I ignore his threat just like I did all the others and fall back in line before we’re escorted down the hall to a small room. This is where we get to walk around or exercise, as they like to call it. The room is the size of a small gym, and the girls silently walk the perimeter for an hour. That’s all we’re allowed before being returned to our cells.

Chapter 2

Free

Good man? I’m not a good man. I might come off as one, but I’m not. I know what I am. I know who I am, and good, isn’t it.

“What are you doin’?” Mask asks as I flip the pages of the latest girls.

“Lookin’ for a new girl,” I tell him.

“You ever gonna stop this shit?”

“Stop what shit?” I ask, looking up at him now. I see the look in his eyes, and I know he hates what I do, but that doesn’t stop me. He knows who and what I am.

“Buyin’ girls to test the drugs on, Free. You’re better than that, brother.”

“Am I? You knew this about me when you gave me my patch, Mask. Let’s not start again,” I remind him as I flip the pages. I look at each girl, studying their faces. I’m particular when it comes to the girls I buy.

“Fuck, Free. When’s it gonna be enough?”

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