Page 19 of Broken Princess
“If you say so.” Jamie smiled and turned to one of the drawers on his left. “It’s a shame we only have a few days before the auction. It’s really not enough time. I suppose I’ll just have to do my best,” he went on, sliding some items out of the top drawer. He blew out a short, frustrated breath. “It’s also a shame that I can’t leave any marks. A spiked bullwhip would get you in line quickly enough.”
I gulped. “Why can’t you leave any marks?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked, turning back to me. “The buyers don’t want a broken doll. Physically, I mean. The slaves have to be in good condition when they go on the auction block.”
“You just slapped me hard enough to bruise me,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Doesn’t that count as a mark?”
He laughed. “Stop exaggerating. I barely touched you.”
I turned my face to the left, showing him the burning spot on my right cheek. “You did. See?”
“It’ll be fine in a few days,” he said with a brief shrug. He turned back to the drawer and picked up a long black tool with two small silver points on one end. “Now, let’s begin.”
I shrank back. “What the hell is that?”
Jamie’s lips twisted in a cruel smile. “I might not be able to leave a permanent mark on you, but I still have options,” he said, lifting the tool. “This is a cattle prod. It should do the job well enough, and it won’t leave a single cut or bruise.”
Without warning, he held it to my left side and flicked a button on the end. I screamed as a violent current of electricity pulsed through me, and my body jolted so far back that I almost fell over.
“Good. It’s working,” Jamie said, still smiling. “Now tell me: at this moment in time, who owns you?”
I gritted my teeth and rubbed my side. “No one,” I muttered.
“Wrong.” He zapped me again, making me shriek and stumble backward. “Let’s try that again. Who owns you?”
I drew in a shaky breath. “No one except myself.”
“Wrong again.” With a short sigh, he put the prod down and picked up a pair of black earmuffs. He put them on his head and pressed a button on the underside of the closest bench.
A high-pitched, ear-splitting sound filled the space. Even though it was just noise, it knocked me right to the ground, making me feel as if my ears were bleeding and my skull was about to explode. I screamed and screamed and screamed, unable to think or process anything but the terrible shrill screech.
Jamie finally turned it off and watched me calmly as I gasped and struggled back to my feet. “Not very pleasant, is it?” he said. “Let’s try another question. When are you going to give up?”
I took a deep breath. “Never.”
He zapped me with the cattle prod and brought back the horrible sound at the same time. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to breathe through the agony, wishing I could send my mind elsewhere while my body endured everything he threw at me.
Finally, mercifully, he stopped.
“I think I know what’s going on,” he said, tilting his chin to one side. “This is about Logan, isn’t it? You’re hoping he’ll swoop in and save the day.”
I swallowed hard. “No,” I whispered. “I know he isn’t coming.”
Jamie shook his head. “Part of you hasn’t accepted it yet. I can see it in your eyes,” he said, brows furrowing. “But you need to accept it, Willow. He isn’t coming. He has no idea where you are. No idea why you’ve gone. All he knows is whatever lie he’s been fed to explain your sudden disappearance.”
I let out a quiet sigh of relief. I knew Jamie was trying to weaken my resolve, but his words had actually brought me a sliver of hope and peace, because now I knew for sure that Logan wasn’t in any trouble with Q or the rest of the Order. None of them had any idea that he’d been investigating them alongside me. They thought it was just me, because of the way I approached Jamie the other week.
That meant Logan was safe, unless he came looking for me.
“Are you smiling?” Jamie asked in an incredulous tone.
I lowered my gaze to the floor. “Haven’t you ever heard of a grimace?” I muttered, hoping he’d buy the lie. I hadn’t even realized I was smiling until he brought it up.
“Hm.” He dragged me to my feet, tipped my chin back, and stared into my eyes. “Now that you know Logan isn’t coming, are you ready to give in?”
“No,” I said, defiantly glaring back at him.
He rolled his eyes and shoved me to the ground again. “You need to do it. Give up,” he snarled.
