Page 28 of Castle

I didn’t answer him.

“Susan told me you loved lasagna.”

“I would have also loved to see you dead.” I retorted.

He laughed the way one would laugh at a joke that their best friend cracked. “You’re funny, and I like the fact that you’re still strong regardless of the situation you’re in. We’ve had employees crying and begging for their life. I’m glad we took you on board.”

“What do you want, Devin?”

The tray of food careened over to me when he gave it a slight push.

“Eat your chow. We’ll talk after that.” I stared at the plate of food in front of me.

What if he’d poisoned it or planned to drug me with it?

Reading my thoughts, he flashed me that sly smile again. “If we wanted you dead, you’d be six feet underground by now. The food isn’t poisoned.” He stated, pulling the plate towards him and sampling a bite of each before setting it down. “See? I haven’t dropped dead. If you won’t eat your dinner, that’s fine. I have people who can force it down your throat. The choice remains yours.”

I picked up the plate and began eating it slowly. It was so good; I was going to cry. Devin watched me silently as I ate and after I was done, he handed me a glass of water that I chugged down.

Emotions tightened in my throat as I asked him, “You’re not letting me go, are you?”

“If you do as I say, you’ll be free.” He blinked at me. “You have my word.”

“What do you want?” I questioned for the second time.

“Your co-operation,” He answered, looking me dead in the eye. “I need your help, Millie. That’s all I’m asking. In exchange,you’re never getting hurt again, or mistreated by any of us. If you show me I can trust you blindly, I’ll even take off the tracker.”

“What do you mean by co-operation? What is it you need from me?”

“You’ll know soon enough. In the meantime, please take good care of my brother. It appears like he’s taken quite a liking to you.”

“Can you take me back to my room?” I asked.

Devin laughed again, “It’s funny how you appreciate little things in your life when you’re put in a situation like this.” His eyes twinkled with cruelty. “Like I said, you need to earn it. If you show me you’re a good, obedient girl, then we’ll take you upstairs.”

So I was going to be stuck here for a while.

Before leaving, he stopped and turned. “Sorry about what my sister did to you. Don’t take it too personally.”

Before leaving, he turned off the lights, plunging the room into pitch blackness.

By the sixth day, they’d completely broken me, and I don’t mean physically.

It seemed like my soul had left my body and wandered elsewhere. When I fell asleep, they splashed a bucket of cold water over my body. I was far too numb to notice who was doing it. I ate the food when I got it. A maid would allow me to use the bathroom and shower.

The nights were the longest. It was pitch black and sometimes they left the dim light on. It would turn on and off constantly sometimes, and that gave me a headache. I think itwas being done on purpose. I was soaked, trembling, starving, and teetering on the brink of insanity.

Sometimes, it was hard to even gather thoughts. I wondered if I was dead or living.

I heard the lock turning again, and I didn’t know what day it was. It was probably some maid again. Instead, I saw a tall, enormous figure approaching me.

Devin.

This time, he didn’t stop a few feet away. He hunched lower to my crouched form and touched my cheek. I screamed and thrashed until he got hold of both of my hands in a firm grip and said something. The voice was so distant, and my head felt so light and my eyes couldn’t even see clearly because of tears. But I could recognize the familiar scent of the perfume.

“Millie…it’s me.”

I opened my eyes at once. “Castle!”

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