Page 28 of Ravaged Saints

I don’t move; I’m exhausted.

The door opens again, but this time I don’t even move.

“Aspen,” he pulls the blanket down, and I freeze seeing Max’s eyes on mine. “You need to eat, sweetheart. You will make yourself sick.”

I don’t answer and pull the covers up again. He releases a breath and leaves the room.

The next day the door opens and closes; I can’t move from the bed. I don’t feel like doing anything. My body is exhausted, and so is my brain.

“Aspen,” a sweet whisper echoes from the door, and I pull the blanket down. Bryn stands at the entrance, and I raise an eyebrow.

“Hi,” I whisper, “Are you okay?” I ask.

“Yes,” she enters and sits at the edge of the bed. “You?”

“Could be better,” I say jokingly, looking around the room that has become a prison.

“You really need to eat, sweetie,” she pets me on the leg.

“Why?” I question as my eyes meet hers. She looks good and healthier; her cheeks look fuller, her eyes shine, and her hair is set in a perfect ponytail. The clothes are clean, and she smells like lavender, and that fills my heart. She was miserable outside with me; I know that. I just wish I could feel the same.

“They aren’t that bad, I promise.” She states, her eyes never leaving mine.

“Right,” I murmur and pull the covers back up.

She gets up, and I hear the door locking again.

I don’t know what I’m doing, but if I’m sick enough, maybe they will let me go… Or maybe I will just starve myself to death.

Another day goes by, and another.

“Fucking hell, Aspen.” His words make me startle, my body jerking slightly as my gaze snaps toward him.

He pulls the covers down, and I can feel his hands reaching for my arms. I swing at him, but I’m too weak; my eyes are heavy. He moves quickly and pins them above my head. His face comes down, almost brushing his forehead to mine.

“You either eat on your own or I will feed it to you,” Knox growls.

I shake my head.

“Aspen, don’t fucking play games with me. If this is your plan to get released, it’s a bad one.” He continues pinning my hands. I hear another voice, and a spoon with something green comes near my lips. “Open your mouth, Aspen, now!” He demands.

I continue to shake my head; I see him nodding, and a huge hand grabs my cheeks, pressing them as he pinches my nose, cutting off my air.

Gasping for air, I part my lips, and Knox sticks the spoon inside, making me cough, but he covers my mouth with his hand, and his icy blue eyes burn into mine.

“Just fucking eat, Aspen!” Dante snaps as he hands another spoon to Knox.

“Open wide, or Dante will pinch your nose again.” His tone is rough, the spoon in his hand coming near my lips. I look at him, anger rising inside my gut. “Don’t be a brat; open it.”

I don’t. To hell with them.

Knox takes a deep breath before climbing on the small bed, straddling me, pressing my body into the mattress. He grabs my nose, cutting off my air again. I try to hold my breath as much as I can, my lungs burning, fighting for air, but I can’t take it and open my mouth, and Dante shoves the spoon in again.

“We can do this all night until you’ve eaten everything, pet,” Knox smirks, his thick thighs caging my body, his left hand pinning my arms above my head as his other hand reaches for my nose again.

I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of eating. Still, the way he is pinning my body is making me feel things again. His scent is fogging my brain, a hint of wood and something else. The way his muscles coil when he moves, the veins in the arm pinning me down, is making my blood run south, and I’m starting to feel something pulsing down there.Goddamnit, Aspen!

“Fine!” I groan, my body shaking now, and my wrists feel sore with the strength of Knox’s grip. “Get off me!” I demand, and Knox’s lips curl up in a devilish smile that doesn’t help my resolve at all!

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