Page 15 of Pound

One finger traced her cheek. “Your man needs to learn not to threaten me, Meri.” The menace hung in the air between them. Strangling her. What was she supposed to say to that?

“Don’t touch me.” Meri slid her chair back. She saw a familiar fire in his eyes. The kind that flashed seconds before chaos. She’d seen it in Jake’s eyes when they’d been dating, and it preceded an act of violence. Something she’d never told Trip or JJ.

Meri flinched in preparation for a hit, but Moreno didn’t hit her. Instead, he adjusted his tie and slid his chair closer to hers before caressing her thigh. She watched in horror as his hand inched up and up. His palm lifted, leaving only a single finger drifting up and down her thigh. But instead of grabbing her like he had done multiple times, he stopped. “It’s a shame you reek of biker taint.”

Then he stood. “Anna.”

One word and his sister wheeled herself backward in preparation for following him. “Will, move Meri downstairs, would you?”

With that, he disappeared. Will grabbed her bicep roughly and led her down a ramp to an area she hadn’t been before. Not one to mind her tongue, Meri decided to push Will’s buttons. After all, Leone had ordered them not to hurt her when they’d arrived. Until that moment, she’d been treated like a guest almost.

“Will, huh? I had you pegged for a Butch.”

“Shut up, cunt.” Will shoved her into a basement with cells lined with dirty mattresses and an odor so foul she gagged. Oh god, he really was a trafficker. That was the only thing that explained the sight before her.

“So, I guess Leone’s seduction is off?” Goddamn it, Meri, shut up.

Will grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into an open cell. He shoved her inside and added a kick to her ribs for good measure. As he locked the cell, he spat at her. “Mr. Leone won’t sully himself with a biker whore. Neither would I. Tony’s the only one who’d touch you now. And I’ve seen what he does to his toys, he breaks them.”

With that, Will left.

So that was it. Once Pound confirmed her story, it offered her one layer of protection but removed another.

She hadn’t seen Leone, Will, or Anna since she was thrown down in the cells. Tony was it. Her ribs still hurt like a bitch from Will’s parting kicks. Breathing wasn’t a whole lot of fun, she suspected a bruised or cracked rib or two. She’d removed her shirt and bound her ribs almost immediately with it, which helped.

Tony got a little more brazen each time he came down. He told her when he collected her tray last night that if she wanted anything else from him, she’d have to pay for it. He did so by leering at her barely lace-covered breasts and licking his lips.

That’s why she sat covered in her own waste from the bucket they’d provided as her bathroom. Meri gagged at her own stench but refused to throw up. That would waste water her body needed.

She couldn’t win a battle of brawn with a Buick, but she could win a battle of stench. As expected, the lights flickered and came alive. Tony strode in like he had the world on a string. He must’ve been pretty convinced she’d relent for a bite to eat or a drink of water.

Not likely, asshole.

Although at the moment, thirst made her reevaluate her limits.

She had food stashed from her previous meals in the corner. Not ideal, but if they were to forget to feed her, she wouldn’t starve right away. She rotated the food. New food to the corner, old food was her meal. Too bad they didn’t believe in vegetables or boiled food with a bit of water in it.

The water was going to be what did her in. She’d gotten a single cup the first day, but she’d had coffee and water at breakfast, so it wasn’t dire. However, Tony had dumped it out every day since then.

Meri took on her current predicament in steps and stages.

Food, she could self-ration.

Rape, well, she could make herself as unappealing as possible.

Water, drink what was offered, and don’t spill a drop.

Physical abuse, stay out of reach, and make them come into the cell. Don’t make it easy.

Escape, work in progress.

Gather information and discover how to use it.

Rescue, completely and utterly out of her control.

As Tony stepped up to the cell, Meri huddled in the darkest corner possible, which happened to be by the waste bucket. Good thing she couldn’t smell it over herself.

“I’ve got something for you, sweet Meri.” He said the name Leone called her in a mocking tone. “What are you willing to pay for… what’s that smell? Dear lord, did you shit yourself?”

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