Page 56 of Pushed

Chapter Fourteen

Imperial

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Eleven days, six hours, and forty-eight minutes. . .

That was how long I had been stowed away inside the hotel, that was the time I had lost from a life I wished I'd see again soon.

How do I know you ask. . .

How could I possibly know when time was irrelevant in a world built off sex, greed, and control?

Because I did; it was as simple as that.

Call it a gut feeling, an instinctual knowledge that counted the time for me. But there were signs, small clues I was able to pick up on.

I laid my head down ten times to go to sleep, but I hadn't seen the sun once. My eyes would pop open when the seagulls off shore started to squawk and chirp, letting me in on Mother Nature's secret of time without needing the hands of a clock.

And while my ears kept working to figure out the days and piece together where the sun was in the sky, the rest of my worn and willowed frame struggled to stay together.

I had shed more tears than my body could produce, no matter how much I told myself it would be the last time I cried. I screamed more obscenities than my tongue had ever formed before in my life, to the point it felt swollen and battered from the sheer force I had used to get them out.

Those first few days I refused to back down. I taunted my captor, I put up walls and he kicked them down. I stood tall and firm, and he hammered me back into the ground.

Then I gave up.

I stopped trying to fight, I threw my voice back inside my head and kept it there for only myself to hear.

Not because I didn't want to curse and yell, but because Machi had made me a promise.

He had promised me my freedom.

Machi moved through the hall like a stalking cheetah, watching doors and hallways as we passed. The strength of his back and shoulders teased my eyes, trying to tug them up, but I refused to let them win.

Keeping my head on the floor, I denied my eyes their impulses, forcing them to watch dust billow across the wood floor and dirt blow out from under his shoes.

I tried to forget about our one sinful mistake, but I couldn't. It sat there in my head, making my stomach curl with memories of pleasure, making my lips dry and needy for one more kiss, one more taste; he was a drug and I was suffering the withdrawals.

“This is new for you, Imperial, I'm not sure what you're going to think.” Turning to face me, the tips of his toes lifted up, baring down on his heels. “Are you ready?” he asked, squeezing my hand and gently stroking his fingers down my cheekbone.

Machi's fingertips brushed my skin, sending a wave of fiery swirls through my flesh and into my bones. His touch was toxic, unfurling my body and making my lungs struggle to catch the air around us.

“You can look up, go on. I need to see what you're asking.” He knew I had questions, there were always questions and uncertainty in this world.

Slowly, I lifted my head up, eyes flaring then hooding over.

Do you really think that anything would surprise me at this point? As long as I'm safe, I trust you.

Snuggling my hand into his palm, I let him caress my skin, allowing him to feel the words I couldn't speak outside my room.

Placing both hands on my face, he pulled me in, kissing my forehead. “I'll do my best not to hurt you, I give you my word.”

What the fuck does that mean?

Staring down at me, he brushed his palms over my hair, tucking a loose strand behind my ear. “I can't explain it, you just have to experience it for yourself.”

Closing my eyes, I let my head fall forward, giving him a light nod. I had already decided to trust him, that wasn't going to change; not with this and not with anything else.

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