Page 95 of Longing for Liberty
Fuck!
At best, this was just a really strong drink. At worst, it was drugged. I’d never been drugged, and I hadn’t had a strong drink in years. Alcohol didn’t usually hit immediately. I’d have a bit of time before I felt lightheaded. But if it were drugged, I had no idea what to expect.
Slowly, the glass hit my lips, and I drank. He didn’t let go, pressing it up faster and making me almost gag as I began to chug. Liquid spilled from the sides of my lips, down my throat until the glass was empty, and I lowered it with a gasp, wiping my chin with the back of my hand.
Come on, Amos!
“Now let’s see what those pretty lips can do,” he said, his voice low. “On your knees.”
My eyes burned, and I hated that I couldn’t control my emotions. Would Roan be mad if he saw that I clearly didn’t want to do this? He set the empty glass on a shelf and pressed my shoulder downward until I bent. I so badly wanted to cry as my knees hit the plush rug. Roan took his time unbuckling his belt, then the button. I watched the bulge and felt the drink wanting to come up. Yes, I should puke!
The door swung open, and I turned, looking up into Amos’s shocked, then angry face. “Eye of the Tiger” spilled in from behind him.
Amos spoke through clenched teeth. “Damn it, Samuel.”
“Language, brother.” Roan placed a hand on my head. “You can watch if you’d like.”
And then, another body slipped into the doorway beside Amos. I almost didn’t recognize him without his hat.
Walinger. His blown-out eyes widened as they went from me to Roan to Amos, and he laughed. “Well, I’ll be.”
All three of them were here.
I didn’t hesitate. I pushed to my feet. I rushed toward Amos. But it wasn’t how I imagined it would be, all sharp, exact movements. It felt…weird. Like trying to run through blobby, thick air in a dream.
“Whoa.” Amos’s arms reached out to grab me. My hand slapped against the gun’s handle, and I crashed into his torso, my legs losing feeling.
Ah, so that’s how fast a drug works…
It was my last thought.
FORTY-FOUR
STATE NEWS: CHURCH LEADERS LAY HANDS ON THE THREE TO BLESS UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL PEACE TALKS!
Ouch.My head.Ow. My face scrunched against the light hitting my eyelids.
“Liberty?” The word came from nearby, but in seconds I felt Amos’s hands on my head, kissing my forehead. “Are you okay?”
I blinked a few times and saw Amos in a white undershirt, his face showing unabashed concern. Confusion blustered me for a moment before my brain took in the rest of the scenery. We were in his room with the drapes drawn, but bright light seeped through the edges.
“Are you okay?” he asked again, smoothing back my hair.
“Yeah…” It came out like a breathy croak.
“Here, take this.” He picked up a glass of water from the bedside table and had something in his other palm.
I tried to sit up and winced as pain hit me in several places. My throat, inside and outside. All between my legs. But I pushed until I was in a sitting position and able to take the two orange pills that Amos held out. They looked like ibuprofen. Once again, he was giving me illegal drugs.
Drugs.
The pills and water hit my stomach at the same time as last night came rushing back, and I bent forward, covering my mouth. It was no use. The drink of water came back up, along with stomach acid. I held a hand over my mouth, and Amos helped me rush into the bathroom, where I fell to my knees in front of the toilet and continued to gag. My whole body began shaking. I was in one of his white undershirts with nothing underneath.
“I’m going to run you a bath,” he said.
I couldn’t answer. I could barely lift my aching head as the sound of rushing water hit my ears.
Last night…I tried to remember. I recalled Amos and Walinger in the doorway. I’d been…on my knees in front of Roan. And the drink.
