Page 4 of Girls Night
Chapter Five
Violante
For the first time since I was stripped of all my clothing, I’m feeling some sense of warmth. The thick blanket wrapped around my body smells floral, like fabric conditioner and something else that’s purely Farren. I’m comforted by the scent; it obscures the smell of the basement almost enough to convince me I’m somewhere safe, rather than hidden in the bowels of this hellish house.
The slam of the basement door hitting the wall sends me jolting out of a light doze, and I scramble to shove the blanket through the bars at the back of the cage and into the shadows like Farren instructed. I shiver the moment cold air kisses my bare skin, and I curl up on the floor just as the light bulb overhead flickers to life.
I blink in the sudden brightness, squinting up at the monster of a man standing at the top of the stairs. Even from here, I can see his hollow eyes and feel hope drain from the air like he’s a black hole sucking in all light and goodness, leaving desolation in its place. I shudder. His heavy boots clunk on each step as he descends.This is hell and the devil has come home.
“It’s going to be a different kind of lesson today, girl. You’re gonna show my baby how to suck cock only this time you’re gonna put some actual effort into it, and you’re going to pretend you enjoy it. I’m sure it won’t be the same as licking pussy, but you’ll pick it up.”
His tone carries a threat that makes bile rise up my throat, and I swallow it back down nervously, feeling it burn my esophagus. I can tell this won’t be pleasant, and though he’s used my mouth on more than one occasion since he imprisoned me, the prospect of actively participating is making my stomach threaten to rebel.
“Farren! Get your ass down here! It’s time for your next lesson,” he hollers.
I shrink away from him when he approaches, although there’s no place for me to hide and no way to escape him. My back hits the cold metal and he’s like a demon, blotting out the light as he moves closer. His presence fills the entire cage, and I already feel as though I’m suffocating. I know that sensation is only going to worsen the longer he’s in here, and we’ve not even started his lesson yet.
My heart thuds in time with the lighter footsteps of Farren as she enters the basement. I can hear the hesitancy in her approach, and I wish the two of us could be anywhere other than here. I’d fight him, but he’s shown very clearly before that he’s able to overpower and subdue me with little effort. His size and superior strength are more than I’m capable of fighting off, and my presence here is evidence of my past failure.
He snatched me when I left the gay club on a Tuesday—Girls Only Night. I’m not quite old enough to drink, but this particular club lets in patrons over the age of eighteen; anyone under twenty-one has their hand stamped at the door. I’d gone there to let loose and get laid. I left alone and was dragged into the side alley as soon as I was out of the bouncer’s line of sight.
I shake myself out of my reverie; thoughts of my former freedom hold no solace when hope is a foolish concept. No matter how much I try to immerse myself in the past, recollections can’t save me from the pain. Memories just leave me lost in an empty dream where the only thing surrounding me is darkness.
Turning my head, I avoid looking at him directly, and as my gaze drops I catch a glimpse of the only light in my dark world when Farren comes into view. I focus my attention on her instead of the man encroaching on me. Her long, wavy, brown hair frames a narrow face, and her pale lips are slightly parted. Begrudgingly, I lower my eyes to watch her chest rise and fall with each breath she takes before hurriedly lifting my gaze to her face again when I feel my cheeks heat. A ghost of a smile briefly lifts her lips, but when she looks up toward the man standing directly in front of me, it vanishes abruptly.
I can feel the heat radiating from him. He's so close to me now, but I’m reluctant to face him. I don’t want to see the lecherous smile on his face or the telltale bulge in his pants. He has nothing I could ever want. I can’t even summon the will to play along and falsify my desire for him to make this easier. Everything inside me is screaming at the wrongness of this situation.
A hand twisting in my hair makes me cry out as my head is forced around to meet the putrid thing between his thighs. Agony blinds me with my own tears, and I tightly pinch my mouth closed when the smooth bulbous head touches my lips. My retching at the contact is my undoing, and he takes advantage of my open mouth, filling it. My throat wants to close up and deny him entry, but he’s undeterred by my struggle to escape his attack.
The sound of my heaving splutters fills my ears as I gag, over and over again. It does nothing to discourage his determination to make me submit. Eventually, his movements cease, and he pulls me off him by my hair. His palm connects with my face in a vicious slap and I howl, feeling my lip split from the strength and force behind his hand. Only his firm grip on my hair prevents me from toppling over, but in keeping me upright, some strands are tugged out by the roots. He holds me in place, and I’m unable to turn my head to look away when he takes himself in hand, and degrading me further, he finishes on my face and then throws me to the floor.
“We’ll try that again tomorrow, and next time you better put some fucking effort in,” he bellows, storming from the cage. “Farren, clean that bitch up.”
I’m lying on the bottom of the cage, coughing weakly. I gag, nearly vomiting at the smell and feel of his cum all over my face. I hear the sound of a bucket being set down next to me and grope around for it. Keeping my eyes pinched shut and holding my breath, I dip my head into the warm water. A washcloth is pressed into my hand, and I gratefully lift my head out. Water streams down my face, dripping into my lap, and I use the cloth to wipe my face before opening my eyes.
“Thank you,” I murmur to Farren, who’s kneeling next to me.
She glances furtively behind her and then pulls me into her arms for a quick hug. When she releases me her pale blue shirt has darker blotches on it from the water coating my skin. I smile weakly at her, and when my mouth stretches, I wince as it tugs on the split. Blood drips from my lip to the floor, mixing with the water as blackness slowly creeps across my vision. I’m exhausted. The beautiful gray eyes, belonging to the only person who gives a shit about me, lock with my fading blues, and her breath caresses my skin as she leans closer and presses satin lips on my damp forehead.
“I'm going to save you.”
I clutch at her whispered promise. The words are a balm to my aching soul; they send the faintest flicker of hope fluttering into my heart. Maybe one day I'll be able to crawl out of this cage and taste freedom once again.
It doesn't matter that her father and brother are the ones who are doing this to me. Her touch doesn't make my skin crawl with hatred. She fills me with the light my dark captivity has stolen from me.
Chapter Six
Farren
Footsteps on the stairs draw my attention upward, and I see the familiar face of my brother on his way down to lock the cage I’ve now exited. He passes me without a word, and the coldness of his presence saps me of warmth. The clicking of the padlock echoes as Tucker secures it. I try not to wince or look behind me on my way back up the stairs.
I hate this. I hate being a part of what’s happening here, yet I feel helpless to stop it.I don’t want the promise I made to Violante to be an empty one. I’ve no idea how to keep it, but my heart rebels at the thought of failing her. I’m determined this won’t end the way I fear it will.
I don’t realize I’ve stopped on the stairs until I hear a throat clearing behind me, and I turn to face my brother. He’s a couple of steps below where I’m standing, making him the same height as me. I stare directly into his eyes; their color closely mirrors my own, although in his there’s a dark ring of blue around his gray irises and darker flecks in the hues that are absent from mine. There’s a hardness in his now that never used to be there, replacing the kindness they used to convey.
Our father is the one who’s done this to Violante, to us. His hatred of my abnormal desires has driven a wedge in this family, and he’s using it, along with Violante, to slowly isolate me from the only other person who ever cared for me, warping Tucker’s views with his own narrow-minded disgust.
I turn around without a word and continue up the stairs with Tucker close behind me, his footsteps keeping time with my own on the sturdy wooden structure. I daren’t look behind me again and face his judging eyes, even though I can’t be sure which one of us he’s judging.Is it me, our father, or himself?I swallow hard, and as soon as I cross the threshold into the first floor hallway, I dart away, intending to hide upstairs in my bedroom and, just for a moment, pretend my life is normal. However, before I can head to my room, I feel Tucker’s hand on my arm, halting me. I whip around to face him, bracing myself for what’s about to come.
