Page 30 of Dollhouse

It’s Monday night.

Come Wednesday, the guys will be handing me off to the Westside Disciples.

I don’t know what they want with me or why they’re so interested in having me that they’re willing to give up control over the part of the city where they sell their drugs, but they’re doing it. Rowen can’t wait to be rid of me, King is dreading it, and Eli is neutral.

Rowen has spent all day avoiding me like a plague after our kitchen incident last night.

King has been stuck to me like a lost puppy, and honestly, I’m enjoying it way too much. There’s an undeniable connection between us. I feel drawn to him, and I’ve been secretly hoping that he’ll choose to pursue our connection and not trade me like a fucking sack of potatoes.

I’m angry. So fucking angry.

I can’t allow them to turn me over to the Westside Disciples where who knows what the fuck they’ll do to me.

My time here is coming to an end. I have to get out, and I have to get out now.

I’m in the bedroom I’ve been staying in, sitting on the window bench staring out into the darkness of the night when I hear the bedroom door open.

“Hey,” I breathe out with a sigh, not bothering to turn around. I’d just assumed it was King since he’s been in my room every chance he gets. I am never alone since I’ve been here, and I’m not complaining.

“King went out for a while.” A gruff voice comes from behind me as I continue staring out the window until Eli’s reflection shines into view behind me. I watch him as he sits on my bed and leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees. I turn around to face him, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them.

“I hope you know that my blood will be on your hands,” I say, and he just stares at me with a stoic expression.

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had blood on my hands, and it definitely won’t be the last time either.” He stands, staring me down for a moment before advancing on me.

I back away from him with a gasp, his hand finding my throat as he pins me back against the window. I stare at him with wide eyes, full of fear. This is the first time he’s touched me, and the first time I’ve been alone with him. Unease churns inside my stomach. I’m afraid of him.

Eli leans in closer to me, his nose running along my jaw and up to my hair as he inhales my scent. “Hmm.” He hums against my hair, pulling back until our noses touch.

His grip on my throat isn’t tight, but I’m not confident that he’s not going to strangle the life out of me.

Eli lingers for another moment, then in a flash, pulls away from me. “I wanted to know what it is about you that has King so fucking whipped.” He looks me over, as if he’s contemplating his next words, his deep chocolate eyes staring deep into my blue eyes. His gaze is so deep and intense I feel as if he’s staring into my soul and peeling all my secrets. “I see nothing special about you.”

His words hurt, even though they shouldn’t.

I watch carefully as Eli squats down in front of me, his eyebrows pulling together as he stares at me. He’s beginning to make me uncomfortable; I don’t know what it is that he’s seeing, but he’s trying to figure me out.

“How many men have hurt you?” he asks in a low voice, our eyes never once straying from each other. His words take me by surprise and completely fucking shock the hell out of me.

How did he know I’ve been hurt before? Was I really that obvious by the way I crawled away from his touch?

I don’t speak. He studies me carefully, like I’m an ant under a microscope. He’s not looking at me with pity, instead, he’s looking at me with bewilderment.

We remain in a silent stare off until he pulls himself away from me and exits my room. I stay frozen on the bench, my hand going to my neck to rub it slowly.

He didn’t grab me hard enough to leave a mark or even actually hurt me, just enough to rattle me and allow me to feel a brief moment of fear. Really, it was the look in his eyes that scared me. I’ve seen that look before—the look of your inner demons battling to break through. I would know that look, it’s the same one I see every time I look in the mirror.

What the fuck is going on with these guys? I need to get the fuck out of here and fast. I’m not going to stick around and let them hurt me or trade me off.

Fuck that and fuck them.

I’d have to wait until morning when I’m allowed outside, and then I would run. They haven’t locked me in the room since the first night, but they kept the cabin doors sealed so there’s no way for me to go outside without their supervision. I’d need a key to unlock the front door. And I know just the place to get it.

I’ll convince King to let me outside and then I’ll escape him. Sure, he’s the largest of the three and could probably crush me, but I didn’t escape death only to face it again. The woman I once was is now long gone.

Hebroke me, but they are quickly reminding me who the fuck I am.

The woman I have become no longer sits around and lets her life be controlled by the hands of a man. That weak woman diedthatnight.

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