Page 21 of Resistant

“You are going to have to let go of the boys. I can’t stop that. I can watch over them and make sure they stay safe. When things settle down, I can arrange visitation for you. But you won’t ever be able to get them back.”

“Knox, Nathan is too young for the draft; he’s got another year and David is still a boy.”

“They are taking children of the Resistance Brynn. New Reform is adopting them out to homes of the Reform elite. Bennett told you this. David will be adopted, but Nathan will go to early training. You on the other hand are being sent into corporate sex trafficking, but I can stop that, Brynn.”

His eyes are dark and feral, and I feel like I’m glued to the spot. My mind is racing, but the main theme playing on repeat is that I cannot believe this is happening.

“What do you mean, you can save me?”

“I’m going to buy you at auction. You’ll come to live with me, and you will be safe.”

“And what does your breeder partner think of this?” I sneer.

“She’s left. She couldn’t conceive and she is undergoing testing to see if it’s her or me. I have a career, so it doesn’t make a difference for me anyway. She’ll be happier with another man who can help her conceive. All she’s ever wanted is to be a mother.”

“Is this why you are suddenly being nice, Knox? You want me to commit to you and be your little slave?” I expect a harsh retort for being insolent and I’m surprised when it doesn’t seem to faze him.

“Something like that. I’d also like to see you undergo testing to find out why you haven’t gotten sick.”

“Lots of people haven’t gotten sick.”

“No Brynn, very few people have not gotten ill, most of them are lucky to have survived it. Almost everyone experienced some level of The Sickness and displayed at least mild symptoms. We have a little bit of time. Not much. I need you to decide quickly. I’ll make an appointment every night for the rest of the week. I’d like to be here to make sure you are safe.”

“Oh, for fucks sake! Are we having sleepovers now? Nope. I’m not okay with this.”

“Brynn, language.”

“Knox you can fuck right off, I’m a grown woman and I do not belong to you. You have no right to tell me how to talk.”

“We’ll see about that.”

He slides his zipper down, staring me straight in the eyes, daring me to tell him no.

“I’m not yours. I don’t answer to you.”

“Not yet, but you will. Now be a good girl and take care of this so I can pay you your credits and keep you safe.”

I shiver at his tone. He is cold, and this proposition of his is ridiculous.

“You are not spending the night.”

He nods, so small that if I’d blinked, I would have missed it.

I crawl over to him and let him use my mouth. He’s ruthless, but I’m glad. I can’t take anymore softness from this man, and I need this to stay the same, impersonal, business. I don’t have any illusions that he cares.

I reach into his pants and stroke him softly. He growls, pushes my head down, and holds me there as he releases down my throat. He keeps me there for a few moments and when I look at him, his head is thrown back, eyes tightly closed, the veins in his neck standing out.

As I watch him, I have a fleeting thought that his devotion to me may not be about me. He tucks himself in, zips and walks out of my house without a word.

Misguided Hope

Brynn

I feel a crack deep inside and I’m nothing resembling calm. I dissolve into tears, ugly tears that stain my pillow with makeup. I shake and wail stuffing the blankets over my face to muffle my cries.

I hear Nathan knock on my door, and I tell him it’s okay. I hear his footsteps as he walks away. Once I’m calm, I check the closet for all our quick getaway gear. I root around until I’m satisfied that we can get away in the morning. I shut the door and freeze; an unfamiliar ringing sound carries through the house. I’m baffled for a moment, and I remember the old rotary phone. I run to answer it.

“Hello?”

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