Page 69 of Beneath His Robes

“Look who we caught,” one of them said, a sneer pulling at his lips. “Our lucky night. Pretty boy thinks he can just walk around like he’s better than the rest of us.”

I swallowed, my pulse already spiking. My instinct was to back off, retreat, and pretend like I didn’t hear them or that I hadn’t seen their eyes following me around every corner. But there was no easy way out of this. Not in this place.

“Move,” I said, trying to make my voice sound firm, but it was shaky, betraying the fear I couldn’t control.

Ghost Hand didn’t move, and neither did his posse. Instead, he stepped closer, and the others followed, flanking me on either side. The hallway felt smaller as if the walls were closing in, as if there was no escape, no way out.

“You don’t get to walk away,” he said, his voice low, like a growl. “Not this time. We want a dance, Mister Pole Pirate, and we’re gonna fuckin’ get one.”

I could feel my throat tightening and my breath coming faster. I didn’t want to show fear. I couldn’t. Not again. But the weight of their presence and the way they were closing in on me was suffocating. My chest felt heavy, and my legs felt like they might give out from underneath me.

“Please,” I whispered, almost to myself, but they heard it.

“Please what?” another one of them mocked, his voice dripping with contempt. “You think we’re gonna let you go just because you asked? You don’t get to make demands here.”

I took a step back, bumping into the wall behind me. My eyes darted around, searching for any sign of a guard, any way out. But there was nothing.

No one was around.

No one was coming.

Another guy grabbed my arm, pulling me forward, his fingers digging into my skin with bruising force. My heart pounded in my chest, a frantic rhythm that drowned out everything else. I struggled, my body fighting against his grip, but I couldn’t break free. I was too fucking weak.

“Let go of me,” I hissed, voice trembling. But he just laughed, spit flying in my face with his foul breath.

“Why don’t you stop fighting? You know you like the attention. You were always the pretty one, huh? You’re too good for us out there…but in here? In here, you’re our little blow-up doll.”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to punch him, shove him off me, and run as far as I could, but I knew it wouldn’t matter. I was trapped. I was always trapped.

My stomach twisted in knots.

I thought of Elias, of the way he’d looked at me the last time we saw each other. He wouldn’t want this. He’d want me to fight, to survive. He always said I was stronger than I thought. But right now, I didn’t feel strong. I felt weak. Helpless.

“You’re a goddamn joke,” the guy continued, dragging me further down the hallway, pulling me away from the small chance of escape. The others laughed behind me, their voices mingling with the sound of my own panicked breaths.

And then, just as I was about to give in to the terror that was rising in my chest, the last thing I expected happened. A voice rang out down the hall, sharp and commanding.

“Hey!”

The guys froze, their eyes darting to the sound of the voice. And just like that, they released their grip on me, letting me stumble back, breathless and shaking. I barely had time to react when I heard the footsteps approaching quickly, boots pounding on the concrete floor.

A guard rounded the corner, his eyes immediately locked onto the situation. His hand went to his side, ready for whatever came next.

“What the hell is going on here?” the guard barked, his voice carrying down the hall.

The guys exchanged glances, their smirks slipping as they quickly backed off, muttering something under their breath about “Not causing trouble.”

The guard didn’t say anything more as he approached me, his eyes scanning me briefly before he turned his attention back to the men. I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eyes. I couldn’t look at anyone, not after that.

I stood there for a moment, frozen, trying to calm the frantic beating of my heart. The fear still clung to me like a weight in my chest. It was never going to stop. Not here. Not in this place.

I had thought I was stronger, that I could handle it, that I could get through this. But now, standing alone in the quiet hallway, reality hit harder than I could have prepared for.

I wasn’t just trapped by the walls of this place. I was trapped by everything that came with it: the fear, the humiliation, and the constant threat of violence. It was always there, lurking just around the corner.

And there was nothing I could do to escape.

The guard’s eyes roved over me suddenly, and he kept his body in front of me, blocking the way to the hallway, back to safety. My heart sank when his eyes lit with glee, and he smiled at the others.

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