Page 36 of Monster

12

Charlotte

The thumpingof feet startled me from a dead sleep and I leapt out of bed. I twisted and turned, trying to figure out who the hell was in my room and why they felt they could be here while I was sleeping. But, once I finally got my wits about me, I realized the sound wasn’t in the room with me.

It was above my head.

“What the—?”

As I looked up, I took a deep whiff of the air. I felt like a feral animal sometimes, sniffing the air to try and see what the hell was going on. But, what I smelled tipped me off immediately: expensive whiskey and fish. Something sweet hung in the air as well and I heard gaggles of women giggling up a storm.

There was a party going on upstairs.

I made my way into the bathroom and splashed some water in my face. The clock on the wall said it was nine in the evening, though it felt like it should have been the next day. The party raged on above me, with soft music fluttering through the walls and footsteps looming above my head.

I had half a mind to cry out for help.

But, I also knew it wouldn’t do me any good.

After dabbing my face dry, I walked back out into the primary area of the room. I wondered if there was anyone at the party who would’ve been willing to help me if they knew I was down in the basement. But, with the kind of guy Teo struck me to be, there was a good chance every single person walking freely above my head was just like him.

Willing to turn a blind eye to my suffering.

So, I fought my want to cry out for help. I drew in a deep breath and sat back down on the edge of the mattress, listening to anything I could latch onto. Maybe I could sneak out and steal someone’s car. Or, maybe the party would provide enough of a distraction and enough of a sound barrier for me to slip out of the handcuffs again and break the only window I had access to.

But, before I could formulate a plan, the doorknob started jiggling. I heard the lock click before the knob turned, and the door eased open with a creak. His cologne entered first, announcing his presence as if he were a King traveling to another country.

And when Teo stepped into the room, I held my breath.

I watched him close the door before turning in my direction. But, he didn’t move toward me. Instead, he moved to the chair in the corner by the closet door. He eased himself against the soft cushions and sighed the heaviest sigh I’d ever heard in my life. I watched him carefully. I studied his movements as he stretched his legs out and loosened his tie. The furrow of his brow told me he was struggling with something. The sighs falling from his lips were tinged with a disgust I couldn’t place.

For a split second, I felt something akin to pity for my kidnapper. Deep down inside, I felt the need to do something to cheer him up, despite the fact that I was chained in his basement. I wasn’t sure what was happening to my mind. I didn’t know what kind of a spell he was trying to put me under. But, when he snapped his fingers and pointed in front of him, the words that fell from his lips ripped me from that sympathetic trance.

“Come here and strip,” he said with command.

And I had half a mind to get up and laugh directly in his face.

* * *

Her chains jangled as her feet softly padded across the floor. With my head leaned against the high-backed chair, I drew in deep breaths to try and quell my anger. I hated parties like this. Especially when I had to dig people out of the mire of their own actions. I’d come down here with half a mind to use the party as a way to garner trust with Miss Pettigrew. I mean, the people upstairs had all come from that Lucchese auction, and I came prepared to purchase as many of the girls back as I could.

Because none of those girls deserved the fate about to befall them.

However, even as Miss Pettigrew stood in front of me with that scowl on her face, I knew she wasn’t ready for the truth. She still had it in her mind that I was like the rest of the bottom-feeders that I worked with: ruthless and heartless and bloodthirsty all the time. And while I was as guilty as charged, I had one principle I always abided by. Something my father taught me as I was growing up, being groomed to become his replacement.

I always treated my possessions with the respect they deserved.

I knew my explanation would do nothing with her pre-determined eyes holding my own, though. She had her mind made up as to who I was, and I had better uses for my time and energy. She’d find any way to rationalize things away and convince herself I was still the bad guy of this moral narrative. So, fuck it. I’d approach that topic a different day.

But, why not have a bit of fun in the process?

“How do you expect me to strip with one arm shackled to the bed?” she asked.

My eyes met hers. “Get creative.”

I was ready to fight her. Ready to pin her down and take out all of my frustrations between her legs. I wanted to treat her better than that, though. I didn’t want to take anything from her that she wasn’t willing to freely hand over herself. That was half of the fun in the first place, getting someone to willing give me what I knew I’d have.

I still hoped she put up a fight when the time came, though.

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