Page 131 of Ruthless Secrets
I shake my head before I can stop myself. “No.”
He narrows his eyes. “I wasn’t asking.”
I don’t want to give in, but I also know how this works.
Men like him want fear. They want me to resist so they can enjoy the punishment that follows.
I take a shaky breath as I reach for my shirt.
My hands are trembling so hard it’s difficult to grip the hem, but somehow I manage to lift it over my head.
My fingers go to the waistband of my jeans next, and I swallow a sob at the weight of the burner phone in my pocket.
There’s no way I’ll be able to sneak it out without the man noticing. I have no choice but to give up my last line of connection to Marco and hope that he manages to find me.
I tug my jeans down my legs, stepping out of them with slow, jerky movements, before tossing them on the ground. Cold air bites at my skin, and I cross my arms over my chest, clutching myself to try and hold on to the last of my dignity.
The man doesn’t say a word. Instead, he just steps forward and takes my clothes, including the phone Marco gave me, before leaving and slamming the door shut behind him.
The sound of the lock clicking into place makes my stomach churn.
There’s no escape.
I shiver violently, rubbing my arms as I glance around my prison, a sob building in my throat as I eye the damp concrete walls and the single flickering light bulb overhead.
There’s a metallic stench to the air mixed with something like urine.
I swallow the bile rising in my throat, which threatens to come up when I spy an old, stained mattress sitting in the corner, with no sheet or even a blanket, and a bucket placed next to it.
I can’t contain my panic any longer. Its claws are wrapped around my throat, gripping it so tightly that black spots start to dance behind my eyes.
My legs buckle, and I sink to the floor as I think of Zoe and Marco.
My teeth are chattering so violently that my jaw aches, and my cheeks feel raw from the tears that are streaming down my face.
I have no idea where I am, and there is no way out.
If Marco doesn’t find me, I am going to die here.
I hug my knees to my chest.
Marco will come for me.
He has to.
I don’t knowhow long I sit there on the cold ground, sobbing as I think of Marco and Zoe. My body is exhausted, and I’m half falling asleep when the sound of footsteps approaching jerks me awake.
I quickly crawl away from the door, hissing through the pain in my knees, as the sound of the bolt sliding across echoes around me.
This is it.
My head snaps up as the door opens again, a small part of me hoping that Marco will be on the other side.
Instead, I’m met by yet another stranger, this time anolder man with graying hair dressed in a crisp navy suit that looks completely out of place.
His presence is suffocating as he steps into the room.
I spy the deep scars etched into his knuckles as he reaches into his pocket, and I brace myself for the gun he is about to pull on me.
