Page 46 of Tower
No one except Levi, who is on his way to the river and probably still mad at me.
I have no idea how much time passes before I can make my mind and body work correctly. I fight with the ties, but I’m notnearly strong enough to break them. Particularly in this helpless position. If he’d tied my hands in the front, I might have been able to maneuver more, but they’re behind me and that limits my options.
What the hell am I supposed to do?
When Levi gets back, I’ll be long gone. Maybe he’ll think I left on purpose. Took my dad’s truck and went to look for a different man to take care of me.
Maybe he won’t even come looking for me.
It’s a horrifying thought. Worse than anything else.
I make a loud whimpering sound against the gag, so upset am I.
Sick glances down at me with a creepy smile. “Not such a princess now, are you?”
By working my lips and tongue, I manage to move the gag enough to speak around it. “What are you doing? This is ridiculous! Levi is going to kill you.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve been talking to some of the guys in that gang north of us. They’re not such pussies. They take what they want. That’s where we’re headed. He won’t be able to get me there. Or get to you.”
“But why? You were safe! You had people. Why would you?—”
“I never had people. You think anyone actually liked me at base? You know why they call me Sick?”
I actually have no idea.
“It’s forsycophant. That’s what Levi called me from the beginning, and the others just joined in.”
In a different situation, this fact would have been amusing because a sycophant is exactly what this man is. Slimy. Grasping. Self-abasing as an intentional strategy for climbing whatever social ladder is put in front of him.
I don’t feel sorry for him. Not at all. Levi and the others aren’t easy, but no one has ever been forced to join them. Sick could have chosen something else. At any point.
Just like he’s choosing now.
“You’re crazy! Levi isn’t going to just let this go.”
“He’ll have to. And he deserves it. He’s been worse than ever since he got you. Like he’s king of the mountain, riding on cloud nine, and the rest of us are nothing. This’ll show him. I told those guys I could get you and bring you to ’em. That’s the deal. But there’s no reason I can’t have a little fun with you before then. We just gotta get far enough away. Levi’ll see that I can have fun with his little cunt too.”
I’m genuinely afraid I might vomit.
I can’t believe this is happening. I was so happy snuggled up with Levi less than two hours ago.
But Sick is right about one thing. Assuming Levi knows I’ve been taken, he’ll come after me for sure. But he won’t know where to go. And he couldn’t catch up to us in time anyway.
He’s not going to be arriving to rescue me in the nick of time. There’s no way.
I’m going to have to do it myself.
12
I never would have beenable to manage it if I hadn’t committed myself to regular yoga for years.
We travel a couple more minutes in silence. Sick appears disgustingly pleased with himself, and my mind whirls frantically, searching for options, for ideas, for a plan to get me out of here.
I only come up with one thing.
It’s not a great idea. In fact, it’s pretty stupid. It might end up killing me. But my only other option is to submit to this appalling indignity, to accept the complete ruin of my life.
I’m not going to do it. I’ve made it this long in a terrible world, and I refuse to let the world win without a fight.
