Virgin Bride(109)

I’ll run from my father. I don’t need his help or his money. I’ll make my own life outside of his reach.

There’s also Logan to think about. I don’t know what we’re going to be once we get away from here. Can we really have something beyond these walls? I feel in my heart that we could, but I don’t know what he thinks. It’s impossible to talk about it here, since they’re listening, but I need to know.

I can’t help but picture what life might be like outside of this place with Logan. I want to know how he lives, what he does on a normal day. I want to know everything about him. I’m not afraid of him, not anymore. There’s no question in my mind that he’s here to help me.

And I know my feelings are justified. Even if they came about in some strange and impossible way, they’re real and for a person that deserves them. That’s all that matters to me in this moment.

Despite Logan’s warning about something being off, I feel good all day. I can’t help myself. I just keep smiling, even though there’s nothing to smile about. I’m still locked alone in my cage, held by a bunch of psychotic bastards that want to sell me into sex slavery.

At least I know now that Logan will never let that happen. I don’t have to be afraid anymore, because I have him. And that’s like an enormous weight lifted from my body. I feel like I can breathe, really breathe, for the first time since I was taken.

The morning passes quickly, and soon I can hardly contain my excitement. I know Logan is coming again, and although we can’t talk, at least I’ll get to see him. Maybe even touch him. It seems silly now, but I can’t wait for him to get here.

He’s the man that I wait for. He’s the one that’s getting me through this nightmare. I didn’t even know it, but this whole time he’s been like my guardian angel or something like that, working to protect me from the other bastards that are keeping me here.

But soon lunch rolls around, and Logan is nowhere to be seen. I feel antsy, anxious, and can’t understand where he is. He’s almost never late for lunch, and I’m sure he wants to see me right now as much as I want to see him.

My heart swells around the time the sun is highest in the sky. I can hear footsteps outside of my door, and I’m sure that it’s Logan. I sit up when the latch switches open and the door slides inward.

But it’s not Logan. A man I don’t recognize walks into the room followed by another man, this one I feel like I’ve seen before, but can’t place him. He’s fat and bald with a wicked grin on his face.

“On your feet,” he orders.

“What?” I ask.

He walks up to me and backhands me across the jaw. I see lights flash across my vision.

“You’ve had it easy, bitch. That ends now.” He’s crouched down in front of me, his breath like rotten garbage on my face.

I whimper and nod, biting back the tears.

“On your feet,” he says again.

I stand up. The man nods at the guard, who proceeds to come into my room and take away every comfort Logan gave me. No more books, magazines, pillows, or blankets. When the guard is finished, I’m standing in a bare cell again, and the bald man smiles at me.

“I’m sure you’ve enjoyed yourself with Logan, but that’s over now.” He steps toward me, his smile morphing into something lewd as he looks at my body. I shiver and look away. “My name is Anton, and you’re mine, bitch.”

I nod but don’t look at him. I can smell his breath again as he chuckles.

“You’ll learn to like it,” he says. “For now, be quiet and be good.” He turns and leaves. The door closes and locks behind him.

I collapse into the corner, sinking down to the hard floor, trying not to cry, but the tears rip from me with convulsive suddenness. I sob into my hands as my jaw aches like crazy where Anton hit me.

What the hell just happened? Ten minutes ago, I couldn’t wait to see Logan again and things were okay. But now, suddenly this horrible, disgusting man says he owns me and they take away everything Logan gave to me.

I can’t help but think about Logan’s warning. He said things were getting bad and that I need to be careful, but I didn’t really know what he meant at the time. Clearly, these people are beginning to see through whatever cover he was using.

Terror strikes me in the stomach, sudden and fierce.

He knew this was a possibility. He told me about him because he was afraid that they were going to take him away.

He could be dead.

The thought devastates me. There’s no other way to put it.

Logan could be dead. He’s probably dead. I can’t imagine any other reason why they’d take all of that away from me. He’s no longer in charge of me, and that means he’s probably dead.