Corded (Corded Saga #1)(29)

 

I covered myself as best I could, shocked by the intrusion and the burst of cool air.

 

"What? Embarrassed?" Mona grinned. "You're going to have to get over that quickly if you are going to survive here," she taunted. "Might as well start right now."

 

Giggling filled the room and two other girls walked in.

 

I grabbed for my towel but Mona took it. "What's the matter?"

 

"Give me my towel please." I fought back tears that wanted to spill. I wouldn't let Mona see what her cruelness was doing to me. She didn't deserve to know.

 

"Please?" Mona laughed. "You think that word means anything here? There are only orders here. Got it? You are a prisoner, a slave. Please means nothing." Her eyes were dark and as unfriendly as her words, but there was a sadness in them that didn't come through in her voice.

 

"I thought you were all willing." I reached for my towel again, but she held it away.

 

"Willing because we have no other choice. What should we do instead? Run outside and get raped by the street hustlers? Or get taken in by the Reign who will beat us as they rape us, and revel in it?" There was no trace of the laughter from before. She was talking about real and horrible threats only a step away.

 

I shivered, both from the cold and from fear.

 

"Get over the embarrassment and get ready to do your share. If not, get out of here." She pointed to the door as if I had a choice. As if it could be that easy to walk away. She had no idea.

 

I nodded.

 

Mona tossed me my towel. "Your daddy may have thought he was doing you a favor by shielding you, but he wasn't. He failed you, and now you're so in over your head you don't know it. Do you even know how to be with a man? Has anyone taught you?"

 

"It is something that needs to be taught?" I wrapped the towel around me. I was grateful for the coverage, but it did nothing for the chill. I still shivered.

 

All three girls laughed. Mona grinned. "Or not. Maybe the surprise will be enjoyable for you."

 

"Get out!" Addison's voice broke through the laughing. "Get out now."

 

"Calm down. We were only educating our new friend." Mona winked.

 

"Educate yourselves and get out." Addison fumed.

 

"She's going to have to face the music eventually." Mona walked out taking the other girls with her.

 

"Are you okay?" Addison inspected me.

 

"I'm fine," I answered quickly. I didn't want her sympathy. I was stronger than that. If I couldn't handle these girls, how was I going to be able to handle everything else that was to come?

 

"If you're sure." Addison eyed me warily. "I'm sorry about them."

 

"There's no reason for you to be sorry."

 

"Please know I don't feel that way. I'm glad you're here. Yet sorry." She looked down at the white tile floor.

 

 

 

        

          

        

         

 

I adjusted the towel around me. "Sorry?"

 

"Isn't that part obvious?" She looked up again.

 

"You mean because I have to be Corded?" I was so unfamiliar with conversing with other girls. My sister and I were so close we usually could guess each other's thoughts.

 

Addison nodded. "I'm sure you had a better life before. Even though it's not awful here, well, it's no paradise either."

 

"I did have a better life." Even with the constant fear, it was better. We were together, and Bailey was safe. And my father was alive. A pang pierced my heart.

 

"I'll let you get dressed." Addison turned to leave. "And I'll make sure the girls don't bother you again."

 

"Thanks." I forced the tiniest of smiles. "I appreciate you defending me."

 

"We need to stick together. We're not as different as you might think." She disappeared through the doorway.

 

I hurried down the hall to the closet and hastily threw on clothes that hopefully matched. I'd spent my whole life wearing off-white; it was hard to transition to the idea that some colors might not go perfectly together. Either way, I knew it didn't matter. Mason didn't have me there for my wardrobe choices.

 

 

 

 

 

Eleven

 

 

 

 

 

The room was quiet by the time I slipped out of the suite. I figured the girls had either gone to their jobs or gone to sleep.

 

I knew where I wanted to go, and it didn't involve waiting for Mason. I walked out into the hallway and directly toward the elevator.

 

I pressed the down button. The technology was still new to me, but it wasn't difficult to understand. I wondered what else would become second nature before long.