Save Riley(43)

“Because my dear Riley, you’ve been lacking in discipline and that has been my mistake. I will take the blame for that, but I also won’t make the same mistake twice. As such, you’ve got another three days in that room. Have you made your decision yet by the way?” I asked before taking another scoop of cereal into my mouth.

She pulled her legs up to her chin and wrapped her arms around them before shaking her head.

“Then I’ll sweeten the deal for you. I was honestly thinking of letting you go a while ago,” I said conversationally. “Do you remember? You told me that you didn’t want to go home, but I don’t believe you. I think you lied to me. Did you lie to me Riley?”

“No,” she insisted looking up again. “Why would I lie about something like that?”

“Why would you want to stay here? Knowing that you’d never gain freedom again after your last stunt?” I asked curiously.

“Oh who gives a fuck? Let us out of here!” Tempest finally screamed from her corner.

“Just shut up. You’re the reason we’re both in this room,” Riley snapped at her.

“I’m the reason? It seems to me like your little boyfriend is a fucking freak and you want to keep him happy by doing the same sick shit he does. I will promise you this much, if I get out of this alive, I’m turning you both in,” she said through clenched teeth.

I watched them carefully. Tempest looked like she wanted to rip Riley to pieces and Riley looked like she didn’t particularly care one way or the other.

After a moment, Riley turned her attention back to the camera and spoke. “Does the ultimatum still stand?”

“Always,” I replied.

She nodded and got to her feet. I took a deep breath and waited as she leaned over the side of the bed and pulled something out from under the pillow. She turned and faced Tempest who was now on her feet, hands balled at her sides, ready for what she knew was about to happen.

“If we do this together we can both get out of here,” she said uncertainly to Riley.

Riley looked down for a moment, chuckling, before she slid the razorblade between her fingers, “I’m not interested in leaving. With as fucked up as this may seem to you, I’m wanted here. For the first time in my life, someone wants me, body and soul, and I refuse to lose that. I’m sorry that I deceived you, Tempest. And I’m sorry that you won’t stay with us, but I won’t allow you to destroy what Jaxton has built.”

Tempest let out a scream of rage as she flew at Riley. I’d seen that rage before; I had it in me at one point. It was the rage of being deceived, used, and unwanted. But it was also the rage that told me that we never would have been able to keep her because unlike me she wouldn’t have been willing to take her punishments and learn to control her anger.

I immediately left the den. Because I knew that anger so well and had yet to see it in Riley, it was possible that she would need my help. But no one helped me, so why help her? “Fuck off,” I muttered to myself.

I ran the whole way to the Alone Room. I was getting that bad feeling again and now that I knew that they were going to either fight or fuck each other to death, I needed to be in there for her. I punched the code in and pushed at the door but something seemed to be blocking it. Confused, I pushed harder forcing it open.

The first thing I saw was the trail of blood and the small limp white arm. It was badly gashed open and it the hand was almost hanging from the wrist. It was a terrible sight to see but even worse when I saw Riley standing there looking at me with vacant eyes. I approached her slowly and took the razor from her hand. I pulled her close and felt her heart beating erratically deep inside of her.

“Listen to me, love. I want to tell you my story. I was fifteen remember? I was drunk on the streets, yeah? I was taken by my mentor and his whore. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me and I thought that if I fucked her I would get to leave. I was wrong, so damn wrong. I wound up being used by both of them, sexually used. What I did to you upstairs to punish you? Oh God, Riley it’s what he did to me when I needed to be punished. I’m so sorry, but I was taught that was the only way.” Tears slid down the side of her face; I felt them land on my arm. I won’t have enough time to tell her everything, I thought in a panic. “When I was seventeen they decided that I should be able to hold my own and began construction on this prison. Not just so that my captives couldn’t escape but so I couldn’t either. But I became strong when they weren’t noticing. I became smarter than them. I killed them Riley; I killed them both and dropped their bodies to rot in the Tasman. Now I know that I did it for you. Even though I didn’t know you then, it was always for you. You understand what I mean, yes? Please tell me you do, love.”