During my shower, I take the time to scrub the dirt beneath my feet and trail a razor over my legs. Though, the chipped black polish on my nails seems like a lost cause at this point.
My body still aches from the abuse of the week, so after doing everything I possibly can to feel like a woman again, I stand with my head tilted back and eyes closed, enjoying the rare moment of calm.
That is until asshole number one kicks in my bathroom door and strides on in as though he has every right. He just stands there, his jaw clenched as I scurry to cover myself with the towel. “Have you ever heard of this magical thing called privacy?” I shriek. “Get the hell out.”
Roman scoffs. “You’ve been naked in this hellhole more than you’ve been clothed.”
He has a good fucking point, but I’m not about to go and applaud him on his quick comeback. “What do you want?” I demand, stepping out of the shower while still managing to keep my distance.
He throws a pair of old sweatpants and a cropped black tank at my chest and I barely manage to catch them without dropping my towel. “Get dressed,” he spits as he starts moving toward the door. “We’re leaving in ten.”
My eyes widen and I scurry after him. “Leaving? What do you mean? Where are we going?”
Roman stops after cutting through my bedroom and looks back at me with a deep scowl on his face. He doesn’t say anything, but his silence is more than enough to remind me of my place in all of this. I don’t get the right to answers, at least not yet, and definitely not where Roman is concerned. Though, I’m sure he believes I’ve already been rewarded enough for one day.
Roman holds my stare for a moment longer, and with each passing second, the need to shrink away from him rises in my chest until he finally turns away and leaves me gasping for air.
I seem to keep forgetting who these guys are. They’re not my friends, not my people. They’re my captors, murderers, and the very men who will ensure that I live in a constant state of fear.
The anticipation of leaving the castle has me rushing to get dressed, and before I know it, I’m down in the foyer, waiting impatiently for the boys to show. My hands shake at my sides, having no idea what I’m in for tonight. All I know is that we’re probably not heading out for takeout, though that might be a possibility after the brothers have done whatever it is that they need to do.
Levi and Roman show up first, both of them wearing black pants with a black hoodie pushed back to show their faces. It’s like some kind of unofficial uniform, but I’m not going to lie, every time I’ve seen them wearing this, I’ve ended up in a world of hell.
Roman’s hair is pulled back into a tight bun as the bits underneath are cropped short and fade down to nothing. I find myself looking at it a moment too long. I’ve never been into the whole long hair on a guy thing before, but he’s pulling off the Jason Momoa look like no man ever has before, not even Jason himself. His eyes are sharp and lethal, and I know without a doubt, what’s going down tonight isn’t something I want to be involved in.
Levi on the other hand, with his short-cropped hair and bored expression, looks as though he’s ready to call it a night and spend the next few hours closed up in his room with his drumsticks.
Silence surrounds us as we wait for Marcus, and after a short moment, he steps out from the living room that I’d spent a good portion of my afternoon sleeping in. “Ready?” he rumbles, his gaze shifting over me while his question is directed at his brothers.
“Let’s make it fast,” Levi mutters as the three of them take off toward the dining room. “Can’t risk Father catching us out of our prison, especially after his shit during lunch.”
My brows furrow as I hurry behind them. “Prison?” I question, following them through the back of the dining room and through a narrow walkway that leads to the main kitchen, wondering if he’s referring to what Roman had told me about their father keeping them locked up here.
My eyes widen and a sharp gasp pours out of me when I find the room filled with countless staff. They scatter around, busily cooking and clearing away used plates, and the moment the brothers’ presence is known, they drop what they’re doing, a heavy silence filling the room.
All eyes fall to me and I slow my pace, getting left behind as I gape at the people around me.