CARTER

XV

LILLY

I don't know what happened in that dining room earlier but whatever I said to him might've saved my life. He was so angry when he walked back into that room and the way he held me, I felt like he would've broken my arm like a twig.

I was back in the cell, in the same body suit. He wouldn't let me change and just pushed me in again. Telling me to stay put like his dog. I hated when he treated me like one. I am a human being but what do they know? How do I expect them to know when they sell or buy human beings like their dolls that can be played with however they want? I can't still forget the way Romano gifted that girl to that man named Sinn like it wasn't a big deal.

I hate it here. I hate him. I hate this. There's no way out. I'm trapped and the walls in this cell feel like they're closing in little by little every single day. The cell is getting smaller and the ceiling is getting lower. This is torture and I can't do anything but cry and cry. Dance to his tunes, let him do whatever he wants, let him touch me however he wants because I'm his. I'm branded. I'm his all the way. Would it be easier to not care and let him do anything he wants? Would it be easier to put on a smile and let him pull on my strings? Should I just stop fighting?

Fighting... I was never a fighter. I always give up too soon. Too damn soon.

The cell gets colder as every minute passed and the silence was thick. It made my heart sink. The silence, the darkness, the coldness, they were insufferable. Carter Romano is a monster. He forever will be a monster. I was so exhausted, mentally and physically, that I can't keep it in anymore. I couldn't stop anymore. The anxiety of it all caught up to me and I stayed in the corner crying loud, begging god that someone will help me. That this will be over if I just open my eyes. If I just wake up.
My body shook and I began shivering. My heart beat too fast in my chest that it felt like it will stop any moment. And I wanted it to stop. I wanted to stop breathing, I wanted to stop living. At this point, death was my freedom. It was my only way. End it all, end me, and everything will be okay.

Everything will be okay.
Everything will be alright.
End it and the pain will stop.
It will stop.
It will stop, right?
Will it stop? Will I be free?

I gasp at my thoughts when I hear a gunshot. It was close yet it was far. What's going on? What- I hear screams of agony and pain. I hear more gunshots. I hear- I hear a bang and I hear his voice "There you are. I've been waiting for a while." The cell door opens and I still don't know where it was going until he steps in. Dressed in a white suit, holding a gun, and blood all over his face. Smiling like the devil. Russo.
He keeps the gun back in his holster and says "I did tell Romano that if I don't have you by midnight, I'd attack. He thought I was bluffing. Hope he dies and I get to have you." I stand up suddenly and press myself to the wall. All the memories of him forcing himself on me that day were crashing into my mind. I hated the way he touched me, the way he was too close to raping me until Romano showed up.
I shriek as I hear more gun sounds but Russo chuckles "So jumpy. Come now, let's go. You're coming with me." His eyes go down to what I was wearing but I shake my head. He looks down at himself, at his pants getting tight, and then up at me, smiles, and closes the cell door, "Maybe after one little taste."
He gets closer but I make a run for it. Going around him and running to the cell door. He's quick in wrapping his arm over my stomach and pulling me in, putting his palm pressed on my mouth so I would stop screaming. Seconds later, he pushes his tie in my mouth and I hear his belt being unbuckled.
I take this time to pull the tie out of my mouth to scream, he slaps me across the face and pins me down on the floor, using his belt to tie up my hands and push my tied hands above my head.