Stolen

7

I woke up smelling food. Not my usual food, warm bread and I could smell something else. I was going to sit up and look around, but I was so comfortable. I heard a door unlocking and bolted upright. It took a moment to remember last night, sneaking up here to Ronnie's room. 

Ronnie peeked his head in and smiled at me before coming into the room with a full plate and locking the door behind him. He came over to the bed and sat beside me.

"Hey," he smiled. "How'd you sleep?"

"Compared to my cage? I slept amazing." I smiled as I stretched. He put the plate of food on my lap.

"I grabbed you some breakfast." I looked down at the plate on my lap. Waffles, toast, eggs, and bacon. I moved the plate to the side and jumped up, hugging Ronnie.

"Thank you," I said. I felt tears in my eyes and I wasn't sure why this food made me so emotional. He didn't move. Didn't even hug me back.

"You're welcome... You should eat now." He said pulling away from me. I was confused for a moment and he must've seen it on my face. "You belong to the boss. I can't touch you, even a hug."

I nodded and picked up my plate. I looked at him for a moment as I picked up a piece of bacon.

"Did you get any food?" I asked holding my precious bacon. If I give him food, the bacon is definitely mine.

"Uhhh.. yeah." He tried to smile.

"You are the worst liar ever." I glared. I pushed the plate in his direction and he hesitantly picked up the toast.

"This is all I want," he said taking a bite. "Thank you, but you need to eat. You'll be going back to the basement tonight."

"Do I have to? I could just hide out in here." I smiled as I ate my bacon. He smiled at me before sighing.

"I can't let you stay. It'll get us both hurt." He looked at his toast. "Speaking of which, how's your back? Your cheek isn't looking that bad. Hopefully it'll heal up pretty quickly."

I shrugged. Not really wanting to deal with my back. Ronnie rolled his eyes and pulled out his flask, taking a big gulp before offering some to me.

"No, thanks." I tried to smile. I had almost forgotten that he was a drunk who shot me and brought me to hell. Almost.

"Alright," he said putting it away. "Turn around so I can look at your back."

"Do we have to? I mean,  it's-"

"Jade. I said turn around."

I did as I was told and lifted the shirt so he could see my back. I felt his fingers run across the marks as he rubbed some sort of cream across them, leaving a cold feeling.

"There. I think they'll heal up pretty well. They may leave a few light scars, but not bad." He said fixing my shirt. I turned back around and ate quietly. The food was amazing compared to what I'd been eating.

I looked up at Ronnie for a moment. He simply sat watching me enjoy my food and I knew very well he was going hungry so I could have it. Such a soul didn't seem like it belonged in a place like this.

"Ronnie?" I asked. He raised a brow for me to continue. "How did you end up here?"

He stared off into space for a moment before he started to speak quietly. He didn't turn to me, just spoke to the nothingness in front of him like he'd been transported somewhere far away.

"My own father joined with Marlben when I was a child. He died on the job when I was about six years old. This was long before Blake's mother was around, so I was raised by my own mother and Marlben. When I turned eighteen I was given a choice. Stay and work with him or be thrown into a world I was never able to be a part of. When I was twenty three, I learned I had made the wrong choice by staying. I met Melanie. She was the sweetest creature I'd ever met. She could calm a rattlesnake with a single word and she could calm the monsters in me. I married her,  but then I had to keep working. I had responsibilities here. I was on a job to help take down some rivals. While I was away they came in looking for me and they found her."

He was quiet for a long time. He wiped his eyes and tried to hide his tears. He cleared his throat and started to speak again.

"I came home to find her hanging from the tree in our yard. She had been beaten, raped, and God knows what else. Our unborn child had been cut from her stomach and left there on the ground." I began to cry as he spoke. "They took her from me and left only ashes of what used to be my home."

"Ronnie, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," he mumbled. "I got them back. I went to their houses one at a time and returned the favor to them. I took them from their beds and gave them each their own punishment. I waited till the end to go for their boss. He was only lightly guarded and it was easy to get to him. I chained him to the back of my truck and hit the interstate. He was barely alive when I stopped, so I locked him inside and set the whole truck on fire."

He shook his head like he was trying to escape the memory and looked at me. He tried to smile, but I could tell it was fake.

"Enough about that."

"So what do we do today?" I asked putting my empty plate on the nightstand. I tried to smile and pretend that nothing had happened. It seemed he wanted it that way. He leaned back on the bed and looked at his ceiling.

"I'm not sure," he said quietly. "All I know is that tonight I'm taking you back downstairs..  I guess we could work on your good wife skills."

"Do we have to?" I groaned. "Those rules are outrageous."

"I know, but if you aren't perfect, they'll make me hurt you and I'd rather you hate me for making you work than because I hurt you."

"Ugh. Ronnie, I know you don't have a choice, just let me complain a little like normal teenagers." I dramatically fell back into the pillows. He laughed a little.

"Here," he said trying to hand me the book.

I looked at it for a moment then at him before smiling and faking excitement.

"Oh my gosh!" I almost shouted. He jumped and looked confused. "You got me a gift?!"

"I-"

"Oh, this book!" I said in the same tone holding the book to my chest. "Thank you! I hate it so much!"

He looked surprised for a moment before he broke into a fit of laughter.

"You know, I never really thought I was all that funny."

"Alright," he said calming down. "Now start reading. I've got to get back to work."

He stood up and I stood with him. He looked at me for a moment, waiting for me to speak.

"What exactly do you do here?" I asked. He looked away from me for a moment before he turned back towards the door.

"We shouldn't ask questions we won't like the answers to, sweet girl." He closed the door behind him and I heard the lock click. I just stood there trying to understand what he meant for a moment. Why wouldn't I like it?

I sighed and plopped onto the bed with the book. I opened it back to the page I was on and started to read a bit more.

13. She is loyal and dedicated, even if he isn't always.

14. She respects her husband's decisions (even if she believes he is wrong)

15. She will follow the leadership of her husband.

"Seems like I look at this guy like he's perfect and never wrong. I really hope he's not completely stupid." I said to myself.

16. She will realize her husband does not need to be changed.

"Great, so I do have to pretend he's perfect then."