I might not be in the hands of sex traffickers, but these people sure as shit ain’t normal.
I walk into the cafeteria and go to get my tray. Since the first day, I’ve kept my head down and stayed to myself. I’m not able to join the physical training yet, but I go to the classes on my schedule.
I like the mathematical stuff. I seem to be pretty good at it. Then there are the computers. I’ve tried to see if I could remember anything about myself to search for answers, but not much comes to mind. Although I get the feeling I was really good at school.
“Hey.”
I turn to see a fresh-faced kid on my right. He’s cute. The longish blonde hair suits his pretty face. There’s an innocence about him, causing the two dimples in his cheeks to make him adorable as he gives me a nervous smile.
His eyes aren’t quite green, but not quite blue either. He’s on the lanky side. A bit taller than me despite not looking more than sixteen or seventeen years old. He’s a handsome kid. His cheeks turn red as I stare at him.
“Roni, right?” he says when I don’t speak. “It’s me, Torque.”
I drop the tray in my hand on the counter and wrap my left arm around him. I have three healing ribs, so I don’t squeeze him as hard as I want to.
When I release him, he’s blushing twice as hard. This is not what I was expecting to find when I found him. No wonder they were trying to sell him. He’s pretty in an almost feminine way, but still masculine enough.
John’s face pops into my head. He was a pretty man too. Definitely masculine. The way his back flexed when he took his shirt off to give me made my mouth water.
His broad back had muscles that melted into muscles. He had to be over six feet, making it all fit together like a well-made puzzle that snapped in place effortlessly. However, his face, I’ll never forget his face.
“How are you feeling?”
I chew on my cheek as I focus back on Torque. I’ve been trying to tell myself to stop obsessing over the liar that left me here. He doesn’t deserve my thoughts.
“I’m fine, I guess. Given the circumstances.”
He shrugs. “It’s not so bad,” his voice breaks, causing him to blush again. “They’re pretty cool. Besides, I have nowhere else to go. So, this place is great.”
My heart breaks for him. “Does that mean…”
“They were killed,” he says, looking down at his feet. “Nate said they were found with their throats slit. The authorities kept it quiet on the island because there was a rise in kidnappings and murders, but they didn’t want to ruin the tourism.”
Right, God forbid that happen. Such bullshit.
“I’m so sorry.”
“I’ll be okay, I guess. I mean, come on. They offered to teach us how to be badass private security guards in return for living here. This place is like the X-men academy or something.”
I chuckle and turn to grab my tray as a line starts to head our way. I grab a muffin and grapefruit. Torque starts to load his with bacon, eggs, toast, a muffin, cereal, grapes, and apple juice. I snicker.
“Hungry?”
He turns to me with these adorable dimples and that blush. “We work up an appetite in the morning training,” he says.
“How old are you?” I can’t keep the words from slipping out.
“Fifteen, I’ll be turning sixteen soon.”
Wow. That rage that’s always right below the surface rises. He’s a baby.
“You don’t have family that would take you in? Did they even offer you that option?”
“These guys are the real deal. They knew everything about my family by the time we arrived here. I have a grandmother, but she’s in a home. She couldn’t take me in. She can’t even wipe her own ass,” he says.
I give him a stern look and the blush comes back. “Sorry,” he murmurs.
We make our way to the table I’ve claimed every day since we’ve been here. I’ve made sure to give off the vibes that I don’t want to be bothered. For the most part, people have stayed clear.
“Shouldn’t you have gotten more food than that?” Torque says cautiously.
“Not in the mood to eat much.”
“You’ll need to build your strength for when you can start training. How much longer will it take for you to heal?”
I tilt my head at him and stare. Like I said, I don’t talk to anyone. I find it