the strength and force behind his hand. Only his firm grip on my hair prevents me from toppling over, but in keeping me upright, some strands are tugged out by the roots. He holds me in place, and I’m unable to turn my head to look away when he takes himself in hand, and degrading me further, he finishes on my face and then throws me to the floor.
“We’ll try that again tomorrow, and next time you better put some fucking effort in,” he bellows, storming from the cage. “Farren, clean that bitch up.”
I’m lying on the bottom of the cage, coughing weakly. I gag, nearly vomiting at the smell and feel of his cum all over my face. I hear the sound of a bucket being set down next to me and grope around for it. Keeping my eyes pinched shut and holding my breath, I dip my head into the warm water. A washcloth is pressed into my hand, and I gratefully lift my head out. Water streams down my face, dripping into my lap, and I use the cloth to wipe my face before opening my eyes.
“Thank you,” I murmur to Farren, who’s kneeling next to me.
She glances furtively behind her and then pulls me into her arms for a quick hug. When she releases me her pale blue shirt has darker blotches on it from the water coating my skin. I smile weakly at her, and when my mouth stretches, I wince as it tugs on the split. Blood drips from my lip to the floor, mixing with the water as blackness slowly creeps across my vision. I’m exhausted. The beautiful gray eyes, belonging to the only person who gives a shit about me, lock with my fading blues, and her breath caresses my skin as she leans closer and presses satin lips on my damp forehead.
“I'm going to save you.”
I clutch at her whispered promise. The words are a balm to my aching soul; they send the faintest flicker of hope fluttering into my heart. Maybe one day I'll be able to crawl out of this cage and taste freedom once again.
It doesn't matter that her father and brother are the ones who are doing this to me. Her touch doesn't make my skin crawl with hatred. She fills me with the light my dark captivity has stolen from me.
Chapter Six
Farren
Footsteps on the stairs draw my attention upward, and I see the familiar face of my brother on his way down to lock the cage I’ve now exited. He passes me without a word, and the coldness of his presence saps me of warmth. The clicking of the padlock echoes as Tucker secures it. I try not to wince or look behind me on my way back up the stairs.
I hate this. I hate being a part of what’s happening here, yet I feel helpless to stop it. I don’t want the promise I made to Violante to be an empty one. I’ve no idea how to keep it, but my heart rebels at the thought of failing her. I’m determined this won’t end the way I fear it will.
I don’t realize I’ve stopped on the stairs until I hear a throat clearing behind me, and I turn to face my brother. He’s a couple of steps below where I’m standing, making him the same height as me. I stare directly into his eyes; their color closely mirrors my own, although in his there’s a dark ring of blue around his gray irises and darker flecks in the hues that are absent from mine. There’s a hardness in his now that never used to be there, replacing the kindness they used to convey.
Our father is the one who’s done this to Violante, to us. His hatred of my abnormal desires has driven a wedge in this family, and he’s using it, along with Violante, to slowly isolate me from the only other person who ever cared for me, warping Tucker’s views with his own narrow-minded disgust.
I turn around without a word and continue up the stairs with Tucker close behind me, his footsteps keeping time with my own on the sturdy wooden structure. I daren’t look behind me again and face his judging eyes, even though I can’t be sure which one of us he’s judging. Is it me, our father, or himself? I swallow hard, and as soon as I cross the threshold into the first floor hallway, I dart away, intending to hide