Ink's Second Chance - Carol Dawn Page 0,47

of your own free will?”

Is this what he thinks of as free will? This is coercion control. He has people beaten until they give him what he wants just to have the beatings stopped. But I haven’t told him that. Actually, I haven’t said a single word since that first day.

Mike lands strike ten on my back and I scream at the pain it causes. By the time I’m able to get myself under control, Mike has already left my cell.

I hear Carlos clear his throat.

I decide to break my silence and answer Carlos’s question today. Using every single bit of strength I have, which isn’t much, I manage to roll over onto my side and sit up.

I don’t have enough strength to do anything more. My legs are laying crossed because I just can’t find it in me to bend forward and uncross them.

“Have you finally decided to accept me of your own free will?” He asks.

I try and fight back the chills running through my body. I’m freezing. Probably because it’s cold in here and I haven’t had a shirt on since Mike ripped mine off the very first day.

I reach up to wipe my brow as sweat drops into my eyes.

Wait! How can I be sweating if I’m so freaking cold?

“Well,” Carlos says impatiently. His voice seems far away but I chalk it to the echo in this room of empty cells.

“Fu..ck yyy…oouu!”

There. He has my answer. Now I can rest up and regain enough strength for tomorrows beating.

I start falling backwards but am out before I land on my back.

***Carlos***

Estúpida. Stupid girl. Why won’t she just give in? I do love her spirit though. She will make for a fine wife. My son was an idiot. The boy deserved to die for landing his father in jail.

I made his life simple. I even procured his wife when she was but an infant. And he fucked the whole thing up.

Estúpido.

However, his last sacrifice before he died has earned him back in my favor. He repaid the price and brought me the perfect wife. Even if he didn’t fully know it. The moment I saw pretty girl Rachel I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Then I witnessed her sass. It made me smile.

But the icing on the cake was her plan to kill Roman using the gas from his fireplace.

Absolutely brilliant.

She had to be mine. So, I made it so.

I’m standing outside of her cell watching her sleep, but something seems off. Unlocking her cell, I walk to her side.

She doesn’t look like she’s sleeping. She looks dead. Her face is pale and a thin layer of sweat covers her skin.

I roll her over and look at her back. I expected the marks, even craved to see them. But I didn’t expect this.

A few of the cuts on the bottom of her back are infected.

“Mike,” I yell. “Get me the medkit and call Doctor Andrews. We need to take her in first thing in the morning for antibiotics.”

Mike does as I ask, and I get to work cleaning her back. Andrews knows to keep his mouth shut about everything he sees. We don’t allow him inside the compound so we’re going to have to take her to him.

I will allow her a little time to heal before subjecting her to Mike again. It might take time, but she will submit.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Ink

“They’re pulling in now,” I say into the radio. “I can’t tell how many are inside because the windows are tented.”

“Is there only one vehicle?” Wolf’s voice comes through my earpiece.

“Affirmative. The suspect has no escorts. We can take it from here on our end. Stay safe. Over and out.”

I look over at Slim and grin. He’s having way too much fun.

“Affirmative?” I ask.

“What?” he says, innocently. “I feel like a spy and I’m loving it. You’re just jealous because I’m dressed for success and you’re wearing jeans and a white t-shirt.”

I look down at Slim’s outfit. He’s wearing all black. Skintight leggings and a tight long-sleeved turtleneck.

“Alright,” I admit. “You are dressed for the part.”

Slim smiles.

“Almost,” I finish. “What’s up with the high-heeled boots and cat ears?”

Hawk chuckles from somewhere behind us.

“If it comes down to it and we have to run, you’re screwed,” I tell him.

Slim stands from our crouched position. He stands tall and firm.

“If someone started chasing us, I would still outrun you all in these heels,” he says confidently. “And I would look fucking awesome doing it. Not