'Now, get on your knees and open your mouth like a good girl.' Billionaire club-owner Nathaniel Sterling ruins pretty things like me. That's what I'm told the first time I step foot in his sensual night club, desperate for a loan. He's willing to gi...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
THERE IS NO time in our dungeon. The darkness is ever present, clocks out of sight, and the night stretches into one, long forever.
It must have been a day at least—with only one meagre meal and some bottled water—when the industrial door opens and Dario walks in.
His wrist is in a cast.
For a solid minute, the seconds ticking by slowly, he just stares at Gabi. I want to move in front of her, block her from his sight, but I stay still, watching him and trying to figure out his next move.
He's furious at the turn of events from yesterday, and still angry that his pathetic fantasy with Gabi didn't go as he'd envisioned. I do not believe he's ready to kill us yet; I think he wants us to suffer first.
"You brought this on yourself," he tells Gabi in an emotionless voice, then turns and snatches up something long. I squint—a hose? He turns it on at the wall and water suddenly spurts out, spraying us through the bars of the cage.
The freezing cold water splashes me in the face, dousing Gabi beside me.
She gasps and huddles into me. I turn my body to try and protect her from the cold spray. If we're left down here dripping wet, the chances of us becoming sick—given our compromised immune systems from lack of food—are high.
But Dario does not relent. He steps closer, continuing to spray us. I protect Gabi the best I can, but it is impossible to shield her completely.
"Enough," I bark at him.
Finally, he stops, turning the hose off.
Gabi's teeth chatter, her hair stuck to her sunken cheeks.
"There is something seriously wrong with you," she tells him, her voice trembling.
"Is there?" He wanders forward. "You want to act like a fucking animal, you're going to be treated like one. I gave you every opportunity to live a good life with me..." He stops right at the bars. "But I guess you can't train the slut out of some women."
I lunge forward to grab him, but he has learnt his lesson and is already backing away. My fingers wrap around the bars of the cell, and I give them a hard shake. They rattle ominously.
He reaches into the back of his pants and withdraws a handgun, flicking the safety off with his thumb.
"Here's how this is going to go from now on: you two do exactly as I tell you, when I tell you. If you don't, I'm just going to kill you." He shrugs. "What use do I have for you other than my entertainment?" He points the gun at Gabi. "That was your specialty, wasn't it? Men's entertainment?"
She says nothing, staring at him with barely concealed rage.
"Glad we're in agreement. Take your clothes off."
My spine straightens as a douse of fury shoots through me.