Above the Law

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Eden could feel everything. The blood still slowly trickling from her nose and into her open mouth. The ropes digging into her bound wrists. The pain in her chest as she sucked in wheezing breaths. The adrenaline was gone, but the fear mounted with every touch, every taunt.

She knew not to fight. She could hear the men shouting, hear the women crying. She knew there were dozens of cruel men just itching for her to step out of line. Fisher ripped the bag from off her head and shoved her forwards. She knew immediately that Fisher wanted her to see what was happening. Wanted her to place a picture to the sounds she heard. Jeers and low whistles came from around the room at the sight of her. She spat out a mouthful of blood.

"You sure she's even pretty enough to sell?" one of the men called out to Fisher.

Fisher chuckled and stroked her bruised cheek. "This one's personal. Revenge." The way he whispered that word, only to her, made her go ridged. He laughed again, quiet and dark. "Don't think you would have been safe if I never met Yates. Your fate was sealed the second I knew what that mouth of yours could do. Long before you even met him, you were mine."

Eden bit back her retort, her confusion, her shame. None of that mattered right now. Now, as she took in the scene before her and realized this is what her future. Some women were willing, sitting with their long legs crossed and smoking cigarettes. Prostitutes. But the other women? The other women were naked and violated, crying out for a God that didn't give a shit.

Eden didn't know what scared her more, the fact that maybe these women accepted their fate, or if they chose it. She swallowed the vomit already creeping inside her mouth and was for once glad the tang of blood was still souring her mouth.

"You would have been easy, you know. If Yates hadn't come along and saved you." Fisher stopped outside a metal door. "Your father never cared about you, no one would have given two shits if you were raped and killed in left in a gutter. You accepted your place in the world as a whore and then Yates comes around and tells you he loves you and that he'll protect you. But Yates can't protect you from this. He won't protect you from this." He pause for affect or maybe to see if she'd take his bait. "And you want to know why?"

Fisher pushed open the door and shoved her inside the dark room, then kicked the back of her knees so she fell on her stomach. Eden strained against the thick ropes that kept her hands bound behind her back. Fisher knelt down, pressing his knee to her lower back and grabbed a fistful of her hairs, forcing her to look at the corner of the room where a little girl sat, arms wrapped around her knees, rocking back and forth. "That's why." Fisher pressed his lips to Eden's ear. "Deep down, you and I both know you're still Daddy's little whore. Embrace it, Princess, it'll save you some pain." He released his grip on her hair and pushed her face to the ground. She heard the door open then close. Darkness settled.

She stared towards the corner of the room. At first, Eden thought it was Lily. But the girl was too small. Her cries too loud. A sob tore from deep inside Eden's body. "Penelope? Penelope, is that you?"

"Eden?" Penelope hiccupped. Her voice broke something inside Eden.

Eden rolled onto her side, her shoulder popped loudly but she bit back the scream. She pushed off the ground with her forearm and elbow, struggling into a sitting position. Her lungs burned with every movement, every breath. She gritted her teeth and pressed her shoulder blades against the door and heaved herself to her feet. She swallowed her whimpers as pain shot through her.