"No one is looking for you. No one cares you're gone. You're better off here. With me. I love you, Raiden. And I won't let anyone take you from me. You belong here... You'll understand soon..."
Raiden lives a pretty quiet life. Adam is the only...
I sat on the mattress, gripping my ankles and rocking back and forth.
More of them. There were more of them.
More animals who thought it was okay to kidnap people and force them into a new life.
No. Two were more than enough.
The hard sound of footsteps drifted up the already opened trap door.
"God damn it," I whispered to no one.
"What's its name?"
I looked up, aware that I was the 'it' being discussed. "My name is Raiden. I'm not an 'it' though."
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He smirked and walked up to me. "It's disrespectful, Adam."
"I've had him for a week. Give me a break."
"My girl was at my feet by the end of my first week. You must be losing your touch. That, or you're going soft."
Adam's hand turned to a tight fist before taking a deep breath and relaxing it. "Watch it, Thomas. I don't criticize how you do things."
"Yeah. 'Cause there's nothing I do that needs criticizing. I get things done."
He smirked smugly and bent down in front of me, taking the bone of my jaw in his rough hand. He turned my head and opened his mouth to talk, but I snapped my hand onto his wrist and pulled him off of me before he could start his sentence. He shrank back an inch, startled, as I stared him down. Fear built in his eyes as I tightened my grip. Serves him right.
Adam stepped in between us and ripped me off of him. His large hand found my throat and lifted me up off of the ground. I marveled at the strength to get me off of the ground and hold me there with only one arm while clawing at his fingers in a feeble attempt to get him to release me.
"Never, ever, lay a hand on him again." He pulled me mere inches from his face and tightened his grip until it felt like he was crushing my airways like a straw. "You and him? You're not on the same level. Every day of your life combined means nothing compared to a day of his. You will either treat him with respect or receive a punishment so bad you'll wish I'd killed you instead. Am I clear?"
I reached for the ground with my feet and tried to nod and say something while attempting to pull air into my lungs through the closed straw my throat had become.
Just as I reached the point of near unconsciousness, he dropped me onto the mattress. I struggled for my next breath, the effort making me feel like I was going to throw up. Somehow I managed to hold it in and start breathing before something worse could happen.
Back under control, I looked up at Adam's disappointed face. "God damn it, Raiden. I've been lenient with you up until now, but that is not okay. I expect an apology."
