His Darling

His Darling | 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

I couldn't bear the thought of being used for the sole purpose of Coles satisfaction.

But I was tired. So, so tired. Strength was rapidly slipping out of me. Because despite how painful it may be, it is so much easier to give up. To just submit to whatever these people wanted from me. My pride had been torn. Xander had used me, Cole had humiliated me. How can I not lose hope?

And yet I was not ready to give up.

My family.

I caressed the hard, carpeted floor in the dark, quiet room, thinking of rich, green grass underneath me, of the wind blowing around me, of my parents walking towards me with wide smiles, of my friends laughing around me in the grass cracking jokes.

Of Xander.

Leaning against a tree in the corner, steel blue eyes screaming trouble. An outcast amongst the people I cared the most about.

He looks at me, wind blowing at his hair, and smiles. My skin tingles. I want to yell at him for leaving me off with a monster, who might as well be ten times worse as him. Instead, I feel tears come down my face, and I close my eyes, shaking the scenery off my head. Why was I thinking of Xander?

Cole had a room all set up for me, one tiny window, but huge with fancy paintings and over the top furniture, a four post bed waiting to be used and along with that a letter that probably brought some sick sense of humor with it. But I had been laying on the floor for the past four hours. I was sure it was well passed 12:00 am, a time I had planned to kill Cole, but I was exhausted. I had been slipping in and out of slumber for the past two days, too scared of falling asleep.

"Pssst."

I sat up, looking around. What was that? My eyes focused on the small window. Nothing. I swallowed, rubbing my eyes and getting ready to lay back on the floor.

"Psst," then a small knock. I turned my head toward the door, slowly standing up.

"Hello?" I half said-whispered, my heart racing. Someone had come to kill me.

"Raven!" A harsh whisper. "Open the damn door!"

I frowned and ran to the door, my legs cramped and stiff. I stopped and with trembling hands, yanked the door and Christian burst in.

"Christian!" I couldn't help myself, I threw my arms around him, feeling like I was gaining some of my sanity back. I was sure Xander was with him. They had come to get me out of here. They realized this was a bad idea the moment I stepped foot in this place.

"Shh!" Christian pushed me inside, closing the door behind him. "My dear, why must you always be so loud?"

I ignored his comment and stepped back, making out his tall outline in the dark, my eyes flickered. "Where's...where's Xander?" I whispered.

"He's..." he stopped, hesitated, "I don't know. It's hard to tell with him. His whereabouts have been unknown since the day you left but--"

"What?"

I pang of bitter worry hit my chest. I worried for Xander. Had he left, forgotten about me and the entire mess he's in because of me?

And was he okay?

Xander. My kidnapper. The one who ruined my life.

"Does he have any idea...?" I tried to finish the sentence, but couldn't. Thinking of the excruciating pain I've had to endure, thinking of the dead girl's body laying on the ground--how sick Cole and this world was.