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Chapter Twenty

I guess the odor from my body was too much for Lorenzo to deal with. Rather than keeping me over his shoulder and near his nose, one of his elbows cradled beneath my thighs tightly as he carried me bridal-style up the stairs. It felt odd to smell and be around another human. Men's body wash wafted to my nose, almost feeling intolerable as it burned the insides.

The muddy outfit that I had on was torn to shreds. Lorenzo had to dodge the pieces with every step he would take. Loose pieces hung in every direction, the seams splitting. I do not even know how the material still clung on, for my breasts were evenly exposed as a thin line of cloth trailed between them and looped over my shoulders. Deep red scratches were visible all over the exposed flesh on my chest.

He carried me to the bedroom he always detained me in when he deemed I was behaving badly. Worn hinges made a rasping sound from the friction of the rust as the door wobbled open. It was kicked with such brute force that the whole frame rattled, the screws in the hinges groaning as they tried to stay in tact with the wood.

It is unclear what will happen to me now. Fear crept into every corner of my being. Lorenzo was so furious that I could basically see smoke blowing from his flaring nostrils. A pink tint spread throughout his face.

I cannot remember the last time he was this upset, not even the whole time he has held me captive. At first, my rebellion against him was treated as if it were all a game. He did not find running away from him funny in any light, and that was clear. When I promised I would not try to escape, it was a lie.

If you could even call that escaping. It is not like I got that far.

A part of me felt like Lorenzo could not stand that I outsmarted him and almost completely broke free from this prison—I could not tell if his ego was hurt or if he wanted to keep me that badly. Probably both.

A chair I had never noticed before now cushioned my tender figure. The material was velvet and its color was a deep brown. It was a small loveseat, the cotton beneath the fabric fluffing the whole cushion.

The windows were completely covered by thick boards so that I could not see outside. If I missed the outside before, now I was really in for it. The words 'you fucked up' might as well have been engraved in the wood. For I could tell by the aroma and stature of the bedroom that I would not have any luxuries of the sunlight or outside world for a while. If ever again, that is.

Lorenzo shut the door, and then a new padlock lightly clicked into the locked position when he twisted the key. Daggers were staring down at my petrified form. I had no control over my shaking limbs; it was embarrassing.

The tension in the room felt incredibly thick as I refused to make eye contact with him. Instead, I found interest in the lines that were sewed in the velvet maze on the love seat. Wooden grooves outlined the material, a dark oak frame supporting the whole fixture.

Heavy stomps landed on the floor as he took long strides to the nightstand. The old drawer glided open, and items clattered around as they were dug through. The scene felt all too familiar to the first day I woke up here as he pulled out the first aid kit.

"You are hurt, and it's all your fault. If you would have survived and escaped from me, I would have found you and killed you." Lorenzo declared angrily.

The scent of alcohol on his breath traveled to my face. The disgusting odor made me sick to my stomach. A frown of disappointment was aimed at me as he got on his knees and pulled the arms of the chair closer to him.

The wooden legs scooted to him, squealing against the floor the whole way. My heart rapidly beat in my chest as if it were trying to break free from my chest.