Chapter 25

I sit calmly in the chair. Looking down into the garden below. It remains me of my time with Donovan, James, and Isabella when we strolled about the garden that one night.

Donovan had warned me then about Avery. But I didn't listen. I was too much in love. A part of me still does love him, I assume this because when I think of him my heart aches for him.

And I hated it. Hated that I thought of him at all.

Tears threaten to fall once again I ask myself the question I have asked myself for the hundredth time, How could he have left me?

I'm ripped from my thoughts as I feel his hand on my shoulders. He leans down and kisses me on my cheek and I flinch as pain spreads across my cheeks.

"Ah, " he whispers drawing his finger down my brusied face. "Perhaps I went overboard with the slapping darling." He chuckles.

I notice how happy he seems. Which is an odd contrast from the last two days.

"Well," he starts as he walks over to the bed and lays down. "They caught the little boy. Nothing to worry about now with that taken care of."

I snap up in awareness, soaring to my feet. "Your lying!" I counter reaching up to graze my sore throat with my finger tips.

"Not at all darling." He drawls looking up at me with a smudge look of happiness.

I grip my hands and look down at the floor. James...

"Where is he! I promise to do whatever you say just don't hurt him." I plead instantly.

He chuckles, "My men killed him it seems. They couldn't control their thirst. Don't worry, I punished then for not bring him back here for me to drain as I had planned."

I can feel my mouth hanging open, and I can feel myself screaming but I don't hear it.

Instead, "Your lying." Comes out.

I watch as Jeremy just shrugs, "Come here, kitten." He says changing the topic.

I back away from him and walk to the wall leaning face first into it, I close my eyes blaming myself for this. I want to cry but I'm down. Its like a part of me shuts down and I cant stop hitting my head across the wall, wanting to crack my skull open and be down with this.

I feel Jeremy yank my hair back and I fall into his arms, "What are you doing!" He asked annoyed dropping me to the floor, "I don't want you damaging my walls." He says looking down at me.

I just start laughing and laughing, hysterically.

While he just stares and calls over aservant.

"Get here cleaned up. She's filthy." He orders and walks out leaving me there.

I know the servant its the girl whose name I can never remember she looks sad. And helps me sit up.

"Lets get you all cleaned up okay." She whispers.

I nod, I want all of this off me, all of him off me.

...

"How did you end up here?" I ask the girl. I just need her to talk so I don't think about anything. So I can keep the madness at bay.

She just shrugs and says, "Like everyone else. I was put up on the block and bought."

"But what of your parents?" I ask although not interested.

"They too were slaves. I was separated from them once I was old enough."

I frown, "And how old was that?"

"Eight." She answers.

I look away from her feeling pity for her but from the look of her I know she is one of those persons that doesn't appreciate when others pity her.

James was around that age I think...

"If you just do as he tells you he will tire of you and leave you be. He loves the fight you give him." She says as she uses the towel to dry my hair.

"He killed James, " I murmur. I want to cry but I can't. There's none left to spill.

I see her grimance in the mirror.

"If you just do as he says you'll be fine." She smiles ignoring my statement as she begins to comb my hair.

I look at my brusied face and blue neck from the bites. "I'm going to kill him." I confess.

The girl stops combing my wet hair to stare at me momentarily, before shrugging it off and starting up again.

"The worst of it is over, soon the brusies will heal. And he will let you leave the room in a few days."

"I'm going to kill him and your going to help me. I need your help."
I repeat.

I see her smiling in the mirror. "No, I cant do that miss."

" How many times has he down this?" I ask realizing she seems too know much of Jeremy's routine.

She grimances again, "Only a few times miss."

"And where are the other women?"

"I don't know miss. They just disappear after a few years."

I gasp looking down at my knees. "And your telling me to be calm and do as he says!" I yell angrily.

I stand up and knock the comb out of her hand. "He has you and everyone here programmed! Get out!" I yell.

The girl looks frightened and backs away.

I bit my lips outraged. "It isn't me you should be afraid of!" I yell hysterically. "Its him." I warn as she backs away and runs out of the bedroom.

I watch as she does before sitting back down on the bed. Hoping my words of murder wont spill from her mouth.

I look at myself, my reflection in the mirror across from me. I finally realizing that I'm trapped with a lunatic, who feeds of power and will ultimately kill me once he is down breaking me and has drained away my life.

He killed James just to play his twisted game with me.

I grip my head in my hands as I see James face again blaming me for this...

And then I see Avery, blaming me for not going along with him and I want to rip my hair out. Would Avery even come back for me?

Do I even want that... no. I never want to see him again. Never!

I hear footsteps walking up behind me and see Jeremy.

"Dearest, look how lovely you look all cleaned up."

I stare at myself in the mirror, "I look much better I agree."

He leans down to kiss my neck.

My natural reaction is to pull away but I force myself to stay still. I can't afford to be beat tonight. I need to reclaim my energy, before I can deal my own blow to Jeremy.