BooksBarbecue
Back The Lost Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. Acknowledgments
  47. About the Author
  48. A Sneak Peek of You Will Be Mine
  49. 1
  50. Back Cover

Two pairs of eyes settle on me. One full of fear and heartbreak. The other burning with delight.

“Hi, Piper,” Caleb drawls with a smirk.

22

The little room has only enough space for the two beds and a short gap running between. Along the ends of the beds is enough room for buckets of water that line the side and a pile of towels and jugs stacked in the corner.

Everything Caleb needs.

I clear my constricting throat. “Hello, Caleb.”

His smile widens, knowing I’m not going to fall apart in front of him. I don’t care if he likes it or if he doesn’t. For me, I need to keep calm. I can’t control what he does to me, but I can control how I react to that.

“Would you care to lie down?”

My eyes fall on the bed beside Lucie, her tortured eyes and wet hair, and my heart stalls. I don’t want to play his game. I want to scream and fight, but I have no choice.

The only thing I can do is to show him the fear he so desperately craves.

Swallowing, I reply, “Sure.”

It’s not like he’s going to let me go if I say no. I walk past him, keeping my gaze on the bed, and I sit down on the edge.

“You okay?” I ask Lucie.

Her hair is soaking wet, eyes puffy and rimmed with a red line where she’s been crying.

She doesn’t speak; in fact she presses her lips together so hard, they disappear. I don’t know if she’s still mad at me or if she’s scared to speak.

“We’re not here for a conversation, Piper,” Caleb says.

“No? What are we here for, then?” I ask, looking at him over my shoulder.

He folds his arms, his muscles protruding. I wonder if he has always been into working out or if he did it to get strong enough to overpower others.

Doesn’t really matter.

“You know what we’re here for.”

“Ah, right,” I mutter. “We’re here because you’re lacking something in your life and need to make yourself feel better by harming others.”

“Now, now, Piper, let’s not get personal.”

“Personal? You watch me in the bathroom.” I lie down, ignoring the hammering in my chest. This is who I need to be in these rooms.

“I can assure you I don’t look.”

“Your assurances mean very little, Caleb, but thanks for clearing that up.” I grab the straps attached to the side of the bed. “Are you tying me to this or not? I mean, it’s obviously more fun when someone is strapped down...”

I’m taunting him, and it’s likely to be a bad idea, but I can’t help it. This version of me is harder. I’m not afraid to stand up for myself, but this is something else.