Chapter 25
Anna
Opening my eyes was almost impossible. I knew I was on the metal table again. I also knew I was on my side, but none of that mattered. I wasn’t well, and there was nothing short of pumping me full of antibiotics my captor could do about it.
With the blood loss and his beatings, I wasn’t healing. Or, if I was, I wasn’t on the inside. I had an infection. The fever, he got rid of. The vomiting was a different story.
“Don’t you fucking throw up again.”
No One approached, pausing at the table as he held a bowl of soup. The smell had me gagging, and he cursed, turning to put it down as he shoved a smaller bowl under my mouth. I heaved, barely able to lift my head.
It had been days since he’d removed my finger. Or had it been closer to a week? I didn’t know anymore. Time didn’t exist when every moment consisted of warped games. Of more abuse and rape. I couldn’t even tell when the sun was up or down. And I slept—a lot. Even as he beat and raped me, I tried to disappear any way I could.
A ragged breath left me and my head hit the table. The moment I was pulled to sit, I swayed at the lightheadedness that followed.
“It has to be the medication. It’s too strong for how small you are. A few more days and you should be good.”
I gagged again, and the bowl was placed under my mouth. Minutes went by as my eyes rolled through the heaviness pulling me under. When the smell from the soup grew stronger, I realized No One was leaning me against his tall frame and had the spoon only an inch away.
“Open.”
Obeying came natural. Regardless of the fact that I didn’t feel hungry, my body knew he was right. I opened, taking in warmth and vegetables. The texture and strength of the flavor left my head shaking. I barely managed to swallow before I gagged again. And again. Yet, nothing else came but the damn spoon. Repeatedly, he forced me to eat. By the time he lowered me, I was swimming in the black ocean I’d come to know so well. I rocked. I swayed. Braden came to me in the distance, but he never got close. He was always watching, but he wouldn’t speak when I cried out.
More time went by, and I was being lifted. Cradled. Warm water beat against my skin and I came to when we left the shower. My jaw was chattering, and I felt cold to the bone.
“I w-want…to go h-home.”
Laughter. More swaying. I was being carried. Softness appeared beneath me as I was lowered. A sound of pleasure left my lips at it not being the table, but weight registered just as fast. Light broke through as I opened my eyes. My hands were pulled up and tied to the headboard.
“That’s it. Spread your legs.”
Pressure pushed them apart and fingers immediately began rubbing against me. My hips moved to the side, but it did little good. The breach to my entrance sent me stiffening. I knew this routine. I couldn’t remember how many times in all the days I’d been here that I had to undergo the hell of having him use my body. Whether I was sick or not made little difference to him. I’d even thrown up while he was raping me. He didn’t stop.
“I got ahold of some footage the other day from a friend. Your funeral was beautiful, Annalise. I have to say, I think you would have been very pleased at the turn out.”
“My…?” I breathed through sudden awareness, hating how I was back. “They think I’m dead?”
“There’s my girl. Yes, after I gave the dear detective my confession and your finger, what were they to think? I mean, I’m sure the pictures of you hanging from those cuffs covered in blood were convincing enough.”
Thickness stretched me and I tried to turn to my side to avoid what I knew was coming.
“Fuck,” he breathed out, pushing in even more. “I wonder what everyone’s saying.”
I didn’t care what anyone else thought. Braden, Lucille…believing I was dead? Did they really? Surely the detective in Braden wouldn’t hold to that without more evidence. No, he still had to be looking. The funeral was standard. That’s all. He’d still look for me.
I closed my eyes, tugging against the restraints as slapping stung my cheek.
“Not yet. You’re going to stay awake longer.”
The thrusts increased, turning harder as he squeezed my breast. My eyes didn’t reopen, but I did jerk at my arms as best as I could. Anything to experience the sensations there instead of the ones in other places. With each rape, my captor lasted longer. I couldn’t do this anymore. The last thing I wanted was to like what I was feeling, but my body sometimes betrayed me.
“Fuck, yes. God, yes.”
My lids flew open as his hand locked around my throat. The squeeze flexed, growing stronger and lighter as he tested the way I responded. Panic couldn’t help but edge in as oxygen became almost impossible.
“You look so pretty when your face is bright red.”
Each slap of his balls against my ass made my lips tingle even more. Disgust had me using every ounce of strength I harbored, but it wasn’t nearly enough to break him free.
“Fight, harder. Fight. Fuck.” The last word dragged out and air flooded into my lungs as his cum pumped into me. He’d never choked me before, but now that I knew he enjoyed it, it would happen again. Next time, it would be worse.
The bed creaked and No One stood, walking out of the door, naked. With his departure, I tugged at the cloth restraining me as hard as I could. The room I was in had brown and navy blue horizontal striped wallpaper. There was even a TV on the antique dresser that looked to be something straight out of my childhood. Wherever we were, I wasn’t so sure this was even my captor’s home.
“You better be being good in there. I don’t want to whip you again so soon, but I will if you pull anything stupid.”
Panic had me fighting even harder through my weak state. If I could just get to a phone or crawl out of a window and escape, I’d be free of this. I’d be back with Braden, and he’d protect me from getting taken again. He’d have this man arrested and sent to prison to…what? Live out his life there? Where was the justice in that?
Pots and pans banged in the distance and I pushed away my evil. Prayers began to recite and I glanced around the space for anything that might help me. A pile of clothes rested along the far wall and their vicinity had something catching my eye. I took in the contents on the dresser, nearly crying out as a cell phone came into view. Yes, it was dark and square. That had to be what it was.
“I’ve been thinking of doing something special for you. You’re already on antibiotics. What better a time than when you’re taking them?” He paused. “Maybe in a few days when you’re better. I want you to be awake, and to feel it.”
I twisted my wrists and the cloth around them slipped. My body froze in fear as footsteps were almost immediate. I squeezed my lids tight, going limp and pretending to be asleep. The padded steps stopped, and I waited, unmoving. Seconds stretched out and I eased my lids open as they padded back into the distance.
Hectically, I tugged my arms down, watching as the cloth loosened. The friction burned into my skin, but I didn’t stop. I moved back and forth, jerking. When it gave way, I almost couldn’t believe it. My adrenaline soared and the room swayed even more. The moment I sat up, I reached out for the mattress, almost falling on my face. My equilibrium was off so much, nothing felt right as I inched toward the edge and tried to stand. To rush would have No One racing to get to me. Instead, I lowered to the ground, crawling as fast as I could without risking an accident.
Nausea returned with my movements, but I continued, only stopping when I reached the dresser and fumbled to get the phone. The absence of sound had my pulse pounding. Clumsily, I hit nine-one-one and waited.
“Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?”
Pain exploded and lights flashed from nowhere. I was falling. I knew that. And there was nothing I could do about it. Darkness had already returned, and with it, possible death because of my actions.