Chapter 4

Penelope

He chose me.

My glares, my silent plea for his instant death, my prayers for help, nothing worked.

Yes, I’ll admit, he saved me from the green-eyed monster staring at me from across the room. Her eyes were the first thing I felt upon my entrance; they were scorching and terrifying. Evil things hid in their depths. It was more than that. She looked at me like I was the sweet she wanted on her dessert plate, had me battling the elation I felt when he claimed me.

I wasn’t blind to the game he played with her. What did he call her again? Mirabelle. He played a dangerous game, and because of her inability to look beyond me, I sensed she had lost it. Although I also wondered why he played it with her in the first place. Perhaps it was a way to entertain one another, not that I saw the entertainment in anything they were doing. Then again, I’m the one shackled like cattle, presented before them like a prized cow.

I tried to be everything I was told not to be, but it didn’t work. Not one bit. My disobedience only brought me more time in confinement and limited what rations I received even more. Sometimes I think the fire I felt burning in the depths of my soul only interested buyers more.

I had been bought and sold more times than I could count. The price always driven higher and higher, lining the pockets of my captors because I was untouched by any man.

While my stepfather would have laughed and teased me for it, using my untouched state to prove what he has always believed about me to be true: unworthy of any man, my captors used it for monetary gain.

It is true that I’m long past the marrying age of my town, but it has never bothered me. The last thing I wanted was to find myself married to a man like my stepfather, so it was not a priority to me. I found my happiness in the smiles and cuddles of my siblings.

But now, my journey has come to an end and my virginity sold to the highest bidder. Or rather, it has been gifted to this new man for a job well done.

A handsome new man. Not that his looks mattered to me. Nor did the flicker of regret and worry I saw buried in his blue eyes matter. Not when he stood there and treated us like chattel.

And much to my dismay, I’m now undergoing the preparations required to make myself presentable for my new keeper. At least that’s what I’ve been told.

The handsome man is my new keeper. I’m his to do with as he sees fit. His property.

I look around the room, noting the luxurious feeling of it. While some would be grateful to land in such a place, I don’t. Luxury means nothing; if anything, it gives you a sense of security, and I’ve learned there is no such thing in life.

The day I was taken from my home, I knew my life would never be the same. In fact, I tried to forget anything that existed to me before it. It hurt too much to think about anything or anyone, and I needed to protect my heart if I wanted to survive the next part of my life.

Many of the girls I have met over the last few months had undergone similar situations. Sold or bartered by the very people they loved and trusted unconditionally. Some were taken by force. Others kidnapped. We were each examined thoroughly upon our arrival. Those who still had their virginity intact were treated better and given more to eat. The untouched fetched higher prices at auction. Those who were not virgins were used to the pleasures of the men who held us before finding themselves on the auction block. If they were lucky enough to make it that far.

I guess you could say my virginity is a good thing.

But now, fear grips my heart, and I realize my worth will no longer be anything after tonight. What will he do with me after tonight, when he is done with me? Will I find myself once again up on the auction block? If my new owner tires of me, will I be treated like the others I heard sobbing for mercy night after night? Or maybe, just maybe, he might find pleasure in me and make me a kept woman.

As I sink further into the tub of warm water, his deep voice interrupts me before I can fully submerge my head.

“Penelope?” At first, I think I am dreaming it, but when I turn my head and our eyes connect, I know it’s not true. White heat fills my body, and the urge to call him every dirty word I can think of bubbles up, but I keep silent and still. Instead, I conjure up my darkest thoughts possible and use the anger I’m feeling to shoot him a dangerous glare. It has no effect on him. He stands unflinching and unmoving.

“Is that your name?” he asks before stepping into the room. I submerge myself as deep as I can go into the water, knowing it isn’t hiding as much as I’d like it to. He closes the door behind him, and my heart rate accelerates. I swallow hard, preparing myself. This is it! He’s going to deflower me right now and be done with me. “Você fala Inglês?”

He speaks to me in my native tongue, and all I can do is blink up at him. I’m too locked in fear, but he stands and waits patiently for me to respond.

He is even more handsome than I remember. Close enough to see I was wrong about the color of his eyes. They are far greener than I initially thought. He’s a large man, and his body is nicely cut. Even under his suit jacket, I can see he cares for it.

He clears his throat.

“Yes, I speak English,” I snap, not liking the way my face feels warmer after my observations.

“Is your name Penelope?” he asks me softly and takes a step back. Maybe he’s feeling the animosity I feel in my body.

“Yes,” I reply, and I try to put a lid on my anger. This man is a stranger to me, and I’m not sure if pushing his buttons this early is a good idea.

“You are safe,” he tells me, but he keeps his voice low and his eyes soft. His eyes never once stray from my face to look down at my naked body. It makes me want to believe him. I almost do. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

I nod, knowing it is best to placate him. I can’t tell if he is lying or telling the truth. As much as I want to believe his words, I can’t. Experience tells me so, and the last few months have given me plenty of it. It tells me he’s probably playing a game with me, to make me feel safe, until I’m not.

“They’re going to bring you to me tonight, to my suite.” His hand touches the doorknob and turns it before I can blink. “Don’t be afraid. You have nothing to worry about.”

He leaves the room. The tension that rolled off his body confuses me. Despite his words, his face was taunt and strained, like he was in pain. I can’t understand it. I don’t want to understand it.

I just want to go home.