MIA
Sebastian holds two diamond-encased earrings, dangling them in front of me. “Do you like them?”
His gaze is on me, but he doesn’t see me. His eyes take in the deep red of my lipstick, the flawlessness of my skin, the waves of my hair pinned to my head, the extravagance of my dress. My makeup doesn’t quite cover the swollen redness to my cheekbone, but it comes close. He is looking at me but seeing only what he wants to see.
Someone who exists for his pleasure alone.
“Yes, Maestro,” I say robotically.
“Call me Sebastian tonight.” His words are heavy and breathy. He pulls me flush against his body, pressing me against the dark fabric of his tuxedo. “Oh, how I long to take you right here, right now.” His fingers dig viciously into my side as he grips me. “But it will have to wait because I don’t want to ruin your perfection. I want to show you off to the world. I know I said I want to shield you, but just for tonight, just for this party, I want you by my side and I want everyone to look on with jealousy.”
Looking into his eyes, confusion washes over me. “I’m coming to the party with you?”
He laughs, throwing his head back with a carelessness I haven’t seen before. He’s devilishly handsome tonight. Somehow, the tails of his jacket soften the harshness I’m used to seeing in his expression.
“Why else would I instruct for you to be all made up like this?” He strokes a finger gently down my cheek. “Here,” he pulls away and points for me to take a seat. “I’ll put these in for you.”
I stare at my reflection in the mirror as Sebastian threads the hooks of the earrings through my ears. A flutter of excitement beats in my chest. Maybe there will be someone at the party I can talk to. Maybe there might be someone there who will recognize me and alert the police. The diamond teardrop-shaped jewels catch the light. The girl in the mirror stares back at me curiously, her eyes sparkling with the faintest glimmer of hope.
With his hands resting on my shoulders, Sebastian bends down low. “Aren’t I good to you? Such pretty things that I give to you. Look at all those dresses in the closet. Look at all these jewels.” He runs his hand through the jewelry box, sparkles dripping from his fingers. It’s almost as though he thinks I should be grateful. As though showering me with pretty things makes up for the fact that he’s keeping me here against my will.
There’s a knock on the door and Sebastian’s head jerks impatiently to glare at it. “What?” he barks, his anger barely controlled. I can feel the tremor of his fingers as he grips the back of the chair.
There’s no answer, just another knock. Sebastian lets out a groan of frustration and stalks over to the door, ripping it open. “What?” he spits out, then his stance relaxes and he lets go of the door, allowing the visitor to walk through.
“Are you ready for your big night, hmm?” Katriane Atterton rotates her gaze around the room, focusing on the décor and the extravagance before settling back on her son. She doesn’t acknowledge my presence. I am less than the furniture.
Sebastian merely scowls as a response and she pats his cheek affectionally. Then she walks over to me, her eyes focusing in on the sparkling jewels dangling from my ears. She strokes her fingers over them, and my mouth dries as I imagine her ripping them from me.
“Is there some whore’s party going on that I don’t know about?” She turns to look at her son, her expression blank.
Sebastian’s jaw bulges as he grits his teeth. “I want her to look her best for tonight. I want everyone to see what is mine.”
Katriane laughs. Then she blinks. “Oh, you’re serious?” Gliding back over to her son, she pats his cheek again, though this time Sebastian jerks away from the affection. “She can’t come to the party, dear.”
“It’s my party. If I want her there, she can come.”
Taking a deep breath, Katriane sighs. “You stole her, my dear. You can’t just prance about with her in public whenever it takes your fancy, or did you not think of that?”
My heart sinks at her words, wishing that there was some way I could convince Sebastian to ignore them. But already his shoulders have sunk in defeat.
“What if someone recognizes her? What would you do?”
I take the opportunity to plead my case. “I promise I—”
“Silence!” Katrine doesn’t look at me, merely holds her hand in my direction as though the motion alone is enough to silence me. And it is. She takes a moment to gather herself before a smile stretches over her face again. “Besides, I’ve invited that nice little Roxy girl you’ve been seeing.”
My heart leaps into my throat, but I know better than to say anything. Roxy will be here tonight. We will be under the same roof. If only I could think of some way to get a message to her. Some way to let her know I am here.
“She comes from a good family,” Katrine continues, unaware of the chaos she’s just created in my head. “One we would be pleased to see you making a future with. This—” Her eyes travel over me with disdain. “This girl is nothing more than a plaything.”
“I never gave my approval for you to invite her. I am done with her. Finished. She was never—”
“And what makes you think I need your approval, hmm? You are my son. I know what is best.”
Sebastian’s eyes shoot daggers at his mother as I gather what courage I can and lift myself from the chair to step between them. Resting my hand on his chest, I silently pray that some of the heat from my blood will seep through his flesh and warm his heart.
“I won’t talk to anyone,” I promise, looking deeply into his eyes and mustering as much honesty into my gaze as I can. “I will stay by your side all night. I will tell Roxy that I am here at my own choice.”
Sebastian’s eyes flick between his mother and me so I press closer to him, placing my hand on his cheek and directing his gaze back to me.
“Please, Sebastian. Please, I want to be by your side. I want everyone to know that I am yours.”
He opens his mouth, ready to say something when his mother’s cackling laugh breaks the spell.
“You almost look as though you’re fooled by her, my son.” Her eyes dart to the door, catching a glimpse of a shadow walking past.
“Ryker?”
He appears in the doorway, his gaze stuck firmly on Katriane and avoiding me with determination.
“Escort this girl down to the others for the evening, would you? It’s an important night for Sebastian and he doesn’t need any distractions.”
Sebastian has one more pathetic attempt at control. “It’s my party, Mother. I should be the one who gets to decide who is and isn’t allowed to come.”
“It may be in honor of you, my dear, but this party is not for you. It’s for them.” She waves her hand around the room as though there is a crowd gathered around us. “It is to keep up appearances.”
Ryker’s eyes dart to mine. It’s just a quick glance, but enough to see the anguish held in them.
“Fine,” Sebastian concedes. “But I don’t want Ryker accompanying her.”
Katriane walks over to Ryker, placing her hand on his chest just as I had done to her son moments before. “Why ever not?” she asks. “Do you not trust him around your girl? I can assure you his tastes are far more mature than that. Why it was only the other day that he had me pressed to the wall outside this very room.” Her hand snakes around his neck and she tugs him toward her, forcefully pressing her mouth to his. Ryker’s movements are stiff, but he returns the affection as Sebastian rolls his eyes.
“You disgust me, Mother.”
Still with her hand gripped around the back of his neck, Katrine runs her finger over Ryker’s bottom lip, removing the moisture left behind. “You boys are all the same. Content to lock the objects of your affection away in a room to use as you will, but you can’t even stand to hear when a woman talks about her experiences.” She sighs. “Take her away would you, Ryker, hmm?”
Ryker steps forward, stretching his hand toward me just as Sebastian lets out a howl of rage and strikes it away. He stands in front of Ryker, shoving his face close, his body trembling.
“Don’t ever fucking touch her!” he hisses. “You are never to touch her again, understand?”
Ryker looks to Katriane, but she just shrugs.
“Yes, sir,” Ryker says, turning back to Sebastian, but the smirk that covers his face only feeds Sebastian’s frustration.
Stalking over to me, Sebastian wraps his hand around the back of my neck, gripping into my skin painfully and jerking me towards him. His kiss is rough and painful. A glance in the mirror shows the smeared red lipstick left behind. He doesn’t need me perfect anymore. Pressing his hand into the small of my back, he shoves me toward Ryker.
“I will come and get you later tonight.” There’s an undeniable threat to his tone and it causes a shiver to tremble through me. Ryker notices, his eyes narrowing in on the sheen to my cheek. But then he turns and walks out the door, expecting me to follow.
Ryker doesn’t speak until he’s sure no one is around and then he pulls me close, wrapping his arms around me and pressing kisses into my hair.
“I’m getting you out of here,” he breathes, pulling back, his eyes darting over my face as though trying to take in every detail. A single finger strokes over the tenderness of my cheekbone. “Tonight. Later. When everyone is either drunk or occupied with the auction, I will come for you.”
“But how?” My voice breaks.
“Are you okay?” he says, concern deepening his brow and causing the lines I love so much to rise. “Your voice…” He pulls away from me when a noise startles us both.
“I’m fine. But how?” I say again, quieter this time, quiet enough so he won’t notice the cracks to my tone.
“Don’t you worry about that. Just know that I will come for you.”
“But what about Everly? What about—”
He cuts off my questions with a kiss and I wrap my fingers into his hair, pulling him closer, wanting to get lost in him. I don’t think about the risk of being caught. I don’t think about the punishment. Only the way I feel with his mouth on mine. The erratic beating of my heart. The coil of desire that threads its way through me in a way that only happens with him.
Threading his fingers through mine, he tugs me after him as we continue down the hallway. “I can’t talk right now, Senior’s waiting on me, but know that I will be back for you tonight, okay? I will get to you before he does. Just don’t say a word to anyone.”
I allow myself a small laugh at his choice of words. “Don’t worry, I’m good at that. You’ve trained me well.”
He stops in his tracks, turning back to take my cheeks between his hands, his eyes boring into mine intensely. “I will never forgive myself for the role I’ve played in all of this. Never. And I know I can’t ever make it up to you, but I hope at least to be able to grant you your freedom.” Letting go of my cheeks, he curses and rubs his hands over his face.
“What?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Nothing. It’s nothing.” He attempts a smile, taking my hand again and leading me to the doorway which I know houses Senior’s girls. “Just wait for me, okay? Wait here. I will come for you.”
I smile wearily. “Like I have a choice.”