Living in Darkness (Bloodbreeders) (18 page)

They walked me into the next room, which could have been a storage
closet. There were odd-looking weapons and different types of chains hanging
all over the walls.
 
In the middle of the
floor was a silver wash tub, just big enough to sit in with your knees bent. I
was about to ask Garvin if he could turn around while I undressed, but his back
was already to me. He wasn’t lying about being well-raised. It was nice to see
a gentleman in a place that had such a short supply.

“Can I help you undress Miss?”
Tanda
asked.

“You can call me Renee, and there isn’t much to take off,” I smiled.

I pulled the soiled gown over my head, and stepped into the tub. The
water was cold, but it was fresh and felt good to my body.
Tanda
sat the tray on the ground and I got a better look at its contents. There were
six little bottles, and at least three different bars of soap.

“Think I’ll need all that to get this filth off?”

“I’m not sure Miss, but they do smell nice,” she said.

“My Pa’s barn animals would be an improvement on what I smell like
right now,” I said jokingly. .

“There’s not much time,” Garvin cleared his throat to stifle a laugh
trying to sound serious. “You two best hurry.”

I took a bar of soap, lathered up my hands, and started with my face. I
said nothing as
Tanda
used a sponge to clean my back.
My hair took the longest, taking four pitchers of fresh water to rinse out the
gore, but soon we were finished and I was as squeaky clean as I was going to
get sitting in the small cramped tub.

“You smell like spring flowers, Miss, and you have healed very well,”
she said, placing a robe over my shoulders.

“Thank you.” I replied turning to look at her. “I mean it. I will never
forget what the two of you have given me.”

“We have given you nothing, Miss,”
Tanda
said, confused.

“Hope. Because of your kindness, you have given me hope.”

“May I turn around now?” Garvin asked.

Tanda
and
I said yes at the same time, which made us both start laughing.

“We know what it feels like to be tortured and left to rot,” he said,
as he walked over to where we stood. “We were put to work down here because we
could not be sold. Trust me there is no hope in this place.”

“I see you didn’t have a problem getting her to clean up,” Annabel said
walking into the room, coming straight at me to do her little inspection.

“You need to teach them some manners. They are almost as bad as
Enrique,” I said, sending them a little wink when I was sure Annabel wouldn’t
see.

“They learned a long time ago to do as they are told,” she said,
turning to them. “You have done well. Your Mistress will be pleased. Go now,
I’ll take her from here.”

“Yes, my lady,” they said simultaneously, and immediately left the
room.

Annabel walked over to the wall, and took down a large curved blade. She
ran a finger along the sharp edge, not looking at me. “You’re going to be on
your best behavior tonight, and you will do exactly what Senor Huerta tells
you. He has contributed a lot of money to our little business, and we wish to
keep it that way.” I just stared at her silently. When I didn’t answer, she
walked over to me, blade in hand. She put her face very close to mine, and said
lowly, “I know you heard me, so now hear this. If you don’t do as I say, you’ll
beg me for death before this night is over.” She then grabbed me by the arm,
and pushed me out the door.

As we approached the steps, I realized I would be leaving the
underground area for the first time since they put me here. Annabel pulled me
up the stairs, and waiting for us at the top was none other than Enrique.

“I think your services will not be needed tonight, Enrique,” she said,
grabbing me by the hair and yanking me backwards, bending my head so far back
that I dropped down to one knee to keep from hitting the floor. “We won’t need
him, will we slave?”

“No ma’am,” I hissed through gritted teeth.

“What?” she asked mockingly. “I didn’t hear you? Did you hear her,
Enrique?”

“I didn’t hear shit,” he replied with a sneer.

“Well?” she spat, yanking back a little harder.

“No Ma’am,” I screamed. “We won’t need him.”

She released my head, and patted the top of it like I was an obedient
dog. “Now that is much better dear.”
 
She
handed the blade to Enrique and helped me to my feet. “Come now, let’s get you
changed,” she said, smoothing out my hair in an eerily loving manner. “Your
master is waiting.” A smile crept across her face, and she and Enrique began to
laugh. I failed to see the humor in the comment, but that was becoming a not so
unusual occurrence nowadays.

“You enjoy yourself,” Enrique said as he walked away. “He has lots of
toys to play with.”

Crazy bastard
, I thought to myself.

Annabel took me up another flight of stairs, the same ones that led to
my room on the night of my arrival. This time, however, we bypassed the first
room, walking all the way to the back. She opened the door at the end of the
hall and pushed me inside.

“You’ll change in here. And brush that ratty hair before I cut it off,”
she demanded, picking up a brush off the table by the door and shoving it in my
hand.

“I wish you would. I hate it,” I said, knowing she would do the exact
opposite of what I wanted.

“Well, tough, you’re stuck with it.” She walked over to a dresser in
the room, and took out a white gown. “Put this on when you're finished.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said compliantly. Annabel flashed me a look of
surprise, and I could tell she was trying to figure out if I was being a
smart-ass or if I was serious.

“I knew you would be easy to break,” she said, using the insult as
bait. “We will have you sold in no time.” When I didn’t respond, she seemed a
little more convinced that I might be was sincere. “Very good, now get to it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said again.

“I’ll be back for you in a few minutes,” she said, leaving the room.

I did as I was told. I brushed my hair, then dropped the robe and
pulled on the gown, all the while thinking of ways to escape. I looked around
the room for possible weapons, but found only the hairbrush.
That won’t do any good
, I thought to
myself. I then noticed the window on the other side of the room, and ran to it.
I threw back the curtain, and just like the first room, this window was bricked
in as well.

“Damn,” I said under my breath.

I heard the door knob start to turn, so I rushed back to the spot
Annabel had left me. I was breathing heavily, but I tried to control it as best
I could, while smoothing down my hair to make it look like I hadn’t moved. Annabel
entered the room, and walked toward me. As she came closer, she looked at me
and furrowed her brow.

“What have you been up to? You’re out of breath,” she said, glancing
around the room, but seeing nothing was out of place.

“I'm just nervous, ma’am, that’s all,” I said quickly.

“Very well… He’s ready for you. Remember what I said.” I don’t think
she fully believed me but she let it go.

“Yes ma’am, every word.” I was trying my best to play this off, and
evidently I was doing a pretty good job. She was honestly starting to believe
my change. She pulled my hair back from my face, straightened my gown, and
stepped back to look me over.

“Very nice,” she said. “The Mistress will be pleased to know that
Martin’s little whore has finally come around.”

That almost made me lose it, because I wanted to spit in her face, but
I knew if I was to have any chance of getting out of here, I had to stay
composed. Annabel led me out of the room into a smaller hall that broke
off of
the main one. We passed four doors before we stopped.
She gave me the once over again, pulling my gown down over one shoulder,
placing my hair behind one ear, and even slapping my cheeks lightly, before she
turned and knocked on the door.

“Come,” was all I heard. She opened the door, and we walked inside.

“Good evening, Senor Huerta. I hope your wait has not been too long.”

It was true. Before me was the same fat son-of-a-bitch that grabbed my
breast. He sat in a large, throne-like chair, flanked by two large men, wearing
nothing but a piece of cloth over their neither regions. To his left, there was
an elaborately adorned bed, and to his right, a wall with the same oddly shaped
weapons.

“You may leave her to us, Lady Annabel,” he said.

“As you wish, sir,” she said with a small bow of her head. Before she
left, she shot me a
'you better
not mess this up or
else' kind of look. When she was gone, the two large men stepped up beside me,
and although neither one touched me, it was very intimidating.

“Are you hungry?” asked Mr. Huerta. “Have you fed?”

“Yes sir, they made sure I was fed well last night.” Just thinking
about my meal made me cringe.

“Wonderful,” he said as he stood. “Would you like the bed, or would you
rather be placed against the wall?”

“E-excuse me?” I stammered, my heart starting to pound. “I don’t think
I understand.”

“You are a very beautiful woman,” he said, pulling his overweight self
out of the chair and waddling up to me. He reached out to touch me, but pulled
his hand back. “Now, you’re going to be a good girl this time, aren’t you?”

 
I only nodded. He reached out
again, and rubbed my breast. I turned my head and closed my eyes in disgust. I
couldn’t stand to feel him touch me.

“You are very soft,” he said sensually. “I think I want you on the bed.
Boys, tie her down, face up.” He put his hand under my chin and lifted my eyes
to his. “I want to see the look on her face when I get started.” Then both men
took an arm, and I couldn’t help but panic.

“Don’t worry dear,” Mr. Huerta said softly. “I’ll be easy on you. I
hear you’re pure. I respect that, I haven’t had a virgin in a long time.”

The men lifted me off the floor, and that's when I began struggling harder.
They laid me on the bed, one having to hold me down while the other tied my
hands to the restraints waiting securely on each bedpost. When I realized that
struggling was no use, I tried to bargain.

“Is this necessary? I promise to be good... I’ll do whatever you say.”

“Now, what fun would that be?” Mr. Huerta said, raising his eyebrow. “Besides,
after the punch you gave me, I just can’t take any chances.”

“No, I’ve learned my lesson. Please, Mr. Huerta, I won’t disobey, I
promise.”

The men started on my legs, tying them spread eagle, binding each one
to the post at the foot of the bed, right above my ankles. I was completely
mortified, I couldn’t even bring myself to imagine what was about to happen
when the two were finished securing me. I had never even been seen by a man in
such a manner, much less put in a situation where they could touch me at will.

The fat man that wore clothes that I had only seen in the history books
at school, like King Henry, the one that cut off the heads of his wives. He now
had his back to me, standing where for the first time I noticed a phonograph
sitting on the table in front of him.

“Let’s set the mood, shall we?” he added turning it on, ignoring my plea.
I heard soft classical music start to play, and though in a normal situation,
it would have been soothing, its presence only added to my anxiety. He, on the
other hand, seemed to enjoy it immensely. He began waving his hands slowly
through the air as if conducting, closing his eyes. “Music always helps me
focus.” Opening them only to gaze over at me, the look in his eyes made me so
uncomfortable I had to look away. He peered at me as if we were long-time
lovers, soul-mates, with nothing on this earth being farther from the truth.

He walked over to the bed holding a wooden box, he placed it in the one
place that I hoped he wouldn't, right between my legs. He rubbed his hands
together with what I saw to be great anticipation, much like a child waiting to
open a Christmas gift. Then, with the help of the bedpost, pulled his heavy
weight up of the foot of the bed.

“Do they have to be in the room?” I asked, referring to the other men,
straining to pull my knees together. “I can’t do this with them watching.” Truthfully,
absolutely nothing
could have helped me do this, but I knew any fighting
chance that I had of escaping this situation, would be easily stomped out by
those two big lugs watching his every move. At this point, I was willing to say
anything to get him to make them leave.

“Believe me, they have no interest in you,” he said. “Or, any other
woman for that matter.”

“But... I have never done anything like this before. Please make them
leave. Where can I go? What could I possibly do? You have me tied down, there’s
no way I can get out of this,” I pleaded and could tell by his expression that
he was seriously considering what I said, so I continued. “Please? I want my
first time to be just you and me. Besides, I know for sure that a man as strong
as you are could surely handle a little woman.” I bat my eyes, pleading that he
would see things more my way, than his own.