Page 96 of Jenna's Protector
They half-drag, half-carry me to a waiting speedboat. I’m tossed in like a sack of potatoes, my bound hands making it impossible to break my fall. Pain shoots through my shoulder as I land hard on the deck.
The boat rocks beneath my feet, and for a moment, I consider making a break for it. But as if reading my mind, Sophia shakes her head, her eyes wide with warning.
The boat’s engine roars to life, and we shoot out into the open water. Spray stings my face, mingling with my tears.
I curl into myself, trying to make sense of what’s happening.
This can’t be real. It has to be a nightmare.
The bite of the zip ties, the ache in my body, and the terror coursing through my veins—it’s all too real. I’m back in the world I thought I’d escaped. The world of men who see women as things to be bought and sold.
I risk a glance over the side, gauging the distance to shore. It’s too far. Even if I could swim with my hands bound, I’d never make it. They’d just fish me out of the water.
Sophia huddles in the corner, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. The guilt etched on her face does nothing to ease the ache of her betrayal.
The lights of a massive yacht loom ahead, growing larger with each passing second. My heart pounds, fear clawing at my insides. My stomach churns, equal parts seasickness and fear.
As we pull alongside the yacht, hands reach down, roughly hauling me onto the deck.
This is really happening.
I’m dragged to my feet, forced to stand before a man whose very presence makes my skin crawl.
I remember him all too well.
He’s handsome in a conventional way, but his eyes—they’re cold, predatory. He looks at me like I’m a prized cow at auction.
“Welcome aboard.” His eyes might be cold and calculating, but his voice is as smooth as silk and twice as slippery. “This has been a long time coming.”
I try to speak, but my voice fails me. He circles me slowly, his gaze raking over me like I’m a prized animal.
“You were mine. You escaped, but now my property has been returned,” he continues, his tone matter-of-fact. “You will be with me for the rest of your life. How long that is… Well, that depends on you.” The threat in his words is unmistakable.
“I’m not property.” Bile rises in my throat. I spit at his feet, a small act of defiance. “You don’t own me.”
His hand moves faster than I can track. Pain explodes across my cheek as his backhand connects, the force nearly knocking me off my feet. Stars dance in my vision, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth.
“Tsk, tsk.” He clicks his tongue, grabbing my chin roughly. “We’ll have to work on that attitude. Won’t we?”
“Go to hell,” I manage to spit out, summoning what little defiance I have left.
“It’s best if you obey.” Sophia steps forward, her eyes downcast. “Please, don’t fight. It won’t go well.”
“You see,” he runs a finger down my jaw, “it took Sophia some time to learn her place, but she’s come around. Haven’t you, pet?”
He pulls Sophia to him, crushing his lips against hers in a sickening display of dominance. She doesn’t resist, doesn’t even flinch. It’s like watching a doll being manipulated, lifeless and compliant.
When he releases her, Sophia’s eyes meet mine briefly. The emptiness in her gaze chills me to my core. Is this what awaits me? To be broken down until there’s nothing left?
“Now then.” His attention returns to me. “Let’s get you settled in, shall we?” He snaps his fingers and men seem to appear from the shadows. “Take her below. Let her contemplate her new reality.”
The men grab me, their fingers digging in hard enough to bruise. I’m dragged down narrow stairs and through opulent corridors that mock my situation. They throw me into a small, bare cabin.
“Please,” I try to reason with the men, hating the tremor in my voice. “You don’t have to do this. I won’t tell anyone. Just let me go.”
They shove me into a chair, efficiently securing me with more zip ties. Each one feels like another nail in my coffin, sealing away my freedom.
“Property doesn’t get to make demands.” One of the men laughs at me as he slams the door shut, leaving me alone in suffocating darkness.