Fifteen

The next day went by slowly and I couldn't wait for the party just for the chance to hear some music again. This house is too quiet when he leaves and I honestly started trying to make some noise to get him to come down here to keep me company. It worked for a time period of one hour then he left after hitting me for distracting him. It wasn't hard enough to form a bruise but hard enough as a warning.

I look up as I feel him enter the room. "Remember what I said about tonight. Keep your mouth shut. You're of more use to me alive than dead." I nod. My thoughts drifting back to maybe a week prior when he took everything from me. I even lost my clothes- well his clothes. I really wanted to let him know I was grateful he gave them back to me. I was healed up pretty nicely since he stopped hitting me last week so I would look "presentable" to his guests if any came down here.

"Um," I cleared my throat since I've been trying to keep quiet. "Thank you."

"For?" His eyebrows rose at my words. He looked slightly conflicted and confused.

"For giving the mattress, blanket and some warmer clothes." I said with a are you stupid tone and expression.

"I only did it for the money." He said rolling his eyes. I thought I saw a flicker of a smirk.

"I know. But I'm still grateful." He eyes me warily expecting me to say something else but I don't I just lay down and roll over covering myself from head to toe to keep warm. The summer months have already passed and I only know that because the cellar doesn't get as warm during the day. it could be the end of summer because it still gets pretty hot. I hear him shut the doors and move around upstairs for a few hours.

I fall asleep to the faint noises. It could have been hours or minutes when I was jerked awake by the doors to the cellar banging open. I sit up wincing. My side hurt from last week when I woke him and myself up screaming from the nightmare I had of him beating me. He looked like a demon that night and he may have cracked my ribs. A demon who seems to be growing a conscious.

"Get up. You need to shower and change into something else. Those clothes won't cut it for guests but you can still wear them for pajamas." I stand up and walk to him still groggy and bleary eyed. He looked tired too. I felt bad because I was always waking him up. We get to the bathroom he has in his room and he sits on the toilet while I undress. He cuts the water on and then picks me up and puts me in the tub. The warm water washed over me warming me up immensely. I was surprised he was letting the water run over me this long. Normally it's in and out. Something was different between us but I wasn't sure what.

"Here," he tosses me a rag. "Wash yourself. My rough washing won't do it for tonight. You know how to clean yourself better than I do." He sits back down on the toilet but makes me leave the shower curtain open. I guess he wants to make sure I don't poison myself with soap? He leaves the bathroom for a few minutes but I hear him rummaging around in his room muttering under his breath. He comes back in a few minutes later and cuts the water off leaving me grumpy. He dries me off quickly and thoroughly and even used a blow dryer to dry my hair. I was starting to feel spoiled due to having a fluffy towel and getting heat on my head. Normally, he makes me get dressed and head to the cold cellar without so much as a thought to me getting sick.

I get dressed quickly so I don't disturb his schedule. Once I'm fully dressed he walks me back down. He watches me silently as I lay back down and start curling up in a ball to preserve my body heat. I hear him turn around and he's on the bottom step when I sit up. "Ryan?"

I hear him breathe in deeply like he's agitated. "What? I have to finish getting this party ready."

"I'm sorry about you not being able to do things you want because I'm here." I really was feeling guilty.

"It's only because I need you alive." He sighs and walks back up leaving the doors open. I could make a run for it but with how cold it is down here there is no way it's not colder outside. I'd freeze to death in this dress and he didn't even think to give me a pair of leggings to wear to stay warmer.

I hear car doors opening and closing about thirty minutes later. I kept repeating what Ryan told me about keeping my mouth quiet or I could very well possibly die. The music starts up and I start getting tired until a few guys walk down the stairs. It had been pretty quiet in the cellar and I was getting bored. I wake up immediately and put my back in the corner so I can watch everything. I wasn't about to be snuck up on from behind. A minute later I see Ryan and relax a smidge. He was a familiar sight.

"Oooh. She's a pretty thing Ryan." One of the men says. I think that's what he says. I was uncomfortable with him looking at me. I looked to Ryan and his body language was on the defensive but his voice and tone were cool.

"Is this why you haven't been throwing big parties cuz?" Another man says. I jerked my head to him and noticed he looked like they had familial ties unlike the first man.

"Hmm.. she seems skittish."

"Yeah. She's the reason I've been having you guys go pick up those money drops." His hands are in his pockets as he stares me down daring me to say something. I look at what he was wearing. The black vest made the red shirt pop and brought to my attention how stressed he was. No wonder he was on the defensive.

"We've been picking up a lot of money. She must be something."

"Um.. her dad is the- is Judge Carsoned. The one who put my uncle in prison."

All four men walk a little closer to me and one of them sits down on my bed making me very uncomfortable. He was the one who commented about me being pretty. My skin was crawling and it had nothing to do with the mattress.

"Don't mess with her. She's still healing from her beating last week. I don't need damaged goods." Ryan was still watching me as if I was going to say something. I was too scared to. I was too scared to even look at him but he was the only person I knew. I looked up and it seemed he was concerned.

I felt the strangers hand creep up my thigh as he reassures Ryan that it wouldn't hurt, not what he was going to do to me. My breathing quickens as my adrenaline pumps through my body.

"See. She's already getting excited about it."

Ryan watches my reaction and nods at me. I almost shouted with glee when I realized he understood how I was feeling. "Nawh. She isn't excited. I know when she's excited. I flirted with her before I grabbed her." He still sounded cold.

The stranger is still touching my leg and the other two guests walk upstairs leaving me with Ryan and the man next to me. I scrunched my eyes closed repeating no in my mind. Repeating what Ryan told me yesterday and this morning. I felt the man place some sloppy kisses on my neck and recoil. They were wet and slobbery like a puppy who was excited to see it's owner after a long day.

I couldn't help it anymore. I had to tell this man no so hopefully he would stop. "No. Please don't. No."

"She speaks." The man yells. Ryan looks back quickly. I didn't even realize he had turned away. He was looking at the wine. I can't really hear anything over the rushing of my blood and beating heart.

"No. No. No." I couldn't help myself. I screwed my eyes shut and hoped the man would stop. I prayed that Ryan would step in and stop anything from progressing. He said he was not one to act on rape but that doesn't mean he wouldn't let it happen. Or he could be the type of person who let things happen. I felt pressure on my back from being pushed up against the wall and then it was gone.