Shackled (The Lord Series) by Amy T

Olivia

The night passes agonizingly slow, and I alternate from being cold to being hot and from conscious to unconscious, my body throbbing in pain. I vomited a few times, probably some acid, as I don’t remember when I ate or drank the last time. When more bile rises to my throat, I turn my head to the side, and more vomit gets into my hair and into the blanket, the smell making me even sicker.

I never thought I would miss Jason. Not him in particular, but my room from his apartment. I had a small stash of prescribed drugs and some alcohol, and I would get smashed at least once a week while I watched sappy movies.

I just need a bottle of booze and a joint, and I will relax enough to slip inside my mind and not feel anything anymore.

With that in mind, I pull on the restraints until my wrists and ankles are bleeding, but Jasper locked the cuffs tight, and it is impossible to escape them. What’s worse is that my bladder is killing me, but I don’t even dare think about peeing myself. Rueben would probably cut out my kidneys and shove them down my throat.

There was a time when Rueben didn’t absolutely hate me. A time when we could laugh together or talk about…the future. But I destroyed all of that in one moment. My heart aches, not for me, but for Camila and the life she never got

to experience because of me.

I hate my very existence, and I hope Rueben will finally find some peace once he kills me.

Close to morning, I start to feel so cold, my body shakes uncontrollably, and I can no longer control my bladder. My cheeks turn red with shame, and I consider calling out for help, but experience has taught me that no one comes to my rescue, no matter how hard I scream. So I lay there under a cold pool of my own urine and pray that Rueben leaves me here until I take my last breath, which doesn’t seem too far off, as my chest hurts so badly, each breath is agony.

The sunlight finally filters through the window, hitting me in the face. I cast a glance out the window, a wooden fence. in front of it and beyond it a pasture, and I think I see a beautiful black horse with white stars all over its back running before I fall into a dreamless sleep.

“Olivia,” someone says my name loudly as they shake my shoulder, trying to wake me up. Jasper?

I know I have to obey, but I am finally out of pain, and memories no longer torment me, and I want to keep sleeping.

up,”

Am I?

I belong? But if so, why do

the blanket is suddenly yanked away from me and my left leg pulled to a side, “Rueben is not wrong when he says she

things I was forced to do with men, but it

E

Olivia

p iss

Oh. My. G od.

and dart around the room, but everything is spinning, and my head feels like it’s about to explode, I am still alive,

blood-brothers stand next to the bed, probably looking with disgust at

be good….” I did, I really did,

hits me, and I close my eyes, not wanting to

dumb bi tch.”

is a pain in the a ss,” Jasper says as he opens

stabs of pain

is wearing a tank top, and I rest my cheek against his

took care of Juniper.” Who is Juniper? Another woman? Maybe from

is pretty

keeps the poor woman in the stable? I want to ask, but it’s not my place to question them. But if they have another woman, maybe they won’t want to f**k me. Jasper wasn’t interested yesterday. Maybe he is interested in this Juniper person, and he won’t touch me? It is wishful thinking, but I hate sex and men touching me, but I am also a really awful person to be relieved Jasper is not f**king me when he could be harming Juniper. Why am I so awful? I hate myself so da mn much. My self-loathing grows daily, and

Jasper says, “Tyson, help her take a