Chapter Twelve

Brooklyn

TIME HAS LOST meaning to me and I'm not gonna lie, I'm so far in my head right now, I don't know which side is up and which is down at this point. I'm in some kind of a cage with nothing to cover myself from Bennett's men looking at my body when they enter the room. They did leave one of those five-gallon buckets in the corner in case I have to go to the bathroom. I suppose I should be grateful I even have that considering how angry Bennett is right now. Ever since I got to Cricket's the first time, every time he's tried to get me back, he's been thwarted. Bennett isn't someone who likes to lose and will throw the largest tantrum until he gets his way. It wasn't something he could hide from me for very long because he is that much of a fucking idiot and has proven to me on multiple occasions just how emotionally immature he truly is.

About the only thing I know at this point is that I'm in a basement of some kind. When one of the men working for Bennett or his father have come to taunt or torment me, they've turned on a light. I've taken in every single detail of the room I'm being locked in. It's a little bit of overkill if you ask me considering I'm locked in a damn cage that's locked in a room all by itself. I'm not sure if they're that scared of me finding a way to escape or the guys from the club finding me and getting me the hell out of here. I'm guessing it's the latter, but it's still too much effort for Bennett to have made this decision. He really is a lazy fuck and would lock me in a cage without the separate room.

Anyway, as I was looking around the room, there aren't any windows to let me get a glimpse outside or even be able to judge what time of day it is. The walls are all cement along with the floor. There's a draft constantly in the musty smelling air on top of the air conditioner running at all times. I know I'm in a basement for those reasons alone. It's one of the nicer basements I've seen, but that doesn't really matter at the end of the day.

I'm freezing to death down here. It's almost as if the air conditioner has been turned way down or something. My goosebumps have goosebumps and my teeth are chattering so hard I'm worried I'll chip one. Of course, if I don't find a way out of here, it's not going to matter in the long run, because my life will be over. Bennett is just doing all of this to make me as uncomfortable as possible in his attempt to break me again. He'll have watched me close enough to see that I'm gaining confidence and strength in ways he's never seen before and that isn't something he'll tolerate. So, his only objective at this point will be to break me down until I'm nothing more than a shell of my former self so he can shape me into the pathetic, weak girl who will take what he chooses to offer and nothing more.

A noise from somewhere above pulls me from my morose thoughts and I try to shrink into the smallest form of myself possible so whoever enters the room in the basement this time can't see as much of my body. Bennett has me naked as a way to try to humiliate me since he won't come down here unless he absolutely has to. Instead, he'll send down everyone else in this place to leer and talk shit about my body. Bright light comes on and I'm momentarily blinded as footsteps come closer. I don't have to open my eyes to know who's now in front of me; I can smell his expensive aftershave which makes me want to gag.

"You fucking cunt! Not even sure you'll be worth it at this point since I'm positive you've been whoring yourself out for those bikers," Bennett taunts before raising his leg and kicking the side of the cage.

Size-wise, he's much bigger than me, and I know I'll never be able to overpower him on my own. Right now, protecting my belly is my priority as I curl into a fetal position to prevent Bennett from hurting my stomach when he eventually pulls me out of the cage. If he's down here it means something is about to happen and he's going to beat the hell out of me as normal before it takes place.

With my eyes closed and my arms wrapped around my body as I curl up on myself, I listen to every single move Bennett makes around the room I've been kept in. He grabs a set of keys and I listen to them jingle together as he moves closer to me. His breathing is almost ragged pants as he moves closer and closer to the cage I've been locked in since I got brought here.

"You're gonna do every-fucking-thing you're told to do once this door is opened. If not, every other time I've had to teach you a lesson will pale in comparison to what I do to you today, Brooklyn. I can't believe you thought you would actually get away from me and become a biker whore. What the fuck actually goes through your mind?" Bennett yells at me as he continues to unlock the cage door.

I don't say anything in response. That's what Bennett wants from me. He wants one more reason to put his hands on me and make me feel the pain he loves to dish out. He'll use my silence as an excuse because I'm not talking to him, but I'd rather remain silent than say a single word to the vile piece of shit in front of me.

The door of the cage creaks open, the sound grating on my nerves and hurting my ears. I have seconds before Bennett digs his fingers into my hair, yes my head is by the door of the cage for some reason, and yanks. I try to hold back the scream because that will only feed into the eagerness of Bennett to hurt me as much as he possibly can. It doesn't work. My scream echoes off the walls of the room and haunts me with how terrified I sound.

Bennett manages to get me out of the cage by pulling and ripping out my hair. I know he's pulled several strands from my head as I fought against his hold on me. When he finally gets my body through the door, Bennett unleashes and starts beating the shit out of me. His fists land on every available inch of my body he can reach. I curl myself up tighter to protect my stomach where our unborn baby rests inside me. Thoughts of Jayce and Gavin fill me as I imagine them coming to my rescue only to discover I couldn't protect our baby.

When Bennett's arms get tired of landing one hit after another on me, he stands up and starts kicking me. The toes of his over-polished shoes are so pointed, I know they're breaking the skin of my back. I guess the one silver lining of this treatment is they aren't steel-toed like the guys all tend to wear. At this point, he's kicking my upper back and upper thighs. His kicks are all over the place and I know he's not steady on his feet for some reason. It wouldn't surprise me to discover he's drunk or high on something. Bennett doesn't do drugs very often, but he does do them when he can't get the escape he wants from alcohol.

"Stop, Bennett!" I yell, hating the tears in my voice as it wobbles from the pain I have coursing x through my entire body. "Why are you doing this? You don't even really want me, you're just upset I left."

That may not have been the smartest thing to say to him, but I truly don't understand why he's so adamant I'm in his life. He treated me like shit, cheated on me all the time, and acted as if I was lower than the dirt on a snake's belly. Hell, his favorite taunt was to call me trailer trash. Of course, he wasn't too far off seeing as I did live in a trailer and my parents are some of the trashiest people I've ever met. Still, I am not my parents. I'm smart, resourceful, and since leaving him, have begun realizing my worth. My true worth and not the words from my parents and him that have filled me for so damn long. Jayce and Gavin have made me see who I truly am as a person and that I can put boundaries in place which will be respected and obeyed by those who truly want me in their lives.

"Whether or not I still want you is irrelevant, bitch," he retorts, hauling off and backhanding me after lifting me off the cold cement by my hair. "You're part of my plan. Without you, it won't work."

"And what plan would that be, Bennett? Some devious plot to continue your father's deranged legacy of sex trafficking and beating the hell out of prostitutes? I've been learning all about your vile ways of life and you make me fucking sick," I tell him, spitting in Bennett's face for the first time in my life. Somewhere deep inside I realize I'll pay for my actions, but the new me, the one who has grown so much, is cheering loudly inside my head. If the situation wasn't so dire, I'd laugh at the expression on Bennett's face because I talked back and spat on him.

"You know nothing about what we're up to. But, since you won't ever be able to testify against me or get away again, I'll tell you. My father wants to step up his political game. He wants to work his way up to become the President. In order to do that, we have to have some very high powered people in his pocket. Now, the part where you come in is making me look like the best son in the world. I'll have a pliable woman at my side who will do whatever the hell I tell her to do. You'll keep your mouth shut and never do a fucking thing against me. While you won't know a damn thing about our business, I have many people who are willing to fuck you in order to gain political favors from my father.

"When we're done with you, you'll be added to the next shipment of girls, boys, and women being sold off to the highest bidder. First, however, you'll give me an heir who I will raise with a real woman at my side once you've been gotten rid of for good. I've already got several men lined up to buy you overseas and I can't wait to finally have the day where I can kick your ass to the curb. Though, I do have to let them know that you've been tainted by biker scum. I'm not sure if they'll still want to bid for your pathetic, fat ass once that's been brought to light," Bennett informs me, his voice harsh and cold in ways I've never heard from him before. It sends a chill through my body to know this is seriously what he has planned for me.

"I will never remain at your side, Bennett. That's a fucking promise. My men will come for me and you won't ever see the light of day again. And as for your father making it to become the President, that's a fucking joke. It won't ever happen. You'll see," I promise Bennett as he starts wiping his hands off on a rag he's picked up from the lone table in the room. This tells me that he won't put his hands on me again right now.

"You will be mine, Brooklyn. It's happening right now. Someone will be down to get you and make sure you're dressed in what I've chosen for you. The minister is already upstairs waiting for you. In a matter of minutes, you'll be my wife and no one will stop it from happening. I'd say you'd be mine forever, but I refuse to deal with your ass for that long. You're never going to be good enough for me to want and it's only because of this plan that I'm going through with this shit now. The second I know you're pregnant with my son, I will fucking be done with you. You'll be locked in a room here in my parents' house and will remain here until my son is born. Get fucking used to it, Slut. This is your new fucking life," Bennett informs me, his voice full of the smugness I've come to expect from him when his plans are falling into place. "Oh, and one more thing. You'll be signing the documents for a rather substantial life insurance policy that I'll receive once you ‘die'."

I watch on as Bennett leaves the room and is quickly replaced by two of the guards who lift me harder than necessary by my arms as they drag me from the room I've been held in for who knows how long. Their grip on my arms is hard enough to leave bruises behind and I know Jayce and Gavin are going to lose their shit when they see all the marks that have been left on my body. I can feel the blood running down my back, legs, and sides from where Bennett kicked me, and my scalp feels raw from the areas where he pulled out my hair. When I tell them about being drugged, they will absolutely lose their fucking minds because of the baby. I have no clue if our baby has been harmed at this point and that's been my biggest fear when I've been coherent enough to think of anything. The guys and our baby are the only things on my mind.

The two brutes drag me upstairs, my legs hitting each of the steps on the way upstairs leaving more marks behind as we go. I try to take in as many details about where I am in the house as possible, but I'm dragged too quickly through the hallway and to a room on the first floor of the house. The guards shove me inside and I land on my hands and knees before the door is slammed shut and locked from the outside. It takes me several minutes to push myself from the floor so I can look around and try to figure a way out of this fucking prison masquerading as a mansion or something.

"I wouldn't try anything if I were you," a woman's voice sounds from behind me as I take a few steps toward the window across from me. "The windows have all been locked and there are armed guards outside with assault rifles in their hands. They've been ordered to kill anyone they see in the yard."

Shocked, I turn to find an older woman covered in bruises. She's wearing one of those maid uniforms and I'm not talking about the sexy ones couples roleplaying use during sex. In her hands is a monstrosity of a dress. It's white with no other colors in the damn thing. The sleeves on the dress are long and there's that puffy shit at the very top where my shoulders would be. When my eyes get to the skirt of the dress, I take in all of the material. This is the most hideous dress I've ever seen in my life and I don't know why this woman is holding it as I stand naked before her and don't bother to cover myself after so many others have seen me naked up to this point in time.

"What's that for?" I ask the woman as she starts moving toward me.

"This is your wedding dress," she states, her voice turning monotone as she stops right in front of me.

"It's not my wedding dress. That's nothing I'd ever wear," I inform her, my voice full of disgust.

"I'm afraid it is. Apparently your mother and Mrs. Conklin picked it out together based on what Bennett told them he wanted to see you in. This is the dress you'll be wearing as you marry that monster," she states, her voice hard and cold as she holds the dress up and motions with her head for me to turn around so she can help me get dressed.

I know deep in my heart that I can't get out of this right now. So, taking a deep breath of frustration, I allow this woman to dress me in the horrendous dress Bennett has had our mothers choose for me to wear. Hearing that my mother was involved in the process surprises me, but seeing the mess I'm now covered by doesn't surprise me at all. She has no taste and wouldn't know what I like if her life was on the line and she had to answer questions about me. All she cares about is my father and getting her hands on her next fix.

What upsets me most is how callous this woman is being, especially since she's obviously been abused by Bennett, if not other men. Whatever happened to sister solidarity? When I was worried about me and the guys having sex without a condom, Cricket and Fee didn't scold me or anything like that. No, they took me to the clinic so I could find out if I was pregnant and if I wasn't, so I could get on birth control. That's what a woman should do for another woman; fix their crown and help them up if they've fallen.

Of course, I can't be too harsh on her. She's obviously endured much of the same treatment as I have, so maybe she's just mentally checked out right now. All I know is this farce of a wedding cannot happen. Please hurry, I think as she zips the dress up, causing me to hiss out whenever she touches a sore spot.

"You won't have your hair done or any make-up put on. Bennett doesn't want you in all that stuff because no one's going to see you with the exception of your parents, his parents, and the minister here to perform the wedding ceremony. He doesn't give a shit what you look like and wants this done as soon as possible," she tells me, her voice still in that monotone, robotic sounding thing she has going on.

Before I can respond, the door is opened and Bennett is standing in front of me. I didn't notice him even step in the room as I try to formulate some kind of plan to get the fuck out of this situation I've been put in. Hell, the least he could've done was allow me to take a damn shower. I feel grimy, especially given the fact I was in a nasty, dirty basement.

"Don't even fucking think about it," Bennett growls out, hitting me in the stomach before I can protect myself.

"Fuck!" I cry out, doubling over in pain as fear courses through me.

Tears fall from my face as Bennett grabs my arm in his hand and tightens his grip as hard as he possibly can. I wince as my skin is pinched between his fingers and know more bruises are being added to my body as he drags me from the room. I'm led down the same hallway closer to the front of the house and desperately stare at the door in front of me. Bennett must realize where I'm looking as he jerks me again and shoves me into what appears to be a living room of some kind. It's one of those formal rooms that never get used because the homeowners are pretentious assholes who wouldn't dare to soil the furniture in a room made to spend time together in.

"Finally," an older man growls out, his voice devoid of any emotion as he stares at where Bennett is dragging me further into the room. "Learn to control this bitch, Son. I'll show you how it's done if I must."

"That's not necessary, Father. She'll listen moving forward," Bennett states as if it's already the conclusion of what I'll do when it comes to any of this.

My eyes land on the minister and I see the pity and fear in his eyes.

"You know I've been kidnapped, right? I will never willingly marry this man so if you perform a wedding ceremony, I'm sure the cops will want to talk to you about your hand in this matter," I tell the minister as his eyes widen just a fraction as he looks nervously around the room.

"Shut the fuck up!" Bennett growls out, backhanding me as he stops us in front of the minister. "Get the ceremony done and over with. I want you out of my father's house as soon as possible."

As I'm held by Bennett, the minister starts the ceremony. Every time he looks at me I offer one objection after another and get ignored every single time. No one is listening to me and it's not a surprise if I'm being honest. The women in the room, our mothers, are fucking cowering under the scrutiny of their husbands. Our fathers are glaring at me for every outburst I give. Bennett never listens to me and the minister can't do anything. His hands are tied and there's nothing I can do to get myself out of this situation as my fate seals with every single word the minister speaks and my heart shatters in my chest as I realize I'm being ripped away from Jayce and Gavin by a man who truly wants nothing to do with me. This is my new life and I will never get away from Bennett and this house of horrors.