Chapter 26

TWENTY-SIX

Once I was backin my room, I quickly peeled off the itchy wig, then tore off the stiff gloves and dress. I climbed into the shower, intent to scrub away the horrors I had witnessed. Sometimes when you see something deplorable, you begin to question if you can even trust yourself. But I wasn't going to doubt myself, not this time. The Ivory family had something going on here; something so dangerous and deadly, I was scared to walk the halls alone, but I had to. There weren't any phones in this small hallway that apparently housed the live-in staff. Beyond Bradley and a chef, I hadn't seen anyone else in this hallway. And of the staff members I had seen elsewhere, they all had one thing in common—no one spoke, and everyone kept their eyes down.

Tying my hair in a ponytail, it sopped into my shirt as I slid the platform slippers on. At least they'd help silence my footsteps. I waved my small gold card in front of the door. None of the doors had locks, they were all automatic, and usually opened as soon as I got to one or Bradley waved his card.

Clicking my tongue, I tapped my shoe against the floor. "Come on…" I shook my head as the door remained closed. Pressing my hands against the smooth, white surface, it wouldn't budge. I started to feel claustrophobic. Knowing you're trapped somewhere, with no way out, may be the worst form of trepidation. I couldn't scream, I couldn't shout. Backing away from the door, I blinked away the tears that stung my eyes.

What was worse? Being trapped inside a small room or being trapped, knowing that just outside this door you could be slaughtered like a pig if you angered the people on the outside?

I sat on the edge of my bed, gripping the thin quilt that sat atop the twin mattress.

I had to sleep. I had to wait until tomorrow morning when Bradley came. Maybe he'd have my phone? Maybe I could find a way to use one while they thought I was cleaning? There was nothing I could do now. I looked at the delicate teacup full of steaming tea. Grinding my teeth, I knew it would help me calm down. Lifting it up, I pressed the peony-infused concoction against my lips and sipped it. Minutes later, I was yawning and climbing into bed as fatigue ravaged through my body. My eyes shut without any effort, and I reminded myself it was for just one more night.

Drifting off into a deep sleep, I let go of the fear and anxiety, and let myself sleep in this bed-bug free bed one last night. Because tomorrow night, I'd be on a park bench, shivering in the cold with nothing to my name and no one to even think twice about my existence.

Even in a deep sleep, I felt a presence in my room. I'm being watched, my subconscious screamed. But this time it wasn't a camera, it was a person. I slowly opened my eyes, but my room was completely dark and I couldn't even see the ceiling.

"Hello, darling Demi." I jolted upright, gasping for air. Turning my head left and right to the point of my neck cracking, I searched for the body behind the voice.

I could see an outline as I jumped out of my bed and began to scream at the top of my lungs. I was shoved onto my bed with strong force and another hand slapped against my mouth.

"The more you fight, the more I'll crush you," he said through clenched teeth and specks of his saliva hitting my face.

I gagged against his moist palm. The panic rang in my ears to the point where I couldn't identify who it was. My eyes were hazy from sleep, with anxiety and darkness abating me.

"Calm down, my exotic little bird," he crooned closer to my ear. "I wish you had gotten the IUD. Our in-house OBGYN had a bit of an accident, and our replacement is due any day now. Granted, I could do it myself…" He let out a dry laugh, and I instantly knew it was Ian Ivory.

His arm had mine pinned down so tightly, I felt like a small prey in the dark forest, completely thrown off by a vicious predator. Pressing against me, I could feel his crotch harden.

"No. Please, no," I cried against his palm.

"Oh no, I can't touch this beautiful body until I know if you're pure or not." He sighed with disappointment.

"Did you know that the hour of three in the middle of the night is considered the most demonic of all hours, Demi?" I clenched my eyes shut as the tears streamed down my face and into his palm.

His fingers slowly raked over my cheeks, his breath cold against my lips. "The Devil's Landing is between three and four a.m. So that's the time when I wake each night and visit my caged girls. They are pure, so very pure. You've seen them, haven't you?" Dr. Ivory rasped. I refused to open my eyes, telling myself to calm down so he'd unpin me. Coaching myself to act completely impassive and unbothered while my new employer pressed onto me. "Visiting them allows the Devil to not be superior than me." He sighed.

Slowly he removed his hand from my body, and I laid still, thinking I'd lunge forward and fight him, but that was senseless. I was one hundred and twenty pounds, and he was a muscular man towering over me. One blow could kill me. He had the darkness on his side, he knew the space and he had been watching me for who knows how long.

"I just visited them, my lovely birds. Daphne prefers I call them the caged girls but really, they are my precious birds." A small light flicked on and which was even worse. He was walking around my room, spinning in slow strides, moving his arms up and down like a puppeteer.

"You did a splendid job cleaning the cages. Although, I did find this…" The light turned on brighter and caused me to slam my eyes shut again.

"Demi, I don't like any messes. None. This is why you need to be using the roller on your entire outfit before you come out." I squinted at the thin black strand of hair dangling between his thumb and index finger.

"I wore the wig…" I stammered nervously as I deflected his stare.

"Well, the wigs work better when all that mess is gone." He pointed angrily to my long, thick, unruly black hair.

"No, please…" I shook my head, looking into his pale green eyes. I slowly sat up in the bed and tugged the blanket over my body, clutching it tightly.

"Well, darling, it'll absolutely go. Don't worry, I only prefer certain areas of girls bald. Perhaps we can cut it and bleach it; after all, the black doesn't go with our aesthetic." A sinister smile curled his lips as his eyes dropped down my body.

"I would like to leave." I let out quickly as he backed away to the door.

"No one leaves the Ivory Estate unless they are released. Just like birds. Chirp, chirp!" He mocked. But his tone was hostile as his hands clenched into tight fists until his knuckles turned pale. Chills scattered across my arms as I looked at the man in front of me. If you saw him walking outside, you'd stop and think how truly handsome he was. How he seemed well-established and definitely wealthy. You'd never assume he was a monster. But that's the thing about monsters; they don't lurk in the shadows like stories convince us… no, they prowl right in the open.