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I’ve seen some of the girls when they’ve returned home from being a headliner. They were broken before they left, but afterwards, they’re like shells of the people they once were. I’m a strong person, but even I have my limits.

“I don’t think I have any new breaks. Just cuts and bruises. My throat is really sore,” I reply, hating how croaky my voice is.

Lilly’s fingers trace up my arm and to my throat. Even though her touches are featherlike, I wince as she presses a little too hard against what is clearly a bruise. Her fingers continue their trail until she reaches my face. She runs her finger along my lower lip and I shiver.

“Here, drink this,” she whispers, as I feel the neck of a bottle being placed against my lips.

Out of instinct, I clamp my lips shut and try to move away. Over my time here, I’ve learnt not to accept drinks from people, as you never know what they’re drugging you with.

For a moment, I tell myself my behaviour is crazy, that Lilly would never hurt me. Of all the girls here, she’s the one I’ve bonded with the most. She’s also the girl who has probably had the worst time compared to others. Still, the situation makes me question her loyalty.

“Tee…give me your hand. I will drink first and you can feel me take some, then you will know it’s safe. It’s only water,” she replies, taking my hand and placing it on her throat, so I can feel the bobbing as she swallows.

It’s ridiculous that it’s so dark in here that I have to feel her rather than see. But after I feel her take a drink, I gladly accept some of the water. As soon as the liquid hits my dry, cracked lips, there’s that moment of both relief and pain.

It hurts, but it feels so fucking good. I have to swallow slowly, as my throat really is battered and bruised, but as the liquid coats my dry mouth, everything feels a little better.

“What happened to you last night?” Lil asks, and I clamp my eyes shut, hoping to stop the memories from coming flooding back—fat chance of that.

“It was my punishment,” I grumble, and Lil groans beside me as she laces her fingers with mine.

She doesn’t ask me if I want to talk about it, as she knows I don’t. What is there to say? We’re both in hell, and all we can do is hope to any deity that will listen that we can get out of here.

“I still have hope they’re going to save me, you know? Even after all this time. Is that stupid?” she asks.

Though she can’t see me, I shake my head. “No, it’s not crazy. After everything you’ve told me about them, I’m sure they will find you.”

I don’t need to look at Lilly to know she’s smiling. She always does when she talks about her guys.

While I’ve only been part of The Aristocracy for a relatively short time, Lilly has been since she was six-years-old. She was bought from the orphanage she had been living in, and was taken to the home of The Duke—one of the other leaders of The Aristocracy.

The Duke deals in young children, specifically. He buys them young and trains them in all kinds of roles, making sure he creates a wide variety of talents that he can then sell on. That’s where Lilly met three boys who were to become her best friends—her guys.

Drake, Theo, and Blake were all taken when they were five or six-years-old, and that’s when they met each other and Lilly. At first, they were all trained to be pick-pockets and thieves. Little people could get into the smallest spaces, and they would be hired out to do burglary jobs for clients.

Once they became teenagers, the boys and girls were trained separately. The guys were taught to fight and kill, whereas the girls were trained to be good little obedient whores.

No matter where they were during the day, or how much abuse they each suffered, the nights were when they finally found a little bit of peace amongst the darkness. They fell asleep wrapped up in each other, talking about the future they promised for them all. Not to mention the grand revenge plots they planned—starting with taking down The Duke.

It’s been well over two years now since Lilly last saw her guys. She was sold to The Sheriff, to be his personal whore. The guys vowed, no matter where they ended up, they would all find each other eventually. They would burn the world down to save her, and to finally be together. She’s been holding onto that hope ever since.

Do I think her guys will find her? I have no fucking clue, but who am I to take away her last shred of hope? I wish more than anything that there’s a better life waiting for us all after this fucked up hellhole. But the longer we’re here, the harder it is to imagine a time when we will be free.

I have to admit, the more I think about Lilly being rescued, the worse I feel about my own situation. I have nobody coming to save me. Nobody gives a shit about where I am. The only family I had left was my mum, and she died long ago.

In the darkest, most silent parts of the night, there’s a small part of me that clutches onto the idea that maybe one day, Evan will come and save me. He’s the only boy I’ve ever loved, and that was years ago. I’m not even sure he knows where I am, though his father probably does, as I belonged to him first.

Though, if the rumours are true, the whole reason I ended up here is because Desmond is dead. Which means Ev knows where I am, and he’s still not come for me. Not that I expected anything more after what happened between us, but the lovesick teenager I was long ago wants to hold onto a little hope for the boy who once held her heart.

“Do you think anyone is coming for you?” Lilly asks, like she can read my train of thought.

We’ve been getting to know each other more and more while we’ve both been stuck here, so she probably knows me well enough by now—though I was incredibly guarded in the beginning.

“No, there’s nobody who even gives a shit I’m here. I learnt long ago that I need to save myself,” I grumble, hating how much my heart aches with each word.

Lilly lets out a humourless chuckle. “Oh, I don’t need the guys to save me. I will fight my way out of here if I have to, but it’s nice to dream of a life where they’re waiting for me. That they’ve never given up looking for me.”

“You don’t even know they’re still together,” I snap, hating how bitter and twisted I sound.