Page 9 of Pleasure Lessons

CASSANDRA

The room is quiet. Like the cold, dark void of space.

A violent silence that seems to exist to crush me.

I’ve been locked in here all day. I’ve seen no one, heard nothing.

Sun streams weakly through the windows as I sit on the floor, knees up, my hoodie stretched over my legs.

I don’t even want to be in the bed. The bed Arthur paid for.

Sure, he may have also paid for this floor, but at least I’m not getting any comfort out of it.

I don’t want any comfort from him in any way.

At this point, I’d rather starve than eat any of his food.

My bag lays beside me, still packed. But my heart is torn open, spilling my soul into the silent void. It feels like I’m deflating, losing myself as every second ticks by.

I didn’t make it. I didn’t get to Rhett. And now I may not ever see him again.

He must think I’m awful–that I bailed on him. Poor little rich girl had a change of heart. Pain stings my heart as I picture him thinking such a thing.

Last night was meant to be a triumphant escape.

A memory for us to look back on with joy.

But now all I see is a blur of Arthur’s sickening face, Clarisse’s gaze of betrayal, and his men dragging me across the grounds like a slave.

No one’s come all day to check on me. And why would they?

No one in this house even cares about me.

I’m just another possession to Arthur. A business transaction. Another win for a man who never loses.

I rest my head on my knees, biting back tears. No more crying. I need to be strong. I can’t let Arthur see just how badly he’s wounded me. But it’s almost impossible not to break down when I think about how let down Rhett must feel.

Hours pass. I stare at the floor, counting my heartbeats to pass the time. And then, I hear something…

Smash .

My head snaps up. I hear it again. A hard thud, followed by the shout and clamor of male voices.

Footsteps, quick and heavy, like a rhinoceros galloping down the hall. More shouting.

“Back!” someone shouts. “Get back!”

A massive crash, and something–someone–slams against the wall with such force that I’m shocked it didn’t cave my wall in. A man cries out in pain, one of Arthur’s men from the sound of it. My heart leaps, and I rocket to my feet.

There’s another grunt of pain as someone hits the floor, and then the door– my door –splinters in as Rhett’s foot drives it clean off its hinges. It falls inward, and he stands there tall, his chest heaving, framed by the shattered wood like a hero.

“Rhett…” I mutter, barely able to speak. “Am I dreaming?”

He’s breathing heavily. Blood drips from his knuckles. His shirt is torn, and his chest is rising and falling like a man who’s just been through hell.

“You’re not dreaming, angel.” He smiles, rushing over to me. He kisses me, and it’s like all the light returns to my world. “I knew something was wrong when you didn’t show up last night. I figured they found us out and were holding you.”

“Clarisse,” I hiss, her name like acid on my tongue. “She found out and told Arthur.” I fall into his arms, and he catches me, standing strong and solid like the very foundations of the earth. “I thought you’d hate me. I thought I’d lost you.”

“Never,” he says, pressing his lips to my forehead. “I could never hate you, Cassandra. You’re mine. And I’m taking you out of here now. ”

I grab my bag, and he slips an arm around me, leading me into the hallway where Arthur’s men lie in a heap, unconscious. We head for the stairwell, but I stop him.

“Wait. My mother’s letters. They’re in Arthur’s study. He took them from me.”

His jaw tightens, and his eyes narrow. “Bastard. Let’s get them. Then we’re out of here.”

Rhett doesn’t even flinch as he steps over the fallen guards. And why would he? He put them there. The way he moves, with the strength of an alpha, has me burning up with desire.

It doesn’t take long for us to reach the study, and of course when we do, Arthur is there. He’s on his cell, sipping a whiskey, and looks up in shock as we enter. He didn’t even hear the chaos upstairs from his protected throne room.

“You!” he spits, rising from his seat. He hangs up quickly and starts to dial 9-1-1. But Rhett lunges forward, snatches the phone from his hand, and smashes it against the ground.

“We’re leaving,” he growls. “Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

Arthur, shocked, still somehow manages to croak out a defiant laugh. “You think you’re gonna just walk in here and take her? Take what’s mine–!?”

Rhett’s fist sends Arthur sprawling. He tumbles backward over his desk and lands in a heap on the floor. My heart swells with a rush of satisfaction. I was not expecting that.

“She’s not yours,” Rhett snarls. “Never was. Never will be.”

“She’s got my ring on her goddamn finger!”

I look down and realize he’s right. I’m still wearing that enormous, gaudy rock. I rip it off my finger and throw it at him. It bounces off his nose and falls to the floor with a defeated clink.

“Not anymore.”

“Are these them?” Rhett asks, scooping my mother’s letters from Arthur’s desk. I nod happily, taking them from him and carefully placing them in my bag.

“Let’s get out of here.” I smile.

Leaving Arthur on the floor, nursing what may be a broken nose, we race out into the corridor, weaving through the servants’ wing toward the back exit. I feel like I’m soaring high above the clouds with nothing but a bright blue sky at my back.

We’re almost out when we round the final corner, but that’s when I see her. Clarisse, standing in front of the door, arms crossed, eyes narrow. She looks at Rhett, and it’s impossible not to notice her clear desire for him. Her eyes turn to me.

“You little brat,” she hisses. “I told Arthur you were nothing but a spoiled, ungrateful–”

I slap her.

Hard.

Her head whips to the side, and she lets out a shocked gasp.

“That’s for betraying me,” I say, my voice trembling. “Girls are supposed to be there for each other, not sell each other out like livestock.”

Clarisse recovers, whips her head back to me, and lunges forward. But Rhett steps between us, glaring down at her with fierce eyes. “Nope. Don’t do that,” he tells her, like a father scolding his child.

She looks past him at me for a moment, contemplating her options. Then snarls and spits at his feet, whirls around, and runs off.

Rhett turns to me and raises his eyebrows. “Nice slap. Didn’t know you had it in you.”

I laugh. “Neither did I.”

We bolt out the door and into the cool evening. The wind blows sharp across our faces as we run, Rhett leading the way. Every muscle in my body is tense. Every step I take is precise. I follow him without hesitation. I don’t know what his plan is, but I trust him.

After a long run through the trees, we reach the wall that fences in the property.

Rhett lifts me up and over, then scales it easily himself.

His truck is parked a few feet away. He opens the door for me and helps me inside, then rounds the front and climbs in.

The engine rattles to a start, and he pulls away.

I glance back as the estate vanishes into the darkness. A sight I never thought I’d see.

“Where to?” I ask, my heart still racing, my body filled with adrenaline.

“To our future.” He smiles. “And the rest of our lives.”

I smile as tears slip down my cheeks and the prison that was my existence vanishes behind us. And I don’t look back. Not once.

I’m free.