Page 7 of Protection for Asher (Safeguarded By The SEAL #4)

Asher didn't know how long it had been, but she'd gone from that basement to the smaller ship, to a larger ship, and then a truck.

She wasn't sure where she was, but it wasn't the USA.

They had given her enough food and water to keep her alive, but she'd lost weight.

She would kill for a fast-food burger and fries, maybe a milkshake, and some kind of dessert.

Heck, a home-cooked meal would be nice. Even cold soup from a can would be a welcome treat.

The vehicle she was in stopped and she was dragged out into a courtyard. She couldn’t tell anything bout the area because the sky was black as ink, and there was nothing she could see beyond the walls.

The man who drove the truck forced her to her knees. She wanted to punch him, but she didn’t have an opportunity. A woman approached, her lips down in a frown.

“She’s skinny.”

“She’s what I got.”

“Fine. I’ll make her into something someone wants. Come.”

Asher wasn’t going to do anything this woman told her to do. “No.”

She hadn’t seen that the woman was carrying anything, but suddenly Asher’s cheek stung and the woman had the stick raised above her head.

“You do what we say or you’ll regret it.”

The man next to her twisted her arm so hard she was forced to stand. She looked up at him, anger swimming through her veins. She wanted to retaliate, but they had weapons and she didn’t.

The woman led her inside, and the door shut behind her with a finality that chilled her bones. She was stripped and made to wash, before they gave her a dress that covered her, but was so rough it would eventually scratch her skin raw.

The woman in charge gave her a list of rules to follow and then she was led into a room and told to sleep.

She wanted to defy them, but exhaustion won.

The next morning she learned she wasn’t the only woman being held.

She was the only one who made it into the bondage stocks that first day.

Her back ached by the time she was set free.

She received ten strikes across her bare bottom for whatever infraction she’d committed.

The days bled together as she received punishment after punishment. They were wearing her down. She hated the sting of the rod across her body. She didn’t want to give in, but she couldn’t keep fighting.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been here, but when the door opened, and she saw the woman who ran the place, she dropped to her knees, then lowered to a deep bow as she rolled her eyes.

Asher wanted to tell the woman to fuck off, but that would earn her time in the wooden stocks, which weren't a joke at all. Being bent at the hips and held in place with no relief for her knees or feet for hours at a time was hell.

This place was supposed to train them to be the perfect partner for the men who wanted a woman he could control. She couldn’t imagine how weak the men were that they had to have a slave instead of a partner.

The woman in charge stopped in front of her, tapping her foot with impatience.

Asher wasn’t a good student, and the punishment had been harsh for her.

The other women steered clear of her so they didn’t get lumped in with her antics.

She didn’t blame them, but that didn’t mean she was even going to try to be a halfway decent student of this shitty school for slaves.

There were nine other women here with her. It blew her mind that the ten of them had been taken prisoner and were forced to become sex slaves.

How did this happen in today’s world? She’d been snatched from a party after asking about Grace. Had her friend been here before her? Was she the slave of some stupid man now?

“Are you going to behave today?” the woman standing above her asked.

Asher wanted to spit on the woman’s feet and tell her to go to hell, but she held her anger in check and replied as sweetly as possible.

“Yes, mistress.”

The pain they inflicted with their beatings wasn't pleasant, but it hadn't totally persuaded her to give in.

Most of the women had capitulated on day one.

She guessed their lives hadn't been that great to begin with, so becoming a sex slave wasn't a big deal.

For her, it was a fate close to death. The only thing keeping her going was the thought of killing the man who bought her, and then she would escape this hellish existence.

Maybe it was ridiculous for her to think she could kill her captor.

She'd thought about killing the woman who ran this facility, but she hadn't been given a chance.

This organization ran like a well-oiled machine, and nothing had been left to chance.

They ate with their hands, no utensils. Every tool they were given was tracked obsessively.

When they brushed their teeth, they were given a toothbrush, which was taken away after they finished.

There was nothing that could be turned into a weapon, and she'd searched for one more than once.

“Up.”

The command was given with no warmth. This wasn’t a place to discover yourself. This was the type of prison that crushed people.

“Come.”

She followed the woman out the door to the room where they would be given some sort of food that would be enough calories she wouldn’t pass out when they started requiring her to do stuff.

Today was soup with a few pieces of shrimp and some vegetables.

The calories felt good going in, and she was glad there was an abundance of liquid.

Having extra liquid would keep her alive.

Some of the other women hated soup days, but she was happy about it.

She craved the extra hydration on days they ate only solid food.

After the meal, they were sent to language class.

They were learning a language she hadn’t ever heard before.

Learning the language wasn’t impossible, but she wasn’t great at it.

A few of the women already knew two languages, but the new language they had to learn was creating difficulties for more than just her.

The sex classes were the worst. Not that they were having sex, but they were forced to endure talking about it and being told what they would have to do. She wanted to tell them she would never do that, but talking back earned her punishments.

After class, she was pulled aside and brought into the office. She looked around for any weapon, like always, but there wasn’t anything she could use. A man stepped in. His lips were already down in a frown before he saw her.

His gaze flicked over her almost dismissively. “She'll do.”

Asher wanted to tell him to fuck off, but the woman who ran the place was right behind her and activated the stun gun. The sound was enough to silence Asher.

The man’s nose wrinkled. “Is she not finished?”

“She’s close. Your man will need to keep an eye on her. She needs strict discipline, but once she is fully trained, she will be very valuable.”

Asher hated how they talked about her as if she wasn't even there. Her spine stiffened, and her shoulders straightened. The bastards shouldn't have a say in her life, but they were treating her like she was a dog.

The man moved to stand in front of her and lifted her shirt. She moved to bat his hand away. The punch he threw knocked her to the ground. Pain exploded through her, making her eyes water.

“I see what you mean,” the man said.

“A few more weeks, and she'll be ready. I'll make sure. She's exactly what your man wants.”

“Yes, she is. Don't break her too much. I know he will have fun punishing her.”

“Yes, sir. We appreciate the trust he has in us. We always enjoy working with you.”

Asher watched the man walk out. She hadn’t even gotten up off the floor. When the woman came over and poked her, telling her to get up, she tried to push up, but the pain was so much she had to close her eyes as her stomach threatened to spill its contents.

“You’re a bad girl. Maybe more time in the stocks would teach you to obey.

You must obey and never do anything like that again.

You are not allowed to touch. It isn’t your place.

Now, get up and go to your room. Think about what you've done, and tomorrow, I want to hear an apology from you.

That will set the tone for your punishment.

Asher stood on shaky legs, her head still throbbing as she followed behind one of the guards. The hallway swam in front of her as she tried to keep up.

She had three weeks before she was taken somewhere else. She wouldn’t miss this place, but the new place could be worse. Her only regret leaving here would be that she wouldn’t be given a chance to kill her nemesis before she was forced to leave.