Page 62 of Reckless Princess (Knight's Ridge Empire 8)

There’s no point fighting, begging, pleading. I’ve tried it all before.

I’ve tried everything over the years. But at some point, I realised that he actually enjoyed me fighting, suffering. So sometime around my twelfth birthday, I just gave up.

My acceptance angers him. I see it in the pulsating vein in his temple, and I can’t help but get some sick satisfaction at knowing I’m affecting him in some way. Even if it is irritation.

He stops marching me along by the scruff of my neck like I’m nothing more than the unloved family mutt as he pulls the heavy door of the basement open.

Mum isn’t here. By some miracle, she managed to convince Dad to allow her to have a few days away with my auntie. I’m happy for her to have some peace, but equally, I’m fucking terrified, because it leaves me here at the mercy of this monster. And his punishments for disobeying him are always worse when there’s no chance of getting caught.

The second the door is open enough for me to fit through, he pushes me forward. My body moves faster than my legs and I stumble, tripping over the top step and falling into the dark abyss below.

My thigh hits the edge of the top stair first before my shoulder slams into another a little lower down and I flip over, tumbling down into the cold, dark depths of my torture chamber.

My body aches, pain shooting down my arm, but I swallow down any groans that threaten to spill from my lips. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’s hurt me, that he’s affected me in any way.

The door creaks, the light spilling from the house behind him getting dimmer as he swings it shut, plunging me into darkness.

The echo of it slamming shut and the heavy lock being twisted makes my entire body jolt as my mind slowly shuts down.

I awake with a gasp, my heart pounding at the loud bang of that door resonating through me as if it really happened.

Sucking in a deep breath, I rest my head back once more as a flock of birds fly overhead and an ice-cold breeze washes over me.

A bang hits my ears and I gasp, getting sucked back into my nightmare for the briefest second as my heart free-falls at the thought of Jonas finding my little slice of heaven in this heinous house.

There’s more noise making my heart thunder in my chest as I stare at the drop in the roof that allows me to climb up here.

All the air rushes out of my lungs as a familiar head pops above the tiles.

Relief fills Nico’s eyes before he drags himself up.

“You’re in trouble, Doukas,” he warns.

I sigh, falling back once more and letting my head rest against the unforgiving roof beneath me.

“Can’t say I’m surprised,” I mutter. “What do you want?” The question comes out harsher than I intended, and I wince.

But if he’s at all offended by my question, he doesn’t comment on it as I listen to him getting comfortable beside me.

His shoulder brushes mine as he lays down, his warmth making me shudder when he doesn’t move away.

Swallowing thickly, I try to fight the emotions that swell inside me that he’s found me and is putting up with my shitty mood.

“What’s going on, Tobes?” he asks after his silence stretches on for longer than I gave him credit for.

I sigh, trying to find the words to properly explain where my head is at right now.

“Jonas really fucked me up,” I confess.

“Nah, you’re no more twisted than the rest of us, bro.”

I shake my head, unsure as to whether he’s looking at me or not as I squeeze my eyes tight.

“He used to lock me in the basement,” I confess.

My best friend gasps in horror as I admit something I’ve never told him about my life before.

“T-the basement?” he stutters, a deep line forming between his brows.