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“Yeah. They made both of us bend over the table so that we were facing each other. They said with us holding hands that Doug and Huxley’s pleasure could go through me and to God,” I explain.

“They put this like… automated sucking thing on him and something similar on me. Doug was basically preaching to Richard, telling him that this is what we wanted and that he was doing God’s work or some bullshit.

It was all really icky. Eventually the stupid torture devices were turned on.

Doug told Richard that he needed to be gentle and wait until our bodies invited them in.

I made the mistake of looking up and… Doug was doing the same thing to him that Richard was doing to me…

Huxley had his head resting on my hands, and we just focused on each other.

He had warned me that I needed to keep my mouth shut because Doug would whip me with a metal cable and then dump alcohol on the cuts…

so I kept my mouth shut the best I could.

Although he did have to remind me once to shut the fuck up…

they did inject their dick with something…

I assume it was so they would last longer…

Then they raped us. They were violent and stayed basically in perfect rhythm with each other.

We just matched each other’s breathing and tried to stay calm.

When they were getting close to finishing, they decided we were not connected enough, so they had Huxley hug me.

He did not hesitate to comfort me, but they made us kiss at the end.

But after they finished raping us… I uh… That sucking thing had collected…”

“Oh… I’m gonna throw up if you say what I think you’re about to say,” Ben says.

“Ben and Doug held me down and… uh… They made him pour it down my throat. He was nearly sobbing when he did it. I tried not to fight him because I knew it would just make him feel bad. He eventually had to hold my head still, but he didn’t really have to make me, he just put his hand on my forehead, and I chilled out…

I managed to do it, but it was… overwhelming.

Afterwards, they just dragged him out of the room and told me someone else would come in.

The next guy came in almost immediately, and I was just so numb that when he put me over the table, I just laid there…

Huxley promised me he would come back for me…

For the next seventy-two hours, I counted forty-nine men that came in there, including Doug.

Huxley made fifty, but I’m not counting that as a part of me being raped.

He didn’t hurt me, nor did he want to be there.

He offered me a break from all of that, and he is probably the only reason I’m relatively sane right now.

After the offering was done on Monday morning, I sat in there all day by myself, tied to the table.

Huxley came in and untied me. He told me that my boss had scared Doug.

They had plans of forcing me to legally marry Doug Tuesday morning, and then they were going to move everyone underground.

He told me to kill Walker, who is Doug’s second in command.

Was, I don’t think he survived that… actually.

He said that I needed to be selfish and get the fuck away from there, but he would try to get free.

He gave me the knife and left. Walker came in, and I got an attitude with him so that he would get in my face.

He leaned down to be at eye level, and I just…

cut his throat. That’s how I got blood all over me…

I left the room and ended up climbing out of the window because I could hear voices downstairs…

I knew where I was, and I knew Roman’s house was close, so I just ran until I found the main road but stayed in the woods until I got here.

Now I’m naked in water filled with blood and come. ”

“Fuck, Riah,” Roman says. “I don’t know what to say.”

I realize that I am mostly clean now. Roman never stopped washing my body as I talked, and it offered a welcome distraction.

“Huxley said that they would be looking for me. I think that’s because they never intended for me to escape.

I know so much about who they are and what they do…

He said I needed to find you guys and never be alone, or they would take me again. ”

“Yeah. You are not going to be alone,” Roman says matter-of-factly.

“I think Roman is going to steal you from us,” Corbin laughs.

“I just don’t want to go back to my apartment. Haley has a key,” I say.

“We are going to get rid of everything and get you all new stuff,” Corbin says. “I don’t trust a single item in there after Ben found a bug in one of your lights. It was an audio bug.”

“Yeah… fuck that,” I say.

“I want you to stay here with Roman,” Dad says. “His house is the most secure, and we know he will take care of you.”

“Are you sure?” I ask Roman.

“Yes,” he says. “If you are not with me, you will be with one of them.”

“I know he is your friend and also standing right there, but I only know Ben professionally,” I say.

“I promise you, if Ben ever does anything inappropriate, I’ll kill him,” Roman smiles. “He’s a good man. Annoying, but good.”

“See, if you are alone with me, I will just tell you all the things he says about you,” Ben says with a grin but promptly earns a glare from Roman. Interesting.

“Sold,” I smile.

“We can avoid you being alone with me until I’ve earned your trust,” Ben says gently.

“Thank you. Please don’t think I assume you would hurt me,” I say. “I just… it was a lot of men that…”

“Everyone handles trauma differently,” Ben says. “Some would not be able to function after what you went through, while some can go on like nothing ever happened. Some have triggers, some don’t. You cope whatever way is easiest.”

“I’m going to stand you up so I can finish cleaning you,” Roman says. “I think we’ve reached the limit of this water.”

“Yeah. It’s gross,” I say. “So, the part I haven’t said yet is I wasn’t allowed to clean up. At all. For any reason… so…”

“That’s…” Corbin starts.

“Inhumane,” Dad says, and the others nod.

“Want them to leave?” Roman asks me.

“Rome, I was just run through like a train station by fifty people in three days. They don’t have to leave,” I say bluntly.

“Okay,” he laughs. “Love to see that your smartass mouth is still intact, Riah.”

“I aim to please, Rome,” I say as he helps me stand. He pulls the plug on the drain before turning on the faucet to get clean, warm water.

“What can we do?” Dad asks.

“Have you really not had a drink?” I ask.

“No,” he says. “I won’t lie. I want to down a whole bottle right now, but… I can’t protect my little girl if I’m just a worthless drunk.”

“Daddy… You are not worthless,” I say.

“I am. Your mom died, and I died with her. I let myself get wrapped up in that depression, and I neglected to protect you. It’s my job as your father to protect you,” he says.

“I don’t care what I have to do; I’m not drinking anymore.

The thought of being too drunk to save you is… I promise, I’m done.”

I start to tear up again, and he gets closer to hug me as Roman continues to clean my body. I cry in Dad’s arms as Roman cleans my more intimate areas as gently as possible. When he is done, Dad picks me up and sets me on the floor so Roman can wrap me in a towel.

“We are going to let Roman help you get dressed. You need to eat something before you go to sleep, okay?” Dad asks.

“Okay,” I sigh. “I’m so tired… Fuck. I missed that meeting this morning.”

“It was cancelled,” Roman says. “I’d like to force you to not work, but, I’ll let you do it virtually from home. I have your laptop.”

“Okay. I’ll just… avoid the camera for a while. I feel like I look as terrible as I feel,” I say.

“You look tired,” he says. “Ben is helping me, so don’t push yourself to come back. Okay?”

“Okay. I just… I want to find Huxley,” I say.

“We will,” Corbin says. “I promise.”

“I’m going to drown Haley,” I tell him. “In toilet water, to be specific. I would like to say that I’m being dramatic, but I’m dead fucking serious.

That stupid cunt has been terrible to me for fucking years.

I’ve always supported her, and she fucking sacrificed me to a psycho.

I was raped for days because of her. She did this to me, and I will be the fucking end of her. ”

“We will have Dad’s detox diarrhea shit in the toilet before you drown her,” Corbin laughs.

“That’s… oddly perfect,” I smile.

“We will be downstairs, okay?” He says as he hugs me. “You smell a lot better now.”

“Yeah. I bet,” I laugh. “My hair is undoubtedly knotted up.”

“I’ll brush it out,” Roman says.

“We love you,” Dad says as he kisses the top of my head.

When they leave, Roman dries my hair and body before grabbing a shirt off the counter. He puts the T-shirt on me, and I recognize it immediately. “This is yours,” I say.

“Yeah,” he laughs. “Who else would it belong to?”

“I don’t know… Just odd to be wearing your clothes,” I say.

“Would you rather take it off?” he asks, and I laugh. “That came out wrong.”

“I think I’m gonna keep my shirt on for now, Rome,” I smile.

“Zoriah, I…”

“I need for you to be as normal as possible right now. Don’t pity me. You are the one I can always count on to give it to me straight. Be blunt, but be you. Okay? You can have empathy but still not be weird.”

“Zoriah, thinking that I lost you has put me in a mindset that I’ve tried to avoid,” he says. “The old normal is gone.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Let’s… Go and sit down. I’ll explain,” he says nervously.

“Woah. Must be juicy if you are nervous,” I laugh. We walk into his room, and he points for me to sit on his bed. He sits behind me and pulls my hair down my back to start brushing it. “Spill it, Roman.”

“Are you sure? This is… a lot,” he says.

“Yes. I’d like to discuss something that isn’t my trauma,” I say.

“Outside work, how do you see me?” he asks.