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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“That took you long enough.” Sage smiled as she took the smoothie off the white marble platter.

“You don’t have to drink it. It may not taste great since I took so long to bring it back to you,” I rambled as she looked at me with confusion.

“This is La Gabbia’s most talked about smoothie. People swear you drink it for the entirety of your stay, and you leave with a face as smooth as a baby’s butt.” My stomach churned as Sage took a sip.

“How much longer are you and Declan here for?” I took the seat next to her as she looked forward.

“Another week or so. I believe Declan extended it.” She stirred the icy smoothie around.

“Hello, ladies.” I abruptly jumped out of the lounger and stood. It was another wife and Jamie, both dressed in white dresses. They both had blonde hair with piercing green eyes. I sucked in a breath as the other wife made her way closer.

“It’s such a beautiful day. Sage, you’ve been hiding from all of us, now, haven’t you?” She snapped her fingers at Jamie and pointed at the lounger I had just moved from.

“Wipe this clean. Sage, I don’t know why your…dove was sitting in our seats.” She clicked her tongue with disappointment and disgust.

Jamie tugged a wipe from her pocket and began cleaning the chair. “Ms. Sabrina, please take a seat. May I bring you anything else?”

Sabrina looked at me, her head tilted. “You look familiar.” She brushed her fingers through her blonde hair as she studied me carefully.

I glanced between Sage, Sarah, and Jamie before following Jamie’s lead and taking a step back.

“I know you from somewhere.” Sabrina took out a tube of nude lipstick and painted her lips.

Jamie cleared her throat and nudged me slightly. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Sabrina… I don’t know you.”

She nodded, her lips pinched to the side. “Of course not.”

Sabrina and Sage began to make conversation as the sun beat down on Jamie and me. My palms and neck grew sweaty, but it wasn’t because of the heat…it was because I did recognize her. I recognized her instantly and didn’t know what would happen because this was feeling all too familiar, too terrifying, and much like a reoccurring nightmare I was trying to escape but knew there was no way out.

“Have you seen Daniel since check in?” Sage asked Sabrina.

“No. Have you seen Declan? I mean, in the contract it was made quite clear that we had to follow the rules to not be charged that ridiculous resort fee, but it also made it seem like there were far worse repercussions if we bent the rules.” Sabrina shrugged her shoulders.

“I know. It was the NDA that was included that really made me think we’d have to play nice here. Besides, it’s great not having the husbands hovering around. I think this is the most freedom I’ve received since well…forever.” Sage finished her smoothie and nodded at me to take the empty glass.

“I mean, even prior to marriage, you and I both were enrolled in…” Sabrina glanced back at us and sighed.

“Anyway, I’m loving this. It’s all such a nice break,” Sage quickly interjected.

Sabrina laid back into her chair. “It truly is.”

“Girls, you may be dismissed. I’d like some one-on-one time with my old friend.” Sage waved Jamie and me away.

“Let’s go, Demi. We must head over to our assessment, anyway. Have a wonderful day, ladies. Please page us if you need anything,” Jamie said as I paused an extra moment, taking Sarah in.

Jamie let out a small cough, breaking me out of my trance, and we spun around on our white padded shoes and made our way out.

“We need to go down for our assessments.” Jamie looked at me. Her eyes were a shade of pale green and her blonde hair was matted to her scalp, trailing into a tight, neatly plaited braid.

“Assessments?” I lifted a brow and followed her.

Jamie didn’t answer. I followed her through the narrow white hallways that were set up like a maze. Looking down at my feet, I hated the same white padded shoes we were forced to wear at my previous residence. There was no noise, but it didn’t make sense. Why would everything need to be all white, sterile, and clean on these parts of the resort? Down below is where they were caging the girls.

I picked up my pace to catch up to her. “Hey, Jamie, do you know a girl named Layla?”

Jamie started to walk faster, and her skin flushed when I grabbed her arm. “Jamie, please.”

“Demi, your sister died here. What you saw wasn’t her, I promise.” She peeled my fingers from her arm before sighing. “Please, we can’t be late. The doctors, especially, get very upset.”

“I saw her, Jamie.” My voice trembled as I closed my eyes and could clearly see my sister in that room with Bradley.

Jamie grabbed me by the neck and pushed me against the wall. “Do you know what these images are, you stupid girl?”

Gasping, I peeled her hand off me. Turning, I looked at the colored sorority or graduation-like images. Each individual frame held a photo of a young woman. “No.” I shook my head.

“Have you ever wondered why these images aren’t a group photo or in one of those frames that can hold countless photos?”

Nodding, I brushed my fingers against my neck.

“It’s so every single time one of the girls is killed, they get moved to the black-and-white hallway. The goal for us girls here is to stay in this hallway as long as we possibly can. Demi, you may think you’re the favorite, but you’re not. You are just one of us.” Jamie tugged my hand and led me down the hallway.

“Here.” I squinted at the photo. It was me. I thought these would be used for an ID badge, not for this.

“Wait…” I took a step back and froze. There were hundreds of missing spots in between frames.

“I just thought they put the photos in some sort of way…”

Jamie began walking away, so I followed her. “If one of us doves cause any kind of trouble, we risk being put in a cage and going through treatment.”

“Treatment?” I questioned as the pit in my stomach grew larger.

“Total darkness to deprive our senses before we become a subservient nightingale. That’s actually a blessing, considering some of the defiant girls…well, they went straight to the fridge.”

I didn’t know what any of this meant beyond the cages and darkness I had witnessed first-hand. “The fridge?”

“You don’t want to know, Demi. Promise me you’ll just stop. You’re going to get yourself killed, and one of us will get dragged down with you, too. Alister Ivory is si?—”

“Alister Ivory is what?” A voice behind us was low and husky, but it seemed to shake the floor beneath our feet.

Turning slowly, Jamie and I both took a step backward.

“Alister Ivory is what?” There he was in his black suit, his eyes darkening as he folded his hands behind his back and took a step forward.

“On your knees,” Alister boomed as Jamie’s body began to shake. She dropped to her knees, and then he cut his eyes to me.

His jaw ticked as I stood there, my body growing cold. “On your knees.”

Jamie dropped her head down and stammered, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Ivory. I’m so sorry, sir.”

“Demi!” he hissed at me, only raising his voice slightly but making more of an impact as if someone had yelled at me.

I dropped to my knees. We were off in the employee-only side of the resort, unfortunately. Had we been on the side closer to our guests, there is no way he’d have risked anyone seeing this.

“Now, my precious little obedient dove, tell me what you were going to say…” Alister lifted his hand, revealing a small shiny knife with a carved handle.

“Sir, I was…” Jamie was sobbing as she choked on her own spit. “Sick. Alister Ivory is sick,” she said quietly.

Alister tossed his head back and laughed. My chest was rising and falling rapidly as I looked at Jamie, who kept her head down.

Alister tipped her head up with the knife and looked at her. “You were always supposed to be a nightingale, you know that?” He smiled. With his other hand, he reached into his pocket and took out a small clear bag. “Demi, my beautiful raven, open this for me.”

My fingers shook as I took the bag from him and opened it.

Leaning in, Alister brushed his index finger and thumb together, then whispered, “Close your eyes, little dove.” He tucked the knife away and pulled out a small pair of tweezers.

Jamie’s bottom lip quivered as tears rolled down her face rapidly. “Please don’t do it.”

“Mr. Ivory,” I interjected. Alister didn’t look at me; instead, he began plucking her eyelashes out.

Jamie screeched from the pain. “Demi, darling, please shut her up or I will.”

“Jamie, please…” I gasped as he took the eyelashes and put them inside the small bag I was holding. Grabbing her hand in mine, she squeezed it so hard, the immediate ache in my bones hurt.

The jar. The jar in his room. I had seen it full of eyelashes.

“Mr. Ivory, I’m begging you. Please stop. You can take mine,” I rambled as Jamie’s face grew pale and her sobs became unbearable.

Alister stopped after he took the eyelashes from one of her eyes completely.

He moved over to be in front of me and looked at me with a satisfied grin. Brushing his finger against my lashes, he smiled. “Why would I ever make you less beautiful, my raven? Besides, I already took some of them. Now, if I ever hear any one of you speak my name or disrespect me again, you will be dissolved.”

“Get to your assessments now. Demi, I want your IUD taken out.” Alister opened his palms to me. Placing my hands in his, I stood on shaky legs. Jamie was still on the floor, sobbing in pain.

No. I didn’t want to know what was coming for me. I didn’t want to know what the next event would be.

I just knew I wasn’t powerful enough. I never was, and I never would be.

I couldn’t save myself, let alone hundreds of women.

I needed to escape.

I had to save myself.