Page 34 of The Collector
He would eat now. Stay Alive just as planned.
"You have my attention," the man murmured, his voice stronger now, fueled by the desperate need to understand. Fatigue dragged at him, but he held on. A spark lit his eyes—a flash of defiance, a glimpse of the fight still burning beneath the wreckage. The Collector tilted his head slightly, his presence looming larger as he leaned forward, his masked face inches from the bars of his cell. With a voice as cold as the shadows surrounding them, he replied, "Good."
Chapter 10
Mynx
Mynx felt strained from the weight of her day, not just physically but emotionally. The storm of emotions churning within her was raw, persistent, and gnawing at her. Cyndi made it seem that everything was as normal as possible at home. She missed her mom and wanted to be there with her. But she had to learn to trust what she told her. She had to get out of her own head and focus on what she was doing.
Just behind her was another nameless guard who carried all her purchases from the shopping trip with Destiny. It seemed she would never be truly alone here. The thought had her searching the hallway to her room more diligently, checking for cameras and watching the others as they went about their day. She wasn't sure what she was looking for. Escape? Answers? Just along the junction of the ceiling and the frieze board of the wall, she saw the red light of a camera blinking at her.
It was just as she'd thought; she would never be alone. Her skin prickled at the thought. No matter: she would have to keep their placement in mind for the future. There was no point intrying to escape her fate here. But that didn't mean she had to broadcast her actions to the world.
A slender Asian woman stepped out into the hallway from what she assumed was her room; her movements were precise as she locked the door behind her and dropped the items into her bag. A thin man with smooth, flawless skin took her by the arm as they walked away. The metallic clink of the keys echoed faintly as she walked away, and for a moment, Mynx's thoughts shifted. It never occurred to her to lock the door behind her when she'd left this afternoon. It wasn't as if she had much in her room yet, but the idea of someone snooping through what little she did made her sick to her stomach. Her private thoughts were in her diary. They were all she had left of her life before this.
Her escort's voice behind her cut through her thoughts, returning her to the moment. "Hey, new girl, you wanna move your ass? I got way better shit to do than play bellhop."
Mynx let the comment slide off her back. Now was not the time to lose her cool. She needed to find a way to survive here, and making enemies immediately wouldn't do her any favors.
She opened the door to her room, avoiding his eyes as he brushed past her with her bags, his dick grazing her deliberately. She shivered in disgust. Maybe if she ignored the prick, he’d disappear.
The sharp angles of his face gave him a harsh, severe look. His five o’clock shadow added to the impression—like he hadn’t decided whether to clean up or let the grime settle in.. He dropped the bags at the foot of the bed.
“See something you like, princess?” he sneered, lips curled into a smirk. Then, with deliberate vulgarity, he grabbed his crotch and stepped closer, testing her.
Mynx locked eyes with him and held her glare, willing it to burn him alive.
“Not really, but then I prefer my men to be a little more well-endowed. Maybe you can impress me with your mind. Wait—you already proved that to be small, too. I don't see many benefits for me here." She shrugged.
Fuck I did it again, stepped on someone’s toes. Why can’t I shut up? This whole watch what I say and do thing isn’t really working out for me.
She ran her hands through her hair and then clenched them at her sides.
Get a grip on yourself, Mynx, or you’re not gonna make it here.
“You’re not quite what I expected. I was hoping you’d be friendlier and have a little more gratitude for my help. Most of the performers here don’t mind giving a little extra attention to those of us watching over them.” He puckered his lips, blowing her a kiss as his eyes roamed over her body.
Mynx slowed down her mind for a moment, trying to find the right words to smooth over the situation. “Look, I don’t know what goes on with you and the other performers here. And I honestly don’t care. Here’s what I do know. I’m no one's scratching post. I’m here because I have to be. Nothing more, nothing less. And while I am grateful for your help and protection, the only gratitude you’ll get from me is my thanks.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Suit yourself, but you don’t know what you’re missing.”
The silence stretched between them, taut as wire.
He turned, brushing past her again—this time without the deliberate contact—and walked out the door, slamming it behind him with a finality that echoed through the room.
Someone up there must be looking out for me. I dodged that bullet by the skin of my teeth.
Mynx exhaled slowly, her body still coiled, her pulse thrumming in her ears. She didn’t feel victorious. She feltwatched. Marked. Like part of a game, she was currently losing. She needed to unwind.
A soft knock on the door broke the chaos of thoughts spinning out of control in her head. A knot formed in her stomach at the sound. If that associate was back, she wouldn’t be able to control her temper again. There was only so much stupidity one person could endure.
Mynx was pleasantly surprised as the smell of warm dough, melted cheese, and sauce wafted through the air from the other side of the door. It had to be Destiny. The petite redhead smiled as she bounced into the room, holding out the pizza box like a peace offering.
“I figured by now, your first days probably got you craving a binge and a break. That’s what I do when stress hits—eat everything in sight and pretend the world doesn’t exist. So, I brought champagne, chocolate, and zero judgment. Everything we need for a proper girls’ night in.”
“You showed up at the perfect time. You either saved me from falling apart or committing murder.”
Destiny leveled her gaze and said, “Just don’t stain the rug if you kill someone. Upper management tends to frown on that kind of thing.”