I knew it was Eagle on the other side, the one who had brought me here, who was holding me captive. Yet, I was still shocked to see him. My heart dropped to my knees and I thought I would surely burst into tears now.
But I didn’t.
* * *
“How are you, Mercy?” Eagle asked when he walked in. He had the audacity to smile at me, after what he did to me?
I sat in the corner on the floor, hugging my knees tightly to my chest. I was glad I’d fallen asleep wearing Ghost’s clothes. Even though I didn’t know if I would ever see him again, it felt good to have a part of him with me.
“I’m not good right now. I feel like I’ve been kidnapped and I’m now being held against my will,” I replied, jutting my chin out bravely toward him.
Eagle’s shoulders shook as he let out a small chuckle.
“Damn, girl, I wish we’d got to know each other better when we had the chance. Sounds like you are entertaining.”
“I never wanted to get to know you, so it’s out of the question,” I hissed.
The laughing light in Eagle’s eyes diminished now and he clenched his jaws with anger.
“Who the fuck told you you’re better than me? One of the guys at Iron Thunder? Are they even paying you to whore yourself out?”
His words were like shrapnel striking against my skin. I’d told myself I wouldn’t let him get to me, but it was hard. It was very hard trying to keep a straight face and hold my emotions in check.
“I am not a whore. I never was. Not for you and not at Teasers.”
Eagle drew in a deep breath, shaking his head like he was about to scold me for being naughty.
“So when you stripped for us up on that stage, taking your clothes off one at a time while we watched you hungrily, what did you think you were doing?”
“I was stripping. Not whoring. I’m sure you know the difference,” I snapped.
Eagle grinned.
“See, entertaining. Maybe we will get to know each other a little better. We both have a lot of time on our hands now, don’t we?” he said.
“Over my dead body!”
“Brave words,” he continued calmly. “But I wonder if you’ll change your tune once you get a taste of what your new life could look like?”
I was afraid, had to dig my nails into the palms of my hands to stop my body from quivering. I was doing everything I could to not let him see it, but my mind was spinning out of control. What did he mean?
He glared at me for a few more moments in silence before he turned and walked back out of the room. I heard a key turn in the lock. Footsteps shuffling away. He was going to keep me locked in here for as long as it took to get what he wanted from me.
What did he want? I had nothing to give him.
Why did these people - Ghost first and now this guy - decide that I was a person of importance, when I wasn’t?
* * *
Eagle’s technique was simple, but it was working. Within just a handful of hours, I was beginning to feel like I would go crazy.
The light in this room was too bright. Blinding. Too bright for me to be able to shut off my brain and just rest a little. Not only that, but the complete silence around me was haunting, coupled with the fact that every limb in my body ached. I was thirsty and hungry, and didn’t know how long I would last without caving in, without begging him to give me a sip of water in exchange for whatever he needed from me.
I was counting down the seconds in my head, trying to keep my brain busy and focused on something.
Eventually, I did hear the door open. Eagle was turning the key in the lock and he stepped in again. I was almost relieved to see him. That was how far gone I was.
I tried to hoist myself up off the floor, but was sure my knees would buckle under the pressure. That was when I realized I had been sitting in this position for a very long time. I hadn’t moved.
Eagle stood over me, his face dark and stony now.
“So, you had some time to think. Have you changed your mind?” he asked.
“Changed my mind about what?” I snarled. My voice sounded deep and hoarse. Even just getting the few words out felt physically painful for me. I needed water.
“About us getting to know each other, sweetheart,” he said. I was staring up at him when he bent down toward me. He grabbed my chin in his hand, squeezing it so hard that I was afraid he’d break the skin.
Eagle stared into my eyes, studying me closely like he was trying to figure me out.
“Are you ready to talk to me?”
I gulped, trying to wet my throat.
“I have nothing to say.”
“You’re wrong about that, Mercy. You will tell me exactly what I need to know and in return, I will reward you.”
I held my lips pursed together tightly. What was he talking about? What kind of reward would he give me?
The smile grew on Eagle’s face. He could see my confusion and it pleased him.
“You see, I know about your grandma. Maybe you think I never gave a shit about my girls, but sweetheart, I cared about all of you. Before I hired you, I wanted to make sure I knew everything about you. Down to the very last detail. Although, you never had much detail, did you? The only thing I needed to know was that your precious grandmother is dying, and you are desperate for help and money.”
I looked away from him, embarrassed
