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Just think of me. Think of how much you love me, and how much I love you. That’s all you need to think about.
 

I just want this to be over.

Remember what the motto of Afxisi is?

MJ frowned. Afxisi meant ‘rise’ and…

A story to tell, a tragedy to overcome, and a…cage to break free from.

Yes,
her imaginary Helios said fiercely.
I was meant to break you out of that cage, so stay with me a little longer. Wait for me.

Dimly, MJ felt Manolito’s men pushing her forward, and she started to walk. Someone shoved a bouquet of dead flowers in her hands and she took it. She tried to shut everything out, tried to focus on the words of Helios in her mind.

Yes
, she thought jerkily.
She had to stay alive. She had to wait. She had to believe.

As they went down into the dungeon, MJ averted her eyes from the couples inside the cells, blocking out every cry of pain because she wouldn’t be able to bear it, knowing she couldn’t do a thing to help the other women.

She was suddenly forced to stop midway towards the hall at the end of the dungeons, where she and Manolito were supposed to take the vows between Master and his offering. She listened without really hearing as Manolito greeted the occupant in the cell with unusual warmth.

And then—

No.

It couldn’t be.

Surely it wasn’t him.

Manolito yanked her forward, and as she fell to Manolito’s side, the man started caressing her silk-clad breast. “This one is a new recruit of mine,” Manolito was saying. “I don’t plan on disposing of her, but if what my lovely daughter says is true, then perhaps she will be a fitting gift for you. She’ll give you two a wonderful fight. She’s a fierce one, this girl.” Manolito tipped her chin up. “Right, my dear?”

MJ managed a nod.

“Now, now, don’t be too obedient. You’ll be giving me a bad rep with that.” When Manolito made her turn towards the people he was talking to, that was when she started to struggle. Something inside her screamed at the thought of having to see the truth, of confirming that what she heard was indeed real—

“See?” Manolito murmured in approval. “A fighter, just lilke I told you.”
 

No matter what she did, her strength was puny against his, and soon Manolito had forced her to face the others. The first one she saw was an ash blonde woman, half naked, blood running down her back and thighs. But she had a cat-ate-the-cream smile playing on her lips, as if she relished the fact that she was bleeding.

Slowly, MJ lifted her gaze to meet the man standing next to her.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Helios.

Helios.

Helios.

She didn’t want him to see her like this.

“What do you think, Thanato? Do you like this one as a gift? I’m only going to use her once. I spent a fortune having her hymen reconstructed, you know.”
 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

“In fact, you’re invited to watch the ceremony. I have something really special prepared for this one here.” Manolito tweaked MJ’s nipple, and it was the last straw just before MJ’s mind shattered.

Chapter Eleven

MJ was crying.
 

In his mind, she was crying and it tore him apart because he knew how much she hated to cry, how much she hated being weak.
 

I’m here now, baby. Why won’t you look at me?
 

But she didn’t stop crying, didn’t even look back at him.

Gracie squeezed his arm. “Are you ready?” Her voice was excited and slurred at the same time. The drugs he had put in the bottle of wine he had sent her were starting to take effect. All perfect timing, since a fully alert Gracie would ruin his plans.

Pulling her to his side, he played with her breasts while idly flipping on the tiny camera he had pinned to the neckline of her dress while they had been fucking inside the car. He saw it blink once, a tiny red light that was lost in the blaze of lights focused on the ceremonial stage in front of them. With the camera on, his men would be able to position themselves around the compound and ensure that they wouldn’t be killing anyone innocent.

Now that was done, the hardest part awaited him.

Taking a deep breath, Helios forced himself to look at the stage. Manolito was lying flat on his back on a marble table, naked. A moment later, MJ was brought forward, and she wasn’t struggling. The vacant look in her eyes tore at him, and Helios had to remind him that it was for her sake he couldn’t do a fucking thing…yet.

Ten seconds.

When they started to disrobe her, she didn’t do a thing. He wanted to fucking cry for her, and he knew when this was all over, he would. Goddammit, why? Why did someone so pure and innocent like MJ had to suffer something like this?

Nine seconds.

The men lifted MJ up and placed her slowly on top of Manolito.
 

But still she didn’t move a muscle.

“Look at her,” Gracie whispered hatefully. “She looks so calm. She thinks she can just pretend this isn’t happening?” She laughed at the thought. “What a dumb bitch. There’s more—”

Six seconds.

Helios froze at Gracie’s last words.

And that was when he saw another man, built like an ox, climb on top of the pedestal and crawl towards MJ. It was only then MJ stirred, only when she saw that her nightmare was the very worst kind, that she started to struggle, tears running down her eyes.

Four seconds.

“Nooooooooooooooooo—”

Helios knew he would never forget that sound in his life, never forget the look of despair on MJ’s face as she found herself sandwiched between two monsters.

Three seconds.

“You first,” Manolito told the man on top of MJ.

Fuck the plan, Helios thought. Even if he’d end up killing himself for not sticking to the plan, it didn’t matter. All he knew was that he could not bear to prolong MJ’s agony.
 

Two seconds.

Snatching Gracie’s handbag as he pushed his way forward, he pulled out the knife he had hidden, flipped it open, and let it fly.

The knife hit Manolito square in the forehead, killing him in an instant.
 

Chaos erupted, followed by the sound of bullets behind him as Manolito’s men exchanged fire with Helios’ men outside the compound. Helios didn’t stop moving, running as fast as he could to get to MJ.

****

The sight of a knife sticking out of Manolito’s head shocked the man on top of MJ so much that he lost total control. In his haste to scramble out of the way, he inadvertently pushed his dick forward, and MJ screamed.

Her violation was complete.

She screamed and she screamed and she screamed.

Suddenly, the man on top of her became dead weight, and then he was being rolled out of the way.

Still she screamed, wishing she could scream herself out of the nightmare she had found herself in.

Someone was shaking her, calling her name.

“MJ! MJ! Open your eyes! You’re safe!”

Helios?

Was that Helios?

If it was—

She didn’t want to see him.

Not like this.

Not ever.

Around Helios, the sound of gunfire was dying. He was dimly aware of Manolito’s men, the few of them that were still alive, shouting to get Gracie out. He knew he should turn around and kill her now before she could cause more trouble. She was the type to do that, the kind that held a grudge to her dying day.

But Helios didn’t.

All he had eyes for was MJ.
 

“Please,” he whispered hoarsely. “Look at me. You’re safe now. Believe me.”

But still she didn’t stop screaming.

He gathered her close to him, taking off his jacket and putting it around her, leaving behind two dead bodies on the marble table. The other man had died with a shot to the head, Helios managing to grab a gun from one of Manolito’s men as he charged towards MJ.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m here now, baby. Do you hear me? No one’s going to hurt you anymore.”

But she only answered him with more screams.

Helios gazed down at her face, and the devastating pain in her eyes made him swallow. Tears stung his eyes, tears he wanted to shed for her because it seemed like she didn’t even want to allow herself the relief of tears, didn’t want to allow herself to escape the nightmarish world she had exiled herself into.

“MJ, I’m here.” His voice broke. “Please come back to me. Please.”

But she had no answers except for more screams.

Chapter Twelve

“You’re looking stronger every day,” Katya said with a smile as she kissed her half-sister on the cheek before sitting next to the bed.

MJ forced a smile. “I’m glad.” But a part of her thought that the truth was the opposite. The stronger her body was, the weaker her mind became. Every day, the nightmares got worse but she did her best to keep it hidden from everyone, swallowing her screams to herself.

It had been a month since she had been taken to the hospital. A month of trying to forget the time she had spent with Manolito Chavez…and failing. A month of refusing to see or even hear from Helios Andreadis…and succeeding. But until when?

It was that question which troubled her the most, which was why MJ was determined to talk to Katya today. “Katya?”

“Yes?” She tried not to show how startled she was that MJ had taken the initiative to speak to her. It wasn’t that MJ felt awkward with her now that she knew they were half-sisters. It was only that MJ had changed, and most of the time she would spend her days staring and saying nothing.
 

“Do you think you…you and Ioniko can take me away from here?”

Katya started at the request. “Yes, but…is there a place you want to go?”

Looking away, she whispered, “Anywhere…any place that Helios wouldn’t be able to reach me.”

Katya’s heart broke at her sister’s words.

MJ squeezed the hem of the covers lying in a bunch around her waist. “I know it seems ungrateful, but I just can’t…” She closed her eyes. “All I can see is his face, watching me as another man…” A gasp tore out of her throat as she found herself unable to complete the sentence.

Hand shaking, she reached for MJ’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry,” Katya whispered. “God, I’m so sorry for what happened to you.”

She choked out, “Sometimes, I ask Him that, you know. Why did it have to happen to me? What did I do so horribly wrong that had to happen to me?”

“I don’t know,” Katya said brokenly. “I wish I knew what the answer should be for that, but I just don’t know. All I know is that…things happen for a reason. They always do.”

“There’s no reason for this,” MJ said bitterly.

Katya didn’t speak, knowing whatever she had to say wouldn’t be able to heal her sister’s pain.

“Will you and Ioniko take me away, Katya?” Her voice caught. “Please?”

“Of course. Anything you want. Anytime.” She hesitated. “But MJ, don’t you think you should let Helios at least know what you’re planning? I know you…you no longer feel the same way about him, but he loves you terribly.”

She wanted to say no, but she knew she was only being selfish if she did. “All right. I’ll speak to him…and then after that, we’ll go?”

Katya nodded. “As soon as you’re ready.”

****

Helios knocked on the door twice, his heart constricting when he heard MJ’s lovely voice call for him to come in. She looked up the moment he entered, violet eyes meeting gold. Hers were wary and haunted, his were inscrutable.