“You confided in him.”

“William, please...”

“You are mine,” he barks.

I stop speaking, and wrap my arms around myself. “You feel betrayed, I get that, but you’re over reacting...”

“Betrayed?” he snaps. “I feel more than betrayed. I’ve done everything I can for you, Number Thirteen, and it’s taken everything for you to give yourself to me, yet you give yourself to him within a minute, as if you’ve known him a lifetime.”

“You’re reading it wrong.”

“How am I reading it, then?” he whispers, his voice on the verge of trembling with rage. “What did you think he would do for you that I couldn’t? Did you think that he would fix this? That he would make it better? Do you think I can’t give you that comfort? If you were hurting, then you should have come to me.”

“I wasn’t doing anything wrong,” I cry. “I understand you’re hurt, but I wasn’t breaking any rules.”

He shakes his head, and then he lifts something out of his pocket. I recognize it as a phone. He opens it and presses it to his ear.

“George,” he orders. “Library, now.”

I feel my body seize and I snap my gaze up to him. “What are you doing?”

He doesn’t answer me; he just stares into nothing. George enters the room a moment later, and stops at the door. “Yes sir.”

“Take Number Thirteen. She is to be chained in the basement. She will miss out on the rewards today. She will sit until she admits what she has done. Do not feed her. Do not give her water. Leave the lights out. If she insists on stating that she feels alone, then we’ll let her feel just that. Alone.”

“What?” I cry, shaking my head and backing up. “William, I did nothing wrong.”

“Take her, now,” William growls.

“You’re punishing me?” I scream, jerking as George takes my arms. “For what? For having a friend? What about everything ut

“It’s because of everything we shared that I’m doing this,” he roars. “You’re jealous,” I bellow. “You’re jealous because I spoke to him. You’re jealous because you feel betrayed. Punish me yourself, you son-of-a-bitch!” “Take her now, George.” “How could you?” I yell as George drags me out of the room. “How could you?” He doesn’t answer me, but my heart is broken. He’s punishing me. I thought we shared something special; I thought that we had something that went beyond what he had with everyone else, but I was wrong. When it comes down to the black and white of it, I’m still just a number. An empty, meaningless number.

It’s so dark down here, and now night has fallen and the house has gone still. I can hear nothing but the sounds of my own breathing. He left me here. He just sent me down here, not giving me a chance to explain. He was mad; I understand that. If he overheard me, then he would have gotten it wrong. I know I opened myself to Ben for a moment, but what does he expect? He’s hurt me, he’s kept things from me—he’s punished me.

I close my eyes, trying to let sleep take me, but there’s no hope. I can’t drift off when I’m chained to this wall. If I had done wrong, I could admit it and apologize, but I didn’t. That’s what it comes down to. I spoke to a friend; I let myself hurt for a small moment, but that’s not a crime. I won’t cry about this, though. I can’t. I’m swimming with so many emotions that crying will only cause me to break down more.

I hang my head, and eventually, I drift off.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

WILLIAM

I pace the room, my chest tight with anger. If I’m being honest with myself, I’ll admit it’s more than hurt. I feel betrayed. She gave Benjamin a piece of herself. She let him in; she let him hold her. I’ve worked hard for that kind of trust. I’ve worked hard to show her that good people are rewarded and bad people are punished, and he just walks in and she gives it all over?

Hurts.

I run my fingers through my hair, growling. I did the right thing punishing her; I did. She needs to understand that I’m the only person she can turn to. She needs to understand that I can be her everything. She opened herself to stranger, and she let him help her when she wouldn’t let me. This is my home; she knows how protective I am over the girls. Over her. She had no right to...

My body stiffens. My mind spins.

I drop to my knees, gripping my head. She had no right to what? Have a friend? Express her inner hurt? I’m punishing her for feeling. What kind of person does that?

I’m wrong. I know I am. I’m trying everything to convince myself I’m not, but I am. I’m being the one thing I never ever wanted to be—a bully. I put her down there, and I looked past her feelings and only thought of my own. I shove myself to my feet, my heart pounding. I let her down. I made a mistake.

I run from the room.

ENI feel hands on my own, unshackling me. Then I’m being lifted into a hard set of arms. I blink awake and inhale, and right away I know who I’m with. He came for me. Something swells in my chest; I don’t know what it is, but it’s strong. I feel him taking the steps quickly before rushing down the halls. I try to see him, but the light is far too bright, and my eyes burn when I try to open them. “William?” I whisper. “I’m sorry, Emelyn,” he murmurs. He walks me into the bathroom, and gently lowers me to the ground. I hear the sound of the bath running, and I finally manage to focus my vision enough to see him sitting on the side of the tub, just staring down at the water. He’s ashamed of himself; I can see it in his expression. His jaw is tight, his hands are clenched, and his body is rigid. I push myself to my knees, and I crawl over to him. I place my hand on his leg and he flinches. I don’t know what I can say to him because I’m hurt, too. I’m hurt because he so easily shoved me away, yet at the same time, I’m so filled with emotion because he came back to me. He stopped my punishment; he went against everything he knows because he knows he did wrong. That’s something a man like William doesn’t do easily. So I know what it’s doing to him inside. “It’s okay,” I whisper. “I made a mistake,” he says, his voice empty. “So did I.” He turns to me, his expression fierce. “You confided in someone, you had every right to do that. I did not have the right to punish you for it.” “You made one mistake, William.” “I fucked up,” he yells, gripping the sides of his head. “I’m here to do something, and I failed.” I get up on my knees, reaching up to take his face. “You have not failed.” He stares down at me, stroking a finger over my cheeks. “I’m sorry.” I stretch up further, pressing my lips to his. He makes a strangled sound and puts his hands on either side of my face, deepening the kiss. Then he pulls back and stops the water running before reaching forward and taking my top, gently lifting it over my head. I let him. I know he needs this. The more I think about it, I even think I need it. My pants go next, and then I’m being lifted in his arms and lowered into the warm, sweet-smelling water. The warmth surrounds me, and I find myself groaning as my aching body suddenly is soothed. William sits me forward, and he presses a warm cloth against my skin, rubbing it up and down. I moan in delight and close my eyes, enjoying the moment. He washes my back, then moves up to my neck before slipping around the front to my breasts. He massages a vanilla-scented soap into my skin. I turn to him, meeting his gaze. “Please, get in with me.” He shakes his head, continuing to clean and caress me. “William,” I breathe. “Please.” “Hush,” he murmurs. He runs the cloth over my breasts again before sliding it down between my legs. Pleasure sparks through me, and I find myself spreading my thighs. He lifts his eyes to mine, slightly shocked, but also fully aroused. His lips part slightly, and his gaze travels down to my parted thighs. I take a risk, and grip his hand, sliding his fingers between my legs. The warm water flowing around my sex only increases my arousal. “Al naibii de perfecta,” he hisses. So fucking perfect up th="2em">“W-w-what is that?” I whimper as his fingers slide through my flesh. “So fucking perfect.” “I mean the language,” I gasp as he inserts one, long finger into my sex. “Romanian,” he growls. Oh. That explains his dazzling, dark looks. “William,” I whimper as he drags his finger out and then slips it back in. He leans in, pressing his lips to my ear lobes and gently sucking. “Baby,” he murmurs. Baby. My heart flutters. His fingers tilt upwards, finding that sweet spot, and my body arches out of the water as he runs the tips over my sensitive nerves. I tighten around his fingers, feeling myself rising further and further towards release. When his thumb finds my clit and he rubs gently, I explode. My body slides down in the water, and his hand lashes out to hold me up as I cry out his name and tremble until all the pleasure has been wrung from me. Then I’m in William’s arms. He lifts me from the bath and wraps a towel around me before walking us out to his bed. The mattress feels soft and warm against my back when he lays me down. He opens the towel, staring down at me, his eyes full of desire and power. He runs a finger down my belly and gently grazes my still sensitive clit, then looks up at me. “Come to me,” I whisper. “Let me feel you.” He hesitates a moment, but he climbs onto the bed and positions himself next to me. I roll to my side, pressing my breasts against his chest as I reach around him, running my fingers up and down his back. I take hold of his shirt, and he lets me pull it over his head. He discards his pants quickly, and then he lies beside me again. I lean forward, pressing my face to his chest and inhaling. I never want to forget how he smells. I place my hand on his side, and I run it down. I reach his hips and I slide my fingertips over his skin, loving how smooth it is. I can feel him, hard and pulsing, against my belly. I want to give him something. I want to taste him. I lick my lips and look up at him. He’s watching me, his expression tight with want. I decide to take the chance, and I slowly lower my body. “Emelyn,” he rasps. “I want to,” I breathe, pressing a kiss to his stomach, enjoying how his muscles bunch against my lips. Then I move lower. I feel his erection slide against my cheek, and my entire body shudders. I turn my head, feeling the soft skin slide against mine. It’s nice. I raise my hand and curl it around the hard, throbbing length. He groans, and I can’t help the silly grin that appears on my face. I lower my head, snaking my tongue out and running it over the crown. He sucks in a deep, ragged breath, and his hands fist in the sheets beside him. “Emelyn,” he groans. I part my lips, and slide my mouth over him. His hips jerk, and his breathing becomes ragged. My heart pounds as I slide my mouth up and down, not entirely sure what I’m doing. I reach a hand up, and I wrap it around the base, stroking gently but firmly. From the sounds coming out of William’s mouth, I guess I’m doing the right thing. So I keep going. His fingers come up and tangle into my hair, using it to control my sucking. My groin clenches as I continue to work him, coating him in my saliva. I dare to be different, and slip my hand down and cup the heavy, soft package beneath his cock. The moment I give them a little squeeze, his body goes ramrod straight and he bellows my name. “Emelyn,” he groans. “Stop, baby, I’m going to...oh, God...come...” His words have me shivering with need, and I know I don’t want to pull away. I want to feel him; I want to taste him the way he’s tasted me. I keep sucking, keep rolling him in my palm, and keep squeezing his shaft. His back bows and his moans become throaty as I feel him beginning to tighten in my mouth. His entire cock swells, and then, seconds later, he explodes. His come hits my tongue in one hard gush. I swallow it down, groaning in complete satisfaction as he continues to release. His growls of pleasure are enough to make me want to do this forever and never stop. He gently slides himself from my mouth and takes me under the arms, pulling me up and over his body. My face buries into his neck and I breathe him in. He strokes his fingers over my hair. “I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am, Emelyn.” I close my eyes, nestling in further. “It’s okay,” I whisper. “You made a mistake William, and you accepted it. It’s okay.” “I let my jealously get the better of me. I acted before I thought. I was wrong, Beauty...” I kiss his neck and he shivers. “It’s finished.” He makes a rumbling sound that I feel radiate through my body. Then he continues to stroke my hair for a long few minutes before murmuring, “You need to go and get some rest.” I nod against his chest. “Yes sir.” He chuckles softly, and helps me out of the bed. We dress together, just watching each other. When I reach his door, he leans down and kisses me softly before watching me disappear down the hall. If I weren’t just a number, if I weren’t just a broken girl, if I weren’t trapped by my own memories, I would say that moment was so... Normal.