Page 8 of Ramshackle
“Since you are herewillingly, I see no reason to keep you locked up. We both know if you try to run or fight back, Vera will come immediately home, and I’ll send hunters to track down and kill those five boys who were with you.”
Five? Oh, shit. Reid was there.Good job, Rae. Another innocent in danger because of you.
I nod to show him that I understand. This was what I had offered, and I won’t put everyone else in danger by not upholding my end of the deal. Dane needs this time to try to win Vera back.Trybeing the keyword. I don’t have much confidence it will work, but at least she’s not here. And the others can focus on GE the way they were before I came along to distract them.
“Good. The fifth through tenth floors are off-limits. First through fourth is where you’ll find food, the indoor pool and recreation area, the gym, the library, or anything else you might need. The eleventh floor is for medical, and the twelfth floor is where we’ll do any indoor training. The thirteenth floor and up are primarily sleeping quarters, plus some mini apartments and such. Your room is on the thirteenth floor, and as of right now, you’re our only guest on the island. It’s new, so others will eventually join us, but for now, it’s just staff and you.”
I nod again, even though I’m trying to wrap my head around how big this building is. We head down in an elevator to the first floor, walk through a lobby and then through the wide front doors that have a perfect view of the beach. We’re on a hill, but I can see trails that lead down on either side to get to the water.
Gordon leads us in that direction, and I pause to look back and up at the building we just left.
It’s…massive. Like a luxury hotel propped on a cliff on its own private island. I count at least twenty stories but lose track when the windows start to blend together.
“Keep up!”
I spin and jog to catch up. “When can I take this collar off?” I ask him, touching it as it chafes my neck.
“Mm…yes. A formality for when you’re not with me. The staff was uncomfortable with you being here unless you would be wearing it.” The staff? Why would they think I’d attack them over Gordon? Probably guessing my confusion, he shakes his head and continues, “The last time you were on an island, you broke it with your gift. Not just the manor, but the island, too, eventually crumbled to sand at the bottom of the ocean.”
Oh.
Fuck.
I knew about the manor and had seen some cracks in the ground, but I didn’t realize…
“Figures you’re too dumb to realize the full potential of your gift. I want to see more of that while we’re training.Without”—he looks at me pointedly—“destroying this island, of course.”
My palms sweat at the memory of what caused me to lose complete control of my gift back then. I want to snipe at him because he was the reason it had happened in the first place, but I can’t bring myself to say the words. Even thinking about them makes me sick to my stomach.Then don’t rape me again.
The last thing I want to do is remind him of it. While I agreed to train and do what he wants as his weapon, Iwon’tlet him touch me again.
“Just play nice, do as you’re told, and I think this time, you’ll have such a good experience that you won’t ever consider leaving me again. I’ll give you everything you need to be happy so long as you makemehappy, pet.”
My stomach twists and binds at the possible implications of what he might ask of me, and I’m forced to wonder if I’ll make it out this time with my life or my sanity.
The tour concludes in a clearing about half a mile behind the main building. There’s scrub and other low island bushes and trees surrounding it, with nothing but sand in the middle. That, and a huge mound of concrete that’s the size of three monster trucks.
“This is where we’ll meet every day to train. You’ll be here first thing in the morning as soon as the sun is up. If you choose to eat beforehand, that’s up to you, but be sure you aren’t late. I’d skip breakfast in the beginning until your body starts getting used to these warm-ups.” Gordon’s seated off to the side in a tall chair with a wide umbrella over the surrounding area. Mini fans hang off the poles on the underside of the umbrella to give him an additional breeze.
“We’ll be training from sunup to sundown every day, with a break for lunch. After that, you can do whatever you please, so long as you’re up in time for training the next morning.”
I stare at the pile before me with apprehension. This was how he started training me last time. No wonder he’s saying I can do whatever I want on the island after training. I’ll barely be able to drag myself back up the hill to the lobby after this, let alone wander or do anything else. At least he removed the collar when we got here. I rub absently at the temporary freedom on my neck, but I’m more relieved to feel the connection to my gift again.
“Your body seems to have forgotten how to use your gift, or you’re still fighting it. You’re going to get rid of this entire pile, and then I’ll let you off for the rest of the day. How long that takes is going to be up to you.” He leans forward, gripping thetablet in his hand. “You’ve grown weak, pet. It’s time to break you down and build you back up again. Just like muscle fibers must be torn for your body to adapt and get stronger, the same is true for your gift.” He punches something on his tablet screen. “Begin.”
I call to my gift, reaching into that place deep down and spreading it up and then to my hands. The burn is worse in this heat, but I clench my teeth and push through it. I haven’t even started yet, and I know I won’t be allowed to eat or sleep until this is done. If I can somehow power through, then maybe I can make it and still have time to rest.
It doesn’t help that he has yet to let me eat since waking up here, so my body’s fuel is already low, leaving me at a disadvantage.
I get to work grabbing each piece of cement and thrusting my gift into it one at a time.
I’m only five minutes in, and it feels like I’m going to be sick. My hands are on fire, my stomach is growling fiercely, and I’m unsteady on my feet. When I pause to see what progress I’ve made, I can’t see it. Have I even made a dent?
I keep going until my body switches to autopilot. I’m numb to the pain now, just going through the motions and trying to stay conscious.
Until I’m not anymore.
Sand pelts me in the face, and I sputter awake, choking out the grit that went up my nose and into my mouth as I try to brush it away from my eyes.
