Chapter 76

Chapter 76
Cindy's POV

Time moved like thick honey in that dark, cold room. My body ached from sitting on the hard concrete floor, and my stomach felt like it was eating itself from hunger. We had been locked up for what felt like hours - maybe even a whole day. I couldn't tell anymore.
Maria's voice was getting weaker as she prayed quietly in Spanish. Sarah had stopped crying, but I could hear her breathing in short, scared gasps. My own throat was so dry it hurt to swallow.
The sound of heavy footsteps in the hallway made us all freeze. Keys jingled outside our door, and then came the harsh screech of metal as the locks turned.
"Get up," a rough voice commanded as the door swung open. Bright light flooded in, making me squint and shield my eyes.
Two of Big Jim's men stood in the doorway. Behind them, I could see Fiona's expensive heels clicking on the floor as she approached.
"Bring them out," she said coldly. "It's time."
Strong hands grabbed my arms and pulled me to my feet. My legs were so stiff and weak that I almost fell, but they dragged me forward anyway. Maria and Sarah stumbled beside me as we were forced down the hallway.
They brought us back to Big Jim's office, where he sat behind his desk like a king on his throne. Fiona stood beside him, her arms crossed and a cruel smile on her face. She looked fresh and beautiful, like she had just come from a spa, while we looked like we had been dragged through hell.
"Well, well," Fiona said, looking us up and down with disgust. "Don't you three look lovely."
I tried to stand up straight, even though my whole body hurt. "What do you want from us?"
Fiona's smile got bigger and meaner. "Oh, I have some wonderful news for you, sweetheart." She walked closer to me, her heels clicking on the floor like a countdown. "John is not coming back."
The words hit me like a punch to the stomach. "What... what do you mean?"
Before I could react, Fiona's hand flew across my face in a sharp slap that made my ears ring. "You don't get to glare at me that way," she snarled. "I said John is not coming back for you."
My cheek burned where she hit me, but the pain in my chest was worse. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Fiona grabbed my chin and forced me to look at her. "He went on that deal, and nobody has heard from him since. No phone calls, no messages, nothing. For all we know, he's dead in some Italian ditch."
"No," I whispered, shaking my head. "No, he promised me-"
Another slap, harder this time. "Wake up, you stupid girl! He's gone! Which means you now have two problems instead of one. Your father's debt is still hanging over your head, and you just cost me my fiancé."
My vision blurred with tears, but I could see the hatred burning in her eyes. She was enjoying this. She was enjoying watching me break apart.
"So that means," Fiona continued, stepping back and smoothing down her dress, "it's time for you to start paying for what you've done."
She snapped her fingers, and suddenly two women I had never seen before appeared from the shadows. They were big and strong-looking, with mean faces and hands that looked like they had hurt people before.
"Ladies," Fiona said sweetly, "beat some sense into these three. They need to understand their new reality."
"No!" I screamed, but it was too late.
The first woman grabbed me by the hair and yanked my head back. Pain shot through my scalp as she dragged me forward. The second woman went for Maria and Sarah, who tried to back away but had nowhere to go.
"Please," Maria begged, "we didn't do anything wrong-"
The woman's fist caught her in the stomach, making her double over with a gasp. Sarah screamed and tried to run, but she was caught and thrown to the floor.
I tried to fight back, using what John had taught me, but I was too weak from hunger and fear. The woman holding me was much stronger. Her fist connected with my ribs, and I felt something crack. Pain exploded through my chest, making it hard to breathe.
"Stop!" I gasped. "Please, stop!"
But they didn't stop. They kept hitting us, over and over, until we were all on the floor, crying and bleeding. My whole body felt like it was on fire. Every breath hurt. Every movement sent new waves of pain through me.
Finally, Fiona held up her hand. "That's enough for now."
The women stepped back, breathing hard from their work. Fiona walked over to where I was curled up on the floor, trying to protect my ribs.
"Now," she said, crouching down beside me, "let's talk about your future."
I could barely see her through the tears and pain, but I could hear the satisfaction in her voice.
"Since John's deal didn't work out," she continued, "you still owe us money. A lot of money. And since you cost me my fiancé, you owe me even more."
She stood up and walked back to Big Jim's desk. "The good news is, we have jobs for you. All three of you."
Big Jim leaned forward in his chair, his cold eyes fixed on us. "Maria and Sarah," he said slowly, "you're going to work in our clubs. As entertainment for our guests."
"No," I whispered, trying to sit up despite the pain. "They're good women. They don't deserve that."
Fiona laughed. "Oh, how sweet. You still think you have a say in this."
I forced myself to my knees, even though it felt like knives were stabbing through my chest. "Please," I begged, looking at Big Jim. "They were just doing their jobs. They were just taking care of me because John asked them to. Don't punish them for that."
Big Jim watched me for a long moment, like he was studying an interesting bug. "You want to protect them?"
"Yes," I said immediately. "Please. I'll do whatever you want, but leave them alone."
"Anything?" Big Jim's eyebrows rose. "Even if it means extra work for you?"
I nodded, even though I had no idea what I was agreeing to. "Yes. Anything."
Big Jim and Fiona exchanged a look. Then Big Jim smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. It was the smile of a shark who had just smelled blood in the water.
"Very well," he said. "Maria and Sarah can work as your maids. But you, my dear, will be doing extra shifts to cover their pay, their food, and their rooms. And if you ever complain, if you ever try to run away, if you ever cause us any trouble at all..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but he didn't need to. The threat hung in the air like smoke.
"What kind of work?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Fiona's smile got even crueler. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough. Let's just say our club has many different types of... entertainment."
My stomach dropped. I knew what she meant, and the thought made me feel sick. But if it meant protecting Maria and Sarah, I would do it. I had to.
"Do we have a deal?" Big Jim asked.
I looked over at Maria and Sarah, who were still on the floor, hurt and scared. Maria caught my eye and shook her head slightly, trying to tell me not to sacrifice myself for them. But I couldn't let them suffer because of me. They were the closest thing to family I had left.
"Yes," I said, my voice stronger than I felt. "We have a deal."
Big Jim clapped his hands together once. "Excellent. You'll start tomorrow night."
Fiona walked over to me and crouched down again. This time, she grabbed my face roughly, her nails digging into my cheeks.
"This is what happens when you try to steal what's mine," she whispered, her breath hot against my ear. "This is what happens when you think you're better than you are. You're nothing, Cindy. You're nobody. And now everyone will know it."
She let go of my face and stood up. "Take them to their new rooms," she told the men. "And make sure they understand the rules."
As they grabbed us and pulled us to our feet, I caught one last look at Big Jim. He was watching me with those cold, calculating eyes, like he was already planning what came next.
"Oh, and Cindy?" he called out as we were being dragged toward the door.
I turned back to look at him.
"Welcome to your new life," he said with that terrible smile. "I do hope you enjoy it."
The door slammed shut behind us, and I knew there was no going back now. Whatever happened next, whatever they made me do, I would survive it. I had to.
Because maybe, just maybe, John wasn't really gone. Maybe he would come back and find me.
And when he did, I wanted to still be here, still fighting, still alive.
Even if I were broken, I would still be breathing.
That had to be enough for now.