Closing her eyes again, Alessandra imagined her was somewhere else.  Dominic would not do much to her because he desired her consent, but the touch of his lips on her neck repulsed her.  His touch made her wish to burn her skin.  The pain he caused made it so she wished she could just die.  Unfortunately, he never killed her, and he liked to hurt her as punishment for her refusal. 

A handsome boy floated to her mind.  He was about twenty years old in her mind.  The boy had dark milk chocolate eyes that were highlighted by curved crescents tattooed around his eyes. Alessandra had loved his crescents.  The boy wore his Josӕng tattoos proudly.  He had chosen a subtle style, which made his Josӕng elegant, distinct, but still masculine, like two waxing moons cradling glowing embers.  The Cs balanced his long heart-shaped face with a forever five o’clock shadow.  A strong nose sat above bow-shaped lips that always curved up, no matter his mood.  Hard muscles lined his arms and chest, giving him a toned but not bulky look.  He always smelled of car oil and mechanics and warm food from his mother’s kitchen.  Danny…

Another slap to the face brought her around.  This time Dominic’s eyes blazed with anger.  His slap had been harder, and she felt her lip split open. A few small drops of violet blood pattered to the ground. She had held the image of Danny for a moment too long. 

“Who were you thinking about?” Dominic snarled.

His hand gripped her chin hard, so she could not look away from him.

“No one,” she lied flatly.

“Do not lie to me, my Ale.  I know when you are thinking of someone else.  Who was it?”

Gasping, she felt his hand crushing her jaw and part of her throat.  The chains on her wrists prevented her from fighting back. 

“Dominic, please, you are hurting me,” she whispered, trying to sound calm.

“Good,” he replied venomously.  “I should for you thinking about another man.”

“No, Dominic,” she said quickly, wincing in severe pain.  “I was thinking about you…the first time that we met.”

“You are lying to me,” he growled.

“No, I’m not.  I was…you were wearing that black suit with new calf leather shoes.  Your hair was longer then, and you smelled of lavender,” she quickly recited from memory.

“Go on,” he said, his grip remaining the same.

“You had your hair slicked back and your eyes were like liquid gold flickering in the light.  You walked with your hands in your pockets as you inspected us…you were very impressive to look at.”

“Was I?  Did you find me attractive, my Ale?”

Finally, his grip loosened, and she knew she had him distracted.  Dominic was no fool, however, and knew that she had been lying.  Yet now her thoughts were only on him, so he would forgive her for daydreaming of another man.

“Yes,” she admitted, which had been the truth. 

Aless had thought Dominic was an attractive man, stunning and intimidating, but those thoughts had long left her as she had grown to know him. Now no matter what he looked like she could not see past his insanity. 

“Did you want me?” he kissed her neck again.

He kissed her neck tenderly three or four times, holding tightly to the base of her neck and skull as a reminder for her not to drift off again.

“No, I just thought you were handsome,” she said.

She knew where the conversation was going now.

“You are such a liar, my Ale.  I remember how you looked upon me.  You did want me…”

“No, Dominic.  I did not and do not…”

“My poor Ale, you may have convinced yourself that you don’t, but you do…I feel it every time I touch you, every time I kiss you. We do not have much more time together.  Why should we spend it fighting?  Come to my bed.”

It was not a question but a demand, one that Alessandra had refused multiple times.  She would not lie with Dominic Dúcái.  She would not let him have her any more than he already did.  She could not stop his kisses or touches but she’d be damned if she slept with him.

“No.”

Her answer was simple and final.  Dominic smiled for he had expected nothing less by this point. It was the game that they played together.  He would ask, and she would say no.  Yet that was okay.  It was part of the fun.   No woman ever refused him, but she did, and he liked that.  He liked the pain she would endure for her pride and the fact that as every day passed she thought of him more and more as her injuries continued. 

“You know what that means, my Ale,” he whispered tenderly in her ear.

Nibbling her ear and then kissing her neck, Dominic loved the scent of fear that wafted off her body.  It excited all his predatory instincts.  Aless did her best to suppress a shiver, but he could still feel it. 

“Yes,” she finally replied.

“You could change your answer and be clean, warm, and safe in my bed.”

“Nowhere near you is safe.”

“I see.  Then I will see you tomorrow, my Ale.”

Chuckling, Dominic loved her expression when he called her that.  Alessandra felt her skin crawl and itch every time he called her my Ale. It had started as a joke, a way to torment her, but now Dominic liked calling her it and even felt that it was true.  She was his for now. 

Standing he went to the door and knocked on it three times.  As it swung open, Alessandra bit her lip to stop herself from crying out.  Three more men stood in the doorway, carrying lights. Unable to stop himself, Dominic spoke one more time.

“And if you feel wronged, blame the Three-Eyed Cąȶ.”

 Glowering at him, Aless said nothing. Blowing her a kiss, Dominic grinned cruelly.  The men bowed as Dominic exitted, handing them the leather strap as he did. The men entered, closing the door behind them.  Swallowing hard, Alessandra watched them crack their knuckles as they laughed and whispered among themselves.  The thick lines of their own face-tattoos glimmering in the poor light like twisting, thorn vines.

“Leave it mercs to taint their ink with diamond shards,” Aless thought contemptuously.

Where had this all begun? She wondered as they approached. Not the night she was taken.  No. There were signs of this before that.  She had reviewed the last two years of her life again and again until she thought she found the point that it had happened. It had all started with Danny.  As happy as meeting him had made her, she was sure that everything strange had begun around that time.  A coincidence she was sure, but true all the same.

Bracing herself, Alessandra saw the men closing the distance, their plan finalized.  Frantically, she tried to fill her mind and body with memories.  Happy memories. Danny…How had she met Danny? Oh yes…at the movies…on a double date…with Kayla.