Mine

Less - 9

The bald man led us out of the small room and down a hall that was lit much better than the stage room. I count the doors as we pass them, hoping one belongs to Tate. We pass them all, not stopping as the bald man leads us out a back door and towards a black car.

I turn to look behind us. That’s impossible. We have to stay, Tate is here. I need to speak to him, but I almost jump when I see there’s a man following us silently behind.

I didn’t hear or see him ever approach us and that sent tingles along my arms. My stomach flopped with sickness from all the emotions.

We piled into the blacked-out car, sliding in close to one another as the bald man took the seat up front next to the driver. The man behind us shut the door behind me. As we pull away, I check the handle. Locked.

We drove for what seemed like hours and Blondie, a girl who’d been with me since day one, passed out on the shoulder of one of the newer girls. I can’t remember the last time we ate. I don’t even know what state we’re in anymore, and as we speed down a dark, endless tunnel, I realize I left my phone hidden in that building.

I couldn’t risk them finding it or being electrocuted while they submerged me in a hot bath. I pretended to get sick and hid it in a potted plant in a sauna room.

Fuck.

As disappointed as I am about it, my v****a is thanking me. We pull up to a black building shrouded in darkness and lit with red lighting. It’s all very s****l.

Another man, who looks a lot like the one who left us back at the last place, greets us and opens the door from the outside. His face expressionless as he waits behind us as we crawl out.

Once Blondie’s heels hit the cobblestone, he ushers us along behind the bald man towards a building adjacent to the black and red one.

“This is your new home. You’ll each have a room, shared with one other girl except for L7.”

“Less.”

The line stops moving as the bald man turns to me, a look of anger and appall mixed onto his face.

“What?”

“Less. It’s my name.”

“Not here it’s not. You can go by whatever you want when it comes to your callers but to The Order, you’re L7. You’ll be addressed as such and you will not speak out of turn.”

He turns again as I roll my eyes. I bite my tongue though, as I can’t risk being this close to Tate and losing this chance.

If they threw me out, I have no idea where I’d go or what my next move would be. This is my only option, and even this is uncertain.

I’ve made it this far. Tate purchased us. I’ll see him soon, I just have to keep on going.