Vanessa
The next morning, the weight of exhaustion tugs at every limb, making the simple act of rising from the bed a slow, deliberate process. Sometime between crying and tossing and turning last night, I finally fell asleep. Maybe that's why I didn't wake when Diego got up; he's nowhere to be found now. I assume he's in the kitchen or something.
My eyes feel sore and puffy as I drag myself to the large, ridiculously unnecessary walk-in shower. In a daze, I scrub my body with the strawberry-scented body wash, I assume was bought just for me, until my skin feels raw. I stand underneath the scalding water until the knots of tension in my muscles begin to dissolve, letting the warmth wash away the remnants of the restless night. Afterwards, I throw on the tank top and shorts I set aside in the bathroom beforehand to ensure there's no chance in hell Diego will see me naked again.
When I return to the room, I find Danny seated in the chair tucked into the corner, hidden within the shadows. Recalling the events of yesterday, my body instinctively tenses. Why is he in here? Is he going to kill me, or worse, finish what he started? What if Diego gave him permission to do so?
The air thickens with tension as my mind races through various scenarios, each one more unsettling than the last. I realize that I'm actually more terrified of him than I am of my captor. Yesterday proved that Diego won't seriously harm me, but I'm certain that if Danny weren't loyal to him, he would end my life without a second thought. The realization sends a shiver down my spine, trepidation washing over me in a suffocating wave.
"W-Where is Diego?" I stammer, swallowing the marble lodged in my throat. My heart thumps wildly in my ribcage. Like a cornered animal, I quickly scan the room for a weapon of some kind but find nothing. Maybe I could bust him in the head with the lamp, that could give me some time to run...if he hasn't locked the door. Shit, what if he locked the door and trapped me in here with him?
"Calm down, Princesa. If I wanted to hurt you, I would've done it while you were showering," he sneers, "instead, I'm stuck babysitting my boss's bitch while he's away."
Ouch! The sting of his words hangs in the air, and the translation somehow amplifies the insult. At least in Spanish, I could pretend he was calling me something else. Now, the harsh reality of his hatred cuts deeper, leaving an uncomfortable mark on the atmosphere in the room.
"Away? Why didn't he bring me?" I find myself absentmindedly wrapping my arms around myself, as if it could truly shield me from whatever Danny might do to me.
"He decided you needed more punishment." He stands up slowly, inching closer to me. His eyes hold a coldness that chills me to the bone. "So, I'm trapped in this damn house with you for a week."
A week?!
Color drains from my face as his words sink in, and I grasp the true cruelty of Diego's actions. Not only did he humiliate and violate me, but now he's planning to confine me here after briefly letting me experience the outside world yesterday.
Panic, thick and suffocating, bubbles up inside me. The weight of despair settles over my chest, making each breath a struggle. "T-This has to be some kind of mistake. Can I speak to him? I mean, he can't just lock me in this house and expect me not to go insane!"
He shakes his head dismissively. "No need. Once he makes up his mind, there's no changing it." The pursing of his lips accompanies a taunting sneer. "Besides, you were locked up for seven years. What difference is one week going to make?"
The realization of my fate crashes down, and my mind races with thoughts of isolation, desperation, and the haunting memories of the past seven years. The room feels smaller, the walls closing in on me as I silently plead with Danny to reason with my captor. Yes, I know what I did yesterday was wrong...and what I planned to do today...but he can't just lock me up and have Danny be my warden!
"Let me speak to him!" I shout. My fight or flight instincts have kicked into high gear and I'm willing to do anything to earn my freedom again. Anything. He can't do this to me!
Danny pulls out his phone, right beside his gun, and starts the call. "Don't say I didn't tell you so," he grumbles, passing it to me.
The moment the call connects, I don't let him get a word in as I scream, "What the fuck, Asshole? You weren't going to tell me you're going to keep me locked away here for a week?"
"Watch your tone, Mama," he warns coolly, "I could always add more time to your punishment."
My body vibrates with rage and frustration. I'm fucking powerless, trapped in a place that might as well be Fort Knox, and there's nothing I can do about it but wait for my "punishment" to be over.
"P-Please, don't do this! You already punished me, and I learned my lesson." My voice wavers, the desperation evident in every word as I cling to the slim hope that he might reconsider.
"You haven't learned shit, Mama," he cuts me off, "Now be a good girl and serve your sentence. I'll see you sometime tonight."
"You can't do thi-" I begin to shout, but the phone abruptly cuts off.
I raise my arm to throw it, but Danny intercepts, capturing my wrist with a steely grip. Snatching the phone from my hand, he shoots me a hard look. "Save the tantrum. I told you he wouldn't change his mind."