Merciless

Chapter Thirteen

Carter

She hasn't eaten, she's barely moved since she gave in last night. I've come in twice since then and both times she's denied me even though in three days all she's eaten is a handful of fruit.

I can feel the tension between us. I know she's at war with it as much as I am. But she spends her nights screaming and barely sleeping. The little bit of progress during the day is erased and there's nothing I can do about it.

She's going to cave again and I can feel it on the horizon. I've never been so eager to come into this cell as I am today.

I have to hide my smile as she slinks from the mattress to the floor. She never stays on the mattress when I come in. At least, she hasn't yet.

My heart beats hard as I watch her expression fall.

There's no tray tonight. No offering for her.

It's easy to see her breathing pick up as she registers I'm here for something else.

I intentionally let the chair drag along the floor as I make my way to her.

"I don't have anything to say," she tells me as I sit down only a few feet away from her. Far enough so that she can crawl to me and kneel. The crawling part I'm not interested in. She decided to do that on her own, but I don't care how I get her on her knees in front of me. So long as she submits.

"That's interesting that you would start the conversation then, isn't it?" She doesn't respond. Her collarbone looks more prominent today than it ever has. I couldn't see it on the monitors, but three days of barely eating is starting to show and I don't like it. Starved is not how I want her.

I should feel remorse, not anger at the observation.

"Why make it harder on yourself?" I question her with a deep tone of disapproval.

And once again, she doesn't answer.

"You'll cave again. You can't help yourself. You realize that, don't you?" She's a smart girl. Anyone with any bit of intelligence knows that starvation is painful, and the instinct to survive will kick in over pride.

"Just let me go," she says weakly, brushing under her eyes and hiding the tears. So close to breaking. So, fucking close.

"I'm getting tired of hearing you make that request."

"Then both of us are tired," she says softly, picking at her dirty clothes. I would give her everything if only she'd obey me.

"You wanted me," I remind her, and she huffs a pathetic sound of disgust.

Her eyes narrow as she looks me in the eyes and tells me, "You aren't what I want."

"What did you want then?" I ask her, leaning forward in my seat so quickly that I startle her. I'm only inches away and so close I can feel the heat from her body. She turns away from me, looking toward nothingness on the blank wall.

"Answer me," I say and there's little patience in my voice. My body tenses as I move forward in my seat so I'm as close to her as I can be. I don't like what she does to me, but even more, I don't like that I don't know what to do with her. I don't want her like this. I need her to break now, her mind before her body.

She looks at me with a stare of contempt before barely speaking the words, "I don't know what I wanted."

"You wanted me to fuck you," I tell her in a voice intended to be seductive. I practically whisper. "I'd feed you, care for you, fuck you and put you to bed used and sated." She's silent as I move back to a relaxed position in the uncomfortable chair. "That's what you wanted."