Free Focus by Annie Jocoby Page A

what was happening, though. I still was thinking that there was some mistake. Asher was going to be in this room at any moment, and we would all leave together. I would make sure that Marisa got the help that she would need, because I knew that she would be suffering some post-traumatic stress from this for sure.
    And Asher and I would be back together.
    That was what I was thinking as I laid there in the dark, the blindfold still on my eyes. Asher was going to be in that room at any moment. I soon would be freed.
    He was going to be there for me. I knew this.
    I was just going to have to be patient.
    In the meantime, I was dreaming. Dreaming about being with Asher again. About his body making mine feel the way that it always did. I was dreaming about his soft skin against mine. I was hearing his deep voice in my ears, telling me how much he loved me. I was fantasizing about us being together for real. About us marrying and having children and just making love every single day of our lives.
    I could feel his touch on my skin. It felt warm. “Asher,” I said. “I love you. I knew that you couldn’t stay away from me. I want to be with you always. I hope that you know that.”
    “I do,” he said. “I love you too. I want you to be my wife. I know that there will be challenges, but we’ll overcome them. You and me together. Be my wife, CJ. Please be my wife.”
    This was the conversation that I was imagining in my head. I felt his manhood entering me slowly, and I imagined his kiss. I fantasized about him kissing my forehead gently, and his tongue exploring all over my body.
    My mind wasn’t even contemplating that all of this wasn’t going to come true. There was somewhere in my subconscious that knew the truth. That the reality of my situation was dire, and that I might never see Asher again. That I had already been sold to some man who was going to mistreat me, and I would never see Scarlett again either. I would never get the chance to see my little brother at the cemetery, and I would never again see my mother or my sister. I had no chance to make things right with them, because I would be amongst the disappeared. Nobody would ever know what happened to me, because I was going to be held captive and made a sex slave.
    That was my reality. My conscious mind refused to believe this, though. My conscious mind was still focused on the fantasy of my happily ever after with Asher.
    Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the reality intruded on the fantasy.

    I don’t know how long I was in that room before the man came back in. “Little one,” he said. “Meet your new master.”
    “My new husband?” I asked. “Asher? Is that you?”
    “No,” another man said. “I do not know who Asher is. My name is Robert, and you’re going to come with me.”
    At that, I was finally freed from the bed. “Where’s Asher?”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” this other man said. “You’re going to come with me.”
    “No,” I said. “I can’t go with you. Asher is coming. He’s coming for me. I can’t go with you.”
    “Little one,” the man who kidnapped me said. “We talked about this. I’m so sorry, but I found this man before Asher came. If only Asher would have gotten here fifteen minutes earlier, everything would have been different. But I had already made arrangements with Mr. Smithson here. I know that he’s not the same to you as Mr. Sloane, but he will treat you with respect, I guarantee you.”
    “No,” I said, suddenly filled with panic and dread. “You have to leave me here. I won’t go with this man. I don’t know him. Asher was here, and he was coming for me. You can’t make me go with this man.”
    I heard the two men talking, and then they both left.
    I didn’t quite know what to think about that. Perhaps they changed their minds? I felt naïve even thinking that this could be the case, though.
    I soon found out what was going to happen. I was injected with a drug, and, in