Fuck. Him.
Cas
T here’s an unnecessary amount of guards outside this dank room. I’ve been cut up, punched, and kicked. Apparently, I’ve already been here a week and when the Dr. we are waiting on gets here, he’s going to place a new tracking device in me. Then I’ll be shipped to god knows where.
“Hey, I can only be in here a few minutes before they realize I’m missing,” Zane whispers. Dabbing a rag in alcohol, he cleans my wounds. I hiss as the rag scratches across my broken skin.
He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a granola bar. My mouth waters and my stomach aches at the sight, even if he gave me one yesterday. I’m starving and scarf it down.
“You’re doing good. My plan is to get you out of here before the Dr shows up. If they get that tracking device in you. It’s over. They’ll move you and I won’t be able to come with.” I’m not sure why he’s helping me. One thing I know is if he gets caught, he’ll be murdered for it.
I’ve been trying to plan my escape, but the unfortunate thing is there are about fifteen guys that I’ve counted that stay posted outside my room and every time I gain consciousness, they come in to question the hell out of me. If I give them an answer they don’t like, which is every time—they cut me and burn me. I have marks all over my stomach that are no doubt going to scar. Not that it matters. It’s not smart, but I’m trying to waste time in hopes I can get out before there’s a repeat of what happened to me when I was eight.
Zane finishes cleaning me, but he can’t bandage anything or at least it wouldn’t do any good—they’d just rip it off.
I’m not counting on Zane, but I am hopeful. He’s the only chance I have at getting out of here.
“Wake up, princess.” Freezing cold water is dumped on me, waking me up. A man I now know as Mars stands over me. He has to be seven feet tall. His shoulders are as wide as a house. He has greasy hair that hangs in clumps in his face.
Pulling at my chains, I try to sit up and defend myself, but the chains dig into my skin, drawing blood. Zane tries to keep my wrists clean, but I’m sure they’re infected. No matter how much I try to remember not to tug at them, it’s instinctual—I just do it.
Mars grabs the huge butcher knife. He heats it up with a blowtorch and makes sure to lick his lips while I watch. The blowtorch seems as if it’s never going to shut off. I don’t want that hot knife anywhere near me, but I’ll take this over being raped.
My stomach churns as the blowtorch turns off. He hovers the knife over my exposed stomach. “Tell me who you and your father have killed.” His raspy voice ripples across my skin, making it crawl. It’s not a good idea but I spit on him. There’s hardly enough moisture in my mouth to do anything, but I still get him.
He brings the knife down flat, burning my stomach. Grunting, I hold back a scream and try not to wiggle. Wiggling equals getting cut. I’ve learned that lesson.
“You know that after the doctor gets here, we are selling you anyway. So, don’t answer the fucking questions, but it won’t save you.” He keeps the knife flat, searing my skin as he drags it down to my crotch. It burns and I can feel beads of sweat gathering on my forehead from the pain.
“I’m going to shove it in your pussy. I bet you’ll talk then.” I try to rationalize that he wouldn’t, but the thing is—these men here are crazy and capable of anything. I scream bloody murder—Kel’s lesson, all but forgotten—hoping Zane will come in here and stop him, but he doesn’t.
Mars lets the knife sit against my inner thigh. He drags his tongue over his yellow teeth. “Maybe I’ll take a piece of you before the others can.” He unzips his pants. Closing my eyes, I try to picture myself anywhere but here.
Suddenly I’m back with Ash, AJ, Edward, and Emery. I shouldn’t be thinking about Ash because he handed me over. He knew how scared I was, and he did this to me, but my traitorous heart and brain still can’t wrap around the betrayal.
I think about all of their faces and even though I don’t want to die, and I’ve had regrets about letting them in so easily, I’m glad that I got to know them. Except for Ash the asshole bastard. No matter how my heart might feel about him the reality is that I’m here because of him.
Mars climbs on top of me, and I focus on the cement ceiling. Trying hard to keep my mind anywhere but here. The door bangs open and in walks Zane. But I’m not sure he can really save me. He seems to be the one with the least amount of pull. “Doc’s here.” He announces, causing relief to spill over me.
Mars grumbles something as he zips up his pants and reaches for a syringe. “Ope, hold off on that. Doc’s request.” Zane tells an unhappy Mars. There’s a knock on the door, which is odd, no one around here knocks.
Zane gets the door and on the other side stands the Doctor that helped me when I was stabbed in the leg the night Ash and I had a stakeout. I think his name starts with a G, it’s on the tip of my tongue but it escapes me.
Ash
“I s everything all right?” Cas stares at me with a strange expression on her face. We are lying in bed, and both of us are naked. Her soft skin is pressed into mine. She strokes my face and I lean into her touch.
Her fingers comb through my hair. “I’m fine. I think—I just missed you.” I admit. When I open my eyes, her gray ones are staring into mine intensely. Her smile widens—at first—it’s warm, but then it turns sinister. Blood streams down her face.
“You let them do this to me, Ash. You sold me.” Tears streak her face, mixing with the blood.
“Help me.” She whispers, sounding hopeless and childlike. I go to wrap my arms around her and suddenly her head is smashed in. Pieces of her flesh and muscle are exposed.
Springing up from my bed covered in sweat, I open my eyes. There’s no comfort in knowing it was a nightmare.
It’s real, in a way. Cas is gone. According to the information she has, it was my fault she was captured and in a sick, twisted way, it truly is my fault. Had I not gotten mixed up with her, maybe she would’ve had time to escape my gramps. Ugh. I need to stop calling him that.
The weight of my guilt intensifies with each passing moment, as I come to terms with the fact that her kidnapping is my fault. If I would’ve spent more time asking her questions and prying the information from her—things might be different.
But I didn’t and they’re not. I just want to find her, but in order to do that I have to talk to my gramps and Beatrice as if I have no idea what they’ve done to—the love of my life. I’ve tried to deny it, but that’s what she is. Without her here, everything feels dark, cold, and pointless.
My stomach lurches as I think about Cas and what’s happening to her. Not knowing where she is. This is torture, pure and simple. All the time I wasted trying to pretend I wasn’t interested in her—haunts me.
Sprinting to the bathroom, I manage to lift the toilet seat up in time to empty the contents of my stomach. My upset nerves and stomach rip through my body violently.
AJ had to head back home to check on his grandma and sister, so I don’t have him here. I want him to stay, not only is it unbearable for me to be by myself right now, but also, Beatrice has been eager to move in until the end of the school year. I know I have to pretend I like her, but I can’t live with her right now… or ever.