My tongue pressed against the fresh cut on my lip and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I’d lost count of the amount of times I’d had my face smashed in this week. It wasn’t funny anymore. And it wasn’t over, yet.

I glanced across at Marcus tied to the chair next to me. He didn’t look much better. Gian’s boys took great pleasure in giving him a good hiding. “You awake, man?”

He opened his eyes and stared at me with a vacant expression. “I’m not sure.”

“Yeah, I know that feeling.”

Turning my attention to the cold concrete room, I shook my head and laughed. I was back in Gian’s warehouse and this time, I didn’t have the hope of Marcus or Olivia saving me. This was it. I would die bound to a chair, tortured by the hands of a sadistic twat.

A fitting end to a fucked up life.

Marcus glanced about the room. “Where’s all Gian’s men? Shouldn’t they be around?”

“Why? Where are we gonna go? Don’t worry, they’ll be back soon to finish the job.” I laughed. “Probably out for lunch.”

He leant his head back and sighed. “How could I be so slack? I knew they were gonna be there. That’s why we went. Why didn’t I call my men in?”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Marcus. You’ll get more than enough of that from Gian’s boys.”

He growled in frustration. “Why didn’t I though?”

“You were too busy stressing about her.”

He huffed. “That girl will be the death of me.”

I laughed. “You and me, both. Quite literally.”

“How can you be so fucking chipper?”

I shrugged. “I’m gonna die soon. Don’t wanna spend my last moments wallowing.”

“Yeah, well. I’m not planning on dying just yet.”

“Really? How do you propose we get out of this one, MacGyver?”

He rolled his eyes. “I don’t know, yet. I’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah, let me know when you do.”

He gritted his teeth and looked away. Marcus wasn’t used to being defenceless. He always had an exit strategy. Tied to a chair in Gian’s basement with no way out must have made him nervous, to say the least.

“Have you still got that gun?”

“Yeah, it’s in my boot. They didn’t search me too closely.”

“We use that.”

“How?”

“It’s a gun. Point and shoot.”

“What d’you want me to do, fire it with my fucking teeth?”

He huffed. “Why didn’t you use it when they got us?”

I glared at him and spat through a clenched jaw. “I had one gun, they had six. You do the maths.”

“You could’ve tried.”

“I’d have got maybe one shot in before they killed us both.”

“They wouldn’t have killed us. Gian doesn’t want us dead, yet.”

“Then why didn’t you carry it?”

“Because… Fuck off, Aaron.”

“I wish I fucking could.”

The metal lock sent reverberations around the basement and the door opened. I snorted my frustration at Marcus then turned my attention to the guys walking through. It was the hideously scarred dick of a man, Gary, and two scrotum faced sidekicks.

I groaned. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

Marcus glanced over. “Friends of yours?”

“I wouldn’t say so, no.”

Gary laughed as he strolled towards us. “Well, well, well. Look who’s back. Did you miss me that much?”

“Yeah. I couldn’t live without seeing that face of yours one more time.”

He stood in front of me and grinned. “Take a long look then, as this will be the last face you’ll ever see.”

“Only if I die from the nightmares.”

Gary chuckled, pulled a knuckle duster out from his back pocket and slipped it on to his right hand. He inspected it, then leant forward and cracked me across the jaw. It felt like he’d hit me in the face with an iron. I opened my mouth and worked the joints. It wasn’t dislocated, but it felt like it.

“You will. The rest of your short life is going to be one, big, fuck-off nightmare.” He laughed, then straightened and walked over to Marcus. “And you brought me a friend, too.” He mocked a bow. “The not so great and soon to be late, Marcus. It’s gonna be a pleasure to watch you beg.”

A smile rose on Marcus’ face, but he kept silent and glared at Gary.

“What, no witty reply?”

“No need. I’ll have the last word when I rip the tongue from your throat.”

Gary laughed and rolled his eyes. “Always with the threats.” He lurched forward and smashed Marcus across the cheek. The crack made me wince.

Gary turned back to his sidekicks, worked his fat fingers from the duster and placed it back in his pocket. “I don’t get it. Why can’t they just face the fact that they’re both up to their eyeballs in shit and beg now?”

The thin, greasy looking sidekick smirked. “Because they think they’re hard.”

Gary’s eyes creased, annoyed. “Shut the fuck up, Weasel. It was a question you didn’t need to answer.”

I laughed. “The word is rhetorical, you fucking imbecile.”

He turned with venom in his eyes. “You think you’re fucking smart, do you?”

I shouldn’t have said that.

He stormed over and grabbed my hair, pulling my head back as he leant into my face. His breath smelled of stale smoke and rotten meat. I wanted to gag.

“Not fucking smart enough to stay away from here. To stay away from me. You’ll wish you had. I didn’t like having my toy taken away, but now you’re back… and I’m gonna make you suffer twice as much.” He glanced at the skinhead behind him. “Daz, pass me a knife over.”

Gary turned back and grinned as Daz chose a blade from the table and gave it to him. His grin widened as he brought it to my face and traced the cold steel down my skin.

“You’re not gonna have your little girlfriend to save you this time, pretty boy.” He laughed, tormenting me with the knife. “D’you know what’s really gonna sting?”

The blade pressed deeper, and I felt the sharp pinch as it broke the surface.

“Her pussy will be mine soon.”

Anger surged, and I fought my head away from him. “You’ll never get anywhere near her.”

Gary rested his hands on my shoulders and closed in again. His eyes burnt with amusement. “D’you think so? Daddy’s not best pleased with his darling daughter. You should thank yourself for that. He’s gonna let me play with her for a while. And I’m gonna have all my fun with that fine piece of arse while you sit and watch.”

I wanted to rip his face off. “You sick fuck. I’ll fucking kill you.”

“She’s gone. He’ll never find her.” Marcus tried to keep his voice firm but I could hear the waiver in it.

He chortled, hard. Then turned to Marcus. “Really? Do you think so? Because I just heard he’s got her.”

The blood drained from my skin. It can’t be true. He can’t have her.

He turned back to me. “She’s on her way home to Daddy’s house right now.”

“You’re lying,” I spat.

His wicked smile stretched from ear to ear. “Why would I lie when the truth is so much sweeter?”