My ears rang with the sound of a gun being shot reverberated through my mind. Zerro had shot me… at point blank range. So why was I still awake, why was I still breathing, and why was my heart ready to beat out of my chest?

I watched as Zerro fell to his knees. Another shot sounded off and I wasn’t sure what was happening. Was Zerro killing himself?

Then I heard Mack’s laughter. It filled the room and made my stomach quake.

“You thought this bitch would be smart enough to do something like this?” Mack asked. He was talking to Zerro, and my eyes scanned the ground for the gun. Would I save Zerro again? After everything he had done to me just now?

Zerro was on the ground, his face filled with pain as he stared at me. The look he held said he was sorry, but he still hadn't said the words. His eyes were begging for forgiveness, speaking the words he didn't say. I needed the words. I needed to know he was sorry for his betrayal.

“It was you…” he said groaning.

“Ding. Ding. Ding. Of course, it was me. Did you think I would sit idly by while you reaped the benefits of everything I had done for you? I was tired of being treated like shit while the ‘King’ sat on his throne. Instead, I turned you into the FBI and made a deal with them. They let me off the hook—I give them you. Not that it matters, because they’re on their way here to pick you up. As for Bree, well... that hot piece of ass is coming with me.”

“No…” He groaned again trying to reach for his gun. Mack kicked it away and my hope went flat. I would never be able to reach the gun now.

“Yes,” Mack mocked. “Then once we’re finally alone, I’m going to fuck her every way possible.”

I tried my hardest to wiggle out of the ropes, but ended up on my stomach with nowhere to go.

“Leave her alone,” Zerro groaned rolling over to search the floor for another weapon.

“Ha, ha. Yeah, fuck no. She’s coming with me,” Mack said, gripping the ropes around my midsection.

“Zerro, run, leave,” I huffed out, my voice full of anguish. The words were just barely out of my mouth when I felt Mack’s dirty hand fist into my hair, pulling my face into his.

“Say another word and there’s going to be a fucking bullet in your head,” he growled.

“Get your fucking hands off her.” Zerro was barely able to get the words out, and though I wanted to look at him, I knew I couldn’t. My heart was already breaking.

“How about… Fuck. No!!” Mack mocked, and then pointed his gun off in the distance. His hold on my hair was keeping me in place once I heard the gun go off again. I couldn’t stop the tears from coming.

Trying as much as I could to see through the tears, I screamed until Mack released me to grab something off the floor. Looking up from the floor, I watched as a red puddle all but started to form around Zerro. Suddenly, Mack was biting at a piece of duct tape to place over my mouth.

“I love you,” I cried out right before the tape was placed against my lips. Tears continued to cascade down my cheeks as I tried to say I love you over and over again. I was certain it would be the last time I would ever see Zerro alive and if he did live, he wouldn’t come to save me.

“There’s no point screaming. Where you’re going, they love to hear women scream. They feed off the tears you cry. Believe me when I say if you thought Zerro was a monster, you’re in for a ride.”

“Let fucking go of me,” I mumbled against the tape wiggling as much as I could. Tears were still blocking my vision, but I felt the air whip through my hair as Mack pushed us through the front door.

“No way. You’re my ticket out of all of this.” He sounded gleeful, and I wanted to wipe the fucking smile I knew was on his face off.

“You won’t get away with this. He’ll find you, and when he does, you’re as good as dead.” I knew there was no pleading with this kind of man.

Picking me up as if I weighed nothing more than a feather, he opened the back of what looked like a van and sat me on the edge of the entrance so he could open the other door up. My mind skidded to a halt as I realized this might be my only chance to escape. Pulling my feet together, I bunched up my legs as much as I could and pushed back as I kicked at his face.

He stumbled back only slightly. Swear words filled the air. Trying to sit up, I pushed my legs up again to get another good kick, but it did me no good. He was bigger and stronger. His hands gripped my legs as anger showed in every muscle I could see. “You’re dirty fucking bitch,” he said as he tried to push me further into the van.

Fighting with all my might, I pushed back, kicking and screaming. My words were hard to hear and my kicking did nothing but wear me out.

“Let go of me,” I repeated over and over again my screams were nothing but a muffle of noise against the duct tape. Another kick to the face would hopefully get him to slow down. His hands wrapped around my legs, and his fist came down hard against my cheek. For a moment, my vision blurred as pain radiated through my face. My mind went blank as light reflected in and out. I couldn’t get a grip on what was happening.

“If that doesn’t keep you down, then this fucking will.” His words caused my head to ache as I tried to get my wits together.

Before I could respond, I felt the prick of something in my arm, and the darkness of whatever it was he had injected me with consumed me.