Chapter 33
My neck is sore when I wake, and when I go to rub it I realize my hands are tied together in front of me. I look around to see if anyone is in here and realize I’m in a bedroom. There’s nothing in here but the bed that I’m lying on. There’s no sheets, just a plain mattress. I try to stand and feel my legs begin to buckle, so I sit back down on the bed. I try again for the second time and manage to make it to the door of the room. I turn the handle a few times with no success and then begin to bang on it.
“Let me go,” I scream hoping someone will hear me, anyone that isn’t Dunk. I try for what feels like an hour and then collapse onto the floor nearest to the door.
I sit in that spot for ages, my body aching and needing to use the toilet when the door finally opens. A man steps in, a man I don’t recognize until his eyes reach mine.
“Mika,” I say not bothering moving from my position on the floor. He smiles at me and squats down, so he’s at my eye level. He’s still as handsome as I remember him. His sandy blond hair styled to the side, his strong eyes assessing me.
“I didn’t think you’d remember,” he says inclining his head to the side.
“Why am I here?” I ask looking around and gazing past him to the door that’s still shut.
“You seem to be his weakness, did you know that?” It takes me a moment to gather who he’s talking about. Of course, it all comes back to him, everything in my fucking life does lately.
“Oh, fucking great, another one that wants to take Zeke down or sleep with him,” I murmur to myself. He chuckles and I like his laugh.
“I must say, you’re the most beautiful hostage I’ve ever had,” he says still in his squatting position. He reaches out and runs his hand down the side of my face.
“You must say that to all the girls,” I laugh dryly at him. He removes his hand and his smile is gone.
“I don’t want to hurt you though someone here does,” he says standing, my brain racks for a second until I figure who he’s talking about. He watches me, a grim smile touching his lips.
“And I’m taking it that you know who that person is?” he asks.
“Yes, and if he touches me, I will kill him.” He nods his head and walks toward the door, throwing me a backward glance then leaves locking the door behind him.
I’m left sitting on the floor, too tired to move let alone stand. I look at my hands and see if I can get these ropes loose. I know how to, I just don’t have the energy to get them off. I collapse onto the floor and lay there, wondering how I could have gotten myself so messed up with all these people.
When the door opens again later that night, I still haven’t moved. The floor is cold, and my body is shivering. I don’t even bother to look up to see who’s walked in this time though that person lets me know with a kick to my leg. It is pain I feel at first and my face scrunches up as I try not to show the emotions running through me. Though, when I see who it is, the anger takes over.
“You,” I say angrily to Dunk.
“You,” he hisses back at me as he walks closer. His cut still sits proudly on his chest, dirty jeans cover his legs.
“Does he know you’ve done this?” I ask referring to Zeke. He knows who I’m talking about, I see it on his face.
“He does now,” he replies smiling. His smug face pisses me off.
“And you betray your friends like that?” I ask him, to which he becomes angrier and I wonder if it’s a smart thing to poke the angry bear.
“Mika is my brother,” he says squatting down, just like Mika did earlier. He looks at me and I can see the hatred in his eyes, for me. I’m not one hundred percent sure. “Didn’t see that one coming, did you? Did you get my package, Bexley?” His smile is forced, it’s goading me. He sent that to me, the vest with the blood.
“So you used him?” I ask wondering how I really fit into all of this.
“He was a means to an end, he had what we wanted, control. He has control over almost everything. Mika has control over certain aspects, but he wants it all, and I don’t want Zeke to have it anymore. He’s gone soft and it’s because of you,” he spits the last word at me.
“If you think he has gone soft, you’re strongly mistaken. He has a purpose now. That’s all it will be, and I’d hate to be you when he finds you.” He stands, angry at my outburst and slaps me hard across the face. Blood coats my mouth and my eyes start to water from the contact.
“Don’t piss me off, bitch. I’ll do worse, and make him never want you,” he spits down at me. I cringe again.
“He’s going to kill you, and you know him better than me. So you should know that,” I say turning my head to show him he doesn’t affect me.
“He can try, but this place has men all around it. They have orders if he comes to shoot on sight.” My heart squeezes at that thought. The thought of him getting hurt or possibly killed. It shouldn’t, I’m trying not to love him, to not care. Though, I just can’t seem to do so.
“You betrayed him, but you still care for him? Or still even love him?” he asks.
“You don’t know anything,” I say turning my head trying not to look at him. Instead, I look to the plain white walls in this bare room.
“But it’s written all over your face. I can see it clearly, this is going to be good,” he says stepping toward the door. I get a rush of adrenaline and charge him when his back is turned. My front hits his back, sending him face first into the door. I bring my knee up and try to knee him anywhere I can. He pushes me back trying to remove me, but I don’t stop. When he manages to turn around his face is red and full of anger. I stomp my foot down hard on the top of his foot, and when he drops his head from the pain, I karate chop him in the neck. He whines and manages to push me hard backward, my back and head slam down heavy onto the floor. It gives him an advantage over me, especially since I don’t have full use of my hands in this position to push myself up.
“You little slut, I’m going to break you now,” he says limping as he takes a step toward me. I prepare my body for the impact. But it’s worse than what I was expecting, I feel a rib crack when his boot slams into my side. My mouth rips open with the pain. Screams tear from my throat. He doesn’t stop as he lifts my head by my hair, bringing it to his face as he leans forward.
“You need to be taught a lesson. You’re lower, you always have been,” he says then punches me hard in my jaw. I feel the impact, my jaw screams in pain, and my mind is trying to switch off, switch away from the agony. He pulls my hair hard, ripping it from my scalp. I wait for the next punch, the punch that will more than likely knock me out when his hands disappear from my head and I’m slammed backward.
I manage to open my eyes, just to see where he is when I notice that he’s gone. And in his place is Mika, he looks down at me and shakes his head, then he bends down to lift me up. I cry from the movement, my ribs ache with pain. He hushes me, and places me on the mattress, then walks out.
Not long after a soft hand touches my face, a cold cloth is being used. I see Mika’s face, he stops and drops the cloth, ripping open my shirt, tearing it from my body. I’m left in just a sports bra, and I can’t even move to cover myself if I wanted to. I’m afraid it will hurt. He lifts me slightly, and I bite my lip until I taste the metallic taste of blood. He’s wrapping something around me, and when I look down I notice he’s bandaging up my ribs. When he stops, he places a blanket over me and stands so I can see him clearly.
“I warned you, I’ll try to keep him away. You shouldn’t have hit him,” he says looking sad. I don’t talk to him; I try not to even look at him. He must hear my thoughts because he leaves without a word, and shuts and locks the door on his way out. Not that it would matter, there’s nothing I could do, I can’t even move.