I felt like death, maybe that was what was happening right now, I was dying. I wasn’t in much pain no more, it was like my body had become numb.

Caleb, oh god. Was he alive, the last thing I remembered was him collapsing and him being so god damned pale it was frightening. Then what next, I frantically racked my brain. Oh god, the beatings, I had received too much abuse. I was banging on the door asking, no pleading for help, Caleb needed a hospital badly. Ben came down to the basement, I hoped he was remorseful, but I was wrong he was anything but. He had laughed at me, he wanted my brother dead, he hated him.

And then I remembered, I charged at him with all the energy I had left in me, but I was unfortunate because I received his wrath of fury, I received punch after punch, kick after kick. My face was left a bloody mess, bones had been broken, cuts and bruises now marred my skin. I would now be left with reminders for the rest of my life all because of these god-awful, cowardly men.

Crying out in agony I finally clawed my way out of my unconscious haze and positioned my body, so I was leaning up against the cold, hard wall.

“Eva,” Caleb spoke, his voice was weak and full of pain.

“Caleb,” I cried, crawling over to him. “For a minute there I thought you checked out on me.”

“I wouldn’t do that you, I passed out, it’s my bodies way of healing,” he moved closer to me, he groaned and clenched his jaw, he was trying to hide his pain from me. His skin was still worryingly pale. It made me sick to my stomach seeing him this way. “Shit Eva look at you.”

“Look at me,” I choked on a sob. “Look at you, you’re a mess Caleb.”

“Hey shush,” He soothed. “I’m fine ok. But what happened to you?” he grabbed my chin checking my facial injuries. “Shit,” he winced. “Your bleeding real bad.”

I placed my fingers on the back of my head, pulling them away, they were stained red. It must had been when my head hit the concrete floor from when I was punched in the face repeatedly.

“What happened?” Caleb gritted out, both in anger and pain.

“I was trying to get help,” tears began to fall, I swiped them away angrily getting sick and tired of crying all the time. “I thought you were dying. You were barely breathing, I was so scared I didn’t know what to do. So, I begged for someone to help you, get you to the hospital or something then Ben and I got into an argument, he said some things that made me real fucking angry, so I lost it and then yeah,” I gestured to myself. “This happened, you know the rest.”

“Yeah,” he growled. “I know the rest, I swear Eva I don’t give a fuck what you say, I’m gutting that bastard as soon as I get the chance.”

“Not if I do first,” I said, surprising myself. Shit, I was angry, I didn’t care that I wanted to kill him, it wasn’t murder when Ben was a criminal, who had kidnapped and abused me, and my brother god knows what else that scum had done to others.

We were quiet for a while, brewing in our own sadness. I was starting to lose hope in being saved, not because I didn’t think Kaden didn’t want to find me but because he couldn’t. He had probably been searching the best part of London to find me and my brother. I hoped he was ok. I wondered how he was coping. I wondered how Elaine and Liv were coping, shit, I hadn’t even thought of them, although I had been unconscious more than conscious. I missed them all. My family, my friends and him, god I missed him so much. Only if we hadn’t argued that day, I wouldn’t be here, but Caleb would’ve been, and he would’ve been all alone. At least, we were here together, even if it’s under the most shitiest, poorest circumstances.

Caleb and I shared fearful looks as we heard the door being unlocked, it was time again. I didn’t think I could take much more.

We scrambled to our feet, even though our legs shook, wobbled and protested. Caleb grabbed my shoulders and pulled me behind him in a protective measure.

Ben, Anton and his two goons waltzed into the room, they were trying to intimidate us with their control and power. To me, they were nothing but scum bags and monsters.

“Aw how cute,” Anton smirked at Ben. “The big brother is trying to protect his little sister by standing in front of her,” his gaze landed on Caleb now and his features hardened. “That’s not going to work here boy, no fucking chance,” he turned to his two goons, both were very tall, very large men, dressed in suits. “Grab ’em.”

Caleb charged forward and tried to knock one of the men down. Using all of the strength he could muster.

“No Caleb!” I screamed. “Don’t,” but it was too late, he got an uppercut to the stomach. Caleb keeled over, coughing and spluttering. I tried to run over to help him, when I was grabbed by the waist. “No,” I kicked at him, screaming. “Let go of me, get off me you arsehole,” I tried to bite his arm, but Anton was in front of me now and back handed me across the face. “Quiet,” he demanded.

“Fuck you,” I spat blood from my mouth, onto his face.

He wiped away my spit with the sleeve of his suit. His anger began to rise, he could barely contain himself. “You dirty fucking bitch,” he snarled. “Grab them both and bring them to my office now.”

One of the goons tied my hands behind my back and the other did the same with my brother, but tied his hands in front of him because of the awkward angle Caleb was in. I could see Caleb holding on by a thread, he could hardly stand, I so badly wanted to help him, comfort him, but I couldn’t do anything, other than stand by.

We were dragged through the house, we didn’t put up a fight. We were both too weak and truly what was the point, I couldn’t see a way out of this anymore.

We were shoved into Anton’s office, we fell onto our knees. Caleb groaned, and I whimpered, we were both in a considerable amount of pain.

“I’m a very unhappy man,” Anton declared, playing with the blade of a knife by running his fingers up and down it, this man was a lunatic. “Your beloved boyfriend has decided he will not negotiate with me. Apparently, he is too good for me,” a humourless laugh escaped him. “Looks like the asshole doesn’t give a shit about the pair of you,” he gestured to the both of us by pointing the blade end of the knife at us. “Your both no good to me now, looks like I’ll have to find other ways to get to him.”

“He does care,” I said firmly, my voice coming out stronger than I felt. “He just won’t give you anything because you’re a piece of shit who doesn’t deserve it.”

“Eva,” Caleb croaked— “Don’t”

“No,” my voice rose. “I will because,” I looked both Anton and Ben in the eyes. “These men are nothing but scum and cowards. They get off on beating innocent people, there evil and fucking murderers, they deserve to die.”

Ben charged across the room and landed a hard, solid punch to my jaw. I fell onto my shoulder and I bit my lip holding in a painful cry.

“YOU!” Ben was crouched down, yelling at the side of my face. “Don’t get to talk to my Uncle like that you little bitch.”

Anton stared at the both of us in disbelief. Out the corner of my eye I saw Caleb moving stealthily across the floor, on his knees.  

He creeped up behind Ben. I tried to plead with my eyes telling Caleb to not be so stupid. But it was all happening so fast, Caleb threw his tied hands around Bens neck and choked him, Ben tried to elbow him in the stomach, but Caleb swiftly dodged the blows.

Anton charged across the room, with the knife in his hand, he was going to hurt Caleb.

“No, no, no, no,” I screamed, tears streamed down my cheeks. I tried to move so I could jump in front of Caleb, but I was too slow. The knife was plunged into his back and Caleb dropped to the floor. Ben scrambled away holding his neck panting for breaths of air, good I hoped he suffered.

“Oh god,” I coughed, choking on air. “No,” I crawled over to my brother. “Caleb,” I whispered. “Please, please wake up,” I nudged his body with my knee, but he didn’t stir, his breaths were coming out short now, he was wheezing, suffocating. Blood soaked into the carpet, staining the cream coloured floor red. He was bleeding heavily now, pressure needed to be applied onto the wound, he was going to bleed out, I felt like I was in a horror movie, this couldn’t be happening, but it was.

I turned my teary gaze onto Anton, who was staring at my brother’s blood in disgust. “What have you done!” I screamed manically. “Oh god what have you done. Help him please will you just fucking help me help him,” he didn’t speak, only stood there breathing heavily, I turned my gaze on Ben. “Please, Ben. I’m begging you help me,” I threw myself at him, my head bowed downwards, I was on my knees begging, praying and pleading for help. “I’ll do anything, fucking anything just help me.”

He looked me in the eyes now, a smirk tugging at his lips “You and your scum of a brother deserve everything you get”

Before I could react, a piercing pain hit me in the centre of my back, it shocked me. Anton, he stabbed me. I fell to the floor on my front, gasping for air, I choked, I choked on a mixture of blood and tears. The pain in my back was excruciating and agonizing. I had never felt such pain in my entire life. Turning my head to the side, my vision was starting to blur. Caleb was a few feet away, his eyes were half-mast as he looked at me in horror, pain and hurt. We were both going to die, I knew that much.

“I’m sorry,” I mouthed to him. Then darkness pulled me under.