Chapter Twenty Four

Carson

 

“Christ,” I muttered. “My head is fucking killing me.” When I reached out for my phone, my hand hit cold stone instead. “Shit!” I cried out, shaking my injured hand in the air. It was dark and no matter how I groped for the lamp, I couldn’t see a goddamn thing.

 

When I reached for the switch on the wall, my hand groped air. The more I moved, the more pain shot through me. Suddenly, I realized I wasn’t at home.

 

“Fuck!” I cursed loudly, swinging my hand in the air. It connected with concrete and pain bloomed in my arm. When I tried to stand up, I realized that my legs were tied together and I was fastened to the wall behind me. As my eyes adjusted, I could barely make out a few shapes. Given how dark the room was, I decided that it must be at night. What happened? I wondered, shaking my head. Sweat was beading on my forehead and dripping down. It itched like mad, but I couldn’t reach that far. There was a rope around my chest tying my arms down; I had useless, T-Rex little stubs. Think, Carson, think, I ordered myself. What happened?

 

I closed my eyes and desperately tried to remember the night before. There was Caroline, lying next to me in bed and looking horrified. I remembered fighting. For a moment, I forgot why. When I remembered, I felt blacker than ever. She hates me, I thought. She’s never going to talk to me again after that.

 

I remembered that I’d made my way through a six pack of beer before unsteadily leaving the apartment for the dive bar down the street. I’d been so drunk that I was staggering on my walk there. Then, things started to get fuzzy. As I tried to remember, pain flashed through my head. It was more than the normal hangover pain; judging from my complete lack of memory about the night before, I was starting to feel as though I’d been drugged.

 

I again tried to recall what had happened. I’d started slamming whiskey at the bar, until someone asked me for a cigarette. I’d gone outside, lit up…then what? With a sinking feeling, I realized that someone must have drugged me, then lured me outdoors and beaten me to a pulp. I winced as I tried to run my hands over each other; I could feel that they were bruised and swollen. My head felt like someone had hit me with an anvil.

 

I knew I had to get out of here. I didn’t know who attacked me, but I could have made a guess: Lucas. That fuck waited until Caroline had left, then waited for me. I shuddered as I imagined what he was doing with Caroline. Even though she’d left me and told me she never wanted to see me again, I still felt responsible for her well-being. I couldn’t stand the thought of that monster hurting her and making her feel unsafe. I’m coming, Caroline, I thought as I twisted against the ropes that held me. I promise I’m coming.

 

I strained and twisted at my bonds until I was sweating all over. My body ached—I could tell that whoever attacked me had taken a few blows at my chest—and my mouth was uncomfortably dry. Closing my lips, I worked my tongue against my mouth until it was wet with saliva. I closed my eyes in frustration and tried to move in a rhythm that strained at the ropes. But ten minutes later, I wasn’t any looser or freer than I had been when I’d first woken up.

 

“Damnit!” I yelled loudly, trying to move my legs. Something clattered on the floor and hope rose in my chest. If I leaned over and stuck my arm down, my fingertips could graze the floor. I did it again and again, searching for anything that I could use to free myself. There was nothing there, and I cursed out loud as my feet kicked at the empty air. The room was starting to feel airless and hot and I was sweating so much that the ropes were clinging to my damp body. I knew that in order to get out, I’d need to find something to free myself. Only problem was that the room was incredibly dark.

 

I thumped my head against the wall in frustration. It hurt but the pain almost felt good, it felt like something to keep me tied to reality. I hated myself for having been cocky before. I clearly hadn’t won. Lucas was up to no good, and he needed to keep me out of the way. That automatically made me think that he was planning something nefarious. If he didn’t need me out of the way, why would he have gone to such trouble? Shaking my head, I realized that he probably wouldn’t have even needed to hurt me if he’d known that Caroline and I had fought. She’d probably go off with him willingly. She’d probably do whatever he wanted.

 

Stop, I ordered myself. She wouldn’t do that. She’s not like that. She’s Caroline, remember? I did remember. I remembered all too well. It was tempting to think that she would have gone along with Lucas to spite me, but if I knew Caroline at all, I knew she was probably shaking in her shoes. Lucas terrified her. Even if the pictures didn’t matter, he could find some new way to exploit her fear. I wasn’t worried about myself, but I didn’t want her thinking that I was in danger. Caroline, if you can hear me, just know that I’m okay, I thought. Please listen to your gut. Trust that I’ll be fine.

 

I kept struggling against my bonds, knowing that it was likely futile. But any kind of resistance made me feel like I was doing something. Anger and rage flowed through my body; this was one of the few times in my life I’d felt truly powerless. I desperately wished that I’d called Tommy or Steel before going out now. Even with the tension brewing, I knew that my guys would have had my back. Fucking ego, I cursed. If it wasn’t for my fucking ego, I wouldn’t be here right now. Caroline would still be in my bed, we’d be waking up and enjoying a little sexy time together. Thinking about waking up to Caroline was enough to turn me on a little bit. I felt my cock chafe against my leg as the image of her sensual nude body broadcasted itself over my brain. Fucking hell, I thought. Shit had gone from bad to worse in only a few hours. What the fuck was going to happen now?

 

The longer I was awake, the harder I tried to listen. I couldn’t tell where I was; there was no road noise coming from outside, nor was there noise upstairs. I wondered if my captors had simply bagged me, beaten me, tied me up, then gone to nap. It wasn’t implausible. And if they were working for Lucas, I had a feeling they were just as lazy and stupid as he was. I couldn’t imagine that he’d grabbed any kind of criminal mastermind to nab me from a bar. He was probably just feeling threatened because of what had happened before.

 

When I remembered confronting him, it was pretty anticlimactic. I’d slipped into his car in the parking lot of Tinder’s. Lucas had been expecting Caroline, and while he was surprised, he didn’t show it.

 

“She’s got you protecting her now, huh?” Lucas laughed. “That little pussy needs to realize she can take care of herself.”

 

I growled at his slur. “You scared the shit out of her,” I told him gruffly. “And if you don’t knock it off right now, I’ll make you regret it.”

 

I pulled out my gun and showed it to Lucas. “This is going to go off in your brain if you don’t listen to me,” I growled. “You destroy those photos and leave her alone. I have enough on you to have you arrested for conspiracy if you don’t listen to me.”

 

Lucas looked at me with a sideways grin. “That’s what you think,” he said carefully. I watched as he pulled an envelope from his pocket and began to tear it to shreds. “Here are the photos,” he said, after he was done. He handed me scraps of paper and film. “But I’m gonna need a little pay out to make sure I keep my mouth shut.”

 

I rolled my eyes. “You fucking petty criminals, all you can think about is money,” I sneered. “Didn’t it ever occur to you that you might be going to jail for a long time anyway? I have enough to call the cops and tell them that you’re trying to frame her.”

 

Lucas laughed. “What about that pay?” His eyes gleamed with greed. “I’m thinking a few thousand should shut me up for a couple of days. If you want me to stay gone longer than that, I’m gonna need a lot more.”

 

“You’ll take what I give you, fucker,” I spat. Pulling my wallet out of my pocket, I handed him about five thousand in cash. “This should be more than you need,” I said smoothly. “Don’t ever, ever think about messing with Caroline again.”

 

As I turned to get out of the car, Lucas looked at me. “You’re gonna need to pay me off a little better,” he said in that same infuriating sing-song voice. “This is only good until next week, brother.”

 

“Don’t call me brother. I’m part of a real brotherhood, not some cog in your fucked up scheme.”

 

Lucas laughed. “We’re all brothers when it comes to money. You think that you’re better than me, that you somehow don’t need more cash? I know your type. Your kind, you showoff assholes. You have to have the nicest bikes and pussy and drugs that money can buy. I know that little security guard job you have is only a front. I know you’re just as thirsty as I am for the finer things in life.”

 

I shook my head. He was close to the truth, but I couldn’t let him know. “Fuck off,” I spat. “And don’t think about getting any more money outta me,” I added. “That’s way more than enough for you to disappear forever.”

 

Lucas snarled in my face. “If you think I can be bought that easily, you’re even dumber than she is. I’ll be back, asshole. Trust me, this won’t keep me away forever.”

 

“You won’t think about coming back,” I growled. I shoved my gun against Lucas’s neck. “If you do, I’ll lodge so many of these bullets in your skull, they won’t even be able to identify you from your dental records,” I threatened. “So stay the fuck away from her, you got that?”

 

Lucas’s expression shrank in fear, and I felt triumphant for finally having gotten through to him. And it didn’t cost me any more than five thousand! Smirking, I climbed out of Lucas’s car.

 

Sticking my head through the window, I asked, “So tell me, what are you going to do in the future?”

 

He scowled. “Leave her alone,” he repeated. “You got it.”

 

“Right,” I said, pulling away and slamming my hand on the roof of the car. Lucas jumped, then fumbled with the keys.

 

When I walked away across the parking lot, I felt smugger than I had in years. I was pleased with myself for getting rid of the problem. It had been much easier than I’d expected. Now all there was to do was tell Caroline, and let her thank me, in all the right ways.

 

Now, I cursed myself. I couldn’t believe that I’d been so stupid. Of course Lucas wasn’t going to listen to a man threatening him with a gun. He was insane; he had absolutely no reason to trust in anyone. I shook my head. This meant war. If I saw that little ratfaced fuck again, I would shoot him without even a second though.

 

“That’s pretty fucking cocky,” I said aloud. My mouth was dry and there was a stale taste on my tongue. On top of the monster hangover, I was starving. Right now, the most appetizing option was breaking out of this hellhole, finding Caroline, then curling up for a couple of hours. Lucas could wait. I was worried about her being in danger, but I was also exhausted. Way to go, Carson, I congratulated myself. Great fuckin’ job you did on this one.

 

The ropes seemed even tighter than they had when I’d first woken up, and there was an uncomfortable pressure building on my bladder. I knew that if I didn’t get out soon, I’d piss myself. Straining with all of my might, I closed my eyes and tried to wriggle away from the wall. There was a few inches between my body and the cold concrete behind me, and if I locked my arms and heaved, I almost could have slipped away. Just when I thought I’d almost gotten it, I heard heavy footsteps treading overhead.

 

“Great,” I said. “Company.”

 

The footsteps stopped right in front of the door and I heard a key scratching in the lock. Soon, yellow light flooded the basement. I had to close my eyes; it was so bright that it sent a bolt of pain through my skull. Part of me was amazed that after so little time in the dark, I already felt like a rat. The other part of me wanted to rip whoever was keeping me hostage into shreds.

 

A big, burly man walked down the steps, yawning. “You woke me up,” he accused. When he spoke, I realized that he wasn’t all there.

 

“Let me go,” I pleaded. “Come on, fucker. Untie me. You know I’m not doing any good being locked up like this.”

 

The man shook his head. He gave me a blank stare and sat down on the steps, There was a piece of wood in his hand, and he was breaking it into splinters and dropping them on the ground, keeping his eyes locked on me. His mouth hung open slightly and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking: the blank look on his face was reminiscent of a cow.

 

“Come on,” I begged. “Come on, let me go. I won’t tell anyone,” I promised. The man blinked at me.

 

“I can’t let you go,” he said in a slow, thick voice. It sounded like he was talking through a mouthful of syrup. I glared at him. “Sorry,” he added, sounding almost reproachful. “I can’t let you go.”

 

“Come on,” I said again. “I won’t tell anyone, honest.” I tried to smile at him but the blank bovine stare was too unnerving. It was like he was staring right through me, directly at the wall. “Please?”

 

The burly man shook his head. He closed his eyes and soon, snores were coming out of his mouth. I couldn’t believe it. He’d left the door open, and while I was paranoid about someone else coming downstairs, I knew that I had to act quickly. There was enough light to see the floor. The wooden board that he’d been playing with was splintered into pieces around his feet, and if I stretched my body just so, I could touch one of the pieces with the tips of my toes. I strained every muscle, in agony, and tried to stretch out as much as I could. Finally, the ropes loosened somewhat and I was able to pull a piece of wood closer to me. I had no idea if it would work, but I had to try something.

 

The man tensed in his sleep and stopped breathing and for a moment, so did I. I held my breath until I could see his body relax and slump over once again, snoring just as loudly as before. Inching the wood closer to my body, I twisted my arms and picked up the splinters with my bound hands. They were both halfway numb and I massaged each with the thumb of the other, desperate to get the blood flowing once more. Finally, when I had a little bit more sensation, I grabbed the wood and picked at the thick knot binding my wrists together. The knot was tight, but after what felt like hours, I was finally making a little progress. My hands were sweaty and aching and I could feel the sweat pouring down my forehead. After every few minutes, I’d stop and pant and listen for more footsteps upstairs. So far, my friend in the corner was still asleep, but I knew it couldn’t last forever. Gritting my teeth, I resumed picking at the knot until I had it loose enough to pull away with my fingers.

 

The blood rushing back into my hands was so intense that it felt painful at first. I moaned loudly and then clamped my lips shut. The man snored once but then lapsed into silence and I knew I had to work quickly. My hands were sore and shaking, but I managed to reach down and pick at the knot between my ankles until it was loose enough to kick away.

 

At first, I didn’t think I could stand. The pain and pressure on my limbs was too much, and I was honestly tempted to collapse where I stood and fall asleep. But the man began to stir, and I approached him cautiously. Dropping the ropes in a pile on his lap, I leaned close to his ear.

 

“Thanks for the company,” I whispered. The man woke up just as I formed my other hand into a fist and punched him in the jaw. He didn’t make a sound as the punch landed, but I felt the muscle and bone beneath my skin part. The man leaned forward and spat blood. Just as I moved to walk past him and up the stairs, he reached out and grabbed me with surprising strength.

 

“You can’t go,” the man wailed in a low voice. “You have to stay!” He began raining heavy blows on my back and shoulders. I felt myself crumple to the ground, and I rolled away from the man’s fists. He kept punching the air even after I’d rolled away and I climbed to my feet and punched him squarely in the stomach. The man grunted once, like a farm animal, and then fell over in a heap.

 

I couldn’t believe my eyes. But I knew I didn’t have much time. Turning on my heel, I ran up the steps, breathing hard. The first level of the house looked very ordinary: pale wood furniture, dark trim. I listened for signs of occupancy but didn’t hear anything. Judging by the light streaming in from the windows, it was sometime in the late morning.

 

Shit. I hope I’m not too late, I thought, sprinting through the living room. I let myself out the front door of the house. My motorcycle had been tossed in a clump of bushes, and I was able to haul it upright with my hands. I’m coming, Caroline!

 

The house where I’d been held was in a pretty posh neighborhood, but I didn’t pay it any mind as I pushed my bike into a high gear and got onto the highway. I knew that I had to find Caroline at any cost. I had a feeling she probably wasn’t at her apartment, but it would be worth checking first. If there had been a struggle, I might be able to find her based on the clues left at the scene.

 

As I drove, my head ached and ached. I longed to stop and drink a bottle of water, but I knew that I had to keep going. By the time I pulled into Caroline’s apartment complex, I felt like I was running on fumes. A sinking feeling made its way through me as I crossed the lawn and leapt up the steps two at a time.

 

Your princess is in another castle, I thought to myself as I kicked at her front door. There was no answer. Now it’s time to go get her.