I notice my speaker on the kitchen counter, right where I left it, only there's a power cord connected to the back of it. That asshole. He came in here unannounced again, and while I was sleeping. Who does he think he is? He’s such a twat.
The instant fury takes complete control of me.
I fly off my spot on the floor and have to rub my back. I'm not made for sleeping on the floor, but I don't particularly have a choice.
I rush over to the music and hit stop when it occurs to me that it shouldn’t be working, even with the power cord. The electricity went out last night and assuming it didn’t magically fix itself, I shouldn't be able to hear a damn thing.
The only logical explanation for this is that my nosey neighbor came in here, clearly to get his revenge, plugged the cord in to see it wasn’t working, then went and fixed the electricity himself. Seeing as though I didn’t see him bolting out of the house when I first woke, he must have been out by the electrical box. The music would have turned straight on the second he flicked the right switch.
So, he either took pity on me and fixed it, or he just went to extra lengths to get his revenge. I’m going to go with the revenge option.
But either way, if he did fix the electricity, then I owe him.
Shit.
With the music turned off, I take a moment to calm down. I guess I deserved it. After all, I woke that bastard up yesterday so it’s only fair that he did it to me, but it’s not like I invaded his privacy to do it.
I head back over to my makeshift bed and find my phone. As I bend down, I realize the sleep on the hard floor really did a number on my back. I switch my phone back on and get a look at the time.
That bastard. It’s only a quarter to six in the morning. Screw him. How’d I get the house next to a douchebag neighbor?
I look down at my sleeping bag and cringe. The thought of getting back in that sucks too much, so I may as well get started on my day. With my back hurting every time I move, I bring up the beginner’s yoga app I downloaded a few weeks ago and start my morning with a bit of downward facing dog.
Half an hour later, I’m feeling pretty damn good and start putting together a plan for today. I can’t possibly go another night without a bed, so I’ll have to head out to the shop and order something that’s easy to constantly move around. I should probably get an electrician to come and check the wiring and while I’m at it, I’ll call my trusty carpenter to get started in the bedrooms.
I get a little more demolition done while I wait for a reasonable hour to head out to the shop, and I hope I’m annoying my neighbor while I’m at it.
A few hours later, I walk from shop to shop and get carried away looking at all my different options for home décor. I find a bed that would go perfectly in the guest bedroom and even pick out a fridge so I can at least eat and store food before I get the kitchen done. The lady behind the counter takes all my details and promises that she can get it all delivered this afternoon. I thank her and make my next stop at the homewares store to get some bedding and a few other necessities that I can’t possibly go without.
While I’m out, the dark clouds start coming over so I’m not surprised when there’s a massive crack of thunder, immediately followed by the worst downpour I’ve ever seen.
Crap.
I grab an old newspaper and dash back out to my truck before making my way to the grocery store. I probably should have done all this yesterday, but I was too damn excited to get started knocking shit down.
An hour later, I return back home. The front yard is practically a pond and covered in slushy mud. I have to squish through it all to get to the front door and manage to get absolutely soaked in the process. So, while I’m already wet, I go back for the groceries too.
As I get all the groceries on the kitchen counter, I notice a few puddles of water inside and cringe. I look up and find exactly where the leaks are coming from and find some old buckets to place beneath them.
The excitement I felt yesterday morning when I first arrived is slowly dwindling into a regret. It’s been problem after problem so far and Mr. Asshole next door is the cherry on top. I don’t know how much more bad luck I can handle before I break.
I let out a breath, get myself into dry clothes, and give myself a pep talk.
You can do this, Lex. You’ve done it three times before. You chose a house that was challenging on purpose because you wanted to test yourself. You wanted to push yourself to your limit and that’s exactly what you’re doing. Just handle it, Lex. You’ve got this. Don’t worry about your neighbor. You’ve dealt with much worse and always came out on top. If he wants to play hardball, then play it right back. You’re a Rockstar, Lex.
I’m right. I can do this. From now on, I own this mother.
With a fresh motivation coursing through my veins, I forget about my neighbor, I forget about the giant project ahead of me, and I get shit done.
Chapter 4
Luke
I flinch with the pain and growl through my teeth as I attempt to stop myself from crying out. My body spams, but with my hands tied above my head and my feet dangling just inches from the ground, there’s nothing I can do. My wrists are bound with heavy chains that are draped over a metal pole in the roof. I’m sure my wrists are broken from the pressure, but I can’t think about it, not yet.
I stare into the eyes of the bearded man and watch as a sick, twisted grin comes over his face as he raises his legs and kicks me hard in the ribs. Over and over again. My ribs broke early last week and every day it gets worse. The pain is excruciating, but I don’t make a sound. I’ll never give him the satisfaction.
Every other day, this is the part where he would rip my head up by my hair and demand any and all sorts of information about the USA. He’s asked about the troops stationed here. He’d want their names, want their location, want every detail about our missions, but he quickly realized that I’m not going to break, so instead, I’ve been used as his toy.
The sound of Ben’s sobs beside me breaks my heart as he begs the man to stop. I want to look across at him and tell him I’ll be alright, but I simply don’t have the energy. My mind is solely focused on what this bastard is going to do next. If I allow myself to think of something else, then he catches me off guard and those ones are always the worst.
So, I focus. I focus on him. I focus on his eyes that are as dark as the night sky. I focus on the sick grin that comes over his face. I focus on the way he holds the knife in his fingers, spinning it around in his attempt to appear intimidating. But he’s a coward. He’d never face me if I wasn’t hanging helplessly before him.
The only thing keeping me going is knowing that the second I’m free from these chains, I’ll be snapping the bastard’s neck. I’m not a vicious man. I’ve never had a harmful thought towards a fellow human being in my life, until these last two weeks.
I guess you never truly know yourself until your tested. You never know just how far you’ll go until your pushed to the absolute limit. Until you’re sure you would die at the hands of another person. I doubt I will ever see the light of day again and that scares the shit out of me. I have no doubt that once these bastards realize that they’re wasting their time with us, we’ll both be suffering a long and agonizing death, all for being proud Americans.
The man laughs as he steps towards me with the spinning knife in his hand. “You want something to cry about?” he says in his thick accent before spitting at Ben who lays motionless on the ground after having his turn earlier this morning.
He steps towards him and kicks him in the stomach. “Shut up,” he yells at Ben.
Ben attempts to swallow his sobs which is when my eyes finally turn his way.
My heart breaks. I’ve never seen a grown man so defeated. His body is broken and bruised. He’s covered in the dirt from the ground and he must have lost at least twenty pounds over the past two weeks. What’s worse, is that when he looks up at me, I know he sees the same thing.
I beg him with
my eyes to stop. I can’t handle watching them torture him. He’s only a kid and he’s already seen way too much. This was his first tour and I had only just gotten to know him over the past few months. He has a sweet girlfriend at home who he keeps a photo of in his pocket. He’s his mom and dad’s only child, and his grandmother is waiting for him to come home so she can cook him his favorite meal. He’s too innocent for this shit.
Ben meets my eyes and I see the ache within him. He presses his lips together and forces the sobs down, but that doesn’t stop the tear that falls from his eye and splashes onto the dirt.
Every time I look at him, I promise myself that I’ll get him home to those people who love him, but I just don’t know how I’m going to do that. I don’t even know where the fuck we are or if this bastard is going to take it too far and kill me before I get the chance.
“Where were we?” the man says as he steps back in front of me. “Oh, yes.”
He lifts the knife and studies it before pressing the tip against my skin. I know what’s coming. He’s done this a few times already. He likes his games. He’ll press the tip against my skin and draw a single drop of blood before pulling away and allowing me to think it’s over until he brings it back down and carves a shallow slice into my skin. Deep enough to draw enough blood to make me pass out, but not deep enough so I bleed out.
So, I’m not surprised when the sharp sting follows. I suck in a deep breath and clench my teeth together. It would be best if he did it quickly, but I’m not that lucky, he slowly tears the dirty metal through my skin and it’s the worst pain known to man. I don’t know how much longer I can take this.
On my previous tour, Jace and I had been in a roadside bomb. We each suffered burns that were excruciating, and at the time, I thought that was the worst pain I’d ever endure. I can’t believe how wrong I was.
The man chuckles to himself before stepping to the side of the room and releasing the chain that holds me off the floor.
I crash down to the dirty ground in a crumpled heap. My body aches and my bare chest lays across the dirt. If I don’t die at their hands, then I’m certain it would be from the infection I’m bound to pick up.
I keep my eyes trained on Ben as I refuse to look at the other side of the room, but the memory of what’s over there will forever haunt me. The reason we got into this whole mess. The reason I’m here. Jonesy. One of my closest friends. This was my third tour with him and we were trapped. He was shot down instantly and I guess I’m happy it was quick. He didn’t suffer. We had to get out of there, but Ben refused to leave him behind.
I knew we didn’t have the time. We had to leave him, but I couldn’t leave Ben to take the burden by himself. That split decision cost us both dearly. We should have left his body. I would never have been able to look at his family again, but at least Ben and I would have been safe.
Instead, his lifeless body lay beside me, decomposing. I’ll never forget the smell or the sound of the flies buzzing around him, but what’s worse is the way the rats and maggots feast on him as though he wasn’t alive just two weeks ago.
I can’t reach him. I can’t scare the rats away. There’s nothing I can do to help him.
The man scoffs at the three of us before kicking dirt up into my face, and then finally, he walks away. He opens the door, letting in a glimpse of sunlight which tells me it’s still daytime, before slamming the heavy door and sliding the lock into place.
My eyes grow heavy as the blood loss starts to affect me. “I’m sorry,” Ben says, utterly defeated.
I suck in a shallow breath. “Don’t be,” I tell him moments before the darkness claims me.
----------
“Fuck,” I shriek as I jump straight out of bed and search the room for a threat. My heart rate rises as I’m instantly thrown back into the past. It only takes a moment for me to realize I’m back in my home, not there, and what woke me was the sound of music.
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding and fall down to the edge of my bed. I lean forward on my elbows and hang my head as I try to calm myself. Every time I have that dream it always takes me a moment to bring myself back as the guilt and pain still linger deep within me.
I guess I have my infuriating neighbor to thank for waking me with her awful music.
I take a few more calming breaths before it hits me. The music seems just a little too loud. It’s almost like it’s coming from inside my house, but it couldn’t be. I have a killer security system and if she had snuck in here, my alarm would not have missed it.
I stand up and look right out my bedroom window into hers to find her window pushed wide open with the speaker sitting on the ledge and pointing towards my house. If it was happening to anybody else, I’d find it funny, but when it’s me losing sleep, it’s suddenly the most irritating thing known to man.
As I walk over to the window, I realize what song she has playing. ‘Gives You Hell’ by The All-American Rejects. How fucking appropriate. I grab my window with a scowl heavy on my face and slide it open before leaning out and trying to reach the damn speaker. My fingers are so close, but it’s just out of my reach. I want nothing more than to grab the speaker and smash it into a million tiny pieces so we can put this bullshit to rest.
Don’t get me wrong, I got a complete thrill sneaking in yesterday morning and returning the favor. I didn’t even consider how wrong it was until I’d returned home and heard her stomping around her house in anger. I mean, I don’t usually make a habit of sneaking into women’s homes while they sleep, but she deserved it and when you think about it, she asked for her power cord back. I was just doing my civil duty and helping her out.
I push myself back through my window and figure out how the hell I’m going to shut that noise up and get revenge at the same time when a grin takes over my face. If it’s a battle she wants, then it’s a battle she’ll get. I look around my room and find nothing I’m prepared to part with before ducking into the bathroom and picking up a roll of toilet paper. I cringe at it, but it will have to do.
I walk back into my room and right over to the window before throwing the toilet paper as hard as I can into the speaker. It clatters to the ground with a heavy thump and I practically pat myself on my back before walking out of my room. Part one of the plan, complete.
I practically skip through my house as I head out to the living room. I bend down to get a good look at the cutest little boy in the world. “Good morning, Gerald,” I smile at my snake before getting him his breakfast. “Do you feel like playing a little game?”
I know he’s a snake, but I swear he smiled at me just now.
I go off and get myself showered and ready for the day while giving Gerald a chance to eat his breakfast as I wouldn’t want him making new friends with a hungry tummy.
I open his enclosure and pull him out before hooking his heavy body over my neck. I can’t resist running my hands up and down his long body. He’s a good boy and despite what people think, he’d never hurt anyone. I’ve had him since he was just a baby and he’s become my best friend. Hell, if I could put him on a leash and take him for walks, I would.
With Gerald around my neck, I head out the front door and around the side of the house to where I can easily reach her bedroom window. I lift Gerald up and let him slither on in to explore her place while I proudly walk back around to my front door and back inside the house.
Don’t get me wrong, if I thought that Gerald would even look at her funny, I’d never send him in there, but I trust him completely, and even though I’ve just let him loose in another house, I could spend my day out at Rebels and come home to find him curled up on top of his enclosure.
I go back to my bedroom and lean against the window, watching the show. The speaker has since been picked up, but I still hear the music playing from within the house, only it’s at a reasonable level and not playing songs that let on just how much she hates me.
I look around her bedroom and I have to admit, I’m impressed. She’s onl
y been here for two full days so far and she’s done heaps, especially for a woman doing it all by herself. She’s doing an incredible job and by the dedication, she’s already shown to her project, I don’t doubt the place is going to look amazing. And honestly, it’d be great if I didn’t have to wake up and look at that dump every morning.
I only have to wait a few minutes before the high-pitched scream comes tearing through her window and flows freely through mine. I chuckle to myself and get comfortable on my couch. I have no idea what she’s going to do here, but I’m excited to watch how it all plays out.
She has three real options here. She can either handle it herself. Go to the neighbor on her other side who is a single mother with three little boys, or she can come to me. I know which option I’d take if I were her, but then, she doesn’t seem to do things like usual people do.
My only problem is if she actually has the balls to handle it herself. If she somehow manages to get him in a bucket or box, then I’d have to step in before she gets a reptile guy out to take him, I mean, that would just ruin all my fun.
So, I’m not disappointed when I hear violent knocking at my door, followed by her screams. “Hurry up, you big asshole.”
I laugh to myself as I leisurely get up from my couch and make my way to the door. Her knocking doesn’t cease until I have the door wide open before her. “Can I help you?” I say in a less than enthusiastic tone as I take her in. Just like the first time I saw her, I’m blown away. She’s absolutely gorgeous.
“There’s… there’s a massive s-s-snake,” she tells me with wide eyes.
“What?” I gasp, feigning shock. “A snake?”
“Yes,” she pants as her hands shake in front of her. “Please. Please, you have to get it out.”
I shake my head. “No way,” I tell her, acting as though the very idea terrifies me. “You’re on your own.”
An angry scowl sets itself over her face. “Seriously? You’re just going to leave me with this? Can’t you stop being a jerk for one minute and help me. I swear, I won’t use my speaker anymore.”
Luke: Rebels Advocate (Book 3) Page 3