by L. Grubb
“You don’t really know what Louis is like, do you?” I mumble. “How would you like it if you had a brother that raped your sister? Tell me, what would you do?”
“You lie. Louis only wants a little payback for you telling the courts all those horrible lies about him.” His smirk fills up half his face making him look even more like a troll. “He never laid a hand on you, princess. You just wish he did.”
“You’re both as sick as each other. He would never have been convicted if there wasn’t enough evidence. Oh, I provided plenty of that.” Fear slips aside as anger fills my veins. This man is just as incorrigible as Louis, just as vile. I can sense it in the way his eyes shift down to my breasts and the way he licks his lips. I shiver inside, knowing if he wanted to do anything to me then I’d be powerless to stop it. At the thought of my limbs being tied to the posts of the bed, I realize how numb my hands are yet how raw my wrists feel. The combination of different pain diverts my attention from the thug in the corner.
“Louis is a little pussy cat compared to me, princess, remember that.” He winks at me before sitting back lazily in the chair, crossing his ankle over his knee. “I could do a lot worse to you than Louis has ever done before.”
“Ah, so now you telling me he did do it? You’ve certainly changed your tune,” I sneer, eyes narrowed onto his.
He falters at my words because he just realized what he’d been saying. “He never raped you is what I meant. I can imagine he did hit you because you’re a pain in the ass.”
“I’m not a pain in the ass if I’m just pointing out the obvious, Mr whatever-your-name-is. You just don’t like someone else having one up on you.” I smirk to myself because even though I may be frightened at the situation, and completely defenseless, I still have that streak running through me to stick up for myself; protect myself.
“Shut up, you little bitch. Unlike Louis, I don’t care whether you’re dead. I’d happily gut you like a fucking fish.” Fire burns behind his eyes at his own words and I swallow hard. Okay, maybe this guy isn’t someone to mess with.
I snap my mouth shut when I see him pull a gun from under his leather jacket, the shiny silver metal glinting under the bare bulb hanging on the ceiling of the room. I make a motion of zipping my mouth shut, as best I can while being restrained, and throwing away the key and he growls at me. Trying my best not to smirk at how easy it was to rile him up, I close my eyes and think of Jay. My face screws up immediately because I have no clue how he is after the crash, where he is or even if he’s still alive.
Banging from outside the door makes us both jump and Louis soon comes barreling through the door at speed. “Right, I’m back.”
“Yeah, we can see that, boss.” Louis throws the dude a menacing look before glancing over at me. Desire flashes in his eyes and I cringe. I’m sure there’s a look of pure disgust on my face but he either doesn’t really notice or doesn’t actually care.
“Hmm, I see my little dove is more awake today. Brilliant,” he says, pure delight dancing in his evil eyes. “Let the games begin.”
“You sure this is the right thing to do? You’ll do more time.” Louis glances at the guy. “Just sayin’, is all.”
“Well shut up, Marco, this is none of your business. I’m paying you to watch her not give your input.” Louis spits on the floor at the guy’s feet. “Also, who said I’ll be caught? No one knows where we are, or that I even managed to get out of prison in the first place.”
“I know it’s none of my business but I’m pretty sure they’ll know you escaped prison as you’re kinda not there,” I give my two cents because it seems my fate is already sealed.
“Shut up, Jasmine. Don’t get smart with me. You know what I’m capable of…” His words drift off to let me think about it a little, I’m guessing. “I can make it so much more painful for you if you don’t keep that smart mouth of yours shut.”
I sigh and lay head back on the pillow thinking of the many hurtful things I want to do to him but am too chickenshit - yeah, I swore in my head, I know what you’re thinking, I may not swear aloud but that doesn’t mean I don’t curse like a sailor in my head - to say anything out loud.
Louis turns around after rummaging through a backpack that he dragged into the room with him and in his grasp is a whip. A leather one at that. My eyes widen because I remember well the pain that thing inflicts. “Please, no.”
“Oh, I love it when you beg, little dove.” He brings the whip down hard on my bare stomach and I scream until my throat feels like it’s bleeding but he doesn’t stop at one. I’m not sure how long my body can cope with this immense pain. Someone has to know where I am, or at least someone has to be trying to find me… especially if they know that Louis is not in his cell at Virginia State of Corrections Prison. They’ll know immediately that I’m in danger.
I scrape my hands down my face and rub at my sore eyes. I can’t remember the last time I slept. We’ve been back in Virginia for four days now and we’ve had Frankie for three of those. I’m getting more and more frustrated because he isn’t breaking, no matter how many times I taunt him.
I’ve pulled teeth out, pulled his fingernails off, perforated his eardrum… his face is black and blue and I know he definitely has a broken jaw and nose, and still... nothing.
I’m at my wits end, Jas will be expecting me to save her and I’m not any closer than I was when I first woke up in that hospital bed.
“He’s not gonna crack,” Ryan tells me.
I huff and lean back in the metal chair opposite Frankie. He’s slumped down in the chair, having passed out after the last round of beatings.
Gritting my teeth, I say, “I’ll get him to talk.”
I maneuver over to him and cut the ropes that surround his body, he falls to the floor, still not awake. This is the perfect time to do this, it means that I won’t have a struggle on my hands.
“Let the chain down.”
Ryan does as I say and kicks the chair out of the way while I strip Frankie of all of his ‘ghetto’ clothes. It’s a nasty job but somebody has to do it.
“Hold him up,” I tell Ryan. His look of disgust tells me that he wants to be anywhere but here right now, but he wouldn’t be anywhere else.
He’s loyal to a fault. He’s been by my side since we were kids and nothing has changed, not even my stint in prison came between us. He was waiting at the gates for me the day I got out with a bottle of Whiskey in his hand and a grin on his face.
I tie the rope around his wrists and roll him over, and then together we manage to get his wrists over the hook that hangs in the middle of the room.
I step back, tilting my head at Ryan, signaling him to pull the chain up.
Frankie starts to stir as he’s lifted in the air, his eyes open a crack, probably as far as they can go and then he opens his mouth.
“Ah ah ah,” I scold him before he’s even said anything. “Unless you’re going to tell me where Louis has Jas, I suggest you keep your mouth shut.”
His chest rises and falls on quickened breaths, I can tell he’s starting to panic. I would too if I was hanging from the ceiling, naked.
“Time’s running out,” I say. I don’t know who I’m talking to, myself or Frankie. “You know what he did, right?” I raise my brow when he doesn’t answer and I cross my arms over my chest. “That’s your cue to talk.”
“I don’t give a fuck what he did,” he croaks out, blood and saliva rolling down his chin.
I steady my breathing as my hands clench into fists. “He raped his little sister… repeatedly,” I manage to grit out through clenched teeth.
“So?”
My nostrils flare and I take a step forward but stop when his lips move into a smirk. The fucker is trying to get the better of me.
I close my eyes and step back, gaining my composure. Walking back to the table, I pick up the red can from underneath it and twist the top off.
“You smell that?” I ask, grinning when he starts to squirm. “I’m st
arting to think you don’t care about what Louis did because you’ve done something similar. You seem to think that type of behavior is acceptable but I’m here to remind you it’s not.”
I watch him intently, waiting for his reaction.
“You know what men in prison do to rapists?” I don’t expect an answer and I don’t get one either as I take a few steps toward him. I’m five feet away from him now.
“They cut off your dick,” I say nonchalantly, raising a brow and laughing at the look of horror on his face. “I think you’re exactly like Louis, you get off on women who are screaming ‘no’.”
“I-”
“Don’t bother.” I raise my hand in the air, silencing him. “I’m not gonna cut your dick off.” I can see his sense of relief from the breath that he blows out. “But I am going to burn it off. I’m gonna sit here and watch as the gasoline creates an inferno and shrivels your already pathetic dick and balls into ash. You’ll never be able to do it again.”
“No! No!”
I ignore his pleas, they don’t matter to me now. Whether he gives me Louis’ location or not, he won’t be in the land of living by the time the sun comes up, he’ll be in the pits of hell.
I throw the can at him making sure he’s covered from head to toe, paying special attention to his dick. Lifting my arm up to my nose, I place it into the crook of my elbow, trying not to breathe in the fumes.
I throw the can at the wall behind him and step back. There’s no sound now, I’m in the dark recesses of my mind and I don’t think anything can bring me back from here. I never wanted to lose control again, not like I did while I was in prison, but I’m done playing Mr Nice Guy.
I pull a cigarette out of my pocket and light the end, inhaling the smoke and letting it back out.
“Last chance,” I warn. “Where is she?”
“Fuck!” He squirms, trying to get free but both he and I know that he isn’t going anywhere. “He’s… He’s at Marco’s.”
The breath leaves my body at his confession. If there’s one person that’s worse than Louis, it’s Marco.
I throw the cigarette at his groin and watch as his dick goes up in flames then spreads to the rest of his body. The smell of burning skin coats the room and his screams get louder and louder.
I’m fascinated, watching the bright orange and yellow flames as they eradicate his junk, his skin puckering and sizzling. Neither me or Ryan move an inch as we watch him burn alive.
It’d be kinder to shoot him in the head, even slit his throat, but I’m not feeling kind. The evil part of my brain has taken over and now I’m in full on attack mode.
I’ll be getting Jas back before the week is out, even if it kills me.
Four years ago
I pull up to the high school, turn the engine off and step out of the car before leaning on the hood. I’m dressed in my dark blue jeans, combat boots and a black t-shirt with my tattoos on full display. I cross my legs at my ankles and lean my arm back, letting the warmth of the engine seep into the palms of my hands.
It’s Tuesday, not our usual day, but when she told me that her study session was canceled, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to spend time with her.
I hear the bell ring and students come pouring out of the double doors and down the steps. Several groups of students stand together on the grass as I wait, talking and turning to look at me.
I know I’m a new face here, I know they’re wondering who I am, but I just smirk and wait.
As soon as I see her wild hair, my heart starts to beat faster. She doesn’t look up until she’s at the bottom of the stairs and when she does, her eyes widen and her hand clutches her chest.
My eyes don’t move from hers and I track her as she walks closer. My grin widens and so does hers and then she’s walking faster, practically running at me. I open my arms when she’s a few feet away and catch her as she jumps at me.
Wrapping my arms around her waist, I breathe her in, I can never get enough of her.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, pulling back, her lips just inches from mine.
“Thought we could hang?”
She smiles and leans closer. For a second, I think she’s going to kiss me, but she doesn’t. She catches herself and clears her throat, looking around at the attention that we’re garnering and slides down my body, and damn if I don’t feel every curve of her. My hand trails against her ass as she plants her feet back on the floor and I know I didn’t imagine the shiver it caused.
I look away, trying to get some self-control.
“Where are we going then?”
“Erm…” I shake my head and look back down at her. “Thought we could go and get something to eat?”
“Can we go to that new burger place?” she asks as she walks to the passenger side.
“You bet.”
My stomach bottoms out as I get in the car and drive away, realizing that this is technically our first date. At least, I think it is. Fuck! I sound like a chick. I’m gonna lose my man card if I’m not careful.
We eat burgers, fries and drink shakes, talking non-stop. That’s the thing with Jas, once you get to know her she’s not the quiet girl everyone thinks she is. She never stops talking and it’s not just noise, she talks about so many different things. Important things like politics - which I cannot stand- her studies and the latest music.
I’m just shoving the last couple of fries into my mouth when Jas squeaks. My head whips up and I furrow my brows at her. Her back is ramrod straight and all the color has drained from her face.
“Jas?”
She shakes her head and I go to turn around to see what she’s staring at but she grabs my hand and flicks her eyes to me.
“Please, just stay here, I have to go.”
“Wait-”
“No,” she whisper-shouts, standing up and grabbing her bag. “Don’t follow me, Jay. I have to go.”
She scoots out of the booth and I grab the napkin holder, turning it and using it as a mirror, watching as she walks up to a guy stood in the doorway. He grabs her arm roughly and pulls her against him. I stand up out of the booth, ready to go over there. Who the hell is this guy?
My eyes connect with hers and she shakes her head, warning me not to come closer. Her eyes beg me and I try to decipher what is in their depths but I can’t, there’s something that she’s not telling me. I’ll be making sure she tells me, but for now, I’ll let her go. I don’t like it, not one bit, but I let her walk out of that door.
It’s my biggest regret.
The pain has me screaming until I swear my throat is bleeding. It’s so raw that I can’t swallow anything, not that I’m getting much drink or food anyway but still, that’s not the point. I can feel the welts throbbing against my stomach and thighs and I can hear Louis’ heavy breathing from beside me. I have my eyes firmly shut as my body shakes and tries to fight the pain. “You’ll remember me for the rest of your life, little dove. You’ll not forget me ever again.” One last slash against my thighs and he leaves the room, leaving the guard in the corner sat there with his… thing in his hand.
Feeling utterly disgusted, I squeeze my thighs shut. I want to curl into a ball, but the ropes that bind me prevent that from happening. I don’t pray, or believe in someone higher up that makes wishes come true, but I pray silently for someone to save me from these monsters. I’m guessing I’m held in a remote place because otherwise someone would have heard my screaming by now.
The grunting from the corner has me wanting to throw up but I don’t. I won’t give these assholes that satisfaction. I will not break down. The tears are rolling slowly down my face because it feels like I never left home, everything is the same as before I left Louis and my family behind, before I found my wings and flew. Just when I thought everything with Jay may work out - eventually - something gets in the way and I have no idea if he’s even looking for me. Does he even care? Why would he? I’ve been a frigid bitch to him. I’ve kept him at a distance when I wanted to pull h
im close. I’m so flippin’ stupid! Why couldn’t I see what was right in front of me? Why am I only now having a relationship revelation at this particular moment? Bound to a bed, naked, and at my monster of a brother’s mercy. As sickening as this is for people, this is unfortunately my life… except for the last few years in college.
Picturing Jay in my head is helping me through this, the loneliness that’s deep inside of me. The growing hole in my heart feels like it will never repair. It won’t anyway if I die at the hands of my brother. He’s certainly determined to make me his forever.
“MARCO!” Louis’ growling voice echoes through the whole cabin and the big dude in the corner jolts in his chair, toppling ungracefully onto the floor. I snort quietly because, come on, that was funny.
He snarls at me before leaving the room, slamming the door behind him. I let out a long sigh, not realizing how tense I really am. Well, that’s understandable considering the situation, right?
“Something amusing you, little dove?” Louis is soon looming over me with a sneer on his face. “I assume the situation isn’t fun for you. I can always make it less enjoyable if you wish.” The smirk that fills the left side of his face is full of promise, of pain and torture. I soon have my teeth clamped shut.
Louis looks the length of my body before resettling on my eyes. Shivers shake my body as I lay there completely still thinking happy thoughts while he stares intently at me with dark, hooded eyes. As my body tenses with what’s to come there is a loud bang that resonates around the whole small space, shaking the walls and a few things fall off the tiny shelf that hangs just to the side of the door. Louis stands straight and his face goes white. He gives me one last evil look before turning on his heels and storming out of the room… I’m pretty sure he was growling under his breath too.
Please God, let it be someone that can help me!!!