My head swam in anguish. The pain, both emotional and physical, was far beyond my tolerance level. Spitting the abundance of blood to the side, I closed my eyes, hanging limply from the ropes. I wouldn’t fight any more. I refused to play into James’ sick and twisted games. Adding to the guilt I already felt, I could only imagine how Nick would feel when he saw James’ handiwork.
“Enjoy the video. It’ll probably be the last time you see her.” With eyes closed, I listened as he moved away from me. His upbeat whistling began again, denying me even a moment of reprieve with its sickening soundtrack to my suffering. I wanted to pass out, escape both the pain and James’ presence. But when I heard him shuffling back toward me, I couldn’t help but look. Like watching a train wreck, it was impossible to turn away even when you knew you couldn’t stop it.
James had grabbed the camera and was bringing it closer to me, lifting and lowering it to pan up and down my body. “Oh, and, Nick, thanks for taking such good care of her. I was pleasantly surprised to find that her virtue hadn’t been spoiled in any way.”
With that, he turned the phone toward him and pushed a button to stop the recording. A huge, sickening smile blossomed across his face as he shoved the device into his pants pocket. “Thank you for behaving, kitten. Or misbehaving, I suppose. Either way, it was perfect. Don’t you think?”
“Fuck you!” I growled, immediately feeling the repercussions of pain pummel my head.
“Ah, yes, soon enough that’ll come. Get it? Come?” He laughed.
“Why are you doing this to us?” I asked in disbelief. I knew there’d never be a good answer. Nothing could explain someone like him. Yet, I had to know what provoked him to hurt me so.
With an ugly sneer, his laugh ceased as he looked at me with unadulterated hatred and anger. The magnitude of his disgust was like nothing I’d ever witnessed before. “He’s no better than I am! Don’t you know what he did? How he came to own you?”
His words caught me off guard. I hadn’t expected him to bring Nick up in response. I thought he’d answer with some stupid bullshit like he couldn’t help himself, or I was made for his pleasure. Instead, with only a few words, he’d grabbed my attention as I waited anxiously to hear his reply.
Shaking my head, I held my breath and waited for him to finish.
“He made a deal with our boss. You know, the one he kills for whenever there’s a contract out on someone?” It was impossible to contain my gasp, even though I was straining to show no emotion whatsoever. “Yeah, didn’t think you knew that little fact.” James shook his head and started pacing back and forth in front of me. “Anyhow, he traded his life for yours pretty much. He continues being the boss’ bitch and you continue being owned by someone. It’s actually quite humorous.” He paused and looked over at me, assessing my current condition, and laughing depreciatingly before continuing. “The guy was about to be granted immunity from the crew’s law. Allowed to leave and start a new life. That’s unheard of! Then two weeks later, he takes you in and gives it all up.” James huffs in disgust and turns away, suddenly preparing to leave. Just before he was out of sight, he came to a sudden stop and glanced back. “Isn’t that just romantic? That’s why this entire payback is such poetic justice.” With a quickness reappearing in his step, he left the room, laughing the entire way up the stairs.
My entire being felt like he’d just taken a blow torch to it. Everything Nick had told me suddenly made sense. Not just the part about not leaving the cabin and staying safe, but about him wanting to start over and all his dreams to move on to a new life. He’d sacrificed it all for me. And here I was, chained to a wall. I’d thrown it all away by being careless. The one video where I could’ve said something, I’d stayed silent. Regardless of James’s words, I knew Nick wasn’t trying to own or control me. He’d given up everything he had worked for in order to give me back as much of my freedom as he possibly could. If anything, Nick was the one being owned by everyone else.
It was almost morning. The sky was starting to lighten with the promise of a new day’s possibilities, but I’d lost the optimistic outlook hours ago. Nothing had gone as I’d hoped. After deciding to do my own search, I couldn’t locate any cars that even resembled the ones I was looking for. Knowing my time was running out, I pushed the gas pedal harder and ignored the endless fatigue that fought against my body. I would do whatever it took to get her back. Even if that meant making more deals with Boss.
Flying through lights and speeding down every street, I finally made my way to the warehouse. By this time of day, most of the guys would already have gone to sleep in their rooms there or left to go to their homes. I had no idea if Boss was still awake. He often made sure all the loose ends were closed out before crashing. I could only hope that he was. It would be even better if I found him without any female companions for once, too.
I quickly made my way inside, inserting the code, and nodding to the muscle that guarded the door. The place was just a shell divided into rooms or offices, as the men liked to call them. It served a purpose and nothing else—illegal activities and partying night after night. To me, it was hell on Earth. Plain and simple.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I hurried down the hall, the last door on the right my only focus. With a quick knock, I didn’t wait to be asked in. Opening the door, I rushed inside, only to come to a screeching halt. Standing before me was another guard, this one holding a gun aimed directly at my head. Boss was standing behind his desk in an equally intimidating pose with a bigger gun aimed at my body.
“What the fuck, Nick?” he called out. “You almost got yourself shot! You know better than that!”
With my hands in the air, I hurried to tell him what I had to say before he kicked me out. “I’m sorry. Listen, you remember that girl we traded on? Someone here took her. I need your help.”
A slow, sinister grin began to grow, quickly replacing the confused look, and turning into a full blown smile as he slowly lowered his gun and placed it within sight on the desk. “Is that so?” he asked, fully aware of what needing help from the big man meant. “Leave us, Mike. But don’t go far. I may need your assistance later.”
I lowered my arms when the other guy tucked his gun in his waistband. With a nod, he left the room, allowing me to stay and plead my case.
An hour later, I could barely walk from the lack of sleep or food. Not to mention the stressful back and forth bargaining I’d had to make to get a few lousy addresses. I was now minus two houses, Boss gaining those with our agreement. But I couldn’t have cared less. As long as my life could move on and I could get to Gwen in time, I would’ve traded anything. He’d wanted me to agree to another two years of service. In return, he’d send all his men, guns blazing to find the girl. It was tempting, but that would’ve left her in another unsafe environment and me indebted to the devil even longer. After much arguing back and forth, I’d finally found a way to tempt him into giving me what I needed. Greed.
I was betting everything that James had something to do with this. The guy was excellent at recon and setting up unexpected ambushes, but his visit the other day proved he wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box. After the incident at the lake, his sudden appearance was too suspicious. Either he was in on it, or he knew who was. Either way, I was going to find out. May God forgive me for what I would do when I did.
Back in my car once again, I turned the radio up and drank the stale coffee I’d grabbed from the convenient store. I should’ve just bought the instant coffee grains and eaten them. They probably would’ve done a better job. But with renewed spirits and a bit of caffeine, my adrenaline was kicking into high gear as I raced through morning traffic to the other side of town. Just as I pulled up to a red light, my phone started ringing, followed by a quick vibration. Grabbing it from the seat beside me, I wondered who it could be at this time of day. Unless it was Boss, I had no clue. Swiping my finger across the screen, I almost dropped the coffee in my other hand. It was the number I’d found and trace
d back to James. He’d sent a video message. My heart plummeted, my stomach feeling like I was fallen from a thousand stories up.
A siren rushing by pulled my attention back to the road before me. Shaking my head, I drove a little farther and pulled the car over, slamming it into park. I feared the worst and braced myself for what the video would reveal. Would I be too late? Would he show her beaten and bruised or sliced apart and dying? The possibilities were endless as they pummeled my mind.
With a shaky hand, I pressed play. Sure enough, it was her. My beautiful angel was tied to a wall, disgraced once again. From the looks of her, James had just begun his sickening and masochistic fun. Gripping the phone with all my might, I swore I could see into her soul. Her eyes were fixed on the camera, unwavering in their intensity. It was like she was looking right at me, fighting to appear strong when it was evident she was anything but.
When the video came to an end, I realized I hadn’t really watched anything or listened to a word he’d said. My entire focus was on the woman I’d grown to love and the pain I knew she was suffering because of me. Turning the volume up, I gritted my teeth and listened to his sadistic games as he violently touched someone who deserved nothing less than to be worshipped and treated with reverence. He’d made sure that I could see him hit, violate, and shower her with complete disdain. She’d looked a bit battered at the beginning, her will strong and unwavering. But by the end, she was broken, the endless blood and pain evident for any to see. As soon as the clip finished, I took one last look at her eyes, swore that I’d find her, and threw my phone against the windshield.
I’d never known such rage and anger before. I thought I’d been upset many times throughout my life, but nothing had felt quite like this. Putting the car back in gear, I whipped back into traffic and barreled toward my destination. A red haze flooded my vision, a single-minded purpose urging me on. With every block I passed, I replayed his words, her look, his touch, her blood, and thought I’d go crazy before I got there. I knew it was pointless to pray for my sake; I was going to hell regardless. But for her, I begged and pleaded with God to help me find her in time.
A few minutes later, I pulled up in front of an old white cape cod house that looked like it had seen better days—about fifty years ago. Boss had indicated that this was where James usually stayed. It seemed to fit what I knew of the man. The paint was peeling, gutters were hanging off or completely missing, the grass wasn’t cut, windows were cracked, and instead of curtains, blankets covered every window. If I’d had more sense, I would’ve taken the time to park further down and disguise myself, but after watching that video and having it on repeat in my mind during the entire thirty-minute drive, I was beside myself. Grabbing my reserve Glock from the glove compartment, I added it to the one I had in my waistband and exited the car with vengeance the only thing on my mind.
My wrists were beginning to turn purple, the skin starting to chafe. I’d yanked, swung, and tried everything, every twist I could, but nothing made the bolts budge. If my arms weren’t so sore, I would’ve just hung from them and given my legs a break. The cramps continued, growing in intensity and becoming utterly unbearable. If that wasn’t enough, I had to pee. I assumed he wanted me to do my business where I stood, but I already felt ashamed and dirty. Did I need to have the stench of piss running down my leg and surrounding me as well? Considering my lack of options, I decided I had nothing to lose.
“I need to go the bathroom!” I yelled, both fearful he’d return and hopeful he’d let me off the hooks to go. “Please?” It was incredibly difficult to hold it in with my legs spread and my clothing gone. “Please!” I cried out again. My self-respect was diminished, and I was in too much pain to care. If lowering myself to being submissive and begging for anything he gave me was what he wanted, then I was past the point of denying his wishes. “James! Please come help me!”
A few minutes later, the sound of footsteps descending the stairs echoed through the room, sending a jolt of fear and relief shooting through my veins. When he came around the corner and into view, I realized he’d been sleeping, his hair a mess and his eyes still sleepy.
“Really? You couldn’t just go?” He stood in front of me, looking at me like I was insane. “This does present a challenge. Doesn’t it?”
“I swear, I just want to pee,” I begged him, trying to infuse my words with reassurance. “I’ll be good. I promise. I’ll do anything you tell me to.”
“Hmm.” He smirked, his evil mind spinning with ideas. “What will you do for me in return?”
I may have said the words, but I wasn’t willing to bargain with him. Not in the way he wanted me to. Hadn’t he already degraded me enough for one day? “Whatever you want. Just please take me off the wall. I won’t spit or bite again. I swear!” I fought against the tears threatening to break free, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he was breaking me.
“Fine. I’ll let you down. You can use the bucket for your duties, but your feet stay chained.” He looked at me expectantly. I knew I should thank him, but that went a little too far. I couldn’t get the words out even if I tried. “After you piss, you’ll be on the mattress.” He nodded his head in the direction of the dilapidated piece of bedding.
Without any further words, he started whistling and pulled the knife from his pocket to cut the ropes from my arms. First one, then the other fell to my side. Their weight was foreign and painful, my shoulders protesting the sudden change. Reaching up, I crossed my arms and gently rubbed the backs of both of them. Not only did it help some, it provided a small amount of coverage and gave me a piece of my modesty.
As if he knew exactly what I was thinking, he grabbed the bucket from the side of the room and brought it to me. Placing it beside me, he took both my wrists in his hand, ignoring the pain he knew it caused and pulled my arms to my sides. “Never cover yourself in my presence. Do you understand?” The smile had been replaced by a sinister warning. I knew better than to defy him at this point. Especially when the bucket was so close and I could barely wait another minute.
“Yes,” I answered firmly, showing him I could be trusted.
“Good.” He pulled a key from his pocket and used it to unlock the chains and reposition them so they were locked in place with longer length to move around. “Do your business and be on the mattress when I return.”
With that said, he turned and walked away. I listened as his steps rushed up the stairs, and he closed the door. Knowing I was limited on time, I slowly moved my legs together. Inch by inch I brought them back to a normal standing position. My hips screamed in pain, protesting, and fighting to stay as they were. But the relief slowly came as my muscles gradually relaxed and returned to normal.
I may have just bargained for something far worse than what he’d already done, but for the few minutes I had to myself, I could be comfortable and somewhat modest. Grabbing the bucket, I completed my business as he’d said, using my hanging underwear to wipe off with. I knew it would remain attached at my feet, but it was better than drip drying or not wiping at all.
With a deep sigh, I slowly stretched my body and made my way over to the mattress. My muscles had been so cramped it took time to complete the ten or so steps. But once there, I made my way to the corner and lowered myself into a sitting positioning, pulling my knees up as close to my chest as possible. The action brought back a plethora of memories and made me realize I’d obeyed James for the first time. I wanted to be angry with myself, argue that I needed to fight back. But I was too exhausted, and the pain wouldn’t subside. I knew the only roads out of here would be a rescue—which was impossible— or for me to do what he said and hope for an opportunity to escape.
Minutes later, I jerked upright, realizing I’d fallen to the side, curled up in a ball. My body was demanding I sleep, but the sound of angry yelling could be heard drifting down through the ceiling vents. James was yelling at someone. Was somebody else in the house with us? Did I have a chance at getting their att
ention? Or were they all like him and Alex, wanting only to please themselves in sick and depraved ways?
When his voice quieted to a murmur, I gave up and laid back down. I’d picked the cleanest spot I could find on the beat up old mattress. The corner where the two walls met provided support and a good vantage point so I could see everything in the room around me. All this while avoiding the countless stains that littered the fabric from top to bottom. It wasn’t much, but it was far better than the wall.
Releasing a long, sorrowful sigh, I refused to think any more. After trying unsuccessfully to wipe the dried blood off my face, I spit in my hand and scrubbed as much as I could bear. It was pointless actually. I didn’t know why I bothered. But something about knowing it was there ate away at me, making me feel like a part of him remained with me even when he was gone.
Satisfied with the half-assed clean up job, I ignored the throbbing that persisted in my face and returned to the position that had seen me through many hard times. It took some work to convince my muscles to cooperate, but eventually, I was able to pull my knees up tightly against my chest and wrap my arms around my legs. Closing my eyes, I surrendered to the sleep my body so badly needed.
Nothing. There was absolutely nothing in the fucking house. It was completely empty other than beer cans, random drug paraphernalia, and endless garbage from squatters who’d taken it over. I imagined when the sun would set, the place would be jumping with activity. As it was, there currently wasn’t even a spider spinning a web.
Slamming the door shut, I glanced around at the surrounding neighborhood. The homes were all built close together, separated only by a narrow concrete drive and a tiny patch of grass. It was a typical old style, city neighborhood that had popped up during the fifties when big factories had moved into the area and begun to develop. Comparing James’ house to the others, none seemed to be in disarray like this. Each had tiny manicured lawns, flowers on porches, and welcome mats out front. It appeared as though they made the most of their property, decorating with love regardless of how much money they had. The thought of what families lived there shot a pang of sorrow through my heart. Gwen deserved beautiful gardens and hanging flowers. She deserved a life filled with babies and grandchildren.
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