Page 30 of Breaking Sanity (Hell’s Asylum #1)

Alley

I am not sure what unleashed in me after Carson spit on Libby’s lifeless body. It all feels as if I am viewing everything as a ghost. One of the guards was handing a syringe of some sort to Baron, when my soulless body took action.

She grabs the syringe and the gun out of the guard’s holster.

She flips the safety quickly and shoots the guard in the throat.

Before Baron can grab her she shoots the other guard in the eye and dashes towards Carson.

She at some point grabs his mini machete that he used to strip Libby and pins him to the table as well by driving the blade through the base of his shaft.

She uncaps the lid while ripping his mask off and drives the needle through his eye while pushing the plunger.

I feel my spirit whoosh back into my body.

Using the fact that everyone is frozen in place, I book it out of the room.

I am almost to the stairs when I barrel into an unsuspecting Nik.

We go colliding to the ground but he flips us so his back lands on the floor and I land on his chest. I stare into his confused eyes, but they start to turn dark when Gunner bellows my name.

We both turn our heads to his direction.

He looks like a demon with anger contorting every inch of his facial features and his eyes are almost all the way black.

There is no trace of any color in his irises.

Without a second thought, I knee Nik as hard as I can in the groin and shoot into the door to the staircase.

There is a guard chair at the landing that I use to jam the doorknob.

They’ll have to break this door down to get in.

Did you see Gunner’s face? He is going to send that door flying off its hinges.

Where are we going to hide?

I try to push out their voices as I run up each flight of stairs. Once I hit the third flight, I hear a loud crash and what sounds like metal scraping against concrete.

Told you!

I don’t dare to look over the railing to see who all is coming after me and it’s hard to count the footsteps pounding up the stairs. It just sounds like rumbling thunder for an oncoming shit storm I have created.

I get to the top with them hot on my heels. I know it’s the floor with their actual rooms so I might be able to find something to defend myself since I dropped the gun.

I try the first door, and of course it’s locked, and the second one down is too.

The first door to my right is Nik’s and I don’t want to go back in that one.

There are two doors at the end of the hall, I try the one on the left.

Thank fuck it’s unlocked. I zoom in and lock the door behind me.

It’s very plain and impersonal. The only sign of who’s room I have invaded are the psychology books on the simple wood dresser.

Fuck, this is Baron’s.

I start to run to the window when the door swings open slamming into the interior wall. Unfortunately, when I am only a step away from it, a hand wraps around my arm and yanks me back. Because of the force, I do a 180 and it’s my face to his chest.

Fuck, Fuck, FUCK!!

I don’t have to look up to know who has me. The scent of cedarwood and vanilla fill my nose. It’s usually oddly comforting and gives me a sense of safety. Which I understand given the circumstances is strange, but hey my mind is at war with itself, so what the fuck do I know.

Gunner gently snakes his hand through my hair and lightly pulls my head up to meet his gaze.

The gentle grip and the soft caress on my cheek contradicts his black, murderous eyes, boring holes into mine.

My legs start to tremble in fear as if I am seeing the gates of hell open up and this demon is about to drag me through them by any means necessary.

“Gunner, let her go.” Baron’s voice is almost a whisper as he comes up behind Gunner and touches his shoulder.

“I can’t,” Gunner grinds his teeth and his hold in my hair goes from gentle to punishing.

“You can. She isn’t going to run anymore. Are you Alley?” He turns his glare to me and the look in his eye is all I need to know that Gunner is past the point of return.

“No, master,” I try to say as calmly as possible. “I am not going anywhere. You caught me.” I lift my hand and brush my fingertips up and down his forearm as his hand is frozen on my cheek.

“See, Gunny. Your pet is going to be a good girl and wait for us to come back after we check on Carson.” Baron lifts his eyebrow as if waiting for me to respond or do something.

I quickly interlock my fingers with Gunner’s but slowly move his hand off my cheek.

His nostrils flare but he makes no move to stop me, and the aquamarine is returning.

Placing his hand on my waist, I glide my hands up his chest and cup his cheeks, lightly pulling his face towards mine.

His hand is still wrapped in my hair making it a little difficult to get my lips to touch his.

“Kiss me, master,” I whisper and he finally snaps out of it and our lips collide.

He pries my lips apart, devouring me. All the images of our first kiss come rushing back, but before I can get swept away in it, he is tossing me to the floor and storming out of the room.

“I definitely underestimated your hold on him,” Baron says aloud while we watch his retreating form. The multicolor purge mask catches my eye when I turn back to look at Baron.

“I am not sure what you mean by that,” I say, standing up and brushing myself off.

“Don’t play dumb, Kukla. It doesn’t suit you,” He retorts, keeping his distance.

“Both of you keep her in here until we all return. My brothers need a cool down period before we deal with the turn of events,” he orders Shadow and the white purge mask, who are standing on either side of the entrance. They both nod as Baron goes to leave.

“You should probably change Carson’s name to Carlie,” I laugh, crossing my arms. Baron stops dead in his tracks.

Oh, we were so close.

Like why?

“I would suggest you quit while you are behind,” he warns, turning on his heel and coming straight towards me.

“Vaughn has always been overprotective of Carson. Nik and Gunner have their own connection to him. So, you’ll be lucky if I am able to talk them out of killing you.

You may have been able to get the red haze to retreat from Gunner’s vision but that won’t last long if you open your mouth.

Now stay put and let me do what I do best.”

“Carson deserved worse than what he got,” I snap.

See Ember, the self-preservation button is broken.

Shut up Raven!!

“We will finish this conversation later. Try to get out of this room Alley, and I will destroy Piper and what’s left of Annie while you watch.

Then I’ill make you wish you were dead. You think what I did to you in solitary was the worst?

We’ve barely scratched the surface of what I want to do to you. ”

He turns back to leave nodding at the two men. When he is almost through the door, I go to open my mouth but Shadow shakes his head telling me to not push.

Fuck it.

“Whatever you do to me, just know I will do worse to you, Baron. I am not the only one who has a soft spot.”

“There are no cameras in here so if she tries to leave or acts up, use any means to keep her in line,” he says, slamming the door.

Shadow keeps his body facing me, but I can’t tell if he’s looking at me or the other guard who pulls out his phone.

Instead of engaging with them, I head into the bathroom to clean up but leave the door open out of habit.

Like Vaughn said, those who don’t behave don’t get privacy.

I relieve myself and go to wash my hands.

I start to turn the knob for the hot water when the sight of red on my fingers stops me. Libby’s blood.

I wanted to comfort her and let her know she wasn’t alone.

That someone who truly cared for her would be with her until the end.

When I curled my fingers around hers as she cried, the only thing I could think of to soothe her was to sing her comfort song.

She knew she was going to die the second her name was called.

I saw it in her eyes. Then when Baron beckoned her, it just confirmed it.

Watching that whole scene play out was brutal.

I promised her I would protect Piper and Annie no matter what.

Keeping to my word, I had to force myself to just stand there and watch.

Carson already showed that he knew how to hurt me when he raped Eve on my bed about a week ago.

Which I have not slept on since. I just cuddle up with Annie every night.

I have gotten the majority of the story of what happened to Annie and even what happened to her previous roommate.

I have my suspicions for who set Annie up but I am not sure how to prove it yet.

Although I have only been out of solitary for a couple of weeks, I built bonds with the girls quickly. A few shared punishments and you start to cling to any kindness with those who also suffer. Trauma Bonding.

Libby and I would talk a lot when we were in the day room or during meals.

Hell, our first time talking we held our very own rock concert that some of the other girls joined in on.

It was truly a blast and the first time I have smiled in a while.

Vaughn tried to shut our fun down quickly.

Let’s just say he didn’t succeed. I don’t let those assholes ruin any fun that we try to have because we need something other than dwell in the madness of this place.

I start to viciously scrub my hands as the image of Libby mouthing I love you before she lets herself go to a better place starts to flood my mind. Finally, I let the tears fall.