Page 49

Chapter forty-nine

I come awake with a loud gasp and cool metal wrapped around my wrists. My toes never touch the floor. Instead, they dangle above the tub of tepid water underneath them.

Sucking in huge gasps of air, I shiver as the cool breeze floats across the surface of my bare skin.

Sometime between the time they kidnapped me to the time I woke up, they’ve removed my clothes and suspended me from a set of thick chains anchored to the ceiling of wherever the hell they’re holding me.

Panic tries to creep inside, but I viciously shove it out, knowing I’ll never survive if I let it get its grip on me. I need to stay as clear-headed as possible if I want the slimmest chance of escaping from this hell I’ve found myself in.

I knew my circumstances were going to be dire when I handed myself over to Killer. Call me na?ve, but I never expected to wake up after being drugged to find myself hanging over a tub of water as naked as the day I was born.

The jaunty whistling from the theme song of that show where they’re all shipwrecked on an island has my head jerking toward the door.

When Killer steps through, my body shakes. I’ve been holding the fear at bay as much as possible, but seeing him standing in front of me after knowing what he’s capable of, I’m unable to hold it back any longer. There’s no way I’m leaving here breathing. The sooner I make peace with that, the easier this process will be on my soul. I can disassociate from the pain easier knowing my people are safe.

“Oh, goodie. You’re awake.” He claps. “Now, the real fun can begin.”

I keep quiet, knowing it’s only a matter of time before he has me opening my mouth anyway. I’ll hold off on giving him that satisfaction as long as possible. Not that I’ll ever give him any information about my people. I’ll go to hell first.

I think my non-reaction surprises him because he stops in front of me and tilts his head as he gazes at me quizzically.

“You’re not scared of me.”

Oh, I am, but I’m not showing you that.

“Pretty sure my daddy was as big a monster as you are, and I had to face him down every night,” I reply nonchalantly.

The smile that crosses his face has goosebumps scattering along my skin, and my nostrils flutter as I keep my breathing under control. The hair lifts at the nape of my neck as I watch him watching me.

He steps closer until his body is against my naked flesh. It takes everything I have to hold in my revulsion.

Killer lifts his finger and runs it between my breasts. “It’s going to be so fun breaking you.”

“Just get it over with, yeah?”

“Slow down, sugar. We’ll have some fun together. No worries.” He steps away and over to a table. “Let’s chat a bit. Where’s the pictures you took?”

“Hmm. Somewhere. I’m not really sure I remember.”

When he turns around, he’s got a blow torch in his hand. He squeezes his finger around the trigger of the torch, and I can’t stop the whimper from escaping.

“Have you ever smelled burnt flesh? There’s something so delicious about the aroma and the way it sizzles as you hold the flame to the skin.”

Sweat builds at my temple as he brings it closer to me.

“Where are the pictures?”

My eyes are locked onto that blue flame as it draws closer and closer to my face. “Probably with your mom.”

His nostrils flare, and his eyes turn flinty. I don’t even have time to brace before he holds the flame to the skin of my jawline. Heat scorches my throat from the force of the scream that tears from my chest.

Malicious satisfaction lights his eyes as I give him the reaction he craves.

My stomach rolls, nausea threatening to come up as the burning, throbbing pain on my face intensifies.

“I see we’re not going to get anything on my pictures yet. Let’s move on, shall we?”

On and off, he flicks the blowtorch, taunting me. As much as I don’t want to let it scare me, it does.

My father was a monster, but Killer is something more evil, more depraved.

“Tell me something about the club,” he orders.

I open my mouth to tell him to go fuck himself, but pain ricochets across my face.

Fuck him.

He’s going to hurt me anyway.

My body jerks against the chains as he runs the torch along my jawline.

This time, I don’t bother holding in my vomit. It rolls up my throat as agony and the scent of burning flesh— my flesh —collide. Wet splashes of vomit land on Killer, coating him in the putrid scent.

I laugh weakly. “Oops.”

His backhand catches me so quickly, I’m momentarily stunned. “Nasty bitch,” he snarls.

Darkness coats his facial features. Whatever monster was lurking under the surface is making its appearance, and it’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen.

Killer tosses the blowtorch to the floor and steps off to the side of me. I follow him warily with my eyes. He grabs a big controller and smacks his hand against the green button. A loud whirring starts a few seconds later, and the chains around my ankles tighten.

Another Night Skulls member comes to stand on my other side and works to lift my chained hands from the hook. The mechanism whirs louder as my body moves with it.

With dawning horror, I realize they’re flipping me upside down. I struggle in earnest against the man’s hold, but he simply tightens an arm around my neck, cutting off my air.

He guides my body as the chain mechanism flips me upside down. My heartbeat speeds up until it’s galloping in my chest as if it’s in some race to win.

Killer lowers me until the water soaks the top of my head. My breathing turns shallow at the implication of what’s to come if I don’t give him what he wants.

Oh, god, I’m going to die today.

I thought I was ready for it.

Killer squats next to me as the other guy takes his spot at the button. Killer sticks his hand in the water and brings some out in his cupped palm. He slings it at my face, and a cry rips from me as the cold water hits the burns he inflicted.

Fucking salt water.

Tears fill my eyes and leak over. “What do you want?” I beg, even though I already know.

“Tell me about the club. Where would they put the pictures? That’s who you gave them to, correct?”

“I don’t know,” I cry honestly.

He clucks his tongue and shakes his head. “That’s too bad.” He nods at the other guy, and I’m lowered into the water.

I barely have time for a small breath before my head is submerged. I try to keep my breathing under control, remembering some of the lessons from my younger years. As the burn settles into my throat from being unable to draw in air, I thrash around, trying to get my head above water. Black spots dance in the corners of my eyes as my oxygen depletes.

Visions fly through my mind.

Lyric.

Steel.

My brothers.

The little sister we’ve just found.

They flash by quickly, allowing me a few seconds to see the people I love one last time before my lungs cease to work.

Just as my sluggish body stills, I’m lifted from the water. Sucking in huge gulps of air, I choke as my lungs struggle to expand.

“Tell me what I want to know.”

“Go to hell,” I croak.

They drop me again quickly, leaving me no time to catch a breath before I’m sucking in a mouthful of water.

Thankfully, they don’t keep me under as long. Over and over, he drops me when I don’t give him answers that satisfy him until it gets to the point that I don’t want to fight anymore.

I just don’t have the energy.

I hang limply the last time he brings me back up.

As much as I want to be reunited with my loves, my heart is heavy with the realization that I won’t be going home to them. Even if Steel stages a rescue, it’s going to be too late for me. I just hope he shields Lyric from my death as much as he can.

“Bring them in,” Killer orders. “Seems I’m not the only enemy you have, sugar.”

Killer works on bringing me back to an upright position, and I’m so angry at myself because I don’t have any energy left to fight him.

“Ladies, welcome,” Killer announces jovially at the two women who step through the doorway with his man.

I laugh weakly. “Of course, it’s them. The drug-addicted sexual abuser and the rejected club whore.”

I shouldn’t taunt them, but I can’t help it. I’m dying here anyway, so there’s no need to hold back what I want to say to them. They don’t like my words, judging by the way their fists connect with my face.

I peer at Heather after licking the blood from my lips. “Why are you doing this?”

The skin along my jawline is stiff and has me pronouncing my words weirdly, but they’re still clear enough to be understood.

Killer walks up behind her, a syringe in his hand, and wraps an arm around her stomach. He holds one of her arms out and brings the needle to a vein in the crook of it. Her eyes roll back in her head, and a blissed-out expression crosses her face as he presses the plunger down and sends the filthy poison swirling through her bloodstream.

“This is why she’s here. I give her what she craves so badly,” he croons, licking up the side of her face.

“Oh, Heather,” I murmur, my heart aching for the woman I’m sure she was before she started down this path and for the daughter she’ll never get to truly love.

I turn to Rachel. “You know he’ll kill you when he finds out you had a part in this,” I tell her, referring to Steel.

“He’ll forgive me when he realizes I was doing it all for him. I love him.”

“You’re delusional. Absolutely certifiable.”

“Shut up,” Rachel screams, grabbing a knife and slicing it across my cheek. She didn’t go deep enough to do any permanent damage, but I still hiss at the sting of the cut.

“I’m going to kill you both,” I promise.

“Enough,” Killer barks, and Rachel backs away in fear.

He picks up the blowtorch again, and the sight of it causes me to whimper. Rachel laughs at the sign of my terror and pulls her phone out, messing with the screen before aiming it at me. I pull my eyes away from her, not wanting to draw attention to it.

“If you kill me, those pictures of you murdering Swirly go straight to the FBI,” I inform him.

Darkness fills his face again. Spittle builds up in the corners of his mouth, and his neck cords. The muscles and veins strain against his skin as he turns the torch on. Without saying anything, he brings it to the side of my breast.

I scream as my skin bubbles and heat eats through me.

Heather and Rachel laugh, spewing taunts at me as Killer repeatedly places that wicked flame against my bare skin. He is so focused on torturing me for information I’ll never give up that he doesn’t even notice Rachel recording this little torture session. As much as I want this pain to stop, I’m hoping against hope that Rachel will be dumb enough to send it to Steel. It might be too late to save me, but at least it’ll let him know who the fuck to kill and to keep Heather away from our girl.

She’s too fucking dangerous.

Blood drips from the cuts inflicted by Killer when he got tired of burning me. He even hands the knife to Heather at one point, instructing her how to cut me without killing me.

Oh, no.

That’s too easy, according to him.

My head hangs listlessly as my vision wavers in and out. My stomach roils, but it’s empty, no longer having anything in it after the numerous times I’ve vomited at his feet. The last time he set the torch against the skin on the inside of my thigh, I couldn’t hold my bladder and ended up pissing myself.

I can’t even be embarrassed about it.

“If you don’t tell me where those pictures are, I’ll keep you here as long as I need to then I’ll go after everyone you love.”

“You can go after them, but you’ll never touch them. Not now that I’m missing. They’ll lock it down tighter than your asshole.”

He fist connects with my stomach and he snarls at me. “I’ll send her back in.”

This time, I laugh until tears leak from my eyes. “They’ll never trust her. Not after she sent that video to Steel of you torturing me.”

I heard the ping of her phone a while ago. It’s the same notification mine makes when a message has been delivered. I can’t believe she was stupid enough to not put it on silent.

Terror fills Rachel’s face, and her body shakes as Killer twirls around to face her.

“She’s lying,” Rachel squeaks.

Killer yanks the phone from her hand. When he finds the message, he lets out a yell, throwing the phone against the concrete floor. She tries to flee, but his guy grabs her as Killer grabs a red jug from the corner. He dumps it over her head, soaking her entire body with it. Her screams fill the concrete room instead of mine, which he ignores as he lifts the blowtorch from the floor.

Oh, shit.

I squeeze my eyes shut as soon as flames engulf her. Her screams claw against my skin, sending vomit back up my throat.

When you play with the devil, your life is bound to end in devilish ways.