Page 73 of The Boy I Loved (Eternal Hell #1)
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
HAZEL
My body ached in ways I’d never thought possible.
My thighs were raw from constantly rubbing together, my muscles were weak, and my vagina was swollen and itchy.
I hoped to God it was just a yeast infection, because the alternative would be so much worse.
If one of these fuckers gave me an STD, I’d go ballistic.
My fingers twitched with the urge to scratch, discomfort settling into every crevice of my body. I was fucking miserable.
Sleep didn’t come easily. I was up half the night tossing and turning. Agitation wormed its way into my system after my third attempt of trying to get some damn rest. Who knew what these assholes had planned for me in the morning.
Sighing, I shoved the comforter from my body and threw my legs over the side of the bed. As soon as my feet connected with the cold floor, the door to my bedroom creaked open.
My heart leapt into my throat, fear punching through me. A sliver of light bled into the room from the hallway, casting the mystery person in shadow.
“Tristan?” I whispered, knowing he was usually the only one who came to see me with the exception of Mason a few days ago .
“No,” the voice growled in a low whisper.
Goosebumps prickled along my skin, a shudder rolling through me. My breathing was so erratic, I feared he could hear it. The men in this place were like vipers. The scent of fear was enough for them. They got off on playing with us as much as they did harming us.
The floor creaked beneath his weight as he moved closer, his voice dropping even lower than before. “Slide a pair of shoes on and come on,” he ordered, the smooth baritone of his voice pulling a chill from me.
Not Tristan. “Dominic.” I breathed out in relief.
I was hit with the sudden urge to run to him, to ball my hands up in the front of his shirt and tug him close to me. It was a momentary lapse in judgement with all things considered, but he’d always been my safe place.
“What are you doing here?” I whispered into the darkness, uncertain of where he now stood.
“Do as I said,” he hissed. His voice was much shakier than usual, only adding to my unease.
Rising, a cool gust of air seeped into my skin, sending an assortment of chills careening all over my flesh. Something was wrong. I could tell by how he spoke.
“Is everything okay?” I pressed gently, glancing around the darkened room.
His frustrated huff penetrated my eardrums, but that was how I knew he was close.
His hand latched onto my shoulder, his fingertips curling around the bone and forcing me in the direction of my closet.
His movements were jerky as he steered me, but he seemed to have the room memorized right down to a science.
Dominic tugged me to a stop and released me, but I could still feel the body heat rolling off him. “Shoes. Now.”
“I can’t see,” I retorted, the frustration bubbling up inside me.
He’d been so sweet and respectful over the weekend that it was difficult to process the way he was acting now.
He was being bossy, pushy, and rude. I was half tempted to tell him to go to hell and demand answers.
But I could tell something was bothering him, so I bit my tongue instead.
Kneeling, I extended my arm, swiping my hand through the air until my fingertips connected with an object.
Once I’d pulled the shoes free, I slipped them on and folded my arms across my chest, awaiting my next order. A multitude of questions penetrated my brain:
What happened?
Why was he here?
Where were we going?
Dominic slid his hand down my arm, eliciting a series of goosebumps with his touch alone. His hand connected with mine, his fingers threading through the gaps of my own. Everything about him was comforting, despite all the things I knew about him.
He tugged me backwards, forcing me to stumble after him in the dark. As soon as we reached my partially ajar door, he pulled me to a stop and turned to face me. His hands instantly moved to the sides of my face, the light casting a faint shadow over the sharp edges of his stubbled jaw.
“Hazel,” he whispered, sucking in a ragged breath. “I’m going to try to break you out of here tonight.”
I reeled back in surprise. That was the last thing I expected him to say. Excitement and hope shot through me, intertwining together until the alternative no longer existed. It might have been wishful thinking, but it was the best news I’d heard since being captured.
“Really?” I whispered. “Why now?” If he could break me out of here and knew how to do it, why hadn’t he already?
“Clay is planning on having you killed this afternoon.”
Ice prickled along my skin at that revelation. Clay had been pissed when he found out about the tattoo Tristan had given me. He called me a useless whore and sent me to my room. At the time, I was thrilled to not be doing the shoot. I hadn’t considered the more sinister consequences.
Dominic’s grip tightened around my face, his eyes searing through my own. “Whatever happens, just know that I love you and I’m so fucking sorry for everything.”
My lower lip wobbled, a mixture of emotions pummeling through my head and heart. “I love you too, Dom—always.”
His lips found mine instantly, the kiss turning heated in a matter of seconds. My hands fisted the front of his shirt, tugging him as close to me as humanly possible. My abdomen screamed in protest when his jeans brushed against the artwork, but I didn’t let it deter me.
“You’re mine,” he whispered against my lips, pecking me one last time.
“Forever yours,” I agreed.
With a sad smile, he released me, linking his hand in mine once more. Cautiously, he reached for the door and pulled it open, causing me to wince when it creaked.
There was a part of me that was thrilled, but another part of me that was terrified we couldn’t pull this off. What would happen if we got caught? The contents in my stomach soured at the mere thought. We had to pull this off. There was no other option.
The hallway was surprisingly empty when we stepped out of my doorway. Usually, there was someone out here patrolling or fucking one of the girls.
“Nicholas and Mason are on break,” Dominic whispered, seeming to read my thoughts.
My hand tightened around his, my heart thumping to a deadly tune.
For so long, I’d lost all hope. I thought for sure I’d die in this place, and hell, that was still a possibility—especially if we were caught.
I pictured running back home and jumping into my father’s arms, crying with my mom until my eyes burned, spilling everything to Tory and sobbing with her, too.
Most of all, I’d finally have Dominic by my side.
My chest warmed, a desire for the future invading my mind once again. I’d always been an optimistic kid growing up. I’d always thought of the future and planned ahead, making it easier to focus on my goals. All of that diminished the second they took me from my home.
The lounge came into view, my muscles locking up instantly. This place was never empty. My eyes darted around the room frantically, because I knew someone would be there.
Dom pressed a finger to his lips, urging me to keep quiet. “Stay out of sight against the wall,” he whispered. “Mason and Nicholas are right through those glass doors.” He nodded his head in the direction of the back door for emphasis.
Attempting to make myself as small as possible, I obeyed, pushing back against the wall until the cold surface of it seared through my flimsy dress. A man caught my attention on the other side of the room, but his back was turned away from us and one of the TVs were on.
“Come on,” Dom said quietly.
Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I followed after him as we made slow, calculating movements toward the elevator at the other end of the room. My eyes remained locked on the man, hoping to all that was holy he didn’t turn around.
Just as we closed in on the elevator, my shoe caught on a chair-leg that had been bent backwards due to too much use—and probably even violence.
Fear climbed up my throat, dread coursing through my limbs and locking them in my place when a metal clink echoed through the room due to the contact.
I glanced over at Dominic, his face paling as much as mine probably was.
Simultaneously, we both looked back over at the man.
His eyes were locked on us, confusion twisting his weathered features.
He looked like an ordinary man, not someone who would frequent a place like this, or help men traffic innocent women.
When his eyes drifted to Dominic, a silent understanding seemed to pass between them.
The older man motioned for us to go, pressing a finger to his lips in a quiet promise that he wouldn’t say a word.
Relief clogged my throat, and I tightened my hand around Dominic’s.
I realized I’d seen this man before. There was only one woman he ever messed around with and she seemed to care for him in equal measure—Adrian. I didn’t know her well, but it was clear the two of them had something going on.
When we reached the elevator, Dominic practically shoved me inside before stepping in behind me. He jammed his finger into the button repeatedly, as if that would get it to work faster.
At last, the door slid closed.
We were so close to freedom I could taste it. I couldn’t remember the last time I truly felt the fresh air skating over my skin, or the last time I had a greasy burger with fries and a shake. My stomach grumbled just thinking about it.
“Next comes the harder part,” Dominic whispered, even though we were completely alone and no one was around to hear us.
“As soon as the front doors open, it’ll set off an alarm through the entire building.
Clay is the only one who can dismantle it.
” He sucked in a shaky breath, his sweaty palm pressing more firmly against mine.
“When I tell you to run, you fucking run. Do not wait for me. Do not hesitate.”