Page 119 of Devour

The keypad beeps, turning red again. It’s just me and my brother locked in here now.

Justin crouches in front of me. I’m on the floor with my back against the bed frame, still catching my breath. He reaches for my face and I jerk away from him.

“Don’t fucking touch me.”

“I just want to make sure you’re alright. He shouldn’t have done that. You’ve just barely recovered from the drugs I gave you.” His voice is calm, like he’s some devoted, protective brother. And not like he drugged me, raped me, and then chained me up in this room. “Does anything hurt, Sayl?”

“You want to know if anything hurts?” I practically spit the words in his face. “Everything fucking hurts, Justin. For once, do the right thing and let me go.”

He sits back on his heels and looks at me like I’m just some silly girl. Like I’m a child throwing a tantrum, and he’s waiting for me to tire myself out.

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Why? Because Ryan will stop you? Because whoever is running this place won’t let you?” I search his face for anything I can use to get the fuck out of here. “You say you love me, then prove it. Let me go.”

“That’s exactly why I can’t let you go.” He stands up and clasps his hands behind his back. “I’m the one who’s been here your entire life, Sayl. Not your dead boyfriend. Do you have any idea what could have been done to you? You would be very valuable working in a place like this.” He crouches in front of me again. “I made sure that didn’t happen. And this is what I get.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? You didn’t protect me from anything.” I try to gather some of the chain in my hand. “You were the thing I needed protection from.”

His jaw tightens. “You have no fucking idea what is going on here, Sayl. You’ve been going to school, partying, spreading your legs for whichever bastard crossed your path—”

“Fuck you, Justin. I don’t want to hear your bullshit. Tell me where Axl is. I know he’s not fucking dead.”

He laughs, rising to his feet again and moving across the room to lean back against the wall, watching me. “Axl is very dead, Saylor. I’m who you have left.”

The words knock the wind out of me, and I can’t breathe. I pull my knees in tighter and grip the chain because it’s the only thing in this room I can hold onto.

He’s lying. He has to be lying.

“You can wish all you want.” Justin tilts his head. “We drugged you and took you out before the explosion and everything else went down.”

“So what now? I live here with you?” My voice sounds dead even to me.

“I know you’re angry. And I know you’re scared. But you’re going to see that this was the only way.” He pushes off the wall. “But soon life will be better for both of us. No more Talons. No more Sinclairs deciding your future. No more being somebody’s fucking Dove.”

He says it like he’s freeing me. Like I’m not a prisoner here.

“We’re getting out of here, Sayl. I saw an opportunity, and I took it. I have access to enough money now. We’ll go somewhere and start a new life away from all of this shit and anyone who knows us.”

“A new life.” I repeat it, because I need to hear how insane it sounds out loud. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’ll never stop fighting you.”

Justin looks at me for a long time. His jaw works like he’s chewing on something he wants to say. Then he straightens up and walks to the door.

“You have no idea how much worse your life could be, Sayl. What do you think a place like this was used for before your dead boyfriend helped the Sinclairs take it down? You have no idea how high up this goes and all who are involved. Axl and those fucking Sinclairs don’t know shit.” He punches the code into the keypad without looking at it. “I could drop you off at one of the other locations worse than this one. I suggest you think about that before I come back. We can’t stay here long.”

The door closes behind him and locks.

I stare at the door until my eyes blur. I wonder how many women before me have been chained in this room.

I pull the blanket off the bed and wrap it around myself because the hospital gown isn’t enough and I can’t stop shaking. I grip my ankle and run my fingers along the cuff. It’s tight enough that I can’t work it off my foot, but it’s loose enough that it won’t fully cut off the circulation.

I have to think of something. If Axl is dead, no one is coming. Priest and Dane Sinclair are also dead. Kynlee doesn’t know where I am. No one does.

But I refuse to die in this room. I refuse to let my brother win. And if Axl taught me anything, it’s that I don’t stop fighting until someone puts me in the ground.

Tears stream down my cheeks thinking about his body lying cold somewhere. I’m going to find a way out of this, and they’re going to pay for killing the man I love. I’m tired of fucking men taking every goddamn thing from me.

CHAPTER 50