Page 20 of Blissful Devotion

If I thought I was sore before, it’s even worse now. I feel like I’ve been in this chair for days, and honestly, who knows how long it’s been.

Hours, days?

I have a vague memory of being weightless and groggy, like I'd been trying to wake up, but I can’t remember what happened between then and now. All I know for sure is that my bladder is full, but that doesn’t tell me much, seeing as I often have to pee all the time now.

I try to distract myself, but the only thing I can think of besides my bladder is Addy and Vince. I worry about what happened to them after the crash.

Are they okay?

How badly were they injured?

What about the guys?

How are they holding up?

Do they miss me?

That last one isn’t necessarily something I should be thinking about, but I can’t stop myself.

I miss them so much, and I’m sure the hormones aren’t helping, but even the thought of being back home with them makes me nearly choke on emotions.

Shit.

I don’t want them to waste their time looking for me, but if they do, I really hope they find me.

I sit and sit and sit some more, shifting the little I can in an attempt to get some relief, but it’s no use. It’s beyond clear this wasn't meant to be comfortable.

Just when I’m about to give in and ask to go to the bathroom, I hear movement, and suddenly my bladder feels like the least of my problems.

I wasn’t aware that anyone had stayed in the room with me.

I sit frozen in anticipation, waiting for him to move in front of me, but he never does. Instead, I feel the sharp press of what I assume is a knife on my wrist before the binding snaps. He moves quickly, freeing my legs as well, but I don't get a moment to enjoy my new freedom before he yanks me up from the chair.

I stumble to get my feet beneath me, but he doesn’t slow his stride as he all but drags me from the room. His grip on my upper arm is like a vice, and I’m not sure if I’m grateful for it, so I don’t faceplant or would prefer to faceplant to get away from him.

Leaving the room, we end up in a hallway, one that, from the look and musky feel of it, I would guess is underground.

As if I needed to make this worse.

Everything is made of the same concrete blocks that made up the wall I’d just spent who knows how long staring at.

“Where are we going?” My voice wobbles and is a bit too high to even attempt to hide the fact that I’m terrified.

He doesn’t answer, instead shoving me in front of him and poking at my back to make me go.

Asshole.

The hall is long, with doors on either side all the way down, each looking exactly like the last. I wonder if poor, unfortunate people are trapped inside them the way I had been.

Who needs this many rooms to hold people?

The elevator at the end of the hall sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s clearly new and expensive; the metal is so shiny and clean that I can see my reflection, though it is thankfully distorted.

The glimpse is enough to let me know I don’t care to see myself.

My captor reaches past me to press his thumb to a scanner. It only takes a moment for it to read his fingerprint before he pulls back, and the button lights up green.

One single button.