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The room is silent as it absorbs Ci’s words. It’s as if it’s waiting for us to say we lied, and Noor’s family is stunned as they stand in front of us.
“She can’t… It’s like the past is repeating,” Mrs. Denton whispers.
“It’s worse,” Ignacio grunts. “I can’t believe these fuckers.”
“There’s no way to know unless we search the water with a crew,” Theo says. “Fuck.”
Mr. Denton explodes, but not in a way you’d think. He grabs the bat from Mr. Emil and begins to beat the fuck out of us. We deserve every blow, and I don’t even think about hockey. A broken knee cap would blow our chances at ever playing again, yet Mr. Denton is so angry, he keeps his blows to our torsos as he unloads on us.
His wife covers her face as she rushes up the stairs and Ignacio follows her. Everything else suspends as the blows keep coming, and I keep reminding myself that death would be better if it means getting to be with Noor.
Dramatic? Maybe, but it doesn’t seem fair to continue living if we’re responsible for her death.
“Let them go.”
I can’t tell you how long it’s been since Mr. Denton began beating the fuck out of me, but my entire body aches.
“Rachelle. What are you saying?” Theo asks, turning to face her as Mrs. Denton returns to the room.
“They’re too high profile to remove from the world,” she whispers. Tears slide down her face as she leans against the rail of the staircase, her face twisted into a mask of hatred.
“I want them to remember our girl,” Mr. Emil says angrily. “Lili, carve a reminder into their bodies. So they’ll always know we can set up an accident to end their lives without remorse. After all, people go missing all the time, and I’m not too old to set up a hit.”
“You’re fucking scary, sir,” Theo mutters. “I’m really glad you’re on our side.”
“You were hung up at one time too,” Liliana reminds him. “Are we really going to let them go off and live their dreams? I want to torture them!”
“Not today, baby,” Mrs. Denton sighs. “I just got a call. We need to wrap this up.”
“Did someone find her?” I ask, struggling to breathe through the pain in my ribs.
“I’m not saying shit.”
“Jared, I want trackers in these assholes,” Liliana says. “I never want to wonder where they are. I also want Alexa dealt with, Rachelle.”
“We have enough evidence to prove it’s Alexa with her car alone,” Theo says, clicking on his keyboard. I can see the security feed from here, but there’s also something running in the background with Noor’s photo.
Why would they do that if she’s dead?
The chain holding me is released from its hook suddenly and my knees hit the cold floor. My friends sag next to me, and Draven sways with pain.
“I have trackers in here somewhere,” Mr. Denton mutters, going through drawers.
“Lean forward with your asses in the air. Except for you, Draven. You took being a shithead to a new level tonight,” Liliana mutters.
Draven groans but I can’t make out what he has to say due to the gag.
“I enjoy burning my messages as much as the next girl, but I think I should carve it into their skin,” Liliana says.
A very nice loafer presses against my neck, keeping me in place as my shirt is lifted.
“You’re above begging, huh, kid?” Liliana asks, dropping to her knees behind me. “Full grown men piss themselves in my presence.”
“I don’t believe in begging,” I grit out. I begged Mr. Emil not to break my arm in the alley, but that was different. I didn’t believe the crime and punishment suited each other. I do now.
My cheek is ground harder into the hard floor, and someone yanks my shirt up. My eyes slam shut as a knife cuts along my lower back, and I hate myself for how hard my cock is. This is the fucked up response I have to pain most of the time.
Noor is the only person who could keep up with us. The cuts on her inner thighs always told me pain sings to her too, but the way she did it was dangerous. I would have grounded her with pain and orgasms if she’d let me.
