Page 98
“To do that, you’ll have to take me off this thing…” I shake my cuffs. “That’s going to be interesting.”
“Oh no. Not at all. It’s actually quite simple. I give you this…” He holds up a vial of clear liquid. “Then you get to watch the wonderful pose I’ve chosen just for you. That box behind you moves forward…toss in a bit of wax. And by tomorrow evening, voila!” He shrugs. “It’s like Christmas, really.”
In an instant, he rushes me. His fist pulls back as he lands another blow. The force sends my head slamming back into the pole holding me. A flash of light crosses my vision. When I peel my heavy eyelids open, the whole room is a haze of black, silver and white. Fractal shapes burst across my vision as the sound of the room is lost to the ringing in my ears. My whole body feels tired. The prickling sensation rolls throughout my extremities. I will my body to keep standing and prepare as well as I can for my next opening to land another blow.
All but two of the shapes stop moving in the distance. I open my stance the best I can and prepare for the next blow. One figure slowly begins to take shape and move closer. As the shape gets closer, I start to make out shoulders…and height.
A pair of blue sapphire eyes stare at me, and I smile.
Ethan.
His warm hand brushes my cheek, before the world turns black.
37
Patience falls limp in my arms.
Welts color her face. In the few seconds I saw her, she showed more bravery than most men do in a lifetime. Running my fingers over her cheek, I push the blood-soaked strands of her hair off her face, revealing a deep gash across her cheek. Sorrow grips my heart as I memorize each bruise, scrape, and cut I could have prevented. I continue brushing the roots of her hair, hoping the repetitive strokes lend some form of comfort.
The sound of a struggle behind me draws my attention. Pressing a gentle kiss across her forehead, I lower her head down to the floor. Rising to my feet, I turn to Mark, who has a knife to the bastard’s throat.
Red enters my vision, forcing my feet forward in a few short paces. Blood streams from his broken nose. The absence of bruising along Mark’s knuckles has my lips ticking up.
“She rearranged your face, I see.”
His head jerks back as he continues to strain against Mark’s hold.
“Worthless fucking bitch,” he spits out through blood-smeared lips.
I scan the ridge of his nose, honing on the location where the fracture lies buried. Bringing my thumb to it, I apply pressure. His features twist as he howls in pain. The sound only serves to flood my body with dopamine. I feel the vibration of the break before I hear it. His howl turns into a shriek before I drop my hands from his face. His head lulls forward, letting the river of blood flowing from his nose pool on the floor. I purse my lips, my fingers curling around his collar in frustration.
“Ethan, he’s out. He isn’t going to feel it.”
“Put him in the car,” I say, dropping his nauseating body to the floor.
“How is she?”
I step to her side and kneel. Blood dribbles from the side of her head as I brush back the errant strands sticking to her face.
“I don’t know the extent of it,” I whisper, as my thumb catches the velvet pad of her earlobe between my fingers. Soft and delicate. The way she was meant to be, before the world hardened her to the warrior I saw moments ago. “We’ll call the doctor to meet us at the house.”
“And…this place? It’s riddled with her prints and everything else. When they start sniffing around, she’ll be the first one they look for,” he says, nodding in her direction.
“I’ll call the cleaner to take care of it. Right now, I just want to get her medical attention.”
Lifting Lennox’s limp body over his shoulder, Mark gives me a short nod before stepping back.
I slip my arms under Patience’s fragile frame. Her head lolls to the side, opening her eyes for a moment. The emerald gems stare at me with a flicker of recognition before closing again. Lifting her from the floor, I cradle her in my arms. Never in my life have I ever felt so scared, so utterly useless as I did when I entered this room. Pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead in a silent vow, I carry her from this place of torment.
TWO DAYS LATER
“Hinges are done!”
Incessant whirling of the drill in an off-beat rhythm whines in my ear. I turn to Mark as he steps down from the tree. His finger presses on the trigger of the drill for the tenth time.
“Perfect. Get him over here,” I bark, snatching the drill from his hand, eliminating the obnoxious sound.
Grunts sound through the trees before Mark emerges, dragging Lennox’s naked body with ropes lashed across his ankles. With a thud, he drops his legs, leaving the old man lying stomach-down in the dirt. I roll up the cuffs of my shirt, taking in the purple bruises across my knuckles. Swelling from blows received over the last few hours makes it difficult for Lennox to open his eyes. Only a small sliver of white between the darkened pillows of his right eye lets me know he’s still able to see.
