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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Valen
I never felt panic before like I felt it when I saw Louana get yanked up off her feet and dragged backward by the very man I’d agreed to meet with in an attempt to protect her from.
Hell, not even the panic I’d felt the night before when I got in that van and knew right down to my marrow that I was never going to be free again compared to it right then.
I had to give Curtis a little credit, though. He’d clearly become a better criminal than he’d been back when I’d known him.
Because he didn’t let on that anything had gone sideways, even if my gut told me it had. Nope. He just drove us out to the damn jewelry store like he’d said, then gone over the plan.
Hell, he even gave me a damn pipe to use to break open some of the jewelry cases, so we could grab as much merchandise as possible.
“This much fucking money all around her, and that ugly fucking bitch only ever sent me a scratcher on my birthday,” Curtis grumbled to himself as he looked at a watch that easily would have fetched ten grand.
The whole robbery part, that was a bit of a blur. Just a lot of snatching and shoving into bags while I hoped to hell his aunt had everything fully insured.
It was the after the robbery part where shit started to get real clear real fast.
Life was like that when you suddenly found yourself overpowered, bound, and gagged.
Under the cover of night, they were completely unconcerned about being seen as they dragged me by my wrists across the gravel lot, then the cement floors inside the building, before stringing me up until I dangled, making my arms and wrists and shoulders scream.
That was nothing, though, compared to what was to come.
I knew it would be ugly.
That was what Curtis loved.
Ugly and cruel and vicious and painful.
He thrived on that shit.
I’d seen it.
There was a sick sort of delight on his face when someone cried out in pain or begged for their life.
Which was why, when put in that situation, I’d done everything in my power not to scream.
I mean, the gag helped.
Any sounds that might have escaped me were muffled by it.
Living the life I had led on the road for so many years, being involved with various criminals, and ruffling feathers of your average, everyday shitheads from sea to shining sea, I’d gotten my ass kicked more than a few times.
But there was always something hectic and adrenaline-fueled about it that made it all seem to disappear in a blink. Before you could even truly register the pain.
With Curtis, though?
Yeah, he took his time. He dragged it out. He knew the anticipation was almost as bad as the actual pain.
Almost.
At some point, I’d felt my resolve slipping. But I knew that if I gave him the screams and pleas that he wanted, that it was going to be over faster.
And as much as I’d tried not to share my troubles with anyone, some part of me hoped that Fallon and the crew and maybe Hailstorm or whoever else we sourced out to, would be able to pull a rabbit out of their hats and come and get me.
I didn’t say I love you to my parents and sister.
