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I reach for the handle, twisting it, but it doesn’t budge.Fuck, it’s locked!Heading to the basement bathroom, I grab a few things I can use to pick it open. Shimmying the tools into the lock, I feel excitement and fear swirl through my body when it clicks. Thank god this one was easier to open.
This is it.I take in a deep breath, trying to relax the nerves coursing through me. As I step inside the room, I freeze in my tracks. The room is dark, but the light flooding in from behind me allows me to see a figure strapped to a chair. I’d recognize that frame anywhere.
He starts to move in the chair he’s strapped to, making as much noise as he can. Deciding to flip on the overhead light to see if my mind is just playing tricks on me, my eyes squint from the sudden harsh light.
All of the air leaves my lungs. I can’t believe what I’m seeing right now—a bruised, battered, and bleeding body.
“Greyson?”
Idon’t know how long I’ve been trapped in this dark, empty room. Maybe days, maybe a week. It’s hard to be sure at this point. I’ve passed out from exhaustion a few times but I’m never certain how long I’m actually out for.
What’s their plan? To keep me down here forever? To keep giving me just the right amount of food and water to survive? That’s got to be exhausting.
I’ve been playing along. Telling them that I’ll stay away from Lainey. But they still haven’t let me go. I don’t think they ever planned to let me go in the first place.
I need to get out of here and get to her. A couple days ago—well, I think it was a couple of days—I figured out that I’m in the basement of their house. They left the door wide open and I could see the gym equipment they keep in there.
I wonder if she knows where I am, if she knows that I’m right downstairs. That I’ve been beneath her feet this entire time. If she knew, then surely she would’ve let me out by now. I know it. I can feel it. She told me to trust her. I have to trust that if she knew, then she would help.
I hear some rustling around outside the door and I still. If it’s the assholes coming to torture me again, I’ve got to get in the right headspace. I was making noise earlier, hoping somehow Lainey might hear it, but so far I’ve had no luck.
I hear the soft click of the door unlocking. At least if it’s one of the three dicks, maybe they can take me to the bathroom. The door cracks open slightly, but no one comes in or even turns on the lights. What kind of game are they playing? Are they going to blindly punch me in the dark this time?
When the door opens further, I see a small shadow with long, flowy hair. Okay, so not one of the guys. Is it Lya finally coming to get her revenge? She just stands there in the doorway.
Even if it is Lya, I have to take my chance. I can’t yell, but I mumble through the tape as loud as I can and hit my chair against the metal pipe like I have been for a while now.
The figure reaches up to flip the light switch, and my eyes squeeze shut at the unexpected brightness.
“Greyson?”
I would recognize that sweet voice anywhere.
Lainey. It’s Lainey.
Relief fills my body as I sag into the chair.She’s here. She’s safe.
She rushes towards me. “Oh my god, Greyson,” she exclaims, ripping the tape from my mouth and pulling the cloth out. “How long have you been down here?”
“Not sure. It’s been since the day Lya took you from the library.” My throat is dry, and my voice is so rough that I don’t even recognize it. It feels like needles are stabbing my neck when I try to talk.
Quickly untying my hands and feet, she kneels down in front of me, her hazel eyes swimming with worry. I’ve never seen such a distraught look in my life.
“What the hell? What happened that day, after Lya dragged me out of there?”
“Thiago. He, uh, said that if I didn’t leave with him then I would never see you again. When we got out to my car, he knocked me out and I woke up here.” My voice is hoarse from having that rag in my mouth. I could really use some water right now.
“Jesus, Greyson. Your face. It looks like someone took a meat cleaver to it.” Her fingers delicately caress my cheek. I missed her touch so much, but even the tenderness of that featherlight touch makes me wince in pain.
“You have Zep and his brass knuckles to thank for that,” I mutter. The memories of Zep and Rian’s torture brings all the rage back; I feel it simmering inside me.
It seems it’s not just me feeling that way—Lainey’s worry has now turned to anger. I can see the fury swirling in her eyes at the idea of them hurting me. She looks like she wants to destroy everything in her path. It’s irresistible. If I weren’t in so much pain, I’d want to take her right here, right now.
“What about these? Who cut you?” she demands, pointing to the open wounds on my chest.
A soft, sarcastic laugh escapes me. “I guess Lya told the guys everything we’d talked about from my past, because Rian thought he could break me by using that little trauma.”
Her little fists ball up in anger. “Fuckers!”
