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Everything goes black, the slam of the trunk like a gunshot to my heart. He’s lost it, completely and utterly lost it.
I sensed it last night when he found me looking for the cell phone. Warren is unhinged, driven to the brink of madness. I thought it was about me, that I’m his trigger, but it’s not. It’s the Jaggers.
He wants to hurt them. He wants to hurt Conner. And I’m Conner’s weakness.
Tears leak from my eyes as the car rumbles to life beneath me. Panic floods me as I try to keep calm.
Warren planned this whole night. From setting me and Conner up last night, to the party, to snatching me before Conner or his brothers could get to me. He wanted Conner to witness my injuries, just like he wanted Conner to watch me disappear.
Oh God, Conner.
Pain rips through me. He’ll be beside himself, and it’s all my fault. I should have fought harder, given Shelbie some sign to raise the alarm.
It occurs to me that Warren is covering his tracks by making me ride in here. He doesn’t want me to know where we’re going, which means maybe he plans on me making it out of this alive.
Or maybe it’s just all part of his sick and twisted mind games. He wants me to think I stand a chance when in fact, I don’t. He could be driving me to my death right now and I don’t even know.
Fuck.
My chest burns. I’m pretty sure he cracked a rib last night. The ugly bruise matches the one around my eye.
I smother a whimper. Crying isn’t going to get me out of this.
I’m not sure anything will.
What feels like a lifetime later, the car finally rolls to a stop. I have no idea how long we’ve been traveling; I’m pretty sure I was in and out of consciousness.
The trunk opens and Warren’s dark eyes glitter dangerously back at me. “Out,” he barks at me the way a man might talk to his dog.
I gingerly climb out, my ribs smarting as I lower myself onto the ground.
“Where are we?” I ask, my eyes straining against the darkness. There’s a building behind us. A warehouse maybe. But it’s so dark it’s hard to make out any landmarks or distinguishing features.
“Doesn’t matter,” Warren says, grabbing my arm and shoving me forward. Fire ignites in my muscles as they protest at his rough treatment.
It might be dark, but Warren has no issue navigating his way around. He brings me to a door and yanks it open, pushing me into the dark abyss. There’s a cloying smell in the air, but I can’t quite point my finger on it, my senses all out of whack. The air is stale though, as if the place doesn’t get much ventilation.
“What is this place?”
“Your worst nightmare.” He almost laughs the words, making fear sit heavy in my stomach.
The narrow hall eventually widens into a cavernous room. There’s a sliver of moonlight streaming in through a hole in the roof, casting an eerie hue around the place. Warren finally releases me and stalks past me. He must hit a switch because a lamp flickers to life and my eyes finally adjust to what is an abandoned warehouse of some sort. There’s some empty racks and crates lying around, but that’s not what catches my eye.
“What is that?” I can’t disguise the tremor in my voice as I move closer to the cage. It’s in the corner of the room, taunting me.
Warren comes up behind me, running a hand up my spine and lowering his mouth to the shell of my ear. “It’s your birthday present, baby. Don’t you like it? I had it made special just for you.”
Bile rushes up my throat, and I puk
e all over the floor. This is happening... this is really happening.
“Please, don’t,” I cry, tears stinging my eyes.
He grabs the nape of my neck and shoves me forward. “In you go, bitch.”
“Warren, please—" He pushes so hard I fall to the floor with a thud. Pain shoots through my bones as I choke back a sob. “Please, don’t do this.”
“Oh, but I am.” He crouches down, locking the door. “You see, the Jaggers took something from me. And now I’m going to take something from them.”
