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I can tell I’m not alone and once again the humming alerts me to the freak show all around me and I struggle to move but am held down so firmly all I can manage is a twitch.
Suddenly, I note the crack of a whip and my heart almost stops beating as the sting in its tail hits me hard against my back. It hurts so badly, causing me to scream with the pain, my fear echoing back at me as it fills the dark space.
I’m not sure how many blows hit my body, each one more painful than the last, and like the candle wax, it causes my body to burn, setting it alight in the most painful way.
As I steel myself for the next blow, it’s eerily quiet and then something soft brushes against my ear, causing me to freeze as I anticipate even more torture.
I was right because this is the worst yet when the voice that slides into my subconscious is one I hoped I’d never hear again.
He whispers huskily, “You thought you could run from me. Bad luck, honey, you’re home.”
As the terror overwhelms me, another painful sensation travels down my arm, which plunges me deep inside a living nightmare with my biggest fear coming along for the ride.
* * *
I must have been dreaming.That’s my first thought as I drift back into consciousness and wake in the narrow bed, telling me it must have been a nightmare.
As I stretch my limbs, I’m relieved to find I’m free at least, however, when I sit up, I groan as the ache from my body confirms my worst fear. I wasn’t dreaming.
It’s as if my body is on fire and I glance down in the gloomy light and see dried wax littered across my body. The raw pain on my back tells me my skin has been torn and damaged, and I gasp as a burst of pain shoots through my body.
It hurts so badly and then I see a tray on the floor by the door, and my heart drops. Somebody else is here. Is it Max? Did he betray me and Dom and take part in this?
With a huge effort, I slide off the bed and stagger to the tray, noting the bottle of water standing beside a couple of pills. There’s a note attached, and I grab it and read, “Welcome to hell. You may want to take these for the pain.”
I note the Advil and wonder if they are what they seem, but I’m in so much pain I have no choice and chuck them back, loving how the cool water slides down my throat. Then I register a chunk of bread that is apparently all the food I’m getting, and I laugh hysterically. Bread and water. How fucking original.
However, I need to eat something if I’m to stand any chance of surviving whatever this is and so I retreat to the bed and stuff small pieces of bread into my mouth and try to figure a way out of this.
CHAPTER38
DOM
The detective sits across from me, looking as if he has won the fucking lottery and merely shrugs as Declan growls, “Release my client. There is no evidence to charge him with anything, not even a traffic violation.”
“I have…” he peers at his wristwatch. “Ninety more hours if I wish, because murder is a serious charge.”
“You know I’m fucking innocent, you bastard.” I growl and Declan places his hand on my arm in a warning as the detective’s eyes narrow.
“I know I have two bodies. Two victims minus their hearts and two crime scenes a short distance from your home. There is also the video evidence from your own security cameras that shows them both leaving your home minutes before they died. I’d say there is enough evidence to keep you locked up for a very long time.”
“Circumstantial evidence, detective.” Declan growls, “That wouldn’t stand up in court. We need DNA, fingerprints at the scene, and probable cause. You must do better than that if you hope to build a case against my client who, as he said, is innocent and has several eyewitnesses along with that same security evidence proving he never left his home. So, I will repeat my request, release him.”
The detective leans back and appears to be enjoying every minute of this as he shrugs, almost with amusement.
“I don’t make the laws, or the rules, Mr. Cole. I’m sworn to carry them out, so you must abide by the law and let me do my job.”
I am so frustrated. I can’t bear the thought of Flora out there on her own with her vicious sister heading her way, and yet there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.
The detective says with interest, “Why the heart, Mr. Ortega? That’s particularly gruesome, even for you.”
“Why don’t you ask the twisted fucker who did this instead of wasting time with me.”
I growl and whisper to Declan, “Shut this fucker down.”
Declan nods and says icily, “There will be no comment until you present the charges. My client is innocent, and it’s up to you to prove otherwise.”
The detective merely smiles and then I’m happy to see it wiped off his smug face when Declan peers at his phone and his expression changes in an instant.
