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“Then you shouldn't have gotten close enough for her to do it,” his father snaps. Before he leaves the room, Dominic shoots me an irritated glare. I swear there are a thousand promises of pain in that singular look.
“Until next time.” He grins.
The second he's gone, I gather up the rest of my courage and pull the tape from my mouth. Fiery hot pain sizzles across my lips and cheek, though I ignore it. “Am I being fed this today?” I ask. My throat feels scratchy, and I could go for a bottle of water, but it's doubtful I'll even receive that at this point.
“That will depend solely on you. I've given you a place to sleep and provided you with food. I make certain you're unharmed, and all I get is an attitude and ungratefulness tossed my way. Why would I want to be generous if I get nothing except disrespect in return?”
Generous? This is his idea of generosity?
A venomous response rests on my tongue, although I keep it to myself. There's no point in pissing him off further. He'll feed me if he wants to. I'm at his mercy and he knows it.
“Can I at least have some water?” I won't beg. I'm not that desperate yet.
“I'll think about it,” he tosses the words over his shoulder and walks out, slamming the door shut behind him. I'm alone once more, though I'd prefer that to being nearly raped and attacked. Placing a hand to my trembling lips, I do my best to calm myself. Since I'm alone and don't know when I'll have the chance again to do so in private, I roll off the cot and empty my bladder into the bucket. I would sigh with relief if the rest of my situation wasn't still so grim.
How much longer will it be before this is over?
That question repeats like an endless echo in my mind while I force myself to lie down with one arm curled under my head. This will all end eventually, right?
* * *
Startled,I awake in a daze, my eyes still heavy with sleep. I peer up at the window and can see it's nightfall. Goodness, I must've slept most of the day, too overwhelmed and drained to do anything else. I rub the sleep from my eyes and twist around on the cot. A strangled shriek rips from my throat when I hear what sounds like gunshots echo through the small space.
My heart's in my throat as I climb off the cot and rush to the door, pressing my ear to the cold steel in hopes that I'll hear what's going on the other side. There's shouting, a lot of it, followed by more shots. Louder this time.They're getting closer.
Could it be Callum?Oh, God, please, but only if he's safe.I can imagine him out there, doing something crazy to rescue me. He would risk his life in a heartbeat for my own, but living without him isn't an option, so I need him to be safe.
Silence.It's that eerie silence that shows me what it means to truly be afraid.Please, please, let him be okay.Every second that crawls past in silence makes my imagination go wild. No one is coming for me. I'm going to die trapped in this stupid room beside a bucket of pee and poop.
All there is quiet, until there isn't. The lock on the door clicks. I take a step back as hot tears spill onto my cheeks, my feelings caught between hope and dread. My lungs burn as I hold my breath. It seems like an eternity before the door creaks open, and at first, I can't believe it's him. I tell myself it's my imagination, that it's all a dream, but it's not.
“Callum?” I whisper his name, afraid he'll evaporate into the air if I speak too loudly. This is real, as real as the heat of his body clashing with mine as he wraps his arms around me, as real as the strength of his embrace and the pounding of his heart against my ear as he crushes me to his chest.
“Please tell me you're okay?” The anguish in his voice rips through me.
“Yes, I'm okay. Exhausted and emotional, but I'm okay.” My voice is raw.
Callum peers down at me, his gaze penetrating. I've missed that look. The one that says he'll do anything to make sure I'm his forever. “Fuck all I want to do is hold you in my arms. However we aren't safe, not yet. We still have to get out of this place. I took out a few of Jack's men, but I know there's more coming.” I breathe him into my lungs; relief like I've never felt before encompasses me.
“I don't care. All that matters is that you're here.” Cupping me by the cheeks, he presses his lips against mine. He breathes life back into me, making my worries and fears crumble. I'm whole now that I'm back in his arms again. The kiss breaks far too soon and I sag against him, wishing we were out of here already and safe within the walls of the mansion.
“Of course, I'm here. I've spent every second searching for you. I wasn't going to give up, not until I had you back in my arms. I love you. The moment I opened that crate, and you weren't inside with Tatum, I about lost my mind.”
The mere mention of Tatum makes my heart clench. “Is… Is Tatum okay?” I have to force the words, since I'm afraid to know the answer.
“Physically, yes. Emotionally we don't know yet,” he soothes, petting my hair gently. “And I wish we had more time to talk, but we need to get out of here before more men arrive.” He releases me and turns, blocking me with his body. “Stay behind me and keep close. I don't know how bad it will get and I don't want to lose you.”
I nod and push away the terror threatening to claw its way out of me. I just want this nightmare to end. We step out of the dark and dingy cell and into another room. The lights above are bright, and I must rely on Callum to lead the way until my eyes adjust. They do so just in time for me to get a look at a man slumped against the wall. A splatter of blood on the cinder blocks marks the spot where he was standing when he was shot in the head.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recognize him as the guy who cracked his knuckles and later slapped me until I was dizzy. The perverse impulse to laugh is almost too much to ignore, but there's no time. We round a corner, and another pair of dead men greet us. Adrenaline pulses in my veins when the sound of footsteps ring out up ahead of us.
“Stay back.” Callum shoves me around the corner an instant before an ear-piercing gunshot sounds, followed by another.
Callum falls back beside me, breathing hard, his gun hitting the floor before I understand why. The blood that starts to bloom like a crimson flower on his blue shirt gives me my answer. “No, no,” I whisper, staring in horror as the blood spreads through the fabric. No, this wasn't supposed to happen. I can't lose him like this, not after everything. Instinct drives me to press my hand to the wound to help stop the bleeding.
“Flesh wound,” he grunts, raising an arm to wipe away the sweat beading against his brow. “I'll be fine, I promise.”
“Torrio,” Dominic's voice taunts from down the hall. “You're not giving up that easily, are you? If so, I'm disappointed. I won't lie, I expected more from you.”
