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I force myself to push through the agony and am pretty sure I hear a pop in my ankle as I do, but when I’m laid out on the floor, chest heaving and body free to lay how it naturally wants to…nothing hurts as if it’s broken. Just severely unhappy about my current predicament.
I’m about to sleep on a concrete floor tonight. My body better get over it, because I need to be at my best tomorrow when I assume Titan will return.
After a short reprieve, I give myself another onceover, running my hands over my legs and pressing in areas to test my injuries. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to get the restraints off my hands, but at least I can defend myself better with them in front of me.
The dim light flickers above me, and I hope they’re going to turn it off, but minutes tick by with no such luck. I can at least admit this is better than being kept in complete darkness at all times, like before.
Forcing myself to stand again, I make my way toward the only door I can see in this room. Since there isn’t a bucket, finding a spot on the floor is my only other option if I’m to relieve myself. And better on the floor than in my pants.
I shove my jeans down, one push at a time, and use the wall to help keep me balanced since my wrists are still bound together. As soon as I stick my ass far enough away from my pants, I take care of business, ignoring the tiny splatters that bounce back up and remind me that I could have peed myself instead. Plus, this way, hopefully Titan will step in the puddle, making my day.
Once I’m done, I know it’s time to get some rest and head toward the furthest corner in the room. Uncomfortably so, I inch my way down to the floor and choose to try and sleep sitting up. My body might hate me a little less in the morning. Probably not, but the position at least seems more comfortable than when I was lying flat on the floor a few minutes ago.
I close my eyes and picture the garden in Luca’s private courtyard. Had it only been hours ago that I was there, losing myself to my art and allowing myself to believe that being with Luca wouldn’t be the end of the world?
Thinking of that moment has me unable to block out my earlier questions about whether or not Luca is searching for me. I want to believe that I’m not that big of a fool to have fallen for him without him returning the sentiment.
Those moments when he held me… couldn’t have all been fake.
If they were, I’ll find a way to move past it just as soon as I get the hell out of this place. I won’t let the “what if” questions drive me to the point of insanity, not when I need to keep my fury focused on Titan.
I settle in for a long night on a cold floor, but before my breathing can even out, I hear the door open. My head turns to see who has entered the room, but before I can get a look at the new arrival, the lights are turned off, plunging the room into darkness.
My body tenses up as I listen intently to the sounds of the footfalls. Ones so soft that I’m not sure if they completely miss the mess I just made or are just that light. Whoever is there comes closer, but there is no sense of urgency in the movements I hear. Why should there be? I’m a captive, tied up with nothing to defend myself with.
Except I’m not in the same position I was with Titan earlier. I have my strength and the innate will to live. With that knowledge, I take a steadying breath and wait for whoever has joined me to make his first move.
There’s a small possibility that nothing will happen, but that’s just wishful thinking. In the next second, rough hands grab on to my hair and slam my head against the drywall behind me.
I suck in a breath and begin to panic, but then remind myself that I’m not helpless. I might not have had very much time in the gym with Justine, but she showed me I’m stronger than I’ve ever given myself credit for. More than that, I told myself earlier that I wasn’t going down without a fight. I’m going to keep that promise.
Gathering my bearings, I punch forward with both hands still tied together, aiming for a dick or even a kidney, but it's hard to tell where anything is in the darkness. Instead of either of my marks, I miss and hit air.
A deep grumbly voice chuckles. “Nice try, little girl.”
He pulls me by my hair again, and I move my legs quickly to take the strain off my scalp. As soon as I’m on two feet, I thrust my knee forward. This time I don’t miss. His balls get crunched and hopefully a few things broken, but the win is swiftly dashed away.
My attacker slams his fist into the side of my head, forcing my skull to bounce off the wall and back into his waiting palm that then slaps me across the cheek, all of which explodes with pain that I can’t manage to ignore. Though, I’m glad the walls are covered in drywall and not concrete like the floor.
Mother fuck fuck.
A finger drags over my cheek, taking my blood with it, and it takes everything in me to stay conscious as I grip his wrists, begging my body to fight back, but not knowing where to find the strength.
“Daddy Dearest said I wasn’t allowed to kill you, but he suggested I teach you a lesson or two about loyalty.” His whispered words send a chill down my spine.
“He might beyourdaddy, but Titan is nothing to me,” I say with venom that only serves to make him laugh again.
“I was hoping you’d say that.” His fingers wrap around my neck, squeezing as he starts to lift my body from the ground.
The air in my lungs leaves quicker than I wish, raising my panic, and the likelihood that I’ll be awake much longer isn’t high. Except I can’t stand the thought of this manteachinglessons while I’m not conscious to fight back.
I force my arms to rise, knowing he’s right in front of me thanks to his hold on me, and lightly feel for his face, acting only slightly weaker than I really am. His cheeks are clean shaven, but I don’t bother to suss out any other details. I find his eyes and then use the last of my resolve to shove my thumbs into his eye sockets. A feat easier to do than I would have thought, as long as I ignore the squishy, wet feeling as I press harder.
He’ll have to choose between letting go of me or risk going blind in at least one eye. At this point, I don’t really care which happens. Either way, I’ll win. Even if it’s only in a small way.
“You fucking bitch,” he snarls, and I grin into the darkness.
He releases my neck, and I drop to the ground in a heap, landing on my elbows and saving my head from another injury.
