Chapter 6
Norri
The room was still pitch black when I woke up, my heart pounding wildly in my chest like a trapped animal desperate for release. It reflected what I was feeling.
Disoriented, I lay there for a moment, straining my eyes against the darkness, trying to remember where I was. For a moment, I almost thought I was back home. Then it all came rushing back — the warehouse raid, Gali, the gunshot wound, and waking up in this strange bed in this godforsaken place. I hated everything about this.
As quietly as possible, I threw back the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed, wincing slightly at the pull of stitches in my arm. I'd need to change the dressing soon, but first things first — getting the hell out of here while I still could.
Even though Gali was good to me, there was no telling what the other cartel members would try to do to me, and I didn't want to stick around to find out.
I moved carefully across the room, my bare feet silent on the cold wooden floorboards. Reaching the door, I tried the handle, expecting to find it locked. To my surprise, it turned easily in my grasp, swinging open soundlessly on well-oiled hinges.
Gali must have forgotten about locking it. Lucky me.
A quick glance into the hallway revealed no one stationed outside guarding my door — or so it seemed. Not enough time must have passed for them to remember I was here.
Closing the door softly behind me, I crept along the wall, keeping to the shadows as best I could, my pulse thrumming loudly in my ears. I was on high-alert.
Each step felt like a mile as I edged closer to what I hoped was freedom. I hadn't seen enough of the compound to know for sure where I was going, but I figured any direction was better than sticking around to face the consequences of being caught trying to run. These people already hated me. They would hate me more after finding that out.
Rounding a corner, I came face-to-face with a towering figure looming out of the darkness ahead. We stared at each other for a heartbeat, surprise mirrored on both our faces before I whirled around to flee, only to collide with another equally imposing presence coming up behind me.
I fucked it up.
Strong arms wrapped around my waist, pinning my arms tightly to my sides as I struggled to break free. Panic surged through me, fueling my desperate, futile attempts to escape, even though I knew it was hopeless.
"Let me go!" I cried out, desperation lending strength to my voice. I knew nobody was going to come to my rescue, but it was still the only thing I could do. "Please, don't hurt me!"
My pleas fell on deaf ears however, as my attacker merely tightened his grip, lifting me off the ground before carting me unceremoniously back down the hall towards my prison.
"No! Please!" I begged again, tears stinging my eyes as reality sank in — I was trapped, truly trapped this time. The mistakes that Gali made wouldn't happen again.
My plea must have reached its intended target though, because seconds later, my captor released me abruptly, dumping me onto the bed where I'd woken just seconds ago. Gasping for breath, I huddled against the headboard, watching warily as two figures entered the room, their features obscured by the dim light spilling in from the hallway behind them. At least there was some light coming from somewhere.
One was tall and broad-shouldered, his muscles clearly defined even beneath the loose fabric of his shirt. The other stood slightly shorter, but no less intimidating thanks to the sheer malice radiating off him like heat shimmering off asphalt on a summer's day.
I knew instinctively which one held the power here, and it wasn't the one glaring at me with murder in his eyes. No, that one only took orders and obeyed them without question.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" The taller man growled menacingly, stalking closer to the edge of the bed. "Didn’t we tell you to stay put? Do you think that we are not thinking about killing you? Because that's exactly what I'm thinking right now. I'm thinking how much I want to see you dead."
"I-I'm sorry," I stammered, shrinking back from his wrath. "I didn't mean... I just wanted..."
"Shut your mouth!" He snarled, slamming his fist onto the mattress mere inches from my thigh, making me jump violently. I really thought he was going to hurt me. "You've already caused enough trouble. Now answer the question: What were you thinking, running around like that?"
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes once more, fear coiling tightly around my throat, choking off any coherent response. All I could manage was a weak shake of my head, hoping it would somehow appease his anger.
It did not.
Without warning, he lunged forward, grabbing hold of my injured arm and twisting painfully until I screamed out loud, unable to contain my agony any longer. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks as waves of nausea rolled through me, threatening to send me spiraling into unconsciousness.
"Stop!" Another voice interjected suddenly, sharp and commanding. The grip on my arm eased slightly, allowing me to draw ragged breaths through gritted teeth. Looking up, I found Gali standing in the doorway, his expression thunderous as he glared at the two men now facing off against each other.
"You okay?" He asked, turning towards me briefly before addressing the other alpha once more. "What's going on here?" He's off limits, I could imagine him saying again.
The smaller alpha sneered, gesturing towards me with disdain. "Found this little worm sneaking out like the rat he is. Tried to make a run for it, didn't ya?" He spat the words venomously, making it clear he had no qualms about causing me harm if given half the chance.
Gali's jaw clenched, but otherwise, he showed no outward reaction to the accusations leveled against me. Instead, he stepped further into the room, positioning himself between us almost protectively.
"That may be true," he conceded, his gaze never leaving the other alpha's face. "But you can't hurt him. I'm not allowing it."
His tone implied a subtle threat, one that sent a chill down my spine despite the warmth emanating from him. It was clear these men shared some form of history together; hopefully, Gali's influence would be enough to keep me safe from further harm.
The smaller alpha scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest belligerently. "And who made you boss here? Last I checked, you weren't calling the shots around here." His eyes flicked dismissively over Gali before settling back onto mine, filled with derision. "He's just another prisoner, same as all the others. Treat him like one too."
I shrank back at those cruel words, wrapping my arms around myself as if they could shield me from the verbal blow. I knew it was pointless, but it was the only thing that could make me feel somewhat better.
Yet even as I cowered, Gali remained unmoved, his stance unwavering despite the clear challenge posed to him.
"Maybe so," he agreed mildly, surprising me with his calm demeanor amidst such obvious hostility. "But maybe you need to remember that you do what I want and not the other way around."
A muscle ticked in the smaller alpha's jaw, his eyes narrowing. Whatever silent exchange passed between them then, it seemed to have an effect; after a moment, he turned away, muttering something under his breath about needing a drink before stomping out of the room without another word.
Once the door slammed shut behind him and his silent colleague — who I had almost forgotten had been there with us — Gali let out a sigh, running a hand roughly through his hair before turning back towards me. "You okay?" He repeated, his expression softening ever so slightly.
I nodded weakly, brushing away the lingering tears still damp on my cheeks. "Yes," I whispered. "Thank you for stopping him."
He offered me a small, tight smile before sitting down beside me on the bed, his body language gentle given our surroundings. "Don't mention it," he said, his gaze locked onto mine as if searching for something hidden deep within. "Just promise me you won't try pulling anything like that again. I'm already doing more than I should be to keep you safe."
I swallowed hard, considering his request. On one hand, staying here meant certain imprisonment — possibly even worse depending on what fate awaited those who crossed the cartel. On the other, attempting to escape again might very well get me killed, especially with Gali unable to protect me every second of the day. After all, he was someone important and always had other things to do.
Yet even as I weighed my options, part of me couldn't help but wonder if there was more to Gali than met the eye. After all, he'd gone out of his way to intervene on my behalf twice now, putting himself squarely in harm's way to do so. Why?
I had asked him about that before but felt that there was still more — something that he hadn't told me yet.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" I blurted out, the words tumbling forth before I could stop them. "Why go against your gang just to save someone like me?"
Gali hesitated briefly before speaking, as if choosing his words carefully. "It's easier to just kill you." He glanced down at where his hand rested lightly atop mine on the comforter, his thumb tracing idle patterns over my skin. "But that doesn't mean it's the wisest thing to do."
My heart skipped a beat at his touch, warmth spreading through me like wildfire. I never imagined he would say something like that. I knew he liked me, but for him to go out of his way to say it? I had thought that was impossible.
"But why?" I pressed, leaning into his touch almost involuntarily. "What makes me different from anyone else who's ever been here?"
This time, Gali sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping slightly as if burdened by unseen weight. When he looked back up at me, his expression was starkly serious, almost vulnerable somehow.
"Because sometimes," he murmured softly, "life gives us a chance to make things right. And I intend to take it this time."