30. Duke
THIRTY
DUKE
T his is all my fault.
And don’t tell me it’s not because it fucking is. I caused all of this, this chain reaction of crap that is drowning us in shit right now. I should have never signed away my sanctuary to a stranger. I should have never trusted a stranger to be good. I should have never accepted Azrael and his family coming to the island and staying here to help. I should have faced this stranger alone when I discovered what was happening.
Now, Penny, Azrael, and God knows who else are all going down with me when they had nothing to do with this. When I should be the one paying for my sins .
I stared at Penny. She blinked at a faster rate than normal. Her shoulders rose and fell rapidly while she struggled against the restraints behind her back.
I wished I could apologize to her. Get her out of this hellhole, out of my mess. Hold her, at least. But I couldn’t do any of that. All I could do was sit still and hate myself a little more every passing second.
The door opened, and Derek walked in with a smirk. To think I’d let that man into my home. I’d talked to him at length about the sanctuary, made him coffee, and all this time, he’d been in on it. I didn’t know if he was the mastermind behind everything or just a pawn, but my guess was on the latter. He didn’t seem bright or well-off enough to be a crime boss.
He crouched on the floor and reached over to pull the gag out of my mouth.
“Seems like your little boyfriend has made his choice. He chose to abandon you.”
My heart ached at the thought. At the idea that he’d left me here to fend for myself, that he wasn’t here to protect me and make everything okay. But the rational part of my brain knew it was the right thing to do and would never hate him for it.
“Good. Wouldn’t want him associating with the likes of you,” I told Derek, and he laughed.
“You’re a spritely little fag, aren’t you?” He spat on the floor at my feet, and I glared at him.
Penny grunted beside me and moved from side to side, trying to free her hands from behind her back.
“What?” he snapped.
Penny grunted again and wouldn’t stop until Derek ungagged her too.
“Don’t you dare spit on my brother, you fucking cunt!”
“Huh!” He laughed. “I see who got the balls in the family.”
“Fuck you!” we said at the same time.
Derek grimaced.
“I’d rather not. I’m not a fag or that desperate.” He looked from me to Penny and grinned.
“Please. As if I’d ever touch you with a ten-foot pole.” Penny cringed. “You’re grotesque. I’ve always disliked you. Now I know why.”
Derek touched his chest and groaned.
“You hurt my feelings. So cruel.”
He got up and started to walk out of the room.
“What are you going to do with us?” Penny asked him before he reached the door.
Her tone went from sarcastic to a cry in an instant, whatever bravado she’d conjured up dissipating with every step Derek took.
“Do you really want to know?” He smirked.
“Yeah. I don’t like surprises,” she answered.
“Fine. It’s not like you can do anything about it. We’re going to use you to teach your friends a lesson.”
“Friends? What friends?” I asked before Penny could ask the same thing.
Derek raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t play stupid, Duke. It doesn’t suit you. You know which friends I’m talking about. Your little SEAL friends who are sneaking onto this island, thinking we won’t find out.
“You know, the boss is very disappointed in you. He thought you’d be grateful to the man who saved your little sanctuary in your time of need, but no, you had to run to your little friends and get them involved. What a way to thank him.”
“Yeah, well, I’m disappointed in him. I thought he cared about doing good. I should have known a man who won’t show his face shouldn’t be trusted.”
“Duke?” Penny said. “You know what this is about? What’s going on?”
“Awww, look at you playing stupid for my benefit. Don’t worry. The boss will take care of you both. Like he should have done a long time ago.”
“Let her go. She has nothing to do with this. She doesn’t know anything.”
“Well, even if that’s true, she does now. So congratulations, you pathetic little shit. You got your sister killed.”
My eyes flared and a pang hit my chest. Shit. Shit. Shit.
My worst nightmare is coming true, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it .
“Pathetic?” Penny asked. “Who are you calling pathetic? Who’s more pathetic? The guy who’s dedicated his life to saving animals in need, or a criminal like you?”
“Pen, don’t,” I pleaded with her.
It was bad enough I’d gotten her mixed in this. She didn’t need to make the situation any worse than it was already.
“No, Duke. I won’t shut up. Fuck that. If I’m about to die, I might as well speak my mind. Who do you work for? Huh? You piece of shit! Do you think doing this will make you a man? You’re a pathetic excuse for a human being, and if I wasn’t tied up right now, I’d kill you with my own hands?—”
“Pen!” I shouted, and Derek reached across the room and slapped her across the face. “You dickhead! Don’t you touch my sister, you fucking dick for brains!”
Pen flicked her hair back and glared at Derek with a deadly gaze. Her cheek was bright red and her eyes shiny. But before I could say anything else or ask her if she was okay, Derek turned around and slapped me too.
The force of his strike made me fall back, a sharp pain flaring on my face and reverberating through my head, through the rest of my body like a wave that got stronger the longer it went on.
I looked up at my attacker, at the dingy gray cellar we’d been thrown in, at the dried-out support beams falling apart from age and moisture, the curse of living on an island in the Atlantic. I looked at everything I could, while I could, because soon it all turned into a blur, and my eyes grew so heavy I didn’t think I could keep them open for much longer.
Of course I’d die out here, tied up and tortured. It was just my luck that I wouldn’t succumb to cancer but stupidity. My stupidity.
And that stupidity would be my undoing, but even worse, my sister’s.
I guess I’m about to meet with you again, Noah. I hope you’re ready for me.
At least Azrael escaped. And Noah. At least they’re out of here and don’t have to pay for my fuck-up.
God. How had I fucked up so much? Huh? How?
If you really exist, you’d save me right now. If you really exist, you’d get Penny out of here. If you really exist, none of this would have happened in the first place.
But…
Please, God. I know I haven’t been your most staunch supporter, but I need a miracle right about now.
Pretty please with a cherry on top.
Hell, I’ll even get baptized or whatever. Just…
Save me !