Chapter 40
40
I t’d been hours since Tessa had any contact with Damien.
She still didn’t understand what was happening. Her mind reeled with fear. Her wrists throbbed where the tight rope bit into her skin. The damp, musty air in the warehouse was suffocating her. She shivered, though the cold was only part of her suffering.
She had to pee but didn’t want to ask to go to the bathroom. They’d probably say no and tell her to pee in her pants, which would be just as humiliating.
And where was Ford?
He had to know she was missing by now. How would the Brotherhood locate her?
The sound of the door creaking open made her flinch. Was she going to die now?
Damien strolled in, followed by Marty. “Comfy?” he asked, leaning comfortably against the wall, his cold eyes fixed on her.
She glared at him, refusing to take the bait.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, it’ll all be over soon,” he said with a smirk. “Malina has plans for you.”
Oh, no. Tessa’s stomach clenched. The mention of Malina’s name made her blood run cold. “Damien, you don’t have to do this,” she said, her voice cracking.
He chuckled. “Save your breath, Tessa. No one crosses Malina and wins. I value my life too much.”
The shrill ring of a phone shattered the silence. Damien pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen and frowned. “Fuck,” he muttered before answering the call. “Yeah? You what? Another fire to put out? … The shipment is missing? Damn. No problem. We’re just waiting on you.” His gaze slid back to Tessa, and he smirked. “Yes, she’s comfortable. It’s just one big party here. See you then.”
Tessa cocked her head, trying to catch snippets of the conversation, but none of it made sense except for his “one big party.” It was a party all right, just not for her.
He hung up and turned to Marty. “Malina’s hung up on some kind of disaster. She won’t be here for another day at the least.”
“What are we supposed to do with her until then?” Marty jerked his thumb toward Tessa.
Damien chuckled. “Well, why don’t we untie her and let her go?”
Tessa’s ears perked up. Would they let her go? She sure didn’t want to stick around for this Malina.
She must have looked too optimistic, because Marty and Damien looked at each other and started laughing.
“Sorry, sweetheart, but you’re never getting out of here alive,” said Damien. “The one thing Malina hates more than anything is betrayal. You should never have gone to that cop.”
Marty stroked his chin. “Why don’t we toss her in that small room? There’s no window, and it has a lock on the door. She won’t be going anywhere, so we don’t have to worry about her.”
Damien nodded. He walked over, pulled a knife from his pocket and cut the bindings around her wrists. Tessa moaned as the blood rushed back to her hands.
He roughly pulled her up, dragging her out to a dimly lit hallway. They reached a small windowless room. He shoved her inside and slammed the door.
Her shoulders sagged as she looked around the room. Something, which Tessa prayed wasn’t blood, stained the bare concrete walls. Someone had scratched the word “help” on it. The floor was cracked in places, with small puddles of water seeping through. The air was stale and musty, with dust motes dancing under the single flickering light. At least there would be no surprises from rodents or bugs.
Tessa tried to run and push the door open, but she was too weak. She heard a click and footsteps walking away. Great.
She looked around the room once more. It was mostly barren, with a stack of pallets in the corner and a broken, rusty chair. She wasn’t expecting the Ritz, but still. It was worse than what she imagined. The only good thing was that she was alone. No Damien, no Marty and no Malina. At least for a while.
Her heart raced when she spotted a bucket in the corner. It was humiliating that she’d have to pee in a bucket, but the urgent need to relieve herself won. She wasted no time pulling up her dress, lowering her panties and peeing.
The relief was short-lived because now all there was to do was wait. Wait and imagine what was going to happen to her. Each thought was more terrifying than the last. How would they kill her? Tessa prayed it would be quick, like a bullet through her heart. However, she sensed Malina liked to hurt and torture people, taking her time enjoying their screams. Tessa’s stomach churned.
She wanted to believe she was strong, brave even, capable of withstanding a little pain, but for how long?
The only thing she knew was that she had to hold on. She had to believe that Ford and the Brotherhood would find her. Please hurry, she prayed, her heart racing.