Chapter 7
Luis
Groaning, I move to pick my head up, trying to blink a few times to make my eyes focus enough to see where the hell I am.
Everything looks so blurry, like I’m in a haze.
I try to move my arms, but panic sets in when I realize I can’t.
Looking up as I try shaking my arms again, my eyes widen when I hear chains rattle.
My hands are cuffed, my arms hanging above me.
My shoulders are screaming in pain, and the cuffs are biting into my skin.
There’s no telling how long I’ve been here, everything aches.
What the hell? Where am I? My mind starts running wild with thoughts.
What even happened? I swear, if this is some kind of joke Raven is playing, I’m going to redden that sexy ass of hers.
Trying to turn and see my surroundings, I freeze and scream out in pain.
My whole body lights up like it's on fire, and my voice sounds like I haven’t had water in a year.
It’s now that I realize it’s pitch black in here with just a sliver of moonlight coming in through a small window.
I try moving my legs next, but they are cuffed too.
I’m definitely awake now, trying to take inventory of my body.
I stop and try to take a deep breath, only for pain to shoot up my body when I inhale.
Okay, so somehow I may have broken ribs?
My hands and feet feel numb. It’s that pins-and-needles feeling that’s making them feel cold.
With what little breaths I can manage, I see the cold fog come from my lips.
“Okay, what the fuck is going on?” I croak out, only to be met with silence. Closing my eyes, I try to remember what the hell happened, and how I ended up here. The last thing I recall was working at the shop.
I must have passed out again, the heavy footsteps coming down the stairs wakes me up and has my head snapping in that direction.
“Well, well, well, if the man of the hour isn’t finally awake,” comes a voice that sounds vaguely familiar, but yet no one comes to mind.
“Where am I? And who the fuck are you?” I manage to say, every word feeling like sandpaper.
“Oh, don’t you know? I’m the guy who told you to leave what’s mine alone. What a waste that I had to kill her though. Tsk. Tsk. You really should have listened and just gave her to me.” He laughs maniacally, sending a chill up my spine.
“Wait, killed who?” I ask. NO! No, no, no!
“Raven! My Raven! She’s dead. She was going to make me a pretty penny, but y’all just couldn’t leave well enough alone.
I had to take the next step. Don’t worry, you’ll be dead, just like her, soon enough, and your brothers won’t be far behind,” he says, but I stopped listening when he said Raven is dead. She can’t be!
“Noooo. You’re lying! You didn’t kill her!” I seethe, not believing one word he’s saying.
“Oh, but I did. Here, I’ll show you,” he replies, opening his phone up and showing me a picture of Raven.
He took the photo standing over her. She’s laying on the ground, covered in blood, with her body scraped up, looking so broken.
He swipes the picture and another one comes up.
It’s a closer picture of her laying in a puddle of her own blood.
Her eyes are closed, her beautiful hair now soaked with blood and covering her face as she lays there surrounded by the mangled pieces of her bike that are scattered along the pavement.
“Fuck you! You want to kill me? Then do it! What’s stopping you?” I spit, and he just starts laughing again. Without her, I’m nothing. No one. God, my brothers must be fucking heartbroken and going out of their minds. I’m not there. She’s gone… She’s gone!
“Oh, but I do need you. See, I need you to help me lure your brothers somewhere.
This very basement you're in is the same one that was used to beat and break in your little girlfriend. This is where her childhood started. Brock would send us pretty little pictures of her strung up, almost exactly like you are now. She was so bloody and beaten. Mmmm, the videos we would get of her chained up and being used like the whore she is. Damn, how I wish I had her tied up here instead of you. How ironic is it though? Her life started here, and this is where your life will end,” he says matter-of-factly.
“I’m not doing shit for you, scumbag. I’ll never help you harm my brothers, so you’d better just fucking kill me.
There is no other option,” I growl as he sends a blow to my chest, knocking the wind out of me.
All I can think is that there’s no life without Raven!
Even with my brothers, we will all be missing the biggest piece of our hearts.
HER. He hits me again in the same spot, causing me to gasp for air, and finally, he delivers a blow to my temple, whipping my head to the side.
The last thing I see is the girl I love…
and lost. All I can think about is that one verse from the song I know all too well.
I can almost hear her singing it to me, “And if you go, I wanna go with you.” As the darkness consumes me, I softly sing back to her, “And if you die, I wanna die with you.”