THIRTY-ONE
I don’t know how much time has passed since I was brought here.
My mind fills with dark thoughts, and the voices start to appear. They’re telling me that this is just karma and that I shouldn’t act too surprised that my wrongdoings finally caught up with me.
I stop counting how many times water fills my lungs; how many times he hits and beats me because I refuse to sign the piece of paper. I’m certain this is all a game to him because he could easily sign it himself. He knows my signature.
He shoved food down my throat twice. I didn’t want to eat it but for each refusal, he made sure I regretted it. I stopped fighting after that. I’m still not going to sign that fucked-up paper, but I’m also not provoking him.
I stop speaking entirely.
Of course, he can’t let that slide. He was getting annoyed with each passing hour. Eventually, Dylan lost his mind completely. I’ve never seen him like this. He went from a maniac to an absolute psychopath within seconds.
How the hell did I never notice his sadistic tendencies?
The darkness hugs me with its long claws, embedding itself deeply into my soul. I don’t try to fight it off because it’s covering me like the softest blanket. It starts to speak, whispering in my ear while probing and reaching my heart. It’s in its palm, and it’s hers to play with.
It’s me.
The shadow is me. The part of me that I never wanted anyone to see. The part of me that I kept hidden from everyone. The real Noelle Campbell. She’s always been on my side, and she’s the only one I can rely on, even when all she wants is to twist my heart.
I can’t feel my fingertips. I’ve passed out too many times. Each time, Dylan splashes me with more freezing-cold water to wake me up. I’m surprised I’m not dead yet, though I know I will be in a little while unless someone shows up to save me.
How absurd and pathetic.
I’m one of the proudest people I know, yet here I am, waiting to be rescued like a damsel in distress. To make matters even worse, whenever I have a few minutes of clarity, all I think about is Hudson.
He will come for me.
I know he will.
It’s laughable, really.
No matter how great our time together was, I only now realize how deeply he snuck his way under my skin. I still feel him. I see his eyes and that obnoxious smirk on his face whenever I close my eyes.
Somewhere along the ride, I fell, and I fell hard.
I’m supposed to kill him in cold blood, and here I am, praying and hoping he’ll come to my rescue. And I know he will. Because just as much as he’s gotten under my skin, I am forever engraved in his soul.
It’s twisted. It’s so wrong. Yet whenever I think of the time we had together, I feel at ease. It’s the only reason I’m still able to remain composed, calm, and alive in this terrible nightmare.
“Noelle,” Dylan calls my name and my eyes slowly move to his body. “How are you feeling?”
Is this motherfucker being serious right now?
I blink.
He approaches me and crouches down to my level. He’s no longer having an outburst, and that does make me feel relieved, but it’s only for a brief moment. I don’t know when I’ll breathe the wrong way and cause him to lose his shit.
“Never been better.” My hoarse voice is filled with sarcasm. I can’t help it—it slips out before I even realize what I’m saying. However, Dylan doesn’t get angry. He laughs, and I’m pretty sure it won’t end well for me.
“Of course, of course.” He strokes my cheek, his thumb brushing over my split lip. It still hurts like a bitch from the time when he drove his fist into my mouth. I’m surprised I only lost one tooth.
“Your skin isn’t soft anymore,” he states with a deep sigh. “If you could only listen to me, none of this would continue.”
When I remain silent, he clenches his jaw and grips my chin. It hurts, but I don’t show it. He hates that I’m numb to his provocations and that I don’t want to engage in any unnecessary conversations with him.
“Why won’t you just sign the paper, Noelle? All of this would be over.”
“Because you killed so many women, sold them like they’re some sort of objects, then kidnapped me and drowned me repeatedly.”
He takes a deep breath. “But that’s all your fault! I did my best to prevent this from happening. All the women, all the men I’ve captured—none of them cooperated properly. I even gave all of them fucking scripts, but they all cried like little bitches. And you, my Noelle, never cry. It broke my fantasy, so I had to get rid of them. But you should be happy!”
“Happy?” I ask in a hushed whisper, disbelief in my tone.
“Now there’s far less people who look like you. You’re one of a kind, Noelle. I’ve always known it, and you were born to be with me. And what do you do? You go ahead and fuck Hudson De Santis—the man you’re supposed to kill, by the way—and forget all about me. I played your little game. I gave you all the freedom you needed. All I wanted was for you to fucking marry me and carry my last name. You couldn’t even do that much.”
“Dylan.” I swallow, my throat dry. “You went too fucking far. Even without Hudson in the picture, I never would’ve married you, knowing you operated a human trafficking ring!”
“But without that motherfucker you never would’ve found out!” he screams in my face, his nails digging into my cheeks. “I had to get rid of your lookalikes quickly, and that’s the only reason you know!”
“So what was the plan? You were going to just… hide it for the rest of our lives? I would’ve found out one way or the other.”
Dylan is fuming. “I would’ve gotten rid of everyone who knew about that little business, and you would’ve never known, Noelle. It’s that De Santis bastard who I’m blaming. He dirtied your head, my love. I’ll cleanse you entirely. Don’t worry.”
Chills run down my spine at his words. He notices it and grins like a maniac, continuing his rant. “I’m giving you one last chance to sign the papers willingly, Noelle. I’ll have to use other methods if you do not comply.”
I remain silent.
He clicks his tongue against the rooftop of his mouth. “I see. Sit tight. I’ll be back.”
As I watch Dylan leave, I glance around me. My fingers and toes are numb, and I’m pretty sure I’ll get hypothermia at this rate. His men switched a few times, but there are always at least two watching me like hawks.
The chains are tightly secured on my body, and I can’t move. The rest of my body is in a bad shape, too. Not only am I wet from head to toe, but I’ve also been in a sitting position for too long. Even if an opportunity comes, it’s unlikely I’ll be able to escape on my own.
Dylan comes back with a bucket full of water and a taser.
Blood drains from my face because I already know what comes next. He doesn’t even give me an opportunity to brace myself. He pours the water all over me, making sure I’m soaking wet from head to toe.
He snaps his fingers, and one of his men approaches me and tears my shirt, leaving me in a bra. When I glance down, I see purple bruises forming on my stomach and chest area. I think he broke one or two of my ribs when he was kicking me a while ago.
He presses the button on the taser with the most terrifying grin on his face. He gets close to me, waving the device in front of my face. My eyes follow it, but I don’t allow him to feed off my fear.
“Did you know,” Dylan says, chuckling, “if I use a taser on you right now, there’s a possibility of you having a stroke or a heart attack? If not, you’ll probably have some burn marks. Since you’re wet, the pain will be amplified. So, here’s where you have a choice: sign the marriage certificate or suffer.”
I swallow.
“What happens if I sign it? What’s the plan? Just kidnap me and never let me see the light of the day again? Ray will hunt you across the universe, and he will find you. After all, that is just a piece of paper.”
Dylan shrugs. “Maybe. I’ll figure it out. But hey, let’s not talk about your father now. We do have his blessing, don’t we? My bigger concern is how to deal with that De Santis bastard.”
“You will not lay your filthy hands on him.”
He raises a brow, though he seems madder than before. “Oh? I won’t just lay my hands on him, Noelle. I will kill him, slit his throat as you watch. That will be my wedding gift to you.”
“You fucking psychopath.”
“Tick-tock. What’s your answer, Noelle?”
“Rot in hell, bastard.”
He backhands me, his ring cutting my cheek. It’s just a little sting and way less intense than anything else he’s done to me. Yet it hurts. It hurts so much that I want to roll into a ball and cry until I no longer have any tears left.
“I’m so sad you’re this stubborn.” He presses the button once again, and I take in a sharp breath. “But once I’m done with you, you’ll be broken and ready to be shaped into the woman I want. I’m sorry in advance.”
He doesn’t hesitate.
He doesn’t remove the sadistic smile off his face. If anything, it widens, reaching his eyes.
Then, he pushes the taser deep into my flesh, right between my breasts.
The shock goes straight to my brain, and my body starts shaking uncontrollably. The flaming sensation fills my soul, and a piercing scream slips my lips. Tears burn in my eyes, sliding down my cheeks.
I can’t breathe.
And he doesn’t stop.
He just switches locations. From my chest to my neck, arms, and stomach. There isn’t a blank part of my body he leaves untouched as he continues to use the taser on me. I’ve never used one, but I know about them. Of course, he chose the one with the strongest voltage.
My heart is ready to burst, and I pray that it does. I just want all of this to be over with. A heart attack and dying here is better than experiencing this excruciating pain for a moment longer.
Bile rises in my throat, but I can’t let it out. It gets stuck, and I can’t move anymore. I’m shaking in pain, screaming in agony, and Dylan doesn’t care. He’s feeding on my misery. He’s enjoying the thrill of hurting me.
“Scream more, Noelle,” he groans. “You look so fucking pretty when you’re in pain.”
He removes the taser and the more I try to breathe, the more it hurts. My lungs, my ribs, my chest—it’s all aching, throbbing. My vision gets distorted, and I can’t see straight. It blurs but when I think I’m going to pass out, he just pushes my head back into the bathtub filled with water.
Then he starts tasing my body while my head's under water.
Oh, God. It hurts so fucking much. I’ve never felt this amount of pain. My body is betraying me, and I can’t breathe. Water fills my nose and mouth. My eyes open, and it burns. I try to dissociate myself from the situation, to ease the pain, but that doesn’t happen.
Dylan doesn’t let it happen.
He wants to kill me.
And right now, I wish he would.