Chapter 31
Mina
The silence is deafening, but I would take that over the constant dripping coming from the leaky pipe above me.
*Drip*
*Drip*
*Drip*
A rhythmic tap, tap, tap as each drop splashes into the puddle forming on the floor below. I tried to open my eyes, but my head’s pounding. I think I hit it on the driveway when I passed out. I highly doubt the fucker who stabbed me would save me from face-planting on the ground.
*Drip*
*Drip*
*Drip*
I flex my wrists to check the restraints. I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from screaming. The pain in my hand is unimaginable. My face twists in pain.
“Oh, good. The toy's awake. Boss!” The sound of his shout vibrates inside my skull, and a wave of nausea hits me.
Fingers grip onto my chin and force my face up. My eyes barely crack open. Just enough to see that Quin is here before shutting them again.
*Smack*
My head snaps to the side. The world tilts from his hit.
“Wake up!”
My eyes open to find Quin circling me. I glance down. I’m still wearing Myles's dress shirt. It’s dirty and practically torn apart, but it allows me to have some shred of dignity still.
Quin grabs my wrists and unhooks the restraints.
When I feel my hands are free, I try to quickly stand, but my ankles are hooked together.
I teeter forward from the momentum and land on my knees.
My hands hit the ground, and pain races up my wrists and into my arm.
I try to scream, but my voice only crackles out.
My throat’s too dry and sore from screaming when he stabbed me.
My hand is wrapped tightly, but blood is seeping through the fabric. I don’t know whether it’s good or bad that I can’t feel the actual stab wound, only the pain radiating at the edge of my wrist and up my arm.
“Stupid bitch,” Quin snarls as he grabs me by my hair and lifts me back into the chair. “Try that again and I’ll cut your Achilles tendon.”
“Please…Just let me go. It was self-defense. He was going to kill me.”
*Smack*
My body falls off the chair from this hit without the restraints to keep me attached this time.
“Bullshit! I knew Declan better than anyone, and he was obsessed with you. You were his little broken dove. Made me sick. You were all he ever talked about if we weren’t dealing with business. He would rather cut off his arm than kill you!”
“It’s true! Why would I lie? You already told me I’m not getting out of here alive.” Tears stream down my cheeks as I try to get up. But between the car accident, my hand, and the fact that I just landed hard on my shoulder, I can’t get up.
Quin squats down in front of me. I try to look away from him, but he grabs my jaw to hold me in place.
“Declan, Tony, and Mac were not only my friends but also my employees. Mac was one of the best smugglers I’ve ever had. Like I said, Mina, you cost me a lot of money.” He tilts my chin, looking me over with a look of disgust before shouting, “Get up.”
I try again, but this time he grabs my hair again and lifts me to my feet. His fingers curl around the back of my neck putting pressure on my carotid artery. I try to shift in his grip, but he only tightens his hold more. I’m starting to feel slightly lightheaded.
He leads me out of the small room, then down a hall into a larger area.
My jaw drops as I look at everything surrounding me.
It’s a fucking torture chamber. He pushes me down into a metal chair.
He grabs my wrists and handcuffs them behind the back of the chair again.
I can feel the blood dripping down my fingers.
Quin doesn’t bother restraining my legs this time. I think he realizes his threats are enough to keep me in place. He grabs a chair and sets it in front of me before sitting down in it.
“Alright, Mina. We’re going to play a little game.” He pulls a knife off the table next to him and leans forward. The cold steel taps against my cheek. My body tenses as the tip of the knife barely touches me as he drags it along my exposed flesh.
He uses the knife to move the mangled excuse for a shirt off my breast. His eyes are dark as he looks over my body.
“Fuck! No wonder Declan was obsessed with you. You’re perfect.”
The way the word “perfect” slithers off his tongue has my stomach in knots.
I turn my face away as his fingers brush against the soft skin of my breast before pinching my nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
He rolls it and hums as my body reacts to his touch.
My nipple hardens, and a small smirk appears on his lips.
“He always said you were his favorite. Always so responsive. So…Needy.” He pinches again, harder this time. A small cry escapes my throat, and he looks pleased. “Like I said, Little Dove, we’re going to play a game.”
Hearing him use Declan’s nickname for me is like a stab to my heart. Things weren’t always bad between us. In the beginning, he was actually quite sweet. He was even romantic. But it was when he drank that the true Declan came out. Vile, malicious, and crude.
“Are you paying attention, Mina?” His words are pointed and sharp.
I nod, and he continues.
“As I was saying, I’m going to ask you questions about that day. You tell the truth, and I’ll move the chair back. If I reach the door, you can leave.”
My eyes widen, but my heart sinks. He’s lying. There’s no way he’s letting me go. No matter what I say or do, I’m going to die down here. His lips curl into a sinister grin.
“But…Every time you lie…” His hand flicks so fast. Like a snake striking its prey.
The blade is razor sharp, and I didn’t even realize he cut me until the air hits the cut.
The burning pain spreads along my chest from the two-inch slice he just made.
Blood trickles down my breast and drips onto my lap.
All I can do is stare at him in disbelief.
“Every time you lie, I’ll cut you. I’ve been trained to detect lies, Mina.
My patience is running out. Not all cuts will be as fast as that one.
The more you irritate me, the worse this will become.
Now, first question. The night you met Myles, did you know who he was?
When Declan sent you over to him at the club. ”
“No,” I respond. My voice is steady.
He slides his chair back. The wooden legs scrape along the concrete. The sound echoes off the bare walls around us.
“Did you let him go that night? Declan told you to restrain him, but he said you told him Myles wouldn’t let you. Were you lying?”
“Yes…To both questions.”
His chair slides back.
“Why did you let him go?” His head tilts like he’s studying me. I glance behind him as Chad steps into the doorway.
“Boss. You have a phone call.”
“Not now!” he snaps. The rage in his voice makes my body tense.
“It’s Cash…”
Quin’s eyes narrow on me as he stands. He pulls a rag from his pocket and hands it to Chad.
“Gag her if needed. I don’t need him hearing her scream. He’s got a weakness for damsels in distress.”
“With pleasure,” Chad says as he takes the rag from Quin. Quin points a finger at Chad's face.
“Don’t break her.”
With those three words, he walks out of the room shutting the door.
Panic fills my chest. His eyes are locked on me as he slowly comes closer. My body tenses as he tosses the rag to the floor. He’s already stabbed me. What more could he do that isn’t considered breaking me?
He looks at the cut on my chest. The blood has begun to dry along the opening. His forefinger swipes along the cut scraping his nail along the dried blood. Fresh crimson drops bead up and trickle down my chest again.
“You know he isn’t going to let you go…Right?”
“I know,” I say flatly. I’m not an idiot. I know I’ve seen too much. I know too much.
“Why don’t you hurry up and finish telling Quin what he wants to know…Then you and I can have some real fun.”
He smears his thumb through the blood trail running across my nipple, then cups my chin. He swipes his thumb across my bottom lip, covering it with my blood before pulling it down.
“Open” he orders.
My lips part, and he places his thumb on my tongue.
The bitter copper taste is familiar. Blood is the only thing I’ve tasted since the accident.
My throat tightens at the thought of Myles.
I know I heard sirens off in the distance.
Please. I silently beg the universe that he made it away safe.
My lips tremble against his thumb, and he grips my chin harder.
“What’s wrong, slut? Don’t like the taste of your own blood?” His sickening laughter is quickly cut short by Quin slamming the door open.
“Everything good, Boss?” he asks with his thumb still in my mouth.
The urge to bite it off is becoming overwhelming, but I know that won’t end well for me.
Quin said he would cut my tendon so I can’t walk if I tried to get up again.
I don’t even want to think of the punishment for biting off one of his men's fingers.
“Did she say anything of importance?”
“Nope. She’s a quiet little thing.” He looks back at me, leaning close to my face. “I look forward to hearing your beautiful screams,” he whispers before removing his thumb from my mouth and walking back to the door.
“Shut the door. You can stay if you want,” Quin snaps. He seems much more irritated now since talking to Cash.
Chad shuts the door and walks over to a long metal table along the wall. He hops onto it and takes out his phone. He aims the camera at me.
“Smile, slut.”
I don’t even look in his direction. My gaze is locked on Quin’s. He unsheathes the knife again, flicking his thumb against the blade.
“Now…Where were we?”