Chapter Twenty-Five
Summer
With a sharp smack to the face, my neck snaps to the right, throwing my entire body into disarray. The pain coursing through my head, leaving it heavy and my eyes unable to open. When it happens again, I’m thrown into the other direction and my limp body is unable to stay upright. Forcing my heavy eyes open, I see the fist flying towards my face but I’m only able to flinch before the third smack sends me flying across the floor. Heavy boots scuff and scrape across the floor as my lifeless body is wrenched upright and my head continues to sway.
“What the fuck?”
I manage to mutter, opening my eyes fully.
Glancing down towards the rope tied around the arms of the chair, I try to pull my arms away but a mere chuckle spills from the corner of the room. My eyes squint towards the dark space as he comes into view, the man responsible for every bad thing that has happened to us. Getting closer, he eventually slides his hands into his pants’ pockets and his eyes begin to roam my body. Unable to look him in the eye, I feel my entire body pull away from him. A dark aura clouds him, like a snake eyeing its prey.
“You’ve been hard to find, Summer,”
he comments, his sleazy gaze still working its way over my frame.
The throbbing in my face becomes almost hot, the swelling already beginning to form and I feel myself unable to focus on anything else.
“What do you want?”
I mumble, fighting against my weak body.
“Where’s Harry?”
The question causes my spine to straighten, a brief moment of clarity rushing over me as I manage to lift my head to look at him. His face is stoic, but his jaw is tense, a hidden rage bubbling under the surface.
“I don’t…know.”
“Fucking liar!”
he shouts in my face, whilst another fist flies into me.
My head volleys back towards him and another man standing over me. Dressed in a T-shirt and black cargo pants, he runs his fingers over his bruised, bloody and swollen knuckles. His cruel eyes penetrate mine with a deep hatred I’ve never felt before.
Luca gestures for him to back off, which he does so without question before standing at attention with his hands behind his back like he hadn’t just tried to break my jaw. Becoming more aware of my surroundings, Luca continues to speak but my vision begins to blur and his voice is muffled. The room is dark, nothing more than a concrete cell with a couple windows offering moonlight. It’s silent, no sounds from outside, only the scraping of boots across the floor and the thundering of my own rapid heartbeat.
Resting my back against the chair, I manage to take a couple deep breaths. Lifting my head towards Luca, I study his expression before speaking again. His blue eyes flare with rage, his hands trembling, and the sweat begins to pour from his skin.
“Why…Why would I know where Harry is?”
I manage to get my words out. “I fucking hate him.”
“Because you and him were going to run off with my fucking money,”
he sneers at me.
“What money?”
“The money he fucking stole.”
This time he reaches for my throat, almost pulling me from the chair. I try to swing my restrained arms at him but it’s no use, he just proceeds to pull my face to his and squeezes hard. “The money he was going to use and promised to take you with him.”
His hot breath coats my face and I can’t help but recoil.
Throwing me back down with force, the chair shatters beneath me. I hit the floor hard with a grunt. Managing to shake the rope from my wrist, I reach for a piece of broken wood and scramble to my feet, pointing it towards them.
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re on about, I don’t know anything about money, where Harry is or why the fuck you would think I’d ever want to see his disgusting face again!”
I scream, my words probably incoherent as angry tears begin to spill from my eyes.
The stranger lunges for me, but I manage to swing the wood hard at his face and he staggers back.
“You fucking cunt!”
Anger spewing from his mouth, wiping the blood from his face.
“Bring them in.”
Luca turns to him, his tone turning eerily calm.
The stranger takes a step towards me, side eyeing Luca, before leaving the room. I hold the broken wood towards him, my hand trembling whilst the sweat and blood pours from my body. A few seconds pass, along with muffled sobs and the door is kicked open. Both Eva and Pam are dragged in by their hair, their hands bound with rope and barely able to stand. Blood spills from Pam’s lip and the bruises bloom across Eva’s face. My heart sinks, seeing them so vulnerable.
“Pass me her, Jay,”
Luca commands.
Pamela is shunted towards Luca. I watch as the resentment billows from her and she swings at him hard. He merely steps out of the way and grabs her by the throat, pulling her body to his, his fingers sliding up her thigh and his lips lowering to her ear.
“Still as beautiful as ever, Pamela.”
His tongue runs over her cheek, wiping up her fallen tears, turning his attention to Eva. “Turning on your own family, Eva, tsk tsk.”
Luca shakes his head. “Just like your father, a fucking greedy cunt. I can still see you crying, covered in his blood, such a pretty little girl,”
he sneers.
With a demonic look in his eye, he pushes Pamela back towards Jay. He shrugs out of his jacket and loosens his tie, tossing it to the floor.
“NO!”
Pam screams, trying to break free from Jay’s grasp. “Get the fuck off me!”
“She knows what’s coming.”
Luca smirks, slowly prowling towards me.
The bile rises to my throat, each step he takes towards me I take two back. My mind begins to spiral, the sickness running through this man is undeniable. A sinister smile cracks across his face as he palms his crotch.
“You’d rape your own fucking child?”
The words spill from my mouth, my eyes remain wide and the entire room falls silent.
Luca’s face morphs immediately, the smile wiped away. His brow furrows for a moment before a blank mask descends. Chills run through me, his head cocks to one side as though he’s now studying each feature, as if trying to work out the truth.
“No,”
he murmurs.
“She never told you, did she?”
I ask hesitantly.
Luca begins to back away from me, the devious flame in his eye has been extinguished and he begins to leave the room.
“You handle it,”
he spits to Jay and slams the door behind him.
Both Eva and Pam are thrown into the corner of the room, their cries of pain bounce off the wall as Jay slowly proceeds towards me, practically salivating. Holding the broken piece of wood tight in both hands, I get ready to swing but he just slowly shakes his head at me.
“I’ll enjoy this tight cunt,”
he sneers, licking his lips.
Swinging the wood with all my might, he throws out his hand catching it and yanking it away from me. Throwing it across the floor, it slides in the opposite direction. Stupidly watching it move away, I don’t see the massive right hand coming towards me, sending me flying into the wall. I throw my hands out to stop myself, instead falling into a heap. Jay hovers over me, his smile staring down at me, preying on my weak state. I shake my head, trying to mouth the word ‘no’. Pulling the blade from his pocket, he reaches for my throat, dragging me on to my feet, pinning me against the wall. The blade slowly drags across my face and his eyes glimmer with wonder at the terror he’s inflicting on me.
“Oh, I could pull those pretty eyes from your head,”
he whispers. “Would you like that? The last thing you see is my face…before the lights go out.”
He sings his sick words to me.
My hands are wrapped tight around his, with all my strength I try to pry his hand off my throat and gasp for breath. When one hand slides down my body, he cups my pussy and squeezes hard. An overly toothy sinister grin splits across his face and in that moment my entire body freezes.
Oh god.
Leaning close, his body presses hard into mine, pinning me in place. Balancing on my tip toes, I fight against my fear, willing my body to move, forcing my fingers to even twitch just a little and not leave me with this fucking pig.
“You’ll scream my fucking name,”
he sneers in my ear.
With everything in me, I manage to lift my knee sharp and drive it hard straight into his crotch. As he falls back my fist connects hard with his cheek. The pain pushes through my body, but I can’t lose focus.
“Grab the wood!”
I hear Eva cry out.
My eyes quickly dart along the floor as I dive for the weapon. Skidding into my knees, I lock my fingers around it before scrambling to my feet. Holding it above my head, I stand over Jay, whilst he manages to lean on one knee. The fear and rage gels into one. It happens in slow motion, as I drive the wood down hard onto his head, I hear the screams and cries of both Pam and Eva, their words fill my ears.
“OH GOD NO.”
I don’t understand, what? What is it? I blink and the weapon is still in my right hand, fallen at my side. Did I hit him? Jay stands over me, his towering height consuming me, his wide eyes burning holes into mine, the sweat pouring from his brow and his hand shaking. My eyes begin to roam downwards, finally landing where we’re joined. His hand trembles around the handle of the blade, stuck into my gut.
I drop the wood onto the concrete floor, my eyes unable to pull away from the metal sticking out of my body, but Jay’s wide fearful eyes pleading for forgiveness.
“Don’t pull it out,”
I whimper, the pain beginning to register.
“What?” he snaps.
“Don’t pull it out,”
I shake my head.
I lock my hands over his, weakly trying to hold the blade in place. The door behind us opens, but I can’t move. Footsteps slowly approach but when Jay finally looks towards the person, his eyes widen further, he lets go of the knife and raises his hands.
“I was only..”
It’s too late, I watch in horror as the back of his head flies onto the wall behind him, his body falling to the ground hard whilst the blood begins to pool around him. I blink a few times, but my vision begins to blur, holding the blade tight in my hand and refusing to let go. I feel everything around me begin to swirl and sway.
“Summer, Summer!”
I look towards Pam who approaches, fearful as she sees the blade in my gut.
I slowly turn to the man still holding the gun in his hands, his face riddled with concern, his dark eyes almost welling up. Eva finally slices the restraints from her wrists and moved to Pam. As the rope hits the floor, they both stand either side of me, screaming at the stranger but their words begin to disappear into the abyss. I can’t make out what they’re saying but they eventually begin to pull me with a great force out of the room. My body begins to sway, I lose control of my movements.
“She needs a hospital,”
he speaks clearly, guiding us through the building before pushing the double doors open. A large SUV idles in front of us.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
Pam snaps at the stranger, her hands clutching around my arm, holding me up.
“We don’t have..”
“Fuck you! You corrupt piece of shit! What the fuck is going on?”
She won’t let up.
“Who…”
I sway on my feet. “Who’s that?”
I manage to ask.
Pam’s sympathetic eyes turn to me, the worry knits her brows and she shakes her head towards the stranger.
“Elijah Elom, Luca’s dirty fucking lawyer.”
Venom fills her voice and ice crawls through my veins as the three of us stare at him, unsure what he’s playing at.
The door of the SUV swings open. A tall broad man, dressed in black approaches fast, his dark hair swept back into a top knot. His heavily tattooed body comes into view, snakes slithering up his neck and arms. We take a step back as he gets closer, our hesitation all too obvious at his appearance.
“Was he inside?”
the deep voice asks, but Eljah visibly deflates and shakes his head. “Get them to the hospital.”
“Carlos…”
Elijah goes to speak but as the man turns back, he shoots a warning glare before proceeding back into the car.
“Summer, stay with me.”
I hear the words in the distance, but soon I feel my knees crashing towards the floor.
My eyes watch the ground as I’m dragged towards the waiting car. Muffled voices, shouting and crashing fills my ears as my vision begins to darken. I can feel someone’s hands gently stroking my face, their faint words of encouragement keeping me in the present. I look to my hand coated in blood, the crimson liquid sliding down my skin
“Stay awake, please,”
they plead.
When I force my eyes open once more, I see Pamela’s tear-filled eyes looking down at me as she continues to talk to me. I look over, and Eva is holding my hand, squeezing it from the front seat whilst she screams at the man to drive faster. A whirring begins to flood my ears, as though someone is turning the volume down on the sound and light surrounding us.
“Pam.”
I whisper. She leans in towards me. “I need you…I need….Tell Bhodi I said yes.”
“What?”
she asks, stroking the hair from my face.
“Tell Bhodi, my answer…is yes.”
I fight to get my words out, as a heaviness begins to fall over me.
“No no no.”
she cries. “You can tell him, you can tell him, Summer, please.”
My heavy eyes close as a gentle peace begins to fall over me, a warmth blankets my skin, the screams and pleas begin to wash away, a light begins to fill my view and the darkness disappears. There’s no pain or sadness, just the warm sunshine beaming down onto my face.