Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
IMOGEN
Consciousness slowly returns, the foggy haze clouding my thoughts finally dimming. My head pounds and throbs, tiny hammers sending shockwaves through my temples. I wince.
Where am I? What’s happened . Why does everything hurt?
Oh, God. Oh, God, no. No, no, no.
Will took me. He injected me with something and took me, and now I don’t know where I am.
Panic claws at my chest, my heart pounding wildly, my breath coming in painful gasps as my lungs work against me. I’m desperate to fill them to bursting, but I can only manage shallow sips of air. My limbs are heavy—a remnant of whatever drugs Will gave me.
My eyes struggle to adjust to the dim light, but as they do, I take in my surroundings. I’m in a living room, the couch I’m lying on is saggy, worn, and smells musty. There’s a small TV in the corner sitting on top of a cabinet filled with scratches. The closed drapes covering what I guess is a window are covered in stains .
Breathe, Imogen.
Staying calm is the only way out of this situation. Vicky has my phone, so there’s no way Alexander can track me. I’m alone, and if I’m to stand a chance of escaping, I have to save myself. No one is coming to rescue me.
Why would Will do this to me? What’s his end game? Is he after a ransom? Does he want to punish Alexander for firing him?
Someone clears their throat, and I slowly open my eyes and let my head roll to my left.
Will is sitting in a chair covered in the same faded brown fabric as the sofa, the arms worn from years of use. He smiles in the same way he did on the street, bright and brilliant, as though he hasn’t drugged me and brought me here against my will.
“Ah, you’re awake.”
My first thought is to run, but his chair is right next to the only door, and he’ll easily grab me. Besides, I’m still woozy from the drugs, and I doubt I’d get far before my legs gave way. TV shows always have kidnap victims befriend the kidnapper. Maybe I should try that.
“Where are we?”
“London.”
That’s something. At least he hasn’t smuggled me out of the country.
“Why am I here?” My throat feels scratchy and dry. I swallow and lick my lips. “What did you give me?”
“Ketamine.” He shrugs. “The benefits of working with horses.”
Ketamine. No wonder I feel so out of sorts. It’s as though my brain is wrapped in a thick coating of tar, making it almost impossible to think clearly. “What do you want with me?”
“I want him to suffer, and he will, through you.”
Him. He means Alexander. A chill rolls down my arms, the hairs standing on end. “If it’s money you want, I have money. I can pay.”
He snorts. “You think it’s money I want? You stupid, gullible girl.” All pretense is gone. The Will I knew was fake. This is the real man. I shiver as he leans back and grips the arms of the chair. “Do you know your husband is a murderer?”
Slowly, I sit upright, helping my blood pressure to equalize. When it does, I square my shoulders, the desire to defend Alexander giving me a shot of courage. “I know he puts wrongs right.”
Will’s lip curls. “Is that what he told you? He’s a liar. A cold-blooded killer. He murdered my brother. He took from me the only person I had left in the world, and now it’s payback time.”
My throat thickens. His brother must have been an abuser. Alexander wouldn’t have killed him if he wasn’t certain. That’s what he told me. He and his team make sure they’ve got the evidence to back up the vigilante justice he doles out.
Will’s motivation unfurls before me in horrific detail. An eye for an eye. A scream bubbles up inside me, but I swallow it down. Goosebumps pebble my skin, and I break out into a sweat.
Stay calm. Breathe. Think your way through this. Let him talk.
“Originally, I got the job at Oakleigh as a way of getting close to him, of quietly observing until I found a chink in his armor, but I got nowhere. I was starting to lose hope and then you appeared, a gift dropped into my lap. I saw the rebel in you and knew it was only a matter of time before you fucked up and I could snatch you from right under his nose. Then he fired me, and I was forced to make a new plan.”
Adrenaline pumps through my veins. I need to keep him talking, to give me a chance to figure out how to escape. I refuse to accept my fate. If Will wants to kill me, he’ll have a fight on his hands.
“How did you know I’d be here today?”
“Ever since I lost my job, I’ve had you under surveillance. I know people who hate the De Vils as much as I do, and they were only too happy to help. I admit, though, I didn’t think you’d make it quite this easy on me. A De Vil walking the streets alone.” He laughs. “Big mistake, Imogen. One you and your husband will pay dearly for.”
“If you hurt me, Will, he’ll kill you.”
“Probably.” He shrugs. “But not before I’ve sent you back to him in pieces. Knowing how I tortured you, keeping you alive with drugs as I cut off individual body parts and mail them to him will slowly drive him crazy. He has no idea you’re here. No way of tracking you. Yes, I checked for a phone while you were unconscious.” He gives me a smug look. “Wandering the streets alone, and without a phone.” Tutting, he shakes his head. “Rookie mistake.”
Nausea swirls in my stomach. I can’t afford to wait for Alexander. It could take him weeks or months to find me, and by then I’ll be dead, and in the most horrific way, too. The thought of the pain sends bile crawling into my throat. The only way I’m getting out of this situation is to save myself.
I don’t know how close we are to civilization, but it’s still light out, which means we can’t be that far from where he took me. There must be other houses around, or shops, or cafes. Places with people who can help me. All I have to do is get out of this house and onto the street.
I lick my lips, then swipe two fingers over them. “I’m so thirsty. Could I have a drink of water?”
For a moment, I think he’s going to refuse. He stares at me with that creepy look I never noticed before, and my skin crawls. Eventually, he gets up and disappears from the room.
The second he’s out of sight, I spring to my feet. The room spins, and I skirt along the wall to help my balance until I stop feeling dizzy. I peer around the doorframe that goes into the hallway. The sound of running water reaches me, that fading echo as a glass fills to the brim. There isn’t much time.
To my left is the front door. I make a dash for it. I grab the chain, my fingers trembling, and slide it from its housing.
My skull smashes against the wood, and my head explodes in pain. Will’s breath is hot on my neck as his full weight pins me to the door.
“Stupid, stupid girl. Did you really think you could escape? Guess your husband will get his first body part delivery sooner than I planned.”