Chapter 29
Everything hurts.
I felt like I was floating. I must’ve been taking a nap but my body was refusing to cooperate and wake up. It felt like my mind was trying to protect itself from whatever was on the other side of my eyelids. I racked my brain trying to figure out why everything ached.
Was I sick? Had I been in an accident?
“Finally found the fat bitch and I have her back in my hands. Never should’ve tried to move on without me. Especially with a damn cop pig.”
My entire body tensed. It was like thirteen years had never happened. There was no time or distance separating this nightmare that I found myself in again. It all came rushing back in.
My phone had gone off. My boss was calling me. Ice cream with the girls. Running my hand down Nat’s head as I told them I would be right back. I had actually been speaking with my boss when I heard my name. I was staring down the alley, looking at the police station, wondering what was taking Lucas and Monica so long.
“Becks.”
The voice from my past sent me into an automatic trauma response. I ducked my head, scrunching my shoulders and flinching like someone was going to hit me, turning to see Larry sitting in a beat up car, idling by the curb.
“Get in the car. Don’t do, or say anything. Clark is in the ice cream shop’s bathroom and if you fucking do anything, he’ll shoot everyone inside, including those snot-nosed brats.”
My heart froze.
“Becks?” I heard my boss’ voice in my ear but couldn’t breathe, or respond. I dropped my phone. Stepping towards the car, dread filling me. At least Nat and the girls would be safe.
“Purse too. I’m not stupid, Rebecca,” Larry snarled, pointing a gun at me, holding it low where no one could see it. I dropped my bag, tears filling my eyes, and slid into the vehicle beside him.
“Good girl,” Larry sneered, making my stomach turn.
A sharp prick in my neck.
Then nothing.
They drugged me, I thought, disbelieving. Apparently Clark was done messing around. I knew he was psychotic, and oftentimes, had fought for my life against him, but it was always hand to hand. He’d never involved weapons or drugs. I cracked my eyes open trying to take stock of my surroundings.
It was dark and damp. Some sort of worn down, very old house. It obviously hadn't been lived in for quite some time. I moved my wrists and then froze. I'm not wearing pants. I closed my eyes again, my entire being, fighting itself against shutting down and going somewhere else inside my head to escape what was happening.
I sighed quietly when I realized I was still wearing my underwear. I didn’t feel like anything had happened. I was sore, but it was the same faint soreness from my night with Lucas. If they’d done anything recent I would be in agony.
I knew that from experience, unfortunately.
I moved my wrist again, realizing they hadn’t restrained me. I was only in my underwear, shirt, and bra. They were obviously counting on my being too scared to run so exposed. I turned my head, trying to look around without drawing attention to the fact I was awake.
It was dark outside the cracked window. How long had I been unconscious? No one had found me yet? God, everyone had to be panicked and frantic. My heart was breaking thinking of Natasha. I prayed Monica and Lucas were keeping her calm.
“Well, well well, Rebecca,” Clark said, his voice close to me now.
I cringed, bracing myself for the inevitable.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you, you stuck up bitch, ” he growled, grabbing my chin roughly and making me face him.
He was the same skeezy man I remembered, though he’d lost weight. He was obviously using drugs of some kind. Moving on from alcohol into harder things. This wasn’t good.
“Thought you could get away from me forever, huh?” he asked, snarling at me, pinching his fingers harder, his eyes raking over my body.
“I probably would’ve left you the fuck alone if you’d kept running. I liked you living in fear. Always looking over your shoulder. You never really got away. You’re just as stupid as you always were thinking you had.”
“Fuck you,” I said softly, surprising even myself.
Clark’s gaze widened and he grinned sadistically, “Oh, Rebecca’s decided to grow a backbone, has she?”
Crack.
I tasted blood and the right side of my face was on fire. At least he hadn’t punched me this time. I looked up at him defiantly and it seemed to settle a rage in him.
“Been whoring yourself out to a fucking pig,” he scolded, Larry laughing behind him. “Dragging a brat around from town to town as you ran.”
My heart stopped.
“Is she mine?” he asked, “Or were you always fucking around?”
“Nothing about her is yours,” I said resolutely, determined to hide anything about Nat from him.
His eyes darkened, “I always knew you were a cheating whore.”
This time, he did punch me.
“We’re going to spend some time together, Becks,” he said, walking towards the end of the table I was on.
“After you’ve been punished properly, we’ll dispose of you. Then I can go on living my fucking life without your existence tainting it,” he continued.
I stared at him silently.
“Does that not terrify you, Rebecca?” he asked, darkly.
I continued to stare, refusing to grant him the pleasure of watching me squirm.
“You’ve already been missing for hours, Rebecca. No one’s comin’ for you. Did you think they loved you? Someone actually cared for your disgusting ass?” he asked, laughing, Larry joining in again.
I heard something click and saw him flicking his lighter.
“You’ll start making noise soon,” he promised, holding the flame and staring at me.
My entire body tensed, bracing for whatever came next.
As he held the flame to the bottom of my foot, the screaming flooded from my body, just like he wanted. The pain radiating through my leg was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. Unable to pull away, I was helpless to the screams tearing through my throat. I was wondering how much pain a person could take before they would pass out. I wasn’t so sure I was going to make it through this alive anymore as I heard Clark laughing sadistically.
The terrifying thing was that he had only just begun.