Chapter Thirty-Eight
Lily
? “Carry Me Home (feat. Maverick Sabre)” - Jorja Smith ?
I open my eyes, feeling my head throbbing.
There are three trays placed near my head filled with food I wouldn’t even feed a dog.
I roll my body along the floor like a kid rolling down a hill till I hit a wall.
I lean my body against it, pulling myself into a sitting position before I stand up fully.
Every muscle in my body aches. I look down to see my legs covered in dirt, blood, bruises, and scratches. I look around the room to find nothing but the four walls surrounding me. I pace around, trying to think of a new plan and how to get out of this straitjacket.
I stop pacing when the door open and a man in a suit walks in. Something about him looks so familiar.
“No hard feelings about all that...” His fingers swirl in the air, pointing to my body. “Right?”
I don’t say anything, watching as he puts his hands in the front pockets of his slacks. He takes two more steps toward me, and I back into the wall behind me.
“If it wasn't for my wife, this whole set-up would have never had to happen.” He sighs.
Where have I seen him before?
My body falls to the floor when I hear a girl scream following a gun shot.
Then another. And another.
“Son of a bitch.” The man who is standing in front of me runs out the door, closing it behind him.
I stay on the floor, hearing multiple shots fired in the hallway. The door to my room opens, and a guy flings himself in, closing the door behind him as he looks out the little window.
“What is going on?” I’m able to spit out.
He turns around, looking at me from head to toe. “Shut up, bitch,” he snarls before turning back around. I notice the rip in his jeans near the bottom of his leg. This is the man I tried to slice. I spot the gun he is holding in his hand, along with the one wrapped around his body.
Three more gunshots echo in the hallway.
I push my body deeper into the wall, wishing I could sink in and disappear.
The gunshots get closer each minute. When the man reaches for the door handle, the tiny glass window he was peeping out of shatters in his face.
I slam my eyes closed, my body tensing, and prepare for the bullet to hit my skin.
When I feel no additional inflicted pain, I open my eyes to see the man gradually fall back like a tree being cut down. The door swings open and another man in a balaclava, vest, and all-black outfit stands in the hallway.
“In here!”
The guy standing in the door is pushed away and another man in the same getup, comes striding toward me. I wriggle my arms, trying to break free. I can’t be kidnapped again. I can’t disappear with more strangers again.
They will never find me.
I watch as he steps on the chest of the man on the floor, making blood gush even more. I shut my eyes, my breathing becoming heavy and my head spinning.
“álainn.” Cold hands grab my cheeks, twisting my head. “I’m so sorry, baby. Can you open your eyes for me?”
I keep my eyes closed, tears running down my face.
“Fuck, Lily, please open your eyes.”
I inhale a deep breath, opening my eyes to see two clear blue ones staring at me, and I crack. I shatter as if I were a falling star entering the atmosphere. A cry rips from my mouth, my knees buckle, but I am caught in his hands.
“Lily, I am so sorry. I am so sorry.”
We fall to the floor, my back pressed against his chest, my body between his legs. I can feel him unbuckling the jacket, but just as he is about to slide it down my shoulders, he stops. His hand runs along my skin. “Fuck,” he whispers.
“P-please, please. Can we just leave?” I choke out. I know what he is looking at. I can feel it. The bruises. They hurt. Everything hurts.
“No. You’re not walking out of here with any piece of this place with you.
” His body slowly leaves mine. I turn around to see him walk to the door and close it.
He grabs the dead man on the floor by the legs and drags him into the corner.
Jace removes his mask, his golden blonde hair scattered, sweaty, and messy along his forehead.
His hand reaches for his belt, unbuckling it and pulling his pants down.
He walks over to me, bending down, and slowly lifts my legs to step into his pants, pulling them up to cover my naked lower body.
He takes out a pocketknife, creating a new hole in the belt before securing it to my waist.
His arms reach for the jacket, sliding it off my shoulders. I close my eyes, slamming my mouth shut to avoid a whimper. My shoulders are crying in agony.
He takes off his vest and shirt. This time, I can’t keep my mouth shut. I hiss when he slowly lifts my arms above my head to put his shirt over me.
“I’m so sorry.” Tears form in his eyes as he stares at me, dressed in his oversized T-shirt and baggy cargo pants.
He grabs the hem of his shirt, ripping it.
“Place your arm right here.” He grabs my hand and demonstrates.
I keep it there while he makes a sling for my shoulder.
He reaches his hand out to me, standing in front of me in nothing but his boxers, socks, and shoes.
I let my hand slowly gravitate to his like the magnets we are.
Holding my hand, he bends down and picks me up to carry me out the door. When we leave the room, I look over his shoulder to see Rowan at the end of the hall, pinning someone against a wall with a gun pointed at their head.
Another man, probably Noah, comes out of a room with a large knife, wiping the blood off onto his jeans. I bury my head into Jace’s neck when Rowan pulls the trigger.
Jace kicks down the door in front of him. The sun burns on my exposed skin, a salty breeze mixed with wet dirt invading my nose. I’m placed inside a SUV, the door shutting behind me.
“Why didn’t you fucking tell me?!”
I turn to see Celeste staring at me with tears falling down her face. My mouth falls open and I let out a scream as I cry into my hands.
I wake up to the sound of the trunk behind me opening. I don’t know when I fell asleep, or how long I have been asleep for. I turn around to see Jace, Rowan, and Noah, putting bags into the trunk. All three of them are covered in blood from their face down to their hands.
"We have to go before the cops come,” Rowan says.
I turn to the front of the car. Through the window, I see multiple girls standing in front of the building. Some of them look familiar from the yacht party. They huddle close together, wearing bloody, baggy clothing. Jace walks up to them, saying something before they all head back inside.
The back passenger door opens, Noah throwing himself in the seat next to me. He has bright hazel eyes and dark brown curly hair. He looks at me, smiling, showing his one dimple. “Hi, I’m Noah.” He holds out his hand covered in blood.
I look, but my gaze snaps away when Celeste sighs and shakes her head. Both the driver’s door and the other passenger-side door open, and Rowan gets in to drive. Jace sits next to me.
“How you feeling?” Jace looks at me with his eyebrows pinched.
“Where are we?”
“Fucking Canada,” Noah snaps. “Hey, actually, can we go see Niagara Falls?”
“No,” both Rowan and Celeste say simultaneously.
“Jesus, Noah, really? Now is not the time,” Rowan
says.
Celeste turns around in her seat. “There is one in New York. Go see that one when we’re back home.”
“But the one in Canada looks cooler,” Noah whispers, turning his head to look out the window.
“We have to stop somewhere to get cleaned up.” Jace leans over me, talking to Celeste and Rowan up front.
“Can we get a hotel? I’m fucking beat,” Noah yawns, his hand softly punching at the top of the car roof.
Rowan turns to Celeste, looking at her. “Yeah, I think that may be best.” He grabs Celeste’s hand from across the seat, picking it up and kissing it.