Chapter 28 Ansel
ANSEL
My eyes blink open, my head throbbing. I try to scratch the itch on my forehead, but my hands won’t move. Something is stopping them.
Rope.
I wrench at them, comprehension filtering through my rattled brain.
Right. I was kidnapped. The Umbra Syndicate took me.
I twist my wrists, fingers scrabbling at the ropes, but to no avail. Obviously, whoever tied these has more experience in tying knots than I do.
Probably more experience in kidnapping, too.
Fuck.
I glance around, taking in the dim space I’m in. It looks like a warehouse. The concrete is stained with oil and paint, and an odd smell lingers. A few pallets sit against the wall, forgotten. The windows in front of me offer a little bit of light, but not enough for me to really see where I am.
A door opens, and my heart hammers in my chest. Oh my god. They’re coming.
I hold my breath and watch as a man approaches me. He’s wearing a suit, his hair slicked back, a tattoo snaking up his neck. His leather shoes shine in the blinking rays of sunlight filtering through the cracked windows.
“Ansel, nice of you to join us.”
His voice is familiar. The man who’s spoken to me on the phone.
“Who are you?”
His laugh is dark and menacing. “You can call me Vex.”
Vex. A terrible name for a terrible man. His name is one of the ones I found. That’s good.
I want The Firm to make him suffer one day.
“Please, let me go,” I beg. I know what my fate is, but I can’t help but hope for a way out of this. “I don’t have what you want.”
Vex sighs, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a knife. He twists it in his hand, and I swallow roughly at what I know is to come.
“I don’t particularly like you, Ansel, but I’m going to give you a chance to give us what we want. Because I know you have it. Names. Dates. Requests. Everything you know about The Firm and how they operate.”
I clench my teeth, feeling more afraid than brave, but I refuse to give them what they want. I will protect Cade and those he loves.
I’ll fucking die trying.
“Never give up until you’re dead, Ansel. Always fight like hell until then.”
“I don’t have it.”
“Well, that’s a shame. I guess we will have to get the information from Cade himself.”
My heart stops in my chest and everything screams inside of me. I struggle to keep my face blank. “What do you mean?”
He holds out the knife, using the tip of the blade to lift my chin. “I mean, we’re expecting your little boyfriend in about an hour.”
No. Cade can’t come here. All of this will have been for nothing. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Really?” Vex slides the dagger back and forth, not piercing the skin, but reminding me how close death is hovering. “Then why has he been moping around like a heartbroken puppy for the past few days?”
I’m not sure what upsets me more—knowing they’re still watching the Buckinghams, or that Cade’s hurting.
No, I do. It’s the latter.
I don’t want to leave this earth knowing I hurt him.
“I don’t know,” I say, hating how my voice trembles. “But if you’re thinking Cade will walk in here and hand over whatever you want, you’re gonna be shit outta luck.”
Please, Cade, don’t come here. Please don’t come.
Vex grins, and there’s nothing friendly about it. “But look at what a bargaining chip I have. Cade Buckingham’s butterfly.”
My stomach flips. Hearing Cade’s name for me on this asshole’s lips has me wanting to burn down this whole warehouse.
With him still inside.
“Like I said, we have time to kill,” Vex drawls. “I think we’ll see how much of you we can break before Cade arrives. We have to show him we’re serious. You know how it goes.”
I just stare at him mutinously. My pleas didn’t work, so I’m going to stay silent.
His lips quirk up, and he chuckles. “You are a strong boy right now, defiant, but I’ll have you crying soon enough.” He cranes his neck and shouts, “Orin! Get in here.”
I hear the door open and the squeak of wheels moving across the cement. My breathing ticks up with every squeak.
“Orin is one of the best. We stole him from another syndicate. He’s that good.”
The man has a large scar down his face, and half of his hair is missing from the side of his head. It’s almost as if it was ripped from his skull.
What has this man been through? Has it made him a monster?
He stops in front of me, and my eyes flick from him to the cart he’s wheeling. What the fuck is that?
Vex taps the trolley. “He specializes in several torture techniques. He’s spent a lot of time learning. Some of his brilliance comes from experience, some from the masters.”
I swallow again, my body starting to tremble in fear.
“If you tell us what we want to know, we’ll make it less painful. Or at least, I’ll put in a request. I’m not sure Orin will listen. He likes this even more than I do.”
I let out a small whimper when I see something that I can’t quite comprehend. A squat block of iron with two narrow slots in it and a screw in the middle. He has several of them.
Orin reaches out and roughly grabs my hand and attaches one to my thumb. Then the other. I stare down at them and hold my breath for what’s about to come.
“Orin enjoys some of the more old-fashioned torture techniques. I think you’re really going to enjoy this.”
I struggle as much as I can, but with my hands tied down, I can’t move. I’m forced to accept my fate. Orin screws the plates down, farther and farther, until they’re pressed against my nails, and then he twists once more, and my eyes screw shut as pain shoots through my hands.
Oh my god.
He twists again, and I let out a pained scream. The air leaves me but doesn’t return.
I can’t breathe.
Can’t even think. I’m no longer in control of my body. Both of my hands are on fire, the crunch of my bones making tears slip down my cheeks.
Suddenly it stops. Orin steps back, looking almost bored. My fingers throb. I know my thumbs are broken, and he’s not going to stop. He’s just taking a small break.
“Ready to talk now?” Vex asks mildly. “Or shall we keep playing until Cade gets here?”
“Fuck you.” My voice breaks on the final syllable. I hate that I’m crying. It makes me look and feel weak, but it fucking hurts. And I know it’s only going to get worse.
But I won’t stop fighting. I refuse.
Vex crouches down in front of me. “They’re really not worth it, Ansel. Trust me on this. You think we’re bad? The Firm is worse. Maybe you’re right. Maybe Cade won’t come for you. Why would he risk his family for someone like you?”
Thing is, he thinks this is going to hurt me, but it doesn’t. It’s reassuring. I don’t want Cade to come for me. I don’t want him to save me.
I just want him to be safe.
Orin moves toward me, something new in his hands. It’s small, with long, jagged spikes on a metal board. I whimper. God, the pain. It’s going to be so much worse.
I hope I die soon. Anything to get away from this.
He twists the screws once more, and I cry out as he presses something against my forearms. Those long iron spikes bite into my flesh as he rolls them up my arm. Blood pools on my skin, and my vision whites out. Tears stain my cheeks, my body shaking so badly that my teeth rattle in my mouth.
And he doesn’t let up. He just pushes down harder, and my mouth opens in a bloodcurdling scream. It rattles the eaves above me, making Vex laugh at my pain.
“Aw, don’t break too soon, little butterfly,” Vex says. “Don’t worry, we won’t let you die.”
It takes so much effort to move my gaze to him, but I do it.
Vex smirks at me. “At least, not until Cade is here. If he doesn’t tell us what we want to know, we’ll slit your throat in front of him.”
Pain shoots through me, and I let out terrible sobs, but I can’t stop, especially when he moves to the other arm. Those spikes sink into my flesh, and I crane my neck back and scream, biting my tongue in the process, blood pooling in my mouth.
It has to end. It has to. I have to eventually pass out. But my mind holds on. And when Orin finally moves back to his cart, leaving those spikes stuck in my skin, I blink through my tears.
Vex crouches down in front of me. “Let me tell you a secret. We’re going to kill you anyway. Both of you. Neither you nor Cade will walk out of here alive.”
Fury overrides the pain. I gather up the blood in my mouth and spit it straight into the cunt’s face. “Fuck you.”
Vex calmly wipes himself clean before straightening. He studies me thoughtfully. “I think I’ll have Orin rub vinegar into those wounds. It’s going to hurt like hell.”
But before he can do that, clipped footsteps echo through the warehouse.
Vex whirls around as Orin moves behind me. “Ah, Cade! You’re early. Never mind, we can continue the fun while you watch for a bit.”
No. It can’t be true. Please don’t let Cade be here. Please.
But as Vex steps to one side, I realize my prayers aren’t being answered. Because that’s Cade striding toward me, his fury so palpable it’s almost an aura around him. I’ve never thought of Cade as dangerous before now.
But there’s no question that a predator is approaching us.
He’s wearing a heavy sweater. It’s an odd thing to notice, but it throws me. I’ve never seen his arms covered before.
Cade stops a few feet away from us. “I think you’ll find that I’ll be having the fun here. You made a mistake when you brought my butterfly into this.”
Cold metal presses against my temple. Fuck.
I’ve been in this position before. I wish it were Samson with the pistol this time. I don’t think Orin will be persuaded to put it down as easily.
I try not to whimper, try to be strong for Cade. I don’t want him to worry more than he already is.
I can’t help it though. It slips free. Cade’s gaze falls on me, and a multitude of emotions flash over his face. Fear. Anguish. Regret.
They race through before settling on one.
Rage.
It seems to center him. He widens his stance, spreading his arms tauntingly, flames flickering through his eyes. “Come on, Vex. Why are you bothering with Ansel when you could play with me instead? I’m far more fun.”
There’s no flirtation in his words, just a deadly invitation.
His use of my kidnapper’s name tells me one of two things. Either The Firm received my packet, or they already knew about the Umbra Syndicate. I don’t give a fuck which it is, they both will end in the same result.
The Firm is making them pay.
Vex doesn’t rise to the bait. “Why would I do that when I have the upper hand? I have the one thing you want and love most in the world. If you want it back, you’ll have to hand over the information I want.”
Cade nods thoughtfully. “You’re right. I’ll give you whatever information you want.”
“No,” I shout, straining against my bonds. “Cade, don’t.”
Cade doesn’t look away from Vex, but his fingers are twitching, almost like he is fighting with himself not to reach for me.
Even Vex seems surprised that Cade is caving so easily. “You’d really betray your family for this man?”
Cade’s nostrils flare. “That’s four mistakes you’ve made now. They really are mounting up.”
Vex raises an eyebrow. “Four?”
Cade’s eyes flash. “One: kidnapping Ansel.”
He takes a step toward us.
“Two: thinking there’s anything I wouldn’t do for Ansel.”
Another step. His hand drifts to his waistband.
“Three: assuming I’m betraying my family.”
Vex laughs. “I think you’ll find telling us everything about The Firm is betraying them.”
For the first time, Cade smiles. “Ah, that’s the fourth and final mistake. See, I can tell you whatever I like. Want to know why?”
Vex’s eyes narrow, the only sign that he’s uncertain as to where Cade is going with this. “Go on.”
Cade bares his teeth. “Because you’re not going to live long enough to use whatever you learn.”
With a swift movement, he pulls out a pistol from his waistband. But he doesn’t point it at Orin.
He turns it on Vex. “Call off your dog, and I’ll let you die relatively pain free.”
The gun drives harder against my temple, making me cry out. Cade’s lips thin. “I’ll count to three, Vex. One. Two.”
He doesn’t get to three.
A gunshot rings out. It’s so close, so loud, that I squeeze my eyes shut.
When I open them, I wish I hadn’t.
Cade’s sprawled on his back.
Eyes closed.
I begin to scream. It echoes around me, piercing my eardrums.
The agony from earlier has nothing on what’s coursing through me now.
Vex lowers his gun from chest height with a sigh. He’s ignoring my agonized screams. “What a fucking waste.”
“I’ll kill you,” I scream, trying desperately to get free. Every movement sends fresh waves of pain through me, but I don’t feel it. I don’t care.
I don’t give a shit about anything.
Not with Cade…
With Cade…
I can’t even think the words.
It can’t be true. It can’t be.
But he’s not moving.
He’s still not moving.
He’s not moving.
The scream that rips free of me is never-ending.