Chapter 56
Chapter Fifty-Six
Bella
Tank tries to grab me again, but I move, swapping our positions, only this time, I chance it and run for the hallway door.
My feet are loud as they slap the floor, my heart echoing in my ears.
I run for my old room. Slamming the door behind me, I push the bed against it before shaking my head at my idiocy.
Demon, Bella. No need for doors. Shoving that thought down, I race to my brother in the cupboard, ripping the door open.
The gaping wound on his head is still bleeding as I shake his shoulders.
He groans, drooling blood out his mouth.
I start trying to undo the ropes. I nervously glance at the door, wondering why he isn't coming after me.
"Brian?" I whisper.
His eyes flutter open, and I lift his head only for it to fall forward, his chin hitting his chest. My heart lurches in my chest as I frantically look around the room for something to cut the tight ropes when I notice the gas line for the old heating unit.
Moving toward it, I touch it, running my fingers over the old pipe along the wall to the outlet where the old heater once was.
"Her bones," Brian coughs, making my head whip to the side to look at the closet.
I rush over to him and lift his head.
"The key," he gasps.
"You're alive," I sob, but he is barely conscious, slipping in and out when I hear banging on the door. I jump only to realize it isn't the door. The sound comes from behind me, and I look over my shoulder to see Blaine.
Tears trek down my cheeks as I try to push the window open, but I can't move it, not even an inch. After years of being closed, it is sealed shut. I cannot hear a thing he is saying. His lips are moving, but no sound come out, until suddenly there is. Like a veil has been lifted.
"Destroy it!" Blaine screams, and I look around the room, wondering what he is talking about.
"Destroy the key, and we can get in," Blaine says before trying to smash the window, only he is blasted back and lands on his back.
I press against the glass to see his arms are charred black, his fingertips and knuckles burned and peeling, when I hear rancorous laughter reach my ears, making me spin around to hear a knock on the door.
My eyes flit to my brother, who is slowly coming back to consciousness when his words register in my panicked state. My eyes fall on my sister's bones.
"Open the door, doll-face," Tank calls from the other side, the headboard still jammed under the handle while I frantically look around the room but find nothing to aid in my escape when my brother's fingers tap his pocket.
I glance at the door before moving toward him, and his head falls to the side, and I can feel him staring at me as I rummage through his pocket. I pull out a silver zippo lighter and glance over my shoulder at the gas pipes.
"I'm sorry, Arabella," Brian murmurs, and I look down at him.
"It's alright. I will get you out," I tell him, tugging on the ropes, but he coughs and gasps for air.
"Get out. Forget about me," he murmurs, blood pooling in his lap as he drools. His eyes are barely slit enough to see out of.
"Get out," he mumbles, falling unconscious again.
"Knock, knock!" Tank says, and I grit my teeth. This fucker is enjoying tormenting me.
"Who’s there?" I spit back bitterly.
Moving toward the wall, my fingers are pinching the pipe enough to get my fingers to slide underneath it. I start yanking on the pipe, trying to rip it from the wall, the brackets only just holding on when Blaine is banging on the window. I look over at him.
"What are you doing?" he mouths, pointing to the door.
I shake my head, yanking on the pipe again before the old pipe snaps in my hands. I fall on my ass, a piece of the black pipe in my hand. Blaine bangs on the window again when the bed rattles against the floor as Tank laughs from the other side.
"You know who it is, doll, open the door," he says, and Blaine shakes his head, trying to get me to go to him, but I move toward the door and grip the bed, my fingers becoming jammed as Tank pushes on the door at the same time. I cry out from the sudden pressure.
"Doll-face?"
I pull a face at the name he keeps using.
"You jammed my fingers," I call out to him.
"Well, if you open the door, I can kiss them better," he offers, and I roll my eyes.
"Don't open the door!" Blaine screams, and I glance over at him before pushing the lighter into the waistband of my panties.
"You promise you won't hurt me? I didn't mean to run. You just scared me, is all," I tell this dimwitted demon, playing into this sick fetish of his.
I notice a slight change in the air as I glance at the window, a ripple-like mirage, and I follow it to the floor where the gas line is. I am not sure if the natural gas has been cut off, but I am relieved to find it still on.
"No, of course not. But I need you to open this door if you want to tell my brother you want to be with me."
"Latham is here?" I ask while stepping back, although I already know he is since Blaine is banging on the window.
My eyes dart to Brian as I step back and glance at the closet. Guilt gnaws at me. He dies, and I will be responsible for my entire family's death. All of them. Despite the shit he has done over the years, it would be nice not to be responsible for the murder of my entire family.
"Yes, just outside. Come and say hello," Tank calls, and my eyes flick back to the door.
I glare at it before dragging the bed frame away. Tank eagerly pushes on the door as I pull the bed frame back, the grating noise hurting my ears when the door bursts open and hits the wall, the door handle denting the wall.
"There you are, doll," he purrs, and I glance at Brian before looking at Tank, who holds out his hand.
Tank notices Blaine at the window and smiles darkly as I place my hand in his. Tank rips me toward him, and I smack into his hard chest, only for him to grip my chin and force his tongue into my mouth.
I kiss him back to play Tank's sick game.
I can feel my taints burning on my skin, but it seems to work when Tank puts his entire body against mine, pressing me against the doorframe, his vile tongue invading every inch of my mouth as he kisses me lewdly, putting on a show for Blaine.
While he repeatedly hits the windows, Blaine growls and makes a racket.
Tank laughs, and I fight the urge to wipe my mouth as he pulls his lips from mine and smiles at Blaine before pulling me into the hall with him.
My heart lurches in my chest when I see Latham standing in the doorway leading outside to the rest of the world.
As Tank brings me toward him, his eyes never leave me.
I notice Xavier by the car in the driveway as he rummages through it, looking for something.
He is barely visible through the iron gates.
Tank drags me to the center of the foyer, and Blaine smashes into Latham’s side as he comes racing around to the front door. Tank moves me in front of him, his hand grasping my breast, and tears prickle in my eyes. He kisses the side of my neck.
“You wanted to tell Latham something, right, doll?” Tank murmurs before sucking on my earlobe.
I try not to cringe as he sucks on it, repulsed by his touch.
“Leviathan, please,” Latham says, his eyes still on mine like he can’t bear the thought of looking away from me in case I disappear.
“You had your chance with Maya. You took her from me, and now you will know exactly how that feels,” Leviathan taunts, his vile lips moving up along my neck.
“Maya is dead, Leviathan. I was willing to share her. Maya’s death is on you,” Latham snaps, and Leviathan growls.
“No, you turned her against me,” Leviathan roars.
His hold on me grows tighter, bone-breakingly tight. I cry out as my bones ache, and Tank jumps.
“Sorry, doll,” he says, peppering my face with kisses.
This man is deranged. How he is blind to see that I’ve just agreed with whatever he said only to get free of him is beyond me.
“Your quarrel is with me, Leviathan, not Bella,” Latham says calmly, yet through our weird bond, I can feel his panic when I notice the shimmer in the air.
When I notice the door open, I begin to think my plan would not work.
As I focus on the shimmer, I can see the gas is not escaping.
It wouldn’t even let gas escape whatever this prison world is made of.
No breeze comes in through the doors, nothing.
Leviathan squeezes my breast and mauls my neck with his lips.
Blaine stares at me in horror as he looks around at the air shimmering.
“Tell them, doll. Tell Latham who you choose,” Leviathan purrs before turning me in his arms and crushing me against his body. He dips his face closer to mine, pressing his lips to my nose.
“Tell them. Tell them, and my brother will have no choice but to give you up. If he truly loved you, he would let you be with whom you choose,” Leviathan says, and I almost scoff at his words.
Shouldn’t that be the same with him if he loved me?
Swallowing the bile in my throat, I stand on my tippy toes and kiss the monster. My tongue invades his gross mouth while my hand moves to the waistband of my panties, and I pinch the zippo between my fingers.
Leviathan tugs me closer, and I wrap my arms around his neck, the zippo in my hand at the back of his head when he pulls his lips from mine. He turns his face to his brother, and so do I. Latham is looking away.
“See, brother? Hurts, doesn’t it?” Leviathan mocks.
Tank turns his attention to me, but mine is on Xavier behind them as he steps away from the car and holds the vial I stuffed down the back of the seat. He sniffs it before looking at the house.
“Tell him, doll,” Leviathan purrs, brushing his nose across my cheek.
I suck in a breath but look at Leviathan instead of turning my attention to Latham, praying that this wouldn’t be the end of me.
“If they can’t have me, no will,” I tell him just as Blaine screams.
I flip the cap on the zippo and roll my thumb over the ball.
It is like time’s slowed when I feel the spark.
The air ripples, and heat rushes over me as the spark sets the air on fire.
My gasp is audible when the entire house suddenly explodes, my vision turning orange.
It is so quick I feel nothing when the blast hits me.
I felt nothing, just seeing his angry look as I say the words before I am engulfed by flames and darkness.