Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Allora
Pain.
That’s all I’m aware of as I come awake.
I’m also cold.
Everything hurts but when I try to move I realize I can’t.
I’m restrained.
Using strength I didn’t know I had, I pry my lids apart and at first it’s too dark to see anything. Eventually my eyes adjust and I take in a dingy, sterile room. No furniture, no decoration. The walls and floor look concrete and—I jerk as I attempt to turn my head.
There’s something that feels like a chain around my neck, and it’s pulled taut. I can’t move my head much at all and when I try to move my arms I realize they’re also chained over my head.
I’m hanging by my hands and neck.
Fear crawls over me.
There’s a whimper from somewhere in the room and I wiggle my body just enough to see there are two other women, hanging in similar positions a few feet away from me. They look equally miserable.
“Are you okay?” I croak.
“Where are we?” one of them asks, sniffling.
“I don’t know.” I’m still not fully awake and everything is a little fuzzy because of the pain.
Then it all comes back to me.
The ambush. Fighting. Shooting. Masked men pulling Landon out of the SUV and tasing him repeatedly. I don’t know how he could survive that much electricity flooding his body. If they didn’t shoot him, he probably had a heart attack.
And he’s dead.
Just like he said he would be if I was ever captured.
Tears well in my eyes and I try not to cry, but the thought of losing him is far worse than my current situation. I may or may not get rescued, but if he’s dead, there will be no recovering for me. I will never get over that loss.
If they got you, that means I’m already dead…
I hear his voice in my mind and sobs wrack my body.
I know Rage and my father will burn down the city to find me, but it doesn’t matter anymore. Without Landon, I’m not sure I have the will or the strength to fight.
It’s over.
And this time I’ll do whatever I have to so that they kill me.
They can rape and beat and punish me, but I’ll push the envelope until I’m dead. Fuck them and fuck this.
Anger momentarily replaces the pain and I breathe in and out a few times.
“You have to be strong,” someone whispers.
Just because I’m ready to die doesn’t mean the others have to.
“My father will come for me,” I croak. “And I’ll make sure they get you too.”
Someone murmurs in Spanish. My Spanish isn’t fluent but she thanks me and then says something about their mothers being whores.
That tracks.
I totally agree with her.
Then there’s a clicking sound, like a door being unlocked, and footsteps.
That’s when I see him.
Pete.
Pete!
I’m momentarily relieved, thinking my father must be right behind him, until he starts talking.
“Why does she still have clothes on?” he yells. “I want to see my merchandise!”
Merchandise?
I feel another surge of anger as reality crashes down on me.
Pete.
Of course.
This whole thing was orchestrated by Pete.
This was always personal.
And thanks to my father, he had access not just to me but to my schedule.
He had to know about Landon’s new motorcycle and that we were at headquarters today.
Since he wasn’t there with Dad, Metal, and Thunder, but knew they were going, all he had to do was have someone lie in wait and watch for us to leave. Then send some kind of signal.
Grief and pain are replaced by pure rage.
So much so that my body goes hot all over.
I might still want to die when this is over—but not until Pete is dead too. If my father won’t do it, I have no doubt that Elliott or Daniil or Chris absolutely will.
And I have to stay alive long enough to see that happen.
“Why would you do this?” I hiss, realizing that my lips are cracked and swollen and that’s why it’s hard to talk.
“Because you refused to do things the easy way.” He shakes his head.
“This wouldn’t have been necessary if we hadn’t had an issue that called me out of town the first time you were taken.
We’d be married and you’d be pregnant by now.
You’re stubborn as fuck, you little bitch.
You forced me to do things the hard way. ”
“I’m not marrying you.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, darlin’, you are.”
“Fuck you.”
“Soon enough. Be patient. We’re going to see how long it takes you to beg me to fuck you in all three holes.”
Gross.
I swallow down bile.
“You’re disgusting.”
“But you’re going to beg for it. Every day. Mark my words.” He turns to one of the men with him. “Cut her clothes off.”
I try to wiggle against them but it just makes the chain around my neck tighten and then I can’t breathe.
“The less you fight, the easier it’ll be,” Pete calls out.
The man in front of me uses scissors to cut right up the front of my blouse and bra as Pete walks over to the other two women.
“These two are perfect. Our man in Abu Dhabi asked for a redhead and someone brown for his harem—these two fit the bill. We need to clean them up, though. They look rough right now. Cut them down and get them to Marisol, so she can prepare them for the transfer. If they fight, make sure they understand the consequences, but don’t bruise their faces. ”
He turns back to me, smirking as the last of my clothes fall in tatters on the ground.
Then he frowns.
“What the hell is this?” he demands. He walks over and grabs as much of my neatly trimmed pubic hair as he can. “I want this gone!” he yells to one of the men. “No body hair. And if she acts up, you can shave her head too.”
It takes everything I have not to yelp from pain, but I manage not to react and he smiles.
“Oh, don’t play tough with me, darlin’. I know exactly how to get a response from you.” He reaches up and pinches my nipples so hard I gasp. He laughs. “Just like that. From now on, you’ll scream for me whenever and wherever I say. Understand?”
I don’t respond.
This isn’t as bad as it could be, but it’s worse than I imagined.
“You’ll learn to submit, Allora. Or you’ll suffer. I have no problem with the idea of beating you into submission. And believe me, where we’re going, there won’t be anyone to hear you scream.”
“Why me?” I ask finally. “There have to be other women you want more.”
He frowns, his expression filled with genuine confusion. “Because I love you.”
Great. He’s delusional and psychopathic.
I watch as the other girls are cut down and led out of the room. Then it’s just Pete and me. He seems to be thinking, occasionally glancing up at me.
“You have no idea how hard it makes my cock to see you strung up like you are. We’ll have lots of restraints at the new house.
You’ll be tied up regularly. Legs open, pussy nice and wet for me.
That’s something to look forward to, but I have to deal with business first. Once this next payday comes in, then I can focus on you.
” He adjusts his crotch. “In the meantime, get used to being very uncomfortable. I would prefer if you didn’t shit yourself, but do what you have to do because you’re staying right where you are until we’re ready to leave. ”
Dread momentarily washes over me but that familiar rush of rage replaces it.
Despite my dire circumstances, I’m going to kill him.
I know it with every fiber of my being. No matter how long it takes.
I make the vow to myself and to Landon.
I’m so sorry, baby.
I’ll always love you.
And I’ll get revenge for both of us.