Cinder
Sixty-One
The pain wasn’t sharp anymore, but I knew the injuries were there.
They were steady, numbing. I couldn’t tell where one injury began nor ended.
My ribs throbbed as I adjusted myself on the make-shift pallet.
Pain flared in my thigh, and I gritted my teeth feeling blood seeping from the wound.
I was in numbing agony, but I knew death would come soon.
He was agitated, and he would slip.
Why would he put on a show, just to keep me alive? If he wanted me dead, he should just kill me. There was no reason to torment anyone, especially Rory.
He hovered over me, a hot iron rod digging into the bullet wound on my shoulder. I grunted, but I refused to scream. He wasn’t going to get the pleasure.
“She’ll think you’re dead, and I can use it.”
“F-fuck y-you.”
“That’ll be Aurora's job when I have her again. Survive long enough, and maybe you can watch.”
I spat at him. “Please. You couldn’t get an ant off. That’s why you have to torment her to get her to notice you.”
Rory wouldn’t care for him, even if he wasn’t a creep. She already had her mind set on the two women I forbade her from dating. It was my mistake. One of many I made in my life. Funny how all my fuck-ups came swinging back when I was on the verge of dying.
I hissed in pain when he placed the hot iron on my forearm, adding another scar to the collection of many new ones. “I am everything she needs! You were the one hurting her!”
I scoffed, spitting at him. “Please. I made mistakes, but I’m not the one taking her happiness from her.”
I needed to shut up before he actually snapped and killed me. Instead of arguing anymore, he screamed and left the room. Good. I needed a moment to breathe. Rory listened to the bastard shoot me, and I knew she was at the clubhouse. The Vipers would think I was dead, too. Everyone would.
“You shouldn’t have made him angry,” the mousy girl squeaked as she scurried inside with fresh bandages. “He’s not nice when he’s mad.”
“Who are you?” She never answered me the first time, but there was a change to her. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and she was in a blue dress. She looked like a princess. “I’m defenseless down here, so it doesn’t matter.”
She shook her head, tending to my wounds. “Who I am or was doesn’t matter. Aurora was a princess, too, so I need to help her sister. It’s what I can do before she comes back.”
“Who is she?”
“Don’t talk about her while I am here. She’ll come, and I can’t help you. Please. I can’t let you die until I can get you out. The others help me, but she doesn’t. I can’t let her out.”
I nodded. I still didn’t know what was going on or if I could trust this girl. She wanted to help, so I would let her. If she wanted to help me get home, even better. I needed to gain her trust, and then I could finally be reunited with Rory and fix the damage I did.