31. Miles #3
I study his face, searching for any sign that she hasn’t fallen for whatever lie he told her. Any indication that she’s safe and far away from him.
For a brief second, hope flickers in my chest. Maybe she figured it out and got away. Maybe—
The hope disappears when Austin’s face slowly changes, a smile spreading across his lips as he looks down at his phone. I can feel the moment my heart falls out of my ass. Whatever she said, whatever he’s reading…he fucking likes it.
His thumbs move across the screen as he begins typing a response, and I can only sit there and watch, trapped in this fucking chair, waiting for the moment when he decides whatever happens next.
She couldn’t have actually fallen for his bullshit, could she?
No. Maddie is smart. She’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, even when she doesn’t see it herself. She’s been through hell and somehow still manages to wake up every morning and keep fighting. If I know anything about her, I know she’s not going to just walk into this blindly.
But that’s the problem. Maddie is fucking smart, which means she’s probably going to show up. And if I know Maddie, she’s not going to come alone.
That thought is the only thing keeping me grounded. The only thing stopping the panic from completely taking over. Because if she comes here and walks into whatever sick fucking game Austin has planned, I don’t know what he’s going to do. I don’t know what this psycho is capable of.
Austin looks up from his phone and catches me staring at him. That same stupid, twisted smile pulls at his lips. His smile makes my goddamn skin crawl because there’s no emotion behind it. No remorse or any signs of hesitation, just excitement. This shit is entertaining for him.
He walks toward me slowly, enjoying every second of my anger and frustration, and holds his phone out in front of my face.
“Do you want to see what she wrote?”
I don’t answer him. He doesn’t give me a fucking choice, because in a second, the screen is in front of me and my eyes drop to the messages.
Austin: Hello again, Madelyn. If you want your boyfriend to live, my suggestion is that you do everything I tell you to do. Do you understand?
Maddie: I understand. What do you want?
Austin: Meet us at the old abandoned theater a few blocks behind your college. Don’t bring anyone with you or he dies. Do you understand?
Maddie: I understand.
Maddie: Please, don’t hurt him.
I feel like I’m going to fucking throw up. That last message she sent, those four words. Please, don’t hurt him. So simple, but fuck, they hurt worse than the bullshit he’s put me through already.
What's worse is I know her, and I know exactly how she’s feeling right now. She’s terrified, but she’s still thinking about me. She’s not thinking about herself or the danger she’s about to walk into. The only thing on her mind is saving me, and this fucking bastard knows that.
The fury that surges through me is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. The adrenaline coursing through my veins only amplifies it, turning every emotion into something sharper, something almost uncontrollable.
My body moves before my brain can catch up.
I pull against the restraints again, twisting my wrists and fighting against the zip-tie cutting into my skin.
The chair scrapes against the floor as I struggle, the pain from the broken glass digging deeper into my hands, but I don’t care.
I don’t feel it. Nothing compares to the rage burning through me.
Austin watches me with amusement, like I’m some kind of animal trapped in a cage.
Maybe that’s what he wants. Maybe he wants me to be angry and lose control. But he doesn’t understand something. This zip-tie isn’t going to hold me forever. Eventually, it’s going to break and I’m going to get free. And when I do, he’s going to regret ever putting his hands on her.
The stupidest thing this motherfucker ever did was inject me with adrenaline. He thinks he gave himself more time and made me weaker. He has no idea he just handed me the one thing I needed.
A fighting chance.
I can only imagine what Maddie is feeling right now.
The fear running through her. The thoughts racing through her head as she tries to figure out how to save me.
She’s probably blaming herself. That’s what she does.
She carries everything like it’s her responsibility and every bad thing that happens in this world somehow belongs on her shoulders.
And I fucking hate that he’s making her feel that way.
I hate that she’s walking toward him because of me.
Austin finally walks away, returning to the medical cart. He looks over everything laid out in front of him before picking up the scalpel again. The way he holds it makes my skin crawl, like the fucking inanimate object is something beautiful.
He turns back toward me, smiling as he walks closer. “I wonder how much our dear Maddie will love you when half your face is missing.” he laughs as he brings the scalpel up to my cheek and begins to skin me alive.