Chapter 9
Patch
My body fucking aches as I pry my eyes open.
Only one will open, though. The other is swollen shut.
The ache in my head is almost too much to handle, but I force myself to open my good eye anyway.
Nausea rolls through me, and I bend over vomiting on the floor next to me.
My stomach tumbles as the acid burns my throat.
I blink rapidly, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness when I see her. Anika is curled into herself, her eyes closed. She’s naked. What the fuck?
“Anika?” I call her name, hoping to hell she can hear me. My voice is scratchy and doesn’t sound like my own. “Anika,” I say once more. She slowly lifts her head, and her eyes come to lock with mine.
“Fuck,” I whisper as my head spins.
“You’re awake,” she says softly.
“I’m awake. I feel like shit,” I tell her.
“Me too. Are you okay, though?” I shift a little to test my body, and it screams in pain.
“I think my ribs are bruised.”
“I’m sorry,” she says in a low tone.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. Have you seen anyone?”
“Just the one that …” She lets that sentence die on her tongue, and my stomach twists into knots. They raped her. That’s why she’s naked. They fucking raped her. Anger surges in my veins, but I’m too fucking weak to do anything. I try pulling at the cuffs, but it’s useless.
“I’ll kill them all,” I growl this time.
“I don’t want to die here, Patch.”
“You’re not gonna die here.” Just as I say the words, I hear a door open and the sounds of feet thudding down steps. I lift my head as a small light is turned on in the corner. Then the thuds become closer as I look up to see a man standing over me.
“How nice of you to wake up.”
“Who the hell are you?” I ask as I take him in. He’s bigger than me. A lot bigger than me.
“Your worst nightmare.”
“What the hell do you want?”
“Information.”
“I won’t give you shit,” I hiss at him. He chuckles and glances over at Anika before looking back at me.
“I didn’t figure you would. I’m not looking to get it from either of you. You’re just a pawn in my game.”
“What game?”
“My sick fucked up fantasy,” he answers, grinning at me. My stomach turns as he steps closer to me.
“Leave her out of this. Hurt me,” I tell him.
“Where’s the fun in that?” he asks cocking his head to the side. “Besides, I don’t like men.”
“Whatever it is you’re after, she doesn’t know shit,” I tell him, trying to keep the attention off her. I’ll do anything to keep him from hurting her.
“I know she doesn’t. I’ve been watching her,” he says, making my skin crawl. Why has he been watching her?
“I’ll do whatever you want. Just leave her alone.
” The man smirks at me and then walks over, grabbing a handful of Anika’s hair before smiling at me.
He jerks her head up and forces her to look up at him.
Then he kneels in front of her and presses his lips to hers.
She doesn’t kiss him back. Why would she?
He just moves his lips over hers in a sick and disgusting way.
My stomach knots just seeing him touch her. I want to rip his goddamn throat out.
“Leave her alone!” I growl as loud as I possibly can.
That’s when I hear her whimper. His hand moves between her legs, and my hands clench into fists.
My whole body is tight with tension as I watch him slide a finger inside of her.
Tears spill down Anika’s cheeks as she slowly looks over at me.
She needs me. She fucking needs me right now, and I’m chained up like a fucking animal.
“Don’t let him fuck with your head, darlin’.
Look at me,” I tell her. She locks eyes with mine as he slowly violates her with his fingers.
Tears continue to pour down her cheeks, and there’s nothing I can do to stop this.
I feel useless. I feel helpless. I feel like a piece of shit for what’s happening to her.
But her eyes, God, those big beautiful eyes stay locked on mine.
“You’re okay, darlin’. Everything is gonna be okay,” I try to soothe her.
I try to talk to her in a calm tone to keep her from losing herself.
I don’t know how to help her. I don’t know how to fix this.
But what I do know is I will kill them all.
I will gut this motherfucker for touching her.
The man pulls his hand away from her body and stands to his feet. I watch him bring his fingers to his mouth and slowly suck them. My stomach churns, vomit threatening to come up again.
“I’ll be back for more.”
“I’ll kill you.”
“You aren’t really in a position to kill me now, are you? You’ll play by my fucking rules, or I’ll kill her, and you’ll watch.” This motherfucker is sick. Maybe sicker than I am.
I watch him walk away and head back up the steps, leaving the small light on. Now I can see the bruises that mar her body. I can see the marks he’s left on her, and I have to close my eyes and take a deep breath.
“Whatever they do, will you stay with me?” she asks in a soft tone. I open my eyes and look at her, nodding my head. How the hell could I not?
“I’m right here with you, Anika.”
“Will you talk to me?”
“I’ll talk about whatever you want me to.”
“Are they going to kill me?” she asks.
“I won’t let that happen.”
“You can’t stop them. I think they drugged us,” she says.
“I know they did. It’s to keep us weak so we don’t fight back. I’m sure they’ll do it again,” I tell her as I rest my head against the wall.
“I don’t want to die here,” she whimpers as tears cascade down her perfect cheeks.
“We’re gonna get out of here. I promise.”
“You can’t promise that.” She’s right, I can’t. I can’t promise her shit because I don’t even know what’s going on. I don’t know what’s happening or why. I’m just as lost as she is, but I have to be stronger for her. I have to keep her positive.
“Tell me about you,” I tell her.
“You know all about me,” she says.
“Tell me somethin’ no one else knows,” I say, trying to keep her head in the game. I can’t have her getting lost in her own head. I need her here with me.
“I got the tattoo on my ankle when I was fifteen. My parents didn’t even notice it. They would have been so mad at me.”
“Fifteen, huh? Who did it?” Keep her talking, Patch. Just keep her talking.
“A friend of my brother. Not even my brother knew.”
“You were sneaky,” I tell her, a small smile curling my lips.
“I wanted to be rebellious. I wanted to act out, but that’s as far as I got.”
“That’s pretty rebellious. Your parents didn’t like tattoos?”
“No. My dad hated them. Thought they were the stupidest things ever. He would say if there is nothing wrong with your skin, why color it?”
“But you liked them?”
“I loved them. I saw the ones my brother had, and I always wanted to be like him.”
“What else did you do?”
“When we were little, I wanted my hair cut like his. He had it spiked, and I threw a fit until I got mine cut the same,” she laughs a little.
“No way.”
“Yeah. It was a sight to see. I remember looking at the pictures with my mom once I was older. I looked so stupid, but I wanted to be like him,” she says, a hitch in her voice.
“I think I need to meet this brother of yours one day.” Her smile fades as she nods her head.
“One day.” The silence between us lingers for awhile. I don’t know what else to say to her. I hate that we’re in this situation and there’s nothing I can do to fix it.
“You still with me?”
“I’m still with you.”
“Good girl. You stay with me, okay?” I need her to say yes. I need her to stay with me.
“Okay.” I can hear the exhaustion taking over, and I see when her eyes slowly flutter closed.
This is a living hell.