I meet his eyes, showing my rage as I sneer at him. He’s a shitty excuse for a human being. But I already knew that.
The doorbell rings, interrupting our stare-off. The surprise on Marcus’s face leads me to believe he’s not expecting anyone to show up here. He must not have told anyone where he took me in order to avoid moments like this from happening—from someone finding us.
Quickly he moves to the table next to the bed and reaches into the small drawer. He pulls out a roll of duct tape and rips off a piece just as fast. Before I can push him away, he slaps the duct tape across my mouth and rips another piece to secure my free hand to the headboard. I squirm and try to scream but the reality is, it’s duct tape. All I’m doing is making myself sweat.
“Shut up. You need to shut up. I don’t want to hear a peep from that pretty mouth of yours.” He grabs my chin from underneath as he tips my face up towards his and bends slightly to look me in the eye. He smiles at me, and he appears so evil. “Do you understand me?”
My pretty little mouth wants to bite his fucking head off for causing all the pain coursing through me.
He tugs my chin again, the smile disappearing from his face. “Do you?”
Tears threaten to spill as I nod my head, unable to speak or do anything besides count my heavy breaths. He walks out, closing the door behind him, and leaving me in this room alone with my thoughts. I drop my head back to the headboard and wince as a dull ache snakes its way around to my temples.
I hear the squeak of a door opening and it’s not long after that the shouting comes. I can’t make out the words, but the shouting doesn’t last long before the door slams, rattling the walls.
The door to my room flies open so hard it slams into the wall. I’m pretty sure the doorknob went through the drywall and left a nice sized hole.
Marcus comes bursting in with his hands laced on top his head and paces the end of the bed. “He wants to come for you? He can come. I won’t let him have you. You’re mine.”
Marcus’s wild eyes practically bug out of his head as he continues his pacing. There’s only one person I know of that could make Marcus lose it like this. “They think they can beat me? No one can beat me. They won’t. I’ll make fucking sure of it.”
It’s Jesse. It has to be.
Marcus turns to face me and rips the duct tape from my mouth so fast that my skin is left raw and burning. “Your little gang is looking for you. But they aren’t looking in the right places, the stupid fucks. We’re leaving in an hour. He won’t find you.”
“What did you think would happen? There are people who care about me, who actually love me!” My yell is full of rage, but I actually find myself laughing.
Marcus sneers at me through a clenched jaw. He’s not pleased with my laughter and watches me skeptically. “What are you laughing at?”
“You.” I laugh louder. “You are in so over your head, it’s hilarious. See, what you still don’t seem to understand is that people will do a lot for the ones they love. And fortunately for me, I have a whole family who loves me. You won’t win this one. They will come for me. And when they do, I hope you don’t make it out alive.”
Marcus’s lip curls up in a snarl as he inches closer to my face. “I’ve already handled his little fucking sidekick. Every time you fight me, one of them hurts. Every time he tries to find you, you hurt.”
He pulls his phone out of his pocket and taps on the screen for a few moments before pushing the screen close to my face. A video is playing. Two guys are holding a guy up by his arms between them as another guy punches his body repeatedly. I watch with every swing as the guy’s face bleeds more and more, until the guy looks up, bares his bloody teeth and spits a mouthful of blood at the guy punching him. The video has me frozen as I watch. The flash of blonde hair, the face, and the body . . . I’d know that person anywhere, even as bloody and bruised as he is.
It’s Cason. My sweet, sweet Cason. Where’s Jesse? Or anyone? Someone has to help him.
“What did you do? You son of a bitch! I hate you! I fucking hate you!” I scream as the sobs start wracking my body.
How can he do this to someone? How can he hurt people for the hell of it? What made him so demented?
“Don’t worry, he’ll be okay—this time. But if you try to escape again, it’ll be worse. We’ll go for the girl next. I’ll hurt every single person you care about until you cooperate.”
He grabs my face, but I jerk out of his grasp, turning away from him. The tears continue to flow. “It’ll never be you.”
He yanks my chin until I’m facing him, but I spit in his face. “Fuck you, Marcus,” I seethe.
Marcus puts the duct tape back over my mouth as I start my screams again. The moment he disappears through the door panic explodes inside me. The tears stream down my face, and I scream behind the tape until the pain in my head becomes unbearable. Then I turn over and let the tears fall as I wish I was anywhere else but here, as I wish that I had never brought my problems
