/> “You’ve met Bradshaw, right?” Indicating he was much worse than anything the wicked witch could dole out.
Brooke finally turned around as though she were leaving until she whipped back around faster than Dee could brace herself. The belt landed across her stomach and chest breaking the skin, and blood trickled in a thin line all the way down her torso.
“Motherfucker!” she screamed in pain, curling up in a ball to try and combat the excruciating pain.
“Laugh at that, bitch,” Brooke said as she walked out.
“Pincess?” She heard Jax call quietly through the ringing in her ears.
“Stay there, honey,” she begged. No way did she want him to see her like she was. He was going to have enough nightmares to fight in the future; he didn’t need to see her broken and bleeding.
Pushing through the pain, she had let go of the rope on her one hand and began pulling at the other, needing to get free now more than ever. They had to get out of there before something worse happened. Like if Bradshaw raped her while Jax was under the bed listening. She couldn’t handle it if that happened.
Ripping at the rope proved more difficult then she thought. Her nail beds kept getting pushed back as she pulled with no grip. When she felt it give a little, she sawed her wrist in and out hoping the blood moistened it enough that she could slip free. Twisting her body so she could push with her legs against the headboard and yanking with all her might, she was finally freed, falling to the floor with the last tug.
“Just wait,” she whispered to Jax. She had to find something to cover herself with. As blood trailed down her body leaving little drops with each step she took, she knew she had to stop the bleeding or at least stem the flow.
A door on one side of the room was open slightly, and she saw it was a bathroom. Hoping there were a towel and some gauze tape, she went in search of it quietly.
A few drawer pulls later and she found a medical kit with everything she needed. She returned to the room and sat on the bed, calling Jax out as soon as she had a large piece of gauze over her wound.
“Jax, honey, come here.” Once he slipped free from under the bed, she saw the tear tracks down his face from silently crying as she was being assaulted.
Her heart broke and rage flamed right up from what he’d been subjected to.
Wiping away the tears with one hand, she told him, “It’s okay, I promise.” She tried to smile and reassure him.
“But you cwied,” he mumbled softly.
“You’re right, I did. But I’m fine now, and we’re gonna get out of here, but I need your help, all right?” At his nod, she told him what she needed him to do. “I need for you to quietly look in the dresser for a t-shirt and some pants, and socks too if there are any. Can you do that for me?” He shook his head again as he went in search of the items.
Pulling the gauze back from her chest, she saw the bleeding wasn’t stopping, and she was going to likely need stitches. Tossing the soiled patch to the side, she taped a fresh bandage to her skin, needing it to be good enough for them to leave.
“Dis good?” Jax asked as he walked over with everything she had asked him for.
“Baby, that’s perfect,” she praised, tossing the clothes on. She picked him up in her arms, hissing in pain. “Quiet as a mouse?” When he nodded, she pulled the door open to listen for anyone that was near them.
When she didn’t hear anything, she closed it again, hoping they would be left alone for a while. Putting the small decorative chair in front of the door and tilting it under the knob, she hoped it would stall anyone from entering for a minute or two. She placed Jax on top of the dresser just under the large vent that was not far above, praying she would get it open with no trouble.
Footsteps sounded outside the room again, and Jax whimpered in fear noiselessly beside her, gripping her shirt. She froze, wishing whoever it were would pass.
After two minutes of silence, she continued to pry open the grate. “When I was your age, my mam used to tell me stories of all kinds,” she told him. His little body was shaking with fear, so she needed to take his mind off of everything, “My favorite was always stories about Tinkerbell,” she whispered conspiratorially. “I loved how she could fly and spread fairy dust!”
His attention was so focused on her now that he’d stopped shaking. “I wanna fwy!”
“I would dream of soaring above the clouds! Seeing the stars and meeting the man on the moon!” she told him with excitement.
“There’s a man on the moon?” he asked confusedly.
“One day, I’ll show you what I mean.” As soon as she said that the vent popped free. “Yes!’ she nearly shouted. Jaxson’s eyes lit up in triumph, too.
Pulling the cover down, she placed it against the dresser on the floor. “Ready?”
“You’re coming too, wight, Pincess?” he asked her.
“Right behind you,” she promised.
Once he was in the vent, she took a look around the room wanting to make sure there was nothing to lead the others towards where they would be hiding. Everything looked fine, so she climbed up on the dresser and pulled herself into the chute, sliding the cover closed behind her.