Falling into Surrender (Falling 3)
“What are you talking about?” I hiss. “I’ve done nothing wrong. I’ve left you alone, so why can’t you just move on?”
“Oh you would say that,” she snaps. “After everything that you’ve done to hurt me. Making your father hate me… making the whole town think I was crazy.”
“You are crazy!” I yell, unable to stop myself. I know this isn’t the best way to approach the situation. She has the two people I love most in the world within her grasp. I know I should be logical, but right now I can’t. I hate her with the fire of a thousand suns.
“You think you are so tough don’t you?” she glances across the room. “We’ll see how tough you are after your friends wake up and you watch me slowly torture them to death.”
All of the blood drains from my face, and just like that, my temper is gone.
“Please, Eleanore…” I beg. “You don’t have to do this. Just let them go.”
She actually seems to consider it for a moment before busting into a hysterical fit of laughter. “No, I don’t think so, Victoria. But don’t worry, it won’t be all blood and gore. We’re going to have a little fun first. You see, I think I will make your angry boyfriend watch Allan here rape you repeatedly. Maybe your pretty little friend over there too. I haven’t really thought that far ahead yet.”
“Why are you doing this?” I plead, my voice cracking. “They haven’t done anything to you. You can do anything you want to me, but please let them go.”
“Tisk, tisk.” Eleanore smiles. “Where would the fun in that be? You deserve everything you get, you little whore.”
“How can you say that?” I try to reason with her, playing to any of her sane emotions. “You’ve been the only mother I’ve ever known.”
“Yes, how unfortunate for me.” She retorts sourly. “You didn’t know how lucky you were. You never appreciated me.”
The weakness in her eyes surprises me, but before I can say anything, she walks back towards the front door.
“I need to get some things in town,” she announces to the man standing guard. “You call me the minute they wake up, do you understand?”
He nods, and then as quickly as she entered, she’s gone again.
I need to figure something out, and fast. As I stare up at the ceiling, I hear incoherent grumbling from across the room. I crane my neck to see Gabriel stirring in his chair. He blinks his eyes open wearily, his expression filled with pain.
“Victoria,” he rasps. “How did they get to you?”
I glance up at the man at the door to find him picking his nail absently. He doesn’t seem to care that we’re conversing, so I decide to answer.
“I was making a delivery,” I reply.
His jaw grows rigid as his eyes darken with obvious frustration. “I gave you one simple fucking request,” he booms. “You just had to leave your apartment, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t know,” I snap back. “I thought it was a delivery for you. That’s what my boss told me anyway.”
His face softens a little as his eyes roam over me, taking mental stock of my condition. I can tell he wants to rescue me right now, but he can’t move an inch. Somewhere deep in the recesses of my depraved mind, I almost find it ironic.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“Yes.” I nod. “I think so. My head hurts, but I’m okay.”
He looks so sad and forlorn, I can’t help the intense guilt that floods over me. This is all my fault. Tears spring to my eyes, and I try my best to hold them back, to be strong.
“I’m so sorry Gabriel,” I whisper. “This is exactly what I didn’t want to happen.”
“No,” he replies firmly. “Don’t think like that, Victoria. This is not your fault. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”
He casts his eyes to the floor and I try to make sense of what he’s not saying. But then he quirks his eyebrow as though an idea has just struck him. He glances at the man by the door and then strains in his chair to try to look out the window. What is he doing?