You'll Never Lose Me (Never 4)

“Why are you…” I can’t get any other words out, it’s too painful and my voice is breaking apart, just like me.

“Save your words and I’m not being nice, I just prefer when I can hear the screams,” his eyes are staring through me and I want to cower away, so I guess I will.

“Take the drink and then I’ll tell you something I know you’ll want to hear, it will be the last thing I share though. Your time is close to ending and there isn’t any point giving you the entirety of your family’s skewered past,” I take the drink in my good hand and inhale the chocolate aroma, the steam filling the air is almost mesmerising. I can almost fool myself into believing that I can see Noah and Harrison within the mist, it’s better than looking at Dante.

“Your mother and father are no better than us, perhaps they’re worse because they knew the risks and the damage it could cause but it did not stop them. Your brother wanted to get you away from them and his death may have been a wake up call to your father, but he never changed his way, not completely. And your mother, she is a piece of work, isn’t she? I should know, my mother is a psychopath, it’s the reason I am the way I am today. An inherited trait,” he’s looking at his nails as though his words mean nothing more than asking someone what the weather will be.

I can’t speak so I can’t question him and he knows it. A smile is on his lips. As empty as his eyes, even though I know it’s fake, I can’t help but notice the way it changes his face. He’d be beautiful if he wasn’t so scary, or maybe that is why he’s so breathtaking. A beauty as dark as his can’t be denied or enjoyed, stare too long and it will eat away at your soul until you are as empty and devoid of feeling as he is himself.

“Your father helped to keep a lot of bad people out of prison, misplaced vital evidence and filled his pockets with my current bosses’ cash. You lived in poverty, but he had the means to keep you out of it. There is something that Fin wants me to tell you because it will make your suffering worse, but Fin’s shall we say ‘partner,’ doesn’t agree. They’d rather your suffering be physical and long, I guess they think your mental suffering has already reached the point where one more thing may make you snap.” He’s rapping his finger against his chin as he looks up at the ceiling, I have no idea what he’s thinking and I’m not sure I want to know either.

“It was too much for Damon and he’s lost within his own mind, let’s keep that from being your fate. They want you to be aware of what’s happening as you die slowly, I’m going to make you bleed Henleigh. Death by exsanguination, it will be an agony unlike any other you have ever experienced before,” he stands up and I know I shouldn’t but I have to take a shot.

I throw my hot chocolate over his torso, making him cry out before hooking my leg around his bat, picking it up and whacking him across the head. I can’t believe I’ve done this, and it’s like everything is happening in slow motion as he falls down onto his knees and slumps over.

Son of a bitch it worked, I’m surprised I even had the strength with only one hand but he’s down, I think I’ve found my way out of here. My skin is crawling just from running my hand along his trouser leg trying and hoping that he has the keys to the lock.

My luck just keeps getting better, things are starting to go my way. Sliding the keys out I need to be quick, if he wakes up I’m screwed.

Now I know I can’t go up the stairs because Fin is probably up there, but I can’t climb out of the window either, not with one arm and a dislocated shoulder. At least he did it on the same side, silver lining and all that crap.

Damn it, the stairs it is. At least I’m going down trying to escape, if I don’t I’ll only spend my last moments wondering if I could have gotten away.

I don’t care that the stairs are cold against my bare skin or how every part of me is crying out in pain, I guess it’s a good thing I can’t be too vocal right now. I have no idea where this optimism is coming from, but I hope it doesn’t abandon me anytime soon.

I lay my hand on the door handle, it’s time. Please El, give me strength and courage to make it through this.

The door creaks open and no one is standing there on the other side, but weeping for relief can wait until I’m freedom bound for sure.

It never even occurred to me that Dante made so much noise coming down those stairs intentionally, as his hand slips around my throat and pulls me back. I lose my footing and he steps out of the way as I fly through the air and my back hits the concrete floor hard. He looks down at me from his position on the stairs and simply shakes his head as my eyes drift shut and I realise, I really am going to die at his hands.

I NEVER SHOULD HAVE TRIED to escape, all it earned me is agonising pain shooting through my lower back and travelling up my spine, a chair that I’m never allowed to leave and ropes wrapped tightly around my waist. Cable ties are pinching my wrists and legs and holding me against the chair without a single bit of give between the plastic and my skin. It’s tight enough to make me bleed, and that’s what it’s doing, I bleed, scab and bleed again.

Dante doesn’t even come down alone anymore, it’s always with Finley and Dante is always holding a gun with the safety clicked off.

I’ve been pistol whipped across my face multiple times and I can’t even count how many times he’s pressed the barrel of the gun against my temple and squeezed his finger so close to the point of no return, I don’t understand why I am still alive.

They never speak anymore, they just stare at me or one another. Clearly they are waiting for something, but I don’t know what. The door creaking makes us all look, I didn’t think anyone else was here so who the fuck could it be?

No, not you. I can’t believe I almost trusted you again.

“So this is where you’re keeping her, I thought you would have killed her by now,” Ivy says, looking at me as though I’m nothing more than a piece of shit on the bottom of her shoe.

Her pixie cut is purple now with electric blue tips and ends, her makeup is dark and her eyes are ringed with silver and black. She’s wearing denim shorts and fishnet stockings with chains hanging down her leg. Her top is a brown leather corset, and she looks like she could take or leave being in here. Why are you here?

I can’t even ask her because my throat is still bruised, Dante did more damage when he stopped my attempt at escaping. He must have done that on purpose. I’m hoping if I rest it then there won’t be any lasting damage, I haven’t even tried to speak so the damage could all be in my head, I just don’t want to find out.

“Hey Trixie,” Fin says with a salacious grin and her eye roll is so long I’m surprised they don’t stay in the top of her head.

“Fuck off Fin, that was Lija’s nickname and I wouldn’t have even gotten it if you hadn’t treated me like Tricia,” she bites out as he winds his arms around her hips and tugs her against him.

I may as well be watching a porno with the way he’s thrusting himself into her and groaning, even Dante isn’t watching this shit. I guess that would fall into his warped idea of disrespect as well.

“Me and Dante have to pop upstairs, do you want to stay down here or wait in my room?” He asks, and she smiles wickedly as she turns a ring around on her hand and smacks it across my face, cutting deeply.

“Do I get to have some fun?” She asks, and he nods with a huge shit-eating smile on his face. Dante is the only one who’s hesitating to leave her down here, but he’s made it clear that he isn’t in charge.