Okay, so the razorblade idea was out for the moment, but it made me feel better knowing the option was there if I needed to take it.
You might end up here for years, a little voice spoke in my head. You might be one of those stories you read about where a woman is kept captive for years, and is impregnated and forced to have her children in that situation, so the children grow up never knowing any different.
The possibility that I might end up wanting to use the razorblade on myself popped into my head, and I shook it away. No, I’d kill them before I’d do anything to hurt myself.
That annoying voice spoke up again.
All of them?
Chapter Seven
Now I had the lights on in the room, I was able to do what I hadn’t before, and search it from top to bottom. I had a pretty good idea there wasn’t going to be any other way out of here, but that didn’t stop me looking. Even a grate covering a vent or airshaft might be enough for me to squeeze through, or perhaps send a note begging for help into the outside world. I might even find the camera, if there was one.
I started in the corner beside the door to the bathroom and worked my way clockwise around the room, pulling back the few items of furniture to check behind them, not wanting to miss anything. Most likely I was wasting my time, but it wasn’t as though I had a whole heap of places I needed to be.
When I’d finished searching the walls and found nothing, I started on the floors. Everything was solid, and there was no sign of any way out.
Disheartened, all the fight went out of me, and exhaustion swept over me in a wave. I wanted to rest now, but I didn’t trust the bed. I couldn’t lie there wondering if someone was about to unlock the door and come down to me, or if someone was watching me sleep. Instead, I grabbed all the blankets off the bed and tugged them into the little space behind the staircase. The slats of the stairs helped to shade the glare of the bare bulb hanging from the ceiling.
I created myself a little nest out of the blankets and huddled in. I watched for spiders and cobwebs, but then mentally chastised myself. A couple of eight-legged critters were the least of my worries right now. With no other distractions—no books, or television, or internet—I was left only with my own thoughts to turn over and over. I felt sick with fear about what was going to happen to me, but, more than that, I found myself worrying about Aunt Sarah, torturing myself about how distraught she’d be. She might be a battleaxe, she’d had to be to deal with me, but I was the only family she had. She’d lost her brother at the same time I’d lost my dad, and even though we could be harsh with each other, I knew she cared.
Twisted inside my own thoughts, I drifted off ...
I WOKE TO THE CLICK of a door opening, and for a moment I had forgotten where I was. It all came tumbling back, my memories restacking like pieces of a Jenga puzzle. I sat up fast, smacking my head on the back of one of the staircase treads. My head wasn’t the only thing that hurt. My lower back ached, as did my ribs. I’d hit them pretty hard when I’d been pulled back down the stairs, and lying curled up on the floor had only aggravated the injuries. There was nothing I could do about them now. I had to see what the new arrival wanted. My heart beat hard, and I tensed, my eyes wide, suddenly alert, despite having been sound asleep only moments before.
Heavy feet trod down the stairs, the wood groaning in response. Through the gaps in the staircase, I saw the man hesitate, perhaps wondering where I’d gone. If he didn’t know, maybe my fears of there being cameras down here were unfounded. After all, I hadn’t found anything when I’d searched the place for a way out.
With my hand pressed against the back of my head where I’d bumped it, the other against my lower back, I craned forward trying to get an idea of who was coming down. Big black boots and baggy jeans, a black t-shirt, from what I could see. It definitely wasn’t Kingsley—too slight a build—and he wasn’t dressed smartly enough to be Alex. So either Clay or Lorcan, unless this was the elusive Isaac, but I had the feeling he wouldn’t be making an appearance just yet.
Of the two options, I hoped it was Clay. Though they were all assholes, he seemed more easygoing than Lorcan. At least he knew how to crack a smile.
The man took another couple of steps, and my heart sank. Shiny black hair, and too tall to be Clay. Damn it. I was going to have to face the moody, tattooed Lorcan and see what he wanted.
“Where the hell have you gotten to?” he growled under his breath.
I was tempted to stay hidden, but what would be the point? It wasn’t as though he wouldn’t find me eventually, and if I made him hunt, it was sure to make his temper worse.
Easing myself out from under the stairs, untangling my feet from the blankets as I did so, I raised a hand. “I’m here. No need to panic.”
“What you doing under there?”
“It looked cozy.”
He had a tray in his hands, and came down the last couple of steps to slide the tray onto the small desk. “Here, I brought you something to eat.” He was gruff, and didn’t much like meeting my eye.
“I’m not hungry,” I said, even though I was. I hadn’t had the chance to have breakfast that morning, and hours had passed since then. I assumed we were well past lunchtime already, maybe even heading toward dinner. It was impossible to tell with no natural light or clocks in the room. Plus, I had no idea how long I’d been sleeping. It probably was closer to dinner time.
My stomach gurgled audibly, my body betraying my word. Lorcan glanced over his shoulder at me and raised his thick, dark eyebrows. I wanted to tell him to fuck off, but I didn’t want to get myself into any more trouble. The thought of being tied up again was enough to make me clamp my mouth shut.
“Here.” He stepped away from the tray to reveal a sandwich and a juice box. “You’ve got to eat.”
He’d taken off the leather jacket he’d been wearing earlier, so now his tattooed arms were on display. I found myself staring, trying to pick out the different images marked on his skin. An eye, a clock, a rose, a skull, all seamlessly blended together to create one image. I had no idea who his artist was, but they were good, and must have cost a fortune.
“Do I have to eat with you watching?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I have to take the tray back. Wouldn’t want you to use it as a weapon.”
“Did the others send you down here? How come you lucked out on the job?”
His dark eyes narrowed at me. “I offered to bring it down.”
“Why?”
A slight smile came to his lips. “Because a little female company is sometimes preferable to hanging out with the guys twenty-four-seven.”
Creep. I wished I hadn’t asked.
My stomach gurgled again. I was tempted to throw the sandwich back at him, but I was starving, and I needed the sugar from the juice carton. I could drink water from the faucet in the bathroom, but it wasn’t the same. If I refused the food, the only person I’d be punishing would be myself. Besides, I needed to stay strong, and turning into some half-starved waif wasn’t going to help me.
Not looking at him, I slipped into the chair at the table. My mouth was dry from sleeping, and from the adrenaline that had been charging through my veins since all this had started, so I used the straw to pierce the little foil circle at the top of the carton and brought it to my lips and sucked hard. I could feel him watching me, and so I angled my body away. I didn’t know why, but out of the guys, Lorcan was the one who most put me on edge. Maybe it was because he resembled the type of guy I’d normally date in real life. I knew his type, and they tended to be assholes. Of course, this one had helped to kidnap me and had most likely shot someone in front of me, so his asshole quota was already filled.
I finished the juice and picked up the sandwich. My first bite of what appeared to be chicken, mayonnaise, and lettuce made me realize just how starving I was, and I wolfed the rest down, barely bothering to chew or breathe. When I finished and wiped my hands on the legs of my jeans, I glanced over to see him watching me wit
h an amused smirk on his face. The expression caused the dimple in his chin to deepen, darkened by his stubble.
“What?” I said, glaring back at him.
“Nothing. I just don’t think I’ve ever seen someone eat so fast before.”
“I was hungry. Being kidnapped will do that to a girl.”
I didn’t want to be anywhere near him. I got to my feet, but my body protested at the sudden movement.
My back and shoulders ached from being slammed against the stairs, and the other fighting I’d done. I winced as I eased my muscles back into shape. He frowned. “What’s wrong with you? You in pain?”
“I’m fine,” I snapped.
“You don’t look fine. I’ll see if I can get you some meds.”
“I don’t want to be drugged.”
“Relax. It’s Advil. I’m sure you’ve had them before.”
“I’ll be fine,” I mumbled. I did hurt, and I’d probably ache even more the following day. I didn’t want to think too far into the future, but I couldn’t help it. Normally, I could see my future plans laid out in front of me, running from left to right, and circling around the back off me when I was no longer able to visualize that far ahead, everything in structure, compartmentalized boxes. But now there was nothing. This had only happened to me one other time in my life, and that had been right after my father had been murdered. I’d been unable to visualize my future then, utterly unknowing of what it held for me, and I felt that way now. My past was still the same, flowing in the opposite direction until my memories faded away and slipped behind me, but my future was a dead end.
He reached out and took the tray, then paused and stared at me. He opened his mouth, and I thought he was going to say something else, but then he closed it again. Without another word, he turned and walked back up the stairs, taking the remains of my meal with him. At the top, he shut the door behind him, and I heard the familiar click of the lock falling into place.
Loneliness swept over me, and I found myself blinking back tears. I didn’t want Lorcan down here—or any of the others—for that matter, but I hated being alone. Ironically, back home, I was more than happy with my own company, normally preferring it to spending time with other people. But that had been by choice. Being locked down here, against my will and completely alone was something else entirely.
I went back to the bathroom and eyed up the disposable razor again. At the moment, it was the only hope I had, but something held me back. Was it the fear of getting caught, or was I instinctively waiting for the right moment? If I was, I didn’t think it was here yet. Or perhaps I knew it might be my only option, and if I used it and failed, I’d give up completely.
I heard movement from the top of the stairs again, and stepped out of the bathroom in time to see the door opening. My stomach flipped with nerves. What now?
Alex led the way, with Kingsley close behind. Clay trotted down the stairs, too. Lorcan lurked at the rear as though he knew he’d done something wrong and was trying to delay the inevitable.
Kingsley spoke first. “Lorcan says you’re hurting.”
I looked between each of them. Lorcan was back to not meeting my eye, looking at something on the ground that had caught his attention instead.
“I’m fine,” I muttered. “I told Lorcan I was fine.”
Slowly, Kingsley shook his head. “I don’t believe you. Come here.”
“No.”
“Walk over here, or I’ll come over to you.” There was a threat in Kingsley’s words. I huffed air out of my nose and walked over to him, holding myself as naturally as I could, though my back spasmed, my ribs tweaked with pain, and I felt my face tense in response.
A nerve beside Kingsley’s eye twitched. “You are in pain. Show me.”
My eyes widened in alarm. “What? No!”
“You know we can make you show us if we want to,” Alex said.
I glared at him, too, but what could I do? They were right, and if showing them my injuries kept them away from me—for the moment, at least—then that’s what I would have to do.
With my lips pressed in a tight, thin line, I lifted the bottom of my t-shirt to show the red marks and bruises where I’d hit the stairs. They were under my breasts as well, though I was still mindful of the fact I had no bra on, and I wasn’t about to give them some kind of show.
“Turn around,” Kingsley said, his voice gruff.
I’d hit my lower back when I’d been flipped over at the bottom of the stairs, and it was that which gave me the most pain now. I didn’t want to, but I didn’t want to antagonize them to the point where they took this into their own hands and tried to see for themselves. At least if I did this myself, I felt like I had some control over my own body.
Reluctantly, I turned my back on the men, and then I reached down again and pulled my t-shirt up, exposing my lower back.
Someone sucked air in over their teeth, but I was facing away and couldn’t see who. I guessed it looked bad.
“Ah, shit. Sorry, sugar,” Clay said.
I glanced over my shoulder to see him. His blond hair fell around his face as he frowned, his teeth digging into his lower lip. It was insane, considering the circumstances, but he did truly look as though he was sorry. Dragging me down the stairs when I’d tried to run was the least they should be sorry for, considering they’d kidnapped me and locked me in a cellar.
“You asshole.” Alex rounded on Clay. “You didn’t need to hurt her like that.”
Clay gestured to the stairs. “She was making a run for it. I stopped her. I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Why did Alex even care if Clay had hurt me? I could handle the bruises a lot more than I could handle the kidnapping. And anyway, Alex couldn’t talk. He was the one who’d yanked me by my feet in the car.
I opened my mouth and said so.
Alex looked to me. “I did what was necessary. We didn’t mean to hurt you, though. None of us did.”
Why not? Were they supposed to be delivering me to someone who wouldn’t like it if I was bruised? If this was a sex trade thing, maybe the order had been put in that they didn’t like their women damaged.
I dropped my t-shirt and turned around, my arms folded across my chest, hiding my bra-less breasts. “Yeah, well, you did. And you’re still hurting me by keeping me down here. What do you plan to do with me? I don’t expect that’s going to be in my best interest either.”
Alex opened his mouth to speak again, but Kingsley stepped forward. “We can’t tell you anything yet. You’ll find out soon enough, though, I promise.”
“Why? Because you’re waiting for your boss to arrive?”
They all exchanged glances.
“He’s not our boss,” Lorcan said, sullen. “We all work together.”
“Okay, but he’s the one in charge. Why else would you be waiting for him?”
Clay shrugged. “We work as a team, baby-doll. We don’t do things without each other.”
“He wasn’t there when you grabbed me,” I pointed out.
“He had somewhere else to be. But this is important, and he wants to be here.”
“Where is—”
“Enough!” Kingsley stepped forward, both hands lifted. He pointed at me. “You are not here to ask questions. We’re the ones who do that. Don’t make me put that tape over your mouth again.”
The others fell quiet. I spotted Clay and Lorcan exchanging a glance that made me think they didn’t like to upset him. I wondered if I might be able to use that to my advantage sometime.
I kept my mouth shut, and Kingsley turned and stalked up the stairs. The others followed, leaving me standing in the middle of the room, wondering what the hell had just happened. Who were these guys? Some kind of gang?
Clay was the last to leave, and he gave me a backward glance and a shrug that felt like an apology, before he pulled the door shut behind him, leaving me alone once more.
Chapter Eight
The waiting around was the worst.
The
not knowing.
I wished I had something to distract myself with, but there was nothing—no music, no books, not even a pen and paper so I could write. I wondered what the men’s reaction would be if I asked for something to occupy my mind. I feared for my sanity if I was left like this day after day. Was it possible to lose your mind out of sheer boredom?
Of course, it wasn’t only boredom. I was frightened about what was going to happen to me, and turned over every possibility in my head. Ransom didn’t seem likely, considering neither I nor my remaining family had any money. Human trafficking seemed like the next most likely option, but then I didn’t understand why they showed any concern for me at all. And what did this other guy Isaac have to do with it? Was he the one who’d be selling me?
With nothing else to do, I paced the room, then went to take another drink from the faucet in the bathroom. I wasn’t overly thirsty after the orange juice, but I was trying to distract myself and keep myself occupied. I left the bathroom and went to rearrange my blankets in the little nest I’d created for myself under the stairs. I felt safer curled up in there than anywhere else. Even in the bathroom, though it was a small space, I felt vulnerable. Exposed.
I’d only just settled down again when the door lock clicked open. Instead of hiding, I scrambled back to my feet to see who was coming. Could the mysterious Isaac have arrived? Though a part of me dreaded him coming, another part just wanted to get on with things and learn my fate.
Hacking Darkness Page 5
