He doesn’t break my stare, his gaze flicking back and forth between mine like he’s looking for something.

“Yes, I’ll do anything to protect you,” he quietly says, his voice so hushed with emotion, a million expressions crossing his face.

Regret, guilt, and the one that catches my attention most… love for me that’s so strong my breath gets taken away. This man owns me.

“You didn’t protect me from one thing though. It hurt so bad that I can still feel it.” I uncap the syringe with two fingers as I sit up on my knees with my hand still behind his lower back, turning my body towards him because I’m going to look him in the eyes with my next words.

“Who hurt you?” His eyes grow dark, his tone turning menacing and threatening.

Raising my hand up behind him, the syringe hovering on the other side of his neck, I take a deep breath and plunge the needle into his skin right between his neck and shoulder.

“You did,” I whisper, feeling tears trailing down my cheeks as I see his confused expression and the instant pain flashing in his hazy eyes as the drug takes effect.

Within seconds he’s slumping forward and I catch him in my arms, moving his hair out of his eyes to stare down at his peaceful looking face.

“Don’t let me down, Logan.” I place a kiss on his soft lips and pray he doesn’t break my heart.

Logan

“Wake up.” A deep, muffled voice that strangely sounds like Darth Vader has me blinking my eyes open with a painful groan. Whoever woke me up is looking to die today.

Everything is blurry as my chin is tipped down towards my chest and I have a killer headache pounding like I have the worst hangover. With slow movements, I lift my head and blink rapidly to clear my foggy vision. I’m staring at a blank slab wall in confusion with two metal chairs directly in front of me, the lighting so dim that it takes me a second to get my bearings at what the actual hell is going on. My body jolts the moment it becomes clear where I am.

Did someone really fucking kidnap me?

“Good. You're awake, it’s time to play.”

My head whips to the side, taking in the shadowed figure by a metal door. They're hiding their voice behind a voice box that sounds like he or she is about to tell me they’re my father. I wouldn’t put it past Franco to put me in a torture chamber just for shits and giggles, but hiding in the dark isn’t his style. So who is that sticking towards the shadows?

“You made a big mistake, asshole. I’m going to enjoy ripping you to shreds,” I grind out, feeling the cold metal biting into my wrists as I lean forward in this fucking uncomfortable chair.

I’m not surprised I’m chained in cuffs, but it does come to my advantage that the long chains are bolted to the floor and gives me enough room to lift my arms up to shoulder height. If they come close enough, I can wrap my arms around them and squeeze until their bones are being crushed in my hold.

“I–I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You don’t want your girl to die, do you?” the voice asks, clearing their throat before delivering that threat.

My veins turn to ice. They have Tillie?

“I’m going to murder you! Slice and dice you open until your guts spill out!” I roar, my muscles straining as I struggle to break free until I’m breathing hard like an animal with wild eyes.

“Bring them in!” Darth Vader shouts, backing towards the door until he or she is plastered against it. “You only get to choose one, the other dies.”

With that, he slips through the open door into a dark hall, and a second later, Tillie stumbles into the room in her underwear and high heels as someone pushes her from behind. She isn’t wearing a bra, her breasts are completely exposed, and I can feel my pulse pounding in my neck knowing these assholes are looking at her naked.

A man, judging by his height and build, dressed all in black with a ski mask, lays his hands on her to shove her again. He’s another addition to my kill list. Another girl is pushed in as well, but I can’t take my eyes off of Tillie, looking to see if she’s injured. Both of them are directed with shoves towards the metal chairs right in front of me and tied down with their hands behind them.

“Lo–Logan?” Tillie’s voice shakes as the blindfold over her eyes is whipped off by one of masked men and her big, brown eyes connect with mine.

I can breathe easier seeing she’s not injured, and I need her to know I’ll protect her always.

“Baby girl, it’s going to be okay. I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” I growl out, promising her with everything in my body that she won’t be hurt.

Her eyes soften slightly as she looks me over, taking in my naked form except for the black brief boxers they left me in.

“I believ—” she starts to say, but a shrill, shrieking voice next to her has that soft look in her eyes disappearing with a blank expression.

My brows wrinkle at that look as Tillie turns her head to the side and I barely glance at the other woman who keeps struggling in her chair. Just as the last man leaves the room, the door is slammed shut and everything goes quiet… until it doesn’t

“Logan! Oh my God! Baby, are you okay? Where are we?!”