Page 16 of Catch My Fall

“You’re not like the others,” I say.

He smiles. “I like to think so, which is why I’m helping get you out of here,” he says, his voice growing quieter at that last part, not much above a whisper.

My heavy-lidded eyes widen. “What?”

“Happened to come across your friend, Alec earlier tonight.”

My breath hitches in my throat.

Alec.

“He knows where you are. He’s coming. Tonight,” Ollie continues.

Alec’s coming?

I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry with relief, the emotions swirling inside me have me wanting to do both.

He’s coming for me… Hope swells in my heart as I let the words sink in. For the first time in weeks, my body buzzes with excitement.

My chin trembles. “Th—Thank you.”

“I’ll do everything I can, I swear.”

“What’s with all the whispering, you two?” Austin’s voice startles me as much as it does Ollie. Austin must have been hovering outside the door which was still open.

Ollie shoots to his feet, doing his best to keep his features in check. “Boss.”

“What did you say to her, Oliver?”

“I… I said not to worry now that Vik’s gone,” Ollie replies.

“Don’t fucking lie to me!” I flinch at Austin’s harsh tone. “What did you tell her?” he grits out.

“Austin, I swear I—”

Bang!

I scream, slamming my hands over my ears as Ollie collapses to his knees in front of me, clutching his side, his wide terror-filled eyes falling on me.

Austin comes to stand between us, his shins level with my face. “What the fuck did he tell you?”

“N—Nothing,” I breathe out, my heart pumping erratically.

“You little cunt!” His foot collides with my abdomen, knocking the breath from my lungs as I double over on my side, my breaths laboured and raspy as I gasp for air.

“Don’t touch her!” Ollie grunts.

“You both must think I’m a fucking idiot.” Austin reaches for me, fisting my hair so hard some is ripped from my scalp as he drags me up. “Tell me what the fuck he said to you!”

I stay quiet as silent tears leak from my eyes. His fist collides with my face and pain rockets through my cheekbone, my head feeling like it’s splitting in two as everything around me turns blurry.

He throws me back down on the mattress, though it does nothing to soften my fall. He kicks me hard in the stomach and I cough, clutching my belly as pain seers through my mid-section.

He does it again and again, his attacks on my body relentless and I have to wonder if whether he’s going to stop at all. Is he going to keep kicking until I’m dead?

After about a half a dozen kicks to my belly, he begins to tire, but my relief is short-lived, because with one final kick, I feels something tear inside.

The pain in my abdomen is unlike anything I’ve ever felt and I can’t help but cry out as agony slices through my body.

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