Page 9 of Snatched Up By the Cartel

But they kept coming, their blows landing, my body absorbing the impact. And I kept thinking about Rylan. The thought was the only thing making me go on with this. Thinking about him being alone without me gave me slight anxiety.

I felt a rib crack under the force of a particularly brutal punch, and my vision blurred momentarily. Oh, fuck. I knew this was going to happen and I was powerless to stop it.

I spat out a mouthful of blood, my lips curling in a snarl. "You'll pay for that," I growled. It wasn't an empty promise. They would surely pay for it.

Vance laughed, his eyes wild. "You're the one who's gonna pay, Solstice. And your little omega friend too."

The mention of Rylan ignited a surge of anger within me, revitalizing my determination. Despite his constant presence in my thoughts, hearing Vance say his name filled me with a sense of empowerment, as if I could conquer anything.

I lashed out, taking down two of Vance's crew with a well-placed kick and a vicious elbow. Both didn't expect that to happen.

But they kept on coming, their numbers slowly wearing me down. Fucking hell. It felt like this could go on forever or until I succumbed to exhaustion.

I felt a blow to the back of my head, and my vision swam. I stumbled, my knees buckling. My body was weak and wasn't responding anymore to my instructions.

They took advantage, raining down punches, their boots connecting with my ribs, my face. I knew, in that moment, that it was over. And yet, I wasn't going to give up. I would only stop when I was dead.

I tried to fight back, but my body was failing me, the pain overwhelming. I grunted, ignoring it. It was almost too much, but I could withstand it.

Through the haze of pain, I heard the guards' whistles, their shouts to break it up. But they didn't intervene, their inaction confirming what I already knew. Vance had paid them off, ensuring their indifference to my fate.

To be honest, for the most part, it wasn't even necessary to pay them off. Most guards here already hated me. Chances were, the guards around the perimeter hated me so much they would rather kill me themselves.

With the last of my strength, I lashed out, taking down one more of Vance's crew before my legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. I gave everything I could and it wasn't enough.

I felt a boot connect with my side, and then darkness consumed me. And my last thought was Rylan. I worried about him, something I thought would never happen.

I came to slowly, my body throbbing with pain. I tried to open my eyes, but the light seared my retinas, forcing me to squeeze them shut again. I groaned, my throat raw, my mouth tasting of copper.

What happened? I thought I was going to die after they knocked me unconscious.

"Easy now." A soft voice, coming from someone who sounded concerned, reached my ears. "You took quite a beating."

I recognized the voice, and my eyes flickered open, adjusting to the dim light of our cell. I could never mistake his voice for somebody else's. It could only be him.

Rylan stood over me, his eyes wide, his face pale. "What... happened?" My voice was little more than a rasp, my throat dry and scratchy.

Even though I couldn't say it for sure, it appeared it had already been hours since I last saw the sunlight.

"They... they ambushed you," he said, his voice shaking. "The guards finally broke it up, but they took their time. I think Vance paid them off."

He thinks? I thought, finding his words amusing. It was pretty evident that they were paid off.

Then, I nodded, wincing as the movement sent spikes of pain through my head. "Figured as much," I muttered. "How bad is it?"

Rylan bit his lip, his eyes flicking over me. He looked concerned, something I was certain he would never think about me. I thought he hated me. The incident in the shower room had really changed everything between us.

"Bad," he said softly. "You have a few broken ribs, a possible concussion, and numerous cuts and bruises. You lost a lot of blood."

That motherfucker was going to pay for what he did. I would never rest easy until he did.

I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over me, forcing me back down. It was my blood pressure, most likely. My body just couldn't handle the current state it was in.

"Damn," I muttered. "Guess I put up more of a fight than I thought."

For Rylan, I was beginning to think I could do anything. Strange feeling. I never thought I would feel something similar for anyone. I wondered what was happening.

Rylan chuckled. This was a moment of pure bonding when we felt more connected to each other than we ever did before.

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