Page 54 of Jackson

He chuckles again.

“How about a toe? I feel like that would hurt a lot more. What do you think?”

Please.

Jackson.

Help me.

“Yeah, I think I’ll go with the toe. Which one do you think?”

No.

Please no.

Tears roll out and run down my face, but it doesn’t matter how much I pray, I can’t move. Not even when he releases me and lays my head down. Not even when he moves down to my foot and lifts it up. Not even when he runs that blade over my little toe.

Not even when he cuts it off.

The only thing I can do is open my mouth and scream.

Even that isn’t enough.

I’m paralysed.

And he’s going to kill me.

GASPING, I WAKE UPfrom what was either sleep, or me passing out from the pain alone.

I have never felt anything like the pain Hound inflicted on me when he cut off my toe. I can feel every single moment of it, from the initial burning, the crushing sound as he cut through bone, and then the deep, horrifying pain that came after. Even thinking about it has vomit rising in my throat.

The second I put my focus back onto it, I can feel the intense throbbing that is now running up my leg. Feeling less groggy, Ipush up on my elbows and stare down at the large pool of blood on the ground beneath my foot. About half of my little toe is gone, leaving nothing but a bloody stump behind.

Seeing it has me sobbing, shaking my head in disbelief.

He’s going to kill me.

With all my strength, I push up to my bottom and take my shirt, slowly pulling it over my head. It’s nearly impossible, and by the time I have it off, I feel weak, like I could sleep for days. Reaching down, I wrap it around my foot. It looks like the bleeding has stopped, but I don’t want to risk further infection.

The material feels like it is made of pure sandpaper.

Tears roll down my cheeks as I grit my teeth, tightening it as best I can, before falling down onto my back again, my chest rising and falling with heaving breaths as I try to stay awake. All I want to do is sleep; the drugs are still consuming my body. I don’t want to give Hound the chance to kill me, but if he keeps drugging me, I’m never going to be able to get out of here.

Hell, I could do nothing when he cut my own toe off.

My body betrayed me, and my mind is a little more broken because of it.

He’s going to come back, and each time it is going to get worse.

Our plan is completely ruined. It doesn’t matter what we do now, we’re not getting out of this the way we thought we were. I pray Jackson knows how to find me, because if he doesn’t, this has all been for nothing.

The door creaking has me closing my eyes, pretending I’m still out of it. At least if he thinks I’m asleep, he might leave me alone. Footsteps come inside, and then stop beside me. “I know you’re awake, Serenity, that shirt didn’t get onto your foot by itself.”

I open my eyes, staring up at Hound.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to cut off anymore toes ... yet. I sent that one to Jackson—I’m looking forward to his response. Until then, you’re going to stay here. Don’t think of trying anything, because I will kill you if you do.”

“You’re going to kill me anyway,” I croak.

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