Page 7 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

I don’t ask questions, either.

The foul smell of laundry left in a washing machine for too long assaults my nostrils.Ugh.I don’t want to be back down here again. He opens a door a few over from my cell. The heavy metal screams against the concrete as he ushers me in and closes it.

What the fuck is this place?There are massive, thick chains attached to the ceiling. Something you’d find at a construction site. Leather cuffs hang from each of them. A stainless steel chair sits in the corner next to a table of the most horrific instruments. An array of saws and different kinds of blades are lined up along it. My throat begins to constrict.

The air in here is too damp.

Too heavy for me to breathe.

I try, yet my lungs refuse to respond. Diego comes up behindme and rubs his hand along my back. His touch spooks something inside me, making me jump and inhale sharply.

“Good girl,” he praises, pulling my hair out of my bun, and running his fingers through it until it becomes messy. Damp, jet-black waves curtain over my face, partially obscuring my view of him. “I told you I won’t hurt you—and I won’t.I just need it tolooklike I did. Or that I will.”

What. The. Actual. Fuck?

The door screeches open, making me jump again. A chill runs down my spine in anticipation. Selena comes prancing in, not a care in the world. Geraldo is right behind her carrying a tripod and video camera. The bitch has the audacity to wear a sunflower print sundress and platform cork heels. Designer sunglasses sit like a tiara atop her perfectly styled hair. A full face of makeup completes the look. She struts closer and grabs my face between her perfectly manicured fingernails.

“Hey, Maddy.Sooosorry about all this. It’s nothing personal. Just business. This is how it is. But how would you know? You are just anoutsider. An outsider who should have never gotten herself involved with the likes of Killian and Liam Kennedy. Tío Geraldo seems to be under the impression that Killian ordered the hit on my papá. Which means you,unfortunately, are just collateral damage in this war.” She winks at me, plastering on a fake ass smile.

Diego splays his hand along my waist and guides me toward the chains hanging from the ceiling. I spin around and face him. My voice drops to just a whisper, “You said you wouldn’t–” Diego places his index finger over my lips to silence me. His back is to the others, concealing me from them.

“I won’t. Ipromiseyou, I won’t.” His voice has dropped to a whisper. “No one here will lay a hand on you everagain. Just please,please,Mariposita—follow along. It will all make sense soon. You have to trust me.” His eyes gleam with that promise.

Trust him?The Bone Breaker?! Why should I? Something swirls in my gut that I can’t place.

And it’s not chicken roulette.

I just know—in this moment—I can trust him. With a nod of my head, I let him chain me up.

The leather cuffs are tight and nip angrily against my wrists. Luckily, my feet are still planted firmly on the ground. The stretching of duct tape echoes in the tense silence. Diego tears it from the roll with his teeth and places it over my mouth. He rubs his thumb over my lips, almost seductively, securing it even further. Amusement and a bit of curiosity is written all over his face.

His eyes are the deepest shade of blue right now.I focus on them, distracting myself temporarily with thoughts of the ocean.

The calmness I always feel when I’m around it.

The rhythmic melody the waves create when they crash against the shore.

The serenity lasts only a minute before a rush of panic takes over me. I’m then reminded of howpowerfulthe ocean is.

The utter destruction it can cause.

The ferocity of it during a storm.

The danger that lurks beneath its surface.

Geraldo awkwardly steps behind the camera and Selena takes her place next to me. As if on cue, she cries into her hands.

“3. 2. 1.” Diego counts down dryly.

Selena wails so loudly it echoes off the concrete walls. “Kil, baby! I need you to listen carefully to what I am about to say. As you already are aware, we were taken by my family. Word got out that you and I were back together. They know you ordered the hit on my papá. Killing Alan and sending his head in a box tested the last of their patience.” She sniffles for added effect. “Tío Geraldo wants retribution. He said if I cooperate, he won’t kill Madison. He’ll let you and I be together. But I’m not sure she’ll last much longer. You have to hurry.TheBone Breakerishere for her. Tío Geraldo agreed to take Liam prisoner, in exchange for our freedom. They will send you the details for the swap tomorrow night.” She covers her face again and starts crying and trembling. “If you refuse, they will kill us both.” Her theatrics are almost believable, her tears beginning to look justified.

Diego walks over to the wall and pulls down a lever. The grating sound ofclinkingdrowns out Selena’s sobbing. My feet leave the floor as my arms become suspended higher. A sharp pang zips through me. My shoulders strain like they are ready to pop out of their sockets any second. I scream out behind the tape. Diego runs his hands over the collection of barbaric tools, lingering over a large blade before retrieving it. He spins the handle around in his hand. I shake my head furiously.

God, why am I so easily trusting of people?I should have learned this lesson with Selena.Yet, here we are. My biggest downfall will always be that I try to see the good in everyone. Even the damnBone Breaker.Yeah… that was dumb,Maddy.

“Don’t. Don’t touch her!” Selena jumps up. Diego pushes her back until she falls on her ass. Geraldo runs over to restrain her out of the camera’s view.

Diego circles me twice before the cool metal of the blade feathers across my chest, and then over my sports bra. Surprisingly, there is no trail of blood. My chest heaves and my heart feels ready to explode out it. Beads of sweat cling to my forehead and collect at the base of my throat.

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