Page 63 of In the Grey of Dawn

A knife.

Some pliers, and more gunshots.

Each time he attacks my body we both say nothing. He grunts from exertion and I grunt from the pain. It echoes around the room intermittently until I pass out and we arrive back at the same place again.

Consciousness.

He tends to my wounds once he's inflicted them and I have to give him credit where it's due. Although his method is different to mine, I can appreciate the effort he's going to in keeping me alive. Stretching my existence as long as possible to get the maximum amount of pain from my torture.

It's daytime now, the light filtering in through the half a dozen windows scattering around the bar.

Dust floats in the air as I try to lift my head. I can't hear from one ear, but the other seems to be working alright.

Silence surrounds me.

A rare moment between beatings where I am truly alone.

Charlie.

Her face is all I see when I close my eyes. The way it lights up when she laughs. The pure ecstasy that flows through her when I make her come. The tender way she holds my heart in her hands and I never told her I love her. Never said those three little words that let her know she was my everything. I would wishfor one more taste of her if I could but I'm not a stupid man. I won't tempt fate with the possibility of that happening, not after Tristan and I struck a deal.

Her life for mine.

She's safe.

I will die so she can live and I've never felt so at peace with my decision.

Each time I feel the ache of my blood pumping around my body, it reminds me that I'm doing the right thing. That this is my redemption.

A large smile is plastered on my face as I think of her. Well, as best a smile as I can manage with a few missing teeth and a half swollen face but it's worth it.

Thestaff onlydoor swings open and Tristan walks out of the shadows. Heavy footsteps leisurely stride toward me until he's standing just out of reach, sipping on an amber liquid as he takes me in.

“You know, I’m not sure yet if I want to set you on fire when she gets here or if I should do something else?” He says with a crazed look in his eyes as he spits the liquor on my chest, the sweet smell of whiskey infiltrating my nose. “I told her you were tied up. Get it. Because you’re tied to the chair.”

He laughs so hard and I don’t understand why.Who did he tell?I can feel my body is almost done. My head is foggy and my body numb.

“Maybe I should just kill you the same way my brother killed that other bitch of yours. I heard she begged toward the end,” he spits out, bringing his face so close to mine that my vision blurs.

Wait.

What is he saying?

When who gets here?

“Ahhh there is it. I can see your brain is finally starting to put the pieces together.”

Confusion reigns me. He can't mean …Charlie.

The sharp ding of a phone going off shatters the moment and we both look to his hand as he pulls a phone from his pocket.

My phone.

“No wait. We had an agreement. She'snotpart of this,” I snarl. “SHE IS NOT PART OF THIS.”

“Your first mistake was not making sure everyone was dead. Your second was believing I would honour any covenant we came up with. I thought you were smart but you're just like every other person out there. Weak.”

His words spit out at me as my world spins.

---