Page 16 of Traitor

“Fine. I’ll do this another way,” he grumbled.

He slammed my head against the cinderblock wall behind me as my knees knelt down onto the cot. I pressed my hands against the hardened surface as he pulled my head back and smashed it against the rock once more. I felt the end coming closer than I wished. My mind flashed back to the first time I’d ever laid eyes on Teo at that party and how much I had wanted him then.

It reminded me greatly of how much I wanted him now.

“I love you, Teo. I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

And just as Lyle reared my head back for a third smash that I knew would rob me of the rest of my life, the door at the top of the steps flew open.

“Hey! Who the fuck is down there!?” Lorenzo roared.

A mixture of feelings rushed through my system when Lyle dropped me. Part of me was disappointed that he hasn’t simply killed me and ended my torment. Part of me was confused as to why Teo would want me killed in the first place, and by the man that had watched over me for what seemed like so long.

But, what worried me the most was the last thought on my mind. As I stared down the barrel of death, only one person crossed my thoughts.

Teo.

“Nothing will ever be the same,” I whispered to myself.

I collapsed against the cot as the commotion in the basement grew. I felt hands on me before I was picked up and carried up the steps. The second we emerged from the basement, there was more commotion. Gunshots. Things breaking in the distance and people shouting obscenities and orders from across the room.

“Get her to the doctor. Now. If she dies on my watch Ronnie will have my head,” Lorenzo barked.

“Just let me die,” I said breathlessly.

I managed to open my eyes and I saw him staring down at me from his upside-down perch. And when he smiled, I saw blood seeping between his teeth.

Before dripping down his chin.

“Can’t have you dying on me just yet. But don’t worry, I’ve got wonderful plans for you,” he warned.

I whimpered as the person carrying me started rushing down a hallway. At least, I thought it was a hallway. With every bounce, I grew sicker to my stomach. With every turn we took, I felt like I was going to puke. What happened if I threw up while upside down? Would I choke on it? Would it come through my nose? Or pour out of my eyeballs and my ears?

“Doc!” the man roared.

I heard a door open in the distance before a murmuring voice floated down the hallway. I wasn’t sure what the person said, but I could just barely tell that it was yet another man. Nothing but men filled this house, and part of me wondered if I’d get passed around to all of them before Lorenzo decided to kill me himself.

But, just as I felt my body being settled onto a cold, hard table, the world went black.

And I was fucking thankful for it, too.

8

Charlotte

I surprised evenmyself when I groaned, mostly because I didn’t want to be awake. In all my life I had never once wished for death. But, now it was all I could think about. Pain shot through my heart first when I processed what had happened. Teo sent Lyle to kill me, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever forgive him for something like that.

Why would he want me dead?

The second thing I felt was the blinding pain ricocheting up and down my neck. My head felt as if it were about to explode, but when I moved to turn onto my side, I felt something soft beneath my body. I froze, and I blinked. And when I felt my lashes rush across something, it all slowly came to me.

I’m not in the basement.

I raised my hand to my face and felt the fabric against my skin. Velvety and soft, and it didn’t let an ounce of light in. I laid down onto my back and felt the knot digging into the back of my head. So, I rolled over onto my left side and watched as the darkness that had been forcibly shrouded around my eyes lit up just a tad.

Before I heard something shift in the corner.

“Who’s there?” I asked.

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