Page 109 of Vulnerate

One of the assholes moves further away and music comes through the door when he opens it. Leno follows him leaving the cunt with the cattle prod. He keeps going after Viktor and I beg like I never have before.

“I’ll do whatever you want just don’t hurt him.”

His eye is swelling faster, and the blood is covering all of his cheek.

I turn him to face me, so he doesn’t have to see whatever the fuck is going to happen and fit my lips next to his ear whispering, “Mãos.”

Boots thud against the concrete and I shuffle, giving him my back as I repeat the instruction with more urgency. “Mãos.”

Viktor finally drops his hands enough for me to reach and attempt to work them free. I can’t snap the tie and pain burns a line down my back as my skin splits.

The shocks have a worse after effect than when they’re administered, I can’t stop my fingers twitching to work them under the hard plastic and break the tie. I use the last of my energy to lift my arms and cradle Viktor’s little body to my chest as he twists, having more fight than me.

“I can do it,” he grits. “Let me go.”

Another line is cut into my skin, and I clench my jaw, refusing to scare him. The taunts behind me don’t register as I hug him tighter and try to reassure him.

“I know you can, just stay here please. For me.”

My body jerks as the shocks come again.

Who the fuck has a cattle prod to hand?

There’s no farmland in sight from the small window, it’s just tarmac. My brain rattles as something slams into the side of my head. Viktor keeps raging, spitting out threats as I tuck as much of my body around his as possible.

“I’ll kill you. You’re a weak bitch fighting people who are tied up.”

I want the sweet boy who said “effing” to come back.

His eyes are fixed over my shoulder, and I pull on his t-shirt as the knife digs in my back again. His body turns, but not his head until I lean forward forcing him to fold. He holds my tied hands, speaking low with certainty, “It’s okay, my dad will come.”

His little fists come up touching my cheeks, clumsily trying to wipe my tears away as the motherfucker behind me gives up on cutting into me.

He sits straighter and reassures me. “Vlad will kill them all.”

A child is trying to comfort me, this is wrong and the knife that was scraping against my back hits the floor beside me. I look up and a watery laugh escapes.

Speak of the devil and he’ll appear.

Vlad’s face is the last one I’d expect to comfort me, but he moves his hand over his eyes, silently telling me to close mine as the basement door opens. Doing as he said, I open my mouth to tell Viktor to do the same when his weight wriggles away from me but I’m too slow to keep him in place.

He grabs the knife between his two hands and the dickhead rushes forward, taunting a child, “You look like a little doll. They’ll make a lot of money off you.”

Viktor doesn’t react in fear, he smiles widely and raises to his full height before he charges forward and impales it in the man’s groin. I twist my body to block the fist aiming for him and end up falling on top of him when it connects with my crown. The commotion gets the attention of the others, but they’re too slow as Vlad slips inside and my eyes shut seeing him snap someone’s neck.

My lips lift into a smile as though the sound is a lullaby, a comfort, and they get higher when Viktor wriggles under me. He manages to stand and tries to sit me up by my shoulders, but my body fights any movement. My head throbs and it’s all too heavy.

He strokes my cheek with both of his hands and whispers over the sound of death, “Dani, are you awake?”

I’m the adult. He shouldn’t be asking me that.

The sound of gurgling coming from behind stops and a larger hand touches my shoulder, making me flinch. Vlad’s usual mix of sarcastic and deadly is missing as he asks, “Can you get up?”

I nod my head and nearly throw up. I can’t move and don’t bother testing my limbs as I choke out, “Take Viktor first.”

I must be imagining things because it feels like something strokes my hair. It disappears when I open my eyes and Vlad is covered in blood as he cuts away the ties from our hands and feet, but I’m not scared. It took seeing him bloodied for me not to be scared. My mind snaps and I laugh. I don’t know why but the pain is mixing with every fucked up emotion as I try not to pass out and stand.My back is stinging as the cool air mixes with the cuts and the cheers get louder through the closed door as Vlad picks his nephew up by his biceps ignoring his hissed arguing.

“I can fight, get off me.”

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