Page 19 of Until Death Parts Us

Marching through the rest of the house, I kick in every closed door and search every nook and cranny, but nobody is here.

“FUCK!” I shout, rushing back outside.

I don’t have time to sit here and wait for them to come back. I don’t know what’s happening to Kaspian at this exact moment, but the thought of someone else cutting him, hurting him, and making him bleed makes fury boil in my veins.

Pulling the phone out, I bring up the text thread with Tim.

I know you have him. You know what I did to your friend. Tell me where you are and let’s settle this or I will go through every item you’ve left in this cabin until I find out where you live. I’ll find your parents, siblings, best friends, and even your fucking dog. Where the fuck is he?

Three dots appear then go away for a while before they return. While I wait, I start looking around. It’s a couple minutes before the phone goes off.

You’ve gotten yourself into a mess you’re not ready for.

When I reply back, it’s only to send a photo of his fishing license, which has his full name, driver’s license number, and address on it.

His response comes quicker.

You’ll get him back…piece by piece.

Before I smash the phone out of frustration, I click oninfoto see if Daniel saved any information on Tim in his phone. However, when I do that, it brings up a little map with a dot for Tim’s location.

I’m rushing toward him in an instant.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

KASPIAN

It isn’tuntil the second time they do it, that I realize they’re using chloroform on me. That and keeping me restrained and gagged is the only thing preventing me from killing them both. If I had the use of my hands, I’d strangle the life from them. If I had the use of my teeth, I’d rip their fucking throats out anytime they got close. But when I screamed the first time, they burned me and decided I needed to have a foul-smelling cloth shoved in my mouth and taped over.

I’m not sure how many there are, but definitely two. My head throbs with a migraine, and nausea rolls in my stomach. I try to keep still so they don’t put me out again, but when one of the men comes in with a frantic voice, it’s hard not to perk up.

“He killed Daniel. He fucking killed him and left him dead on the bed. His pants were down. I don’t know what else he might’ve done.”

Quin.

“Why was the door unlocked in the first place?” another voice questions. “I told you when we were leaving to lock it up.”

“It doesn’t fucking matter. Now he’s using his phone, sending me messages. He wants him back.”

“Well, that’s not gonna happen.”

“He has my information. He said he’d find my family.”

“So we give him his friend back and go on our way? What do you think’s gonna happen if we do that?”

Friend.We’re so much more than friends. He’s the air I breathe, and I’m the blood that keeps his heart pumping. We’re not fucking friends.

“I told you not to invite that boy up here,” the voice says.

“It was only supposed to be a few days.”

“Yeah, but you knew what we were doing. Inviting someone along was stupid, which is why you didn’t tell me. Now look.”

“Don’t fucking blame me for his death. I left him there to keep him safe. He was never going to know what we were doing.”

“Stupid,” the other guy repeats. With a sigh, he says, “Well, we might as well finish this up. I don’t really have time to enjoy it like usual.”

If I could see, I know he sent a look at the other guy, blaming him for not being able to enjoy my torture.

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