Page 16 of Promise of Hellfire

Lexi’s eyes grew wide and she let go of my hand. “The shower. They never look in there.”

Dominic shut off the light on his phone and we darted into the tub behind the curtain, trying to make as little noise as possible. Ethan hurried behind me and I prayed that whoever was coming down the stairs missed the rustle of the shower curtain opening.

“Our phones aren’t on silent,” Dominic said into my ear, panic lacing his voice. All I could do was swallow, knowing he was right. There was nothing I could do about that now. The glow from our phone screens would bring us unnecessary attention.

My heart hammered in my chest, and my hands shook. The cold taste of adrenaline coated my tongue. Everything was going so smoothly until right now. Heavy footfalls continued down the steps. From the sound of them, they were two large men, and the light flickered on from above us, blinding me momentarily.

“Gotta tell the guys to remember to lock up tighter. Can’t believe one of them forgot,” a deep voice stated. I closed my eyes, internally reprimanding myself.How could I forget that detail?

Ethan went stiff beside me, his jaw clenched when the other man spoke. “It’s not like any of them can escape. Half of them don’t even know where they are,” the familiar voice laughed. Ethan’s fingers dug into my shoulder as he listened. His father.

I laid my hand over his and squeezed gently, hoping I could convey what I was thinking. We would get the bastard. Between the hell known as Ethan’s childhood and the women trapped down here, there was no way I would allow him to walk away unscathed. We locked gazes for a moment and his grip on me loosened.

“Which toy do you want to play with tonight?” the unknown voice asked, and an icy chill ran over my body.

“Choose one that isn’t broken yet,” Michael Carter said dismissively. “One that isn’t too dirty.”

“You know, there’s a shower down here for a reason.”

My pulse managed to skyrocket further. If they chose to bathe one of the girls, our hiding spot would be compromised. I was certain this was what a heart attack felt like, waiting on the next move from the men in the center of the room.

“No, I don’t really have the time for that tonight. How about Oliver’s girl? I like a girl with a little fight in her.”

My heart fell and there was nothing I could do. Sure, we could fight the two men in the room, but what about everyone else in the building? There was no way we would be able to take the women from here without being noticed and if we failed, there was more on the line than just our lives. If they didn’t kill the girls, they would just move them to a new location. If they let them live.

A cell phone rang and I waited, reminding myself to breathe. Ethan’s father answered the phone. “This had better be important.” I could hear the sneer in his voice from behind the thin fabric. “Fine.” What felt like a small eternity lapsed, but in reality, it was less than thirty seconds. “Well, girls, I guess it’s your lucky night. Business calls, but don’t worry, I’ll be back.” His tone was so cruel, and not for the first time, I wondered how Ethan had managed to survive his childhood under the thumb of the monster standing feet away from me.

“What a shame,” the unknown man replied. “I’ll have one of them ready for you next time. Are you sure you want the hellcat?”

Their footsteps receded up the stairs, and they shut off the lights.

When the door slammed shut behind them, I breathed a sigh of relief and stayed motionless for a moment, willing my heart to calm down.

“Promise me we’re going to save them,” Ethan murmured to me.

I squeezed his hand in reassurance. “I promise. And we’re taking down everyone responsible.”

I carefully climbed out from behind the shower curtain and walked back over to Lexi. “Listen to me. I know we’ve had our differences in the past, but I promise you I’ll be back. I can’t sneak you out of here tonight, and I hate leaving you.” My voice cracked against my wishes. I felt completely powerless at this moment. “Everyone involved in this is going to pay.”

She nodded at me as silent tears streamed down her cheeks. “Try to hurry, okay?”

“I’ll talk to Oliver and come up with the best plan. I’ll get you out of here as fast as I can.”

As we snuck back up the stairs, my heart lay heavy in my chest and I reminded myself that it would only be a few more days.

Late that night, I snuck away from the guys, unwilling to talk about how I was feeling or what I was thinking. I needed time to process everything I’d seen.

The wind whipped around me in the darkness. I could understand the appeal of sitting on the rooftop by myself. It was silent, and the cold numbed the suffocating sensation that threatened to weigh me down. The moon shined brightly above me and I paused for just a moment before pulling my phone out of my pocket.

It was after midnight, but Oliver would be waiting for my call. I dialed the number, and he answered it in only one ring. “How bad was it?” he asked.

“I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it was worse than I imagined. I don’t think the women have been fed. They’ve been drugging all of them,“ I told him, trying to keep my emotions under control. “They’re literally in cages. How can another person be okay with treating humans like that? “

He cleared his throat and when he spoke, it came out softly. It seemed even Olly was having a hard time. “Did you find out when they are auctioning them off?”

“Lexi said the fourth. How do you want me to handle this?”

“We’ll figure it out tomorrow. Try to get some sleep tonight,” he said quietly.

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