Page 1 of Dove

1

Kincaid

Iwoke slowly, my senses returning to me one at a time. My nose picked up the sickening scent of a damp chill. My body shivered in response. I shook my head back and forth, trying to force my eyes to open, but they wouldn’t. The lids felt heavy, like they were glued down. They squeezed together involuntarily, trying to push away the throbbing ache in my skull. I let out a shuddering breath as my head lulled to the side connecting with something hard. Where was I?

I licked my dry lips as I tried to clear the rawness in my throat. It felt like I’d been screaming. I tried to find my last memory. Tried to figure out why I’d feel like this. Was I hung over? Lying on the bathroom floor? My thoughts were cloudy and fuzzy around the edges, like an old TV screen. I used my other senses to assess my surroundings.

I was lying on a hard flat surface. It must still be night because there was no light behind my eyelids. A slow dripping sound echoed nearby. I felt heavy, as if my very bones were tired.

Suddenly a deafening screech filled the air. My body flinched as the sound magnified the pain in my skull. I wanted to scream from the noise, but some primal instinct told me not to.

My heart knocked painfully against my ribs as adrenaline coursed through my body. Even if I could open my eyes, I wouldn’t. My brain had flipped to fight or flight mode. It was telling me I was in danger. Telling me to run or hide. And I was going to listen.

I forced myself to take slow, even breaths. I stayed perfectly still, as if I was still asleep. My ears strained to learn more. To find any information I could about where I was and why.

The sound of two steps of boots pounded the floor. I felt the slight vibrations as they came closer to me. I shut down the voice that told me to move. I was too tired to fight back. Too weak to try. Hiding in plain sight was the best chance I had from whoever was waiting.

“She’s still asleep.” A male voice said. I didn’t recognize it. It had the rough quality of someone who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day.

“Maybe we gave her too strong of a dose.” Another male voice responded. This one was deeper.

“Or maybe she’s faking.”

I only had a second to brace myself before a hard boot connected with my stomach. I let my body jerked back, but I swallowed the groan of pain that wanted to come out. Whoever hit me was stronger than I anticipated. It felt like my liver was exploding from the impact.

I resisted the urge to curl into a ball and shield for another blow. I bit back the angry retort that wanted to form on my tongue. Seconds ticked by like hours while I waited to see if another hit would come.

“Careful. We’re supposed to keep her alive.” Deep Voice said.

“He told us not to kill her.” When Cigarettes spoke it was right next to my face. I forced myself not to flinch as his rancid breath tickled my cheek. My stomach rolled as his hand skimmed down my hair. The way he stroked it and pushed it out of my eyes as if he cared for me made bile rise in my throat. “We’re allowed to have a little fun as long as there’s something for Maddox to search for.”

Maddox.

Memories rushed back into my mind like a dam breaking. Maddox and his deep blue eyes. His strong lips and hard body. His dark hair that curled on his forehead. Maddox kissing me goodbye. Henry driving me home.

Gunshots.

Blood.

A needle.

I’d been kidnapped. I’d somehow fallen into this world. The world of criminals. Of villains. A demon had opened the door to his cage, and I walked in. Willingly. I’d been seduced by my darkest desires. Intrigued by his brand of pain

Now it was too late to go back. Too late to pretend I hadn’t wanted it. Him. It was time to pay for my sins.

2

Maddox

“Where is she?” I asked as I pressed the barrel of my gun further into his temple.

“We didn’t tak-“

The gunshot echoed around the empty warehouse as his body fell limply to the ground. Blood spattered my formerly white shirt. There was so much blood and brain matter covering my skin, my clothes that I stopped worrying about what I looked like. It didn’t matter. Nothing matter.

Except her.

I took two steps and walked to the next man kneeling on the floor. He whimpered as the gun came to the back of his skull. Pathetic. We’d rounded up every person we could find who worked for the Gallos. They either had a death wish or were loyal as fuck because not a single one would tell me where she was.

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