Page 96 of Heathens

Somehow,I’vekeptmyheart rate mostly under control as I wait for him to fuck off. He’s been outside my door for what feels like hours now, and he’s almost caught me a couple times, coming in to check when he senses some shit or another. He has a tremendous advantage here. Those senses, his speed… But I have some perks too. The main one? I’m not a fucking idiot.

Luckily for me, he used far looser knots this time. He probably felt bad about the bruises. Good, he fucking should. With a little more work, I’ll be able to slip them, but it’s taking awhile.

They make this shit look so easy on TV. I guess that’s what I get for basing the first part of my plan on shitty cop shows.

I keep wiggling my wrists, ignoring the burning sensation building up against my skin. My left hand is faring better than my right, so that’s the one I’m going with first.

When he was tying me up I was able to position myself so that I’d have enough slack to bend my elbows. Dominic didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy making doe eyes at me and laying little kisses on my forehead. He’s so fucking delusional.

I hear a brief and muffled conversation on the other side of the door, spiking my heart rate as I drag the rope up and down the bedpost, but thankfully he doesn’t come to check in on me.

I’m not even sure how long I’ve been here anymore. It feels like at least two nights now, but it could have been more depending on how long he kept me drugged. He doesn’t keep clocks in this room, and there aren’t any windows, so I have no clue if I’m escaping into the sunlight or not. A massive wave of exhaustion washes over me and I have to take a break.

I close my eyes for just a moment and already feel myself slipping into unconsciousness, not quite asleep but not quite awake. I want to cry and scream and thrash, but all of that takes energy. Loosening the ropes is taking all that I have. I can’t imagine being able to make it back to Nox in this state during the night, so I hope beyond hope that I’m escaping into the brightest fucking sun I’ve seen in years.

My mind runs through scenarios, the visions dreamlike and hazy as they blend with the nightmarish images that flood my head. In one, Dominic is chasing me through the streets, the moon high in the night sky. Glass and rocks dig into my bare feet, and the sensation is so real that I wince from ethereal cuts. Unfortunately, the smell of my blood only makes him more feral.

I make it a few blocks, almost to the doors of the blood bank, but in the end, he catches me, bashing my head against the wall over and over. All I can hear is him screaming that he did this for me.

All for me.

In another I don’t even make it out of the tower. He slashes my throat with a steak knife as I claw at the elevator door. He’s telling me he’s sorry. That he loves me.

I gasp, sitting straight up as I’m shocked awake, only halted by the sharp burning sensation from my bindings. Anxiety vibrates against my nerves, and a strange buzzing sensation lingers in my skull as I run through a slightly less depressing outcome. First, I get out of the building, which should be easy if I can make it to that elevator undetected. He has to sleep sometime, and if I can take advantage of that I’ll have an easy ride to the lobby, and then it’s just another quick dash to the blood bank.

I have to be careful, keep it quiet, and find Jesse without getting too much attention from the other guards. I’m tempted to ask Avery for help, but she’s made a lot of deals with Rene over the years. Who knows who she really works for. Jesse, though… I know I can trust him. And if I can’t, I’m dead anyway, so I may as well try. If I make it that far, it’s a clean shot to Nox by car. Even Dominic wouldn’t try anything there.

My little nap, combined with my at least half-decent plan, gives me a surprising burst of energy. This time it’s only a few minutes of wiggling my wrists before my hand finally begins to slip loose, my heart soaring as I feel the first rope give way. It looks like positivity pays off sometimes after all.

With my eyes locked on the door, I reach over and work the other knot with my newly freed hand. It’s not nearly as easy as I thought it would be; I’m shaking so much that I keep fumbling the rope. My fingers are tingling from the new rush of blood flow, but I force myself to take calming breaths, making sure not to make too much noise.

After another few minutes, the knot finally loosens enough for me to slip my fingers inside, and I have to hold back an excited yelp as the loop slackens and falls away. I don’t waste time resting or rubbing my wrists, no matter how much they ache. I’m on my feet in a second, searching for my purse. My gun is in there, and if I find it, I’m putting a bullet through his head on my way out. The drawers next to the bed are empty, save for a set of keys to a Jaguar.

I snatch them up with a smile and keep looking, padding swiftly to the closet and opening it up as quietly as I can.

I’m met with clothes from all different decades, like some sort of eclectic exhibit at a museum. I rifle through them, finding leather jackets, bell bottoms from the ’60s, platform shoes and so much more.

It’s hard not to get distracted in here. But there’s nothing to use as a weapon save for shoes and belts. I’d have to be dangerously close to wrap one of those around his neck. Besides, the fucker would probably be into it.

I abandon the closet, leaving it open as I search the rest of the room to find... nothing.

He really prepared for this. Ensured there was no risk in leaving me here alone. Maybe that’s it though, he prepped for me to be inhere. There has to be something outside that I can use.

My stomach starts to swirl as I head for the door, my heart thumping loud enough I worry I might have already tipped him off. Still, I can’t stay in here forever. He’s going to come back soon, and there’s no way I can put those ropes back into place correctly. When he sees I’ve gotten out, he’ll punish me, hurt me, and tie me back up. Maybe for good. And that’s the best-case scenario.

I’ve seen him mad before.

My trembling fingers wrap around the doorknob and I purse my lips, pushing out a quiet breath as I crack the door ever so slightly. My entire body clenches like a fist, muscles wound so tightly I feel like I might collapse in on myself. Adrenaline rockets through me, my fight or flight instincts kicking in as I have no idea which one to embrace.

And then I’m met with silence.

Darkness.

The large window from before is completely covered with massive blackout curtains. If I’m lucky, it’s daytime, but I don’t dare risk bringing attention to myself by checking.

I take one step, muscles already screaming at me to give up.

Go back.

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