Torn from You (4 page)

“Please,” I sobbed. “Please let me out of
here.”

I fell to my knees, uncontrollable cries
racking my body, my hands up against the door, my cheek pressed to
it. Fear coursed through my insides, tearing apart my sanity with
each breath.

I had no idea how long I stayed curled in a
ball on the landing, but it must have been hours as the sun’s rays
finally peeked through the window. My throat was so dry that it was
as if I’d been sucking on sandpaper all night. My lips stuck
together, and when I separated them it tore a thin layer of skin
off my bottom lip.

All I wanted was Logan. I needed him to hold
me, tell me everything was going to be alright. But hour after hour
passed, and he never came. No one did.

I ended up having to pee in the corner of
the room, and I never felt so dirty in my life. I felt like an
animal, and I sobbed as I did it. It was humiliating, and it made
me go crazy again, and I screamed and yanked, pulled, and kicked
the door.

Nothing.

Was I going to starve to death? Die
forgotten, never to be found?

My fingernails scrapped at the wooden door
until splinters stuck in my nail beds. But nothing compared to the
torture of the thirst. My mouth tasted like dried vomit, and even
trying to swallow was painful.

After hours of scraping at the door I curled
into a ball, my fingertips pushed under the thin space beneath the
door. The word terrified took on a whole new meaning as I lay there
in a whimpering mess. My mind was poisoned with the possibilities
of what was going to happen to me. I’d watched
Criminal
Minds
; I knew what people were capable of. But I think what was
worse than anything was the fear of the unknown. My kidnapper’s
silence was eating away at my sanity as I lay quivering at the top
of the stairs.

I don’t know how long it was before the
doorknob turned. Maybe a day, could’ve been two. All I saw was the
sun rise and fall, but when I fell asleep I was never sure how long
I’d been unconscious.

The door opened, and a large shadow cast
over me.

I managed to beg one word from my parched
lips, “Please.”

The man leaned forward, grabbed me by the
arm, and hauled me up.

I couldn’t scream. I merely hung like
ragdoll, my limbs feeling numb and weak.

He slapped me on the cheek, and I jerked as
pain exploded in my head. I tried to speak, but nothing emerged
from my mouth except a croak.

He picked me up and threw me over his
shoulder like a sack of grain then carried me down a hallway. The
light blinded me, and for several minutes I was unable to see
anything except a bright yellow blurriness. It burned my eyes, and
I had to close them until the pain eased.

“Hang her up there.”

I winced as I opened my eyes again, looking
up toward where the voice had come from, but it was dark on the
other side of the room, and all I saw was the outline of a man
standing near the wall. I was placed on my feet, and instantly they
gave out, and I crumpled to the cold tiled floor.

I managed a moan while looking up at the
man. “Please. Water.”

His broad face was like the front of a Mac
truck, flattened nose, wide cheeks and forehead, and beady green
eyes. He stared at me for a second, and then a cruel grin appeared
just before he raised his foot and kicked me in the ribs.

I screamed, trying to crawl away, the pain
plunging into my chest over and over again as he continued his
assault until I rolled up into a ball and tried to protect my chest
and stomach from his foot.

“Enough. We don’t need her face accidently
bruised.”

The kicking stopped. Flat-faced guy picked
me up by the hair, and I scrambled to get to my feet as he yanked
hard, my scalp burning.

“What do you want? God, please just let me
go.”

My mind was rolling with fear pouring down
over my sanity. Were they going to rape me? Beat me to death?
Torture me?

I couldn’t let this happen. I wouldn’t. I
didn’t want to die like this.

My survival instinct was still strong, and
despite knowing that escape may not be possible, I had to fight.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins as Logan’s words during
self-defense blasted through me, and I reacted.

I swung my elbow backward hard and fast.
Jarring pain went through my arm as it made contact with his nose,
and I heard the distinct crunch.

“Bitch.” He staggered back holding his
bleeding nose. I heard a man shouting in another language as I
continued my pursuit and went for flat-faced's eyes. My fingers
jammed into them; he shoved me back with one arm. I was so weak and
off-balance that I fell to my side, and it took me a second to gain
my feet again.

I turned to run past him and banged straight
into a hard, unmovable body. The man spun me around so my back was
to his chest then locked his arm around my throat and squeezed. I
moved my hip back behind his pelvis like Logan had taught me and
was about to unlock his hold when the cold metal pressed to my
head.

I froze.

“A pity I don’t have time to sample you
myself. I enjoy a good fight.” His accented voice sent cold shivers
down to my toes. “Alfonzo. Tie her up.” His arm loosened, and I
tried to get a glimpse of him, but he shoved me forward into
flat-face—who I could only assume was Alfonzo—and walked away.

Alfonzo had blood dripping from his nose,
and his eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed my wrists, and I felt the
heavy, thick manacles clasp around them.

“You’ll pay for that, bitch,” Alfonzo said
beneath his breath as he pulled me in close.

I jerked my knee upward, but he was ready
for it and jumped back. I felt the burning pain in my cheek as he
slapped me.

“Not the face,” the accented man shouted.
“Dios.”

Alfonzo crudely pulled my arms above my
head, and I felt pressure on my wrists and heard chains clank. I
looked up—the manacles on my wrists were hooked onto a chain
dangling from the ceiling.

Oh God. No. Don’t do this.
The
sobbing began again as I kicked, and my body swayed back and forth,
the chains jangling.

“Please. No!” I cried. Tears I thought had
dried up now streamed steadily down my cheeks. The man chuckled
then strode away, and I heard him talking with the other guy, but I
couldn’t understand them.

I was facing a brick fireplace with my feet
barely able to touch the floor. Completely helpless.

Fear crept across my skin. What were they
doing? Why were they doing this? Who were they?

“Give her water.”

My head jerked up at the word water, and I
tried to swing around, but the man grabbed my hair and jerked my
head back then started pouring warm water down my throat. I didn’t
care if it was the filthiest water in the world, just the sweetness
of something gliding down my throat was heaven.

It drizzled out the corners of my mouth, and
I choked a few times as he continuously poured. I swallowed as fast
as I could, afraid I wouldn’t get any more.

I heard a door creak open then slam shut.
Alfonzo shoved my head away from him so hard I swung back and forth
on the chains.

Then—

“Are you screwing up our deal already, Raul?
She is mine. That was non-negotiable. I believe I made myself
perfectly clear.”

I broke. Logan’s voice swam into my
trembling body and wrapped me in its warmth. I started sobbing, my
head falling forward making my arms and shoulders scream in pain as
I shook. Logan had come for me. He’s here to take me away. To stop
the pain.

“She’s yours when I tell you she is. And
lose the attitude or our deal is finished.”

Silence. I could hear the wind whistling
through the cracks in the window frames.

“Our deal is solid.”

Logan? What were they talking about? What
deal? A deal to get me out of here? I tried to turn around to see
him, but I couldn’t get enough of a foothold to swing myself
around.

Laughter. Cold. Violent. Sinister. It was
like the crackle of fireworks mixed with the screech of tires on
wet pavement. “She likes to fight.” His accented tone deepened, and
all amusement left it. “You’re lucky I’m allowing this. She’d make
a hefty amount on the market. Would you prefer I test that
theory?”

“Logan?” I called. “Logan. Please.” Why
wasn’t he helping me?

“No. You have what you want, and I have what
I want—her. The rest is left alone.”

His voice. It was different. Colder. Logan
always exuded coolness, but this change was more than that. Like an
anger simmering beneath the surface. Why wasn’t he running to me?
Holding me in his arms? How did he find me? Why was he talking to
the guy like he knew him? Did he not see me? Maybe he didn’t
recognize me?

“Logan! Please.” I fought the manacles
again, my wrists raw from the metal cutting into my skin.

“Never call him that!” the man shouted. “He
is Master to you now.”

A lash of burning ripped into my back, and I
screamed. Intense, throbbing aftershocks tightened my flesh as my
body tried to contain the pain.

Oh God. No. Please. No. “Logan!” I
shouted.

“Do exactly as you’re told, Emily.” Logan’s
words were stiff and controlled. I wasn’t even sure it was Logan.
Was my mind playing tricks on me? I couldn’t understand why he
wasn’t coming to help me.

I heard the slither of leather sliding
across the floor and then the whoosh in the air.

I tensed. Neck tight, eyes closed.

The whip came down hard again and I jerked,
arching my back as it struck. My arms took the weight of my body as
I hung limp from the chains ... sobbing, chest heaving, tears
running down my cheeks.

Silence.

I heaved in and out, my back raw and feeling
like a blow torch had been brushed across it.

“You speak only when you’re told to or
you’ll feel the cut of the whip. Understand?”

The whip came down hard on my back again,
and I gasped, throwing my head back as my body swayed back and
forth. “Yes. Yes, I understand.”

The sound of the guy laughing made my
stomach churn, and the water threatened to come back up. I started
breathing heavily through my mouth, desperate to keep the precious
water in my stomach.

I heard the glide of leather on the tiles.
“Please, no more.”

My plea was ignored as the whip crackled and
slashed into the back of my legs. I shrieked and tried to get away,
yanking on the chains and moving my body back and forth.

Again it came.

Then again.

And again.

I lost count of how many times he whipped me
over and over again, my skin searing and throbbing from my
shoulders down to my ankles. I swung back and forth on the chains
limp and unable to fight anymore. My mind kept crying, but I was
silent, afraid to scream, to cry, to do anything that might make
them continue hitting me.

Then it stopped.

“We leave in two days. Take her to the
transporter’s location. He will crate her and meet—”

“No,” Logan said. “That won’t be necessary.”
Inside I was begging him to hold me, take me in his arms and tell
me everything was going to be okay. That he was going to take me
away from here.

“Do you think I trust you?” I heard the
scrape of something heavy sliding over the floor.

“She dies in transport then you have
nothing. And I have nothing. The girl stays with me.”

Silence.

“Very well, but Dave and Jacob will
accompany you. Logan ... no mistakes.
Compendia?
”

Suddenly I felt a body behind me, and I
panicked as I smelled the gym-bag scent of Alfonzo. A hand slowly
slid down my back over top the welts and then stopped on my
stinging ass. He squeezed, and I winced as his fingers cut into the
welts. I could feel his body against mine, his hard cock pressed
into me.

I moaned and shook violently causing my body
to sway on the chains. He laughed in my ear, his breath wafting
across my cheek. His hand slid further down, hesitated, then cupped
me hard between my legs.

I cried louder, pulling my bonds, blood
dripping from my wrists. “Please don’t touch me. Help me ...” I
stopped myself from saying Logan’s name, afraid they’d whip me
again.

“He won’t help you anymore. No one will,”
Alfonzo whispered in my ear. He pushed aside my panties and slipped
a finger inside me. A part of me died that moment. It was like all
the crying, the thirst, the pain was nothing compared to the
violation of my body while Logan stood behind me and did
nothing.

“No. Please no. Why are you doing this?”

How could Logan do this? How could he watch
another man hurt me? I sobbed quietly while his thick finger
pressed in and out, his heavy breathing next to my ear. I heard his
clothing rustling as if ... I couldn’t think. My mind was in a haze
with disbelief smothering out any hope that Logan was going to stop
this.

I heard sharp angered voices behind me. I
couldn’t make out what was being said, and really, I no longer
cared. I was so hurt and humiliated, and all I wanted to do was
curl up and die.

I felt cold. Alone. And unable to stop the
predator from violating my body.

Alfonzo made a low groan, stiffened, and
then his finger withdrew. He nipped the top of my ear so hard I
cried out. “Going to be sweet fucking you for real while you beg
for mercy.”

I swallowed the cry in my throat and bit my
tongue so hard I could taste iron in my mouth.

He reached up and undid the manacles, and I
fell hard to my knees.

It took me a few seconds before I could move
past the pain and raise my head. Slowly I turned and looked over my
shoulder for Logan.

When I saw him my heart stopped for a few
seconds then started beating erratically. It was him, but nothing
in his eyes was the man I knew. He was cold and expressionless as
he stared down at me. Not a glimmer of sympathy in his eyes. I
recognized nothing of the man I had fallen in love with.