He seemed quite disappointed at how easily I had given in, but at this point rather than panic, my brain seemed to have shut down. Instead, I could only look on and regard everything with a numb emptiness. I didn’t even feel pain at Gage’s death. That would come later.
Three men were waiting for me outside the black van parked in front of the house. I knew then that I was in deep trouble. This was not a little revenge planned and executed by Michael. This was club business.
Never mind, at least I would be getting away from Jess first and then I would figure out the rest once she was out of the equation. I was bundled into the back and the doors were shut. There was nothing in there, except some old pieces of cardboard. I sat on them and let my eyes get used to the darkness.
We drove through the night, much farther than I had expected. A couple of hours later or perhaps it only felt that way to me, and we arrived at a cabin in the middle of nowhere. The doors opened and the only thing I could see all around was shrubbery. Behind them, tall giant trees hid the cabin from the rest of the world. It felt like we had travelled to the ends of the world. There would be no one here to save me.
I wondered then if this was where it would all end for me.
Was I being punished for my relationship with Gage? Well, if I was, I would have done it all again. It was worth it. No matter what happened now. It was worth it.
“Move!” One of the three men pushed me forward and I stumbled into the cabin. I heard one of them say something to the others and it was followed by laughter that howled into the night. They wouldn’t dare do this if Gage were alive.
I felt my chest constrict with the first cry of despair, but I refused to think about him. A plethora of horrible emotions were bubbling up inside me. The worst of them was anger. Such anger at him that I wanted to destroy everything in my sight. I would never forgive him. I told him. I told him to walk away. Did he listen? No, he had to go and die.
And all for what?
Bastard. How could he leave me to suffer this?
I was thrown into a room like a captured animal and the door was locked behind me. I had seen from a small oil lamp set, which they took away with them that the room was small and there was a window, but it was nailed shut with planks. I didn’t bother looking for a main switch. I knew without looking there would be none. In the darkness, I prayed for the sun to quickly rise so some light might come into the room. I sat on the bed, and waited for my eyes to get used to the dark. Then I began to scan the space for anything I could use as a weapon.
A few hours passed, and through a small slit in the wood, I could see the new day had arrived. By now, Nichole would have realized that something was terribly wrong. I had never once disappeared without telling her where I was going. Maybe she would call the police, but they wouldn’t do anything until forty-eight hours passed. So, I couldn’t put too much hope that anything was going to happen that way.
A few more hours must have passed before the door was pushed open and I looked up to see Michael had appeared bringing with him his nauseating scent of tobacco and alcohol and a wooden chair. His grin was wide and smug.
It made me sick to my stomach. I knew he had brought me here to break me and rape me, maybe even gang rape me with all his friends, but I refused to cower or to be intimidated by him. Even if it all ended in my death, he would never get an ounce of whatever satisfaction he sought from me. I would never beg him to spare me. I was ready to die without giving in to him.
“I can see you’re deep in thought,” he said confidently as he dragged the wooden chair with him and set it in front of me. “I hope I’m in there somewhere.” He sat on the chair and leaned forward to stare into my eyes. “For once. Granted, it’s not under the best of circumstances but hey, I’ll take it.” He reached forward to brush my hair out of my eyes.
For a moment, I thought that I’d let him to show him how little he meant to me, but the very thought made my skin shrivel up. I jerked back as his fingers brushed my skin.