Page 27 of Cole

Henry squeezed his eyes shut, screamed out loud—and ended her suffering.

Finished what he started.

Henry flung the knife away and fell to the floor, shaking, tears streaming down his face. As he lay there on the bloody floor and stared blankly into nothingness… something cracked inside him… deep, deep inside… too deep to ever heal.

EPILOGUE: NO WAY HOME

The distant whimperingand muffled cries snapped Abel out of his delirium. It took him a moment to regain his focus and remember his surroundings.The cage. He became acutely aware of the pain coursing through his body and the excruciating headache, a result of banging his head against the bars. Memories flooded back to him in a torrent, and he turned to face the adjacent cage, dread surging within him once more.

The flashlight beam had dimmed but still emitted enough light to illuminate the girl’s vacant eyes as she gazed back at him. The girl he’d thought was Savannah. Believing the madman’s victim was his sister had shattered his mind. Learning that the girl was a decoy did little to mend the fracture; he could still feel the fissures. They grew deeper, spreading wider as his mind locked on the whimpering cries coming from somewhere outside the room where he was caged.

Abel grabbed the bars, heart racing. “Savannah?” His voice cracked, rasping up his dry throat, raw from screaming. “Savannah!” He rattled the cage, shouting at the top of his lungs. “You fuck! Don’t you fucking touch her! I’ll fucking kill you! Savannah! Savannah!”

A switch was turned on, casting a dim light into the room; it wasn’t sufficient to illuminate the whole space, but it was enough to show how spacious it was, similar to a small warehouse. Abel noticed additional cages in the shadows, but he couldn’t determine if they were occupied. If they were, the occupants remained silent.Or they’re dead.

The heavy metal door creaked open, and Abel fell quiet, his heart thumping in his ears. His knuckles throbbed as he grasped the bars tightly. The man entered with Savannah. Her hands were bound in front of her, and a cloth gag muffled her sobs.

“Savannah!” Abel cried.

The girl spotted him and cried out, breaking into harder sobs.

“You’re a rude guest,” the man said. “Making so much racket. But fortunately for you, I’m a considerate host.” He untied Savannah’s gag and nudged her forward.

“Abel!”she cried, rushing forward and kneeling by the cage. With her wrists bound, she grasped Abel’s hands, weeping helplessly against the bars. She reached out to touch his bruised face. “Did he… did he do this to you?”

“No.” Abel clutched her fingers through the bars.

“Wh-What happened?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Abel glanced at the man who stood back, watching them. “Did he… do anything to you?”

Savannah shook her head, struggling to contain her sobs. “Not really.” Her voice shook badly, and she lowered her head, quaking. Was she telling the truth? She might lie to spare him the pain.

“Did he do something to you?”Abel demanded.

“No,” Savannah choked. She pressed her against the cage. “Is-Is he gonna kill us, Abel?” she whispered brokenly. “I don’t want to die… I don’t…”

Releasing an unsteady breath, Abel murmured, “We’re going to get out of this. We’re going to make it home. Somehow… we will.” By now, their family and friends were looking for them.

“Where…” Savannah’s breath shuddered out of her. “Where is Maddy? Have you seen him?”

“No.” Abel struggled to speak, his dry throat aching and rough. “I haven’t.”

“Do… Do you think he’s in here?” She looked around and froze when she spotted the dead girl in the cage nearby. Savannah screamed and tumbled to the side, her hands clamping over her mouth. “Who… Wh-Who is that?”

“I don’t know,” Abel whispered sickly.

“Wh-Whathappenedto her?” Savannah cried.

“Should we tell her?” The man sidled closer. “I bet she’d enjoy the story.”

“No,” Abel rasped, his tension mounting as the madman neared Savannah. “Where is Maddy?”

“Maddy?” He smiled. “Oh, right. This sweet girl’s boyfriend. Don’t worry about him, he’s being taken care of by… well, you probably don’t want to know. Mycompaniongets a bitthirstyaround cute young boys. Personally, I don’t get it, but to each his own, huh?”

Tremors shuddered through Savannah’s fingertips and into Abel. He thought about Angel and the abuse and trauma he’d endured to protect his little brother, keep himuntouchedby the vile men around them… and how terrified he’d been when Maddy was on the island.

If they rape and kill him… or even if they leave him alive… Angel won’t come back from this.

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