Page 2 of Unveiled Wounds

“I run through your worst nightmares, and each time you think you’re rid of me, I just up the ante.” He waved the gun in his hand around.

“This is just a bad dream,” I whispered to myself. My wrists suddenly felt stiff, and I wasn’t sure why, but when I went to stretch them, I couldn’t. The pressure was building, and I didn’t have any way to relieve it. I could still raise my hands, but I didn’t have any manual dexterity.

Pulse threw his head back, cackling at my predicament. “Like a dirty game of poker.”

“What did you do?” I wouldn’t play another one of his games, but as I processed my situation, zip ties materialized out of thin air. The straps wrapped around my wrists, crossing in the center. “Handcuffs would have been better.”

“You would have liked that too much, and I’m only interested in your pain. There’s no happy ending here.”

“Fuck off.” I needed him to be distracted so I could test the strength of the ties. I threw my head back and made sure my fake laugh bounced around the car. “You’re dead. I killed you. This is just a bad dream,” I reminded myself again.

“You’re so cute when you think you’re right, but we both know the truth. There’s unresolved business because you’re grieving me, but like a dumb bitch, you can’t even do that. You didn’t last long in denial and went straight to anger. Didn’t you know you were supposed to bargain? My life for yours.”

“Why would I ever offer my life for yours, cousin?” I retorted, not wanting him to think he had won. Experimenting with my range of motion, I could reach out in front of me, but I couldn’t raise my arms. The seat belt was too constricting. If I had any hope of gaining momentum to break the ties, I’d have to pull my hands apart.

“The club likes me better than you. I bet if you sacrificed yourself for me, no one would put up a fight.” He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel.

“You’re lying. Grizz will always come for me.” I honestly believed that. He would mount up a rescue party, and there would be hell to pay when he got a hold of Pulse. I tried to pull the zip ties apart, but I didn’t have enough momentum. They dug into my skin, and I’d have bruises by the time this was over, but I wasn’t giving up.

“Nope. In this reality, he’s already moved on. It was awfully quick, but he knocked up the new club girl with the pink hair.”

I laid my hands in my lap and tried to turn my head to look out the window. I didn’t have enough range of motion to see, and I needed to know that Grizz was coming. He would have never left me for some pink-haired bitch. Not with all the times he had told me he loved me, wanted to marry me, save me. Closing my eyes, I listened for the distinct hum of the bikes, but all I heard was the car’s engine as the tires rolled down the highway.

“No one’s behind us. They’re not coming for you.”

“Grizz will come for me,” I said with conviction. I refused to believe anything else.

“Why would he want damaged goods? You’ve failed at the most basic womanly function, and now he’s going to have a kid of his own with Sparkles. No one cares enough to rescue you, Sweet Cheeks, and I’m going to have so much fun breaking you in.”

“Like fuck you will.” The seatbelt sprang open, and I slid forward in my chair. Wrapping the middle of the zip ties around his neck, I pulled as hard as I could.

The car went dark, and all I heard was “no” ringing in my ears.

“No,” I moaned. “No, Grizz is coming.” My stomach rumbled as I tossed and turned. “No. Let me go.” I laid on my back, and my eyes shot open to stare at the ceiling.Where am I?I couldn’t catch my breath, and the panic was settling in. Even kicking as fast and as hard as I could, I couldn’t free myself. Feeling trapped all over again, I screamed. “No! No, Grizz is coming.”

My stomach violently rumbled, and I could feel it snaking up my throat. I had to get up. I had to save myself.

Finally, I broke free of the covers and ran for the bathroom, barely making it before I prayed to the porcelain goddess.

“Baby?”

I barely heard him over the splashes of dinner landing at the bottom of the toilet.

“Baby? It’s alright. Get it out.” I felt my hair being tied into a knot so that it wouldn’t touch the back of my neck. I heaved one last time before I collapsed. Laying on the bathroom tile, I brought my knees up to my chest.

“It’s just me, baby. I’m right here.”

Grizz.

He placed a cool towel on my forehead and gathered me into his arms so that his body curled around mine on the floor. “He can’t hurt you anymore.”

“No one wants you.” Pulse’s words echoed in my head.

“You should let me go,” I whispered into the silent universe surrounding us.

“Never,” Grizz whispered into my hair.

“Can I ask you something?” I was barely coherent, but I had a burning question I needed answered, and I had decided now was the best time. He said nothing, but his hand tightened around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I took it as a sign to continue, no matter what the answer was. “When did you stop calling me Tef?”

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