Page 86 of Down the Aisle
Unfortunately, the next one I did. "What? Going to make me walk the plank? Thought you were mafia not pirates." That was James.
"Man, can I cut his tongue out?" It was that first voice again.
The next person to speak up made all the feelings drain out of my freezing body. "Can a person scream without a tongue?"
Adam… Why is he asking such a question?
"Yeah," the first man answered him.
"Then there's your answer." I didn't know if it was the walls or if Adam really did sound cruel and blunted. "But not here. Wait until we get above deck. Blood's easier to clean off up there than down here."
The faint footsteps faded over the next few seconds, along with the sounds of something heavy dragging and thumping against the floor.
I waited until nothing but the waves filled my ears before peeping my head out of the room, doing a quick sweep to make sure the coast was clear before stalking my way through the hallways to the upper deck. Hesitation stopped me cold in my tracks when I reached the door leading out. The knob felt so slippery in my clammy hands. I couldn't get a grip on it for my life. Unless the thing was locked, but why would it be locked from the other side?
Then again, why was James here on this ship with Adam? Why did Adam lie to me?
Glaring holes into the door, I gripped the knob tightly with a deep breath. I had to remind myself why I snuck on in the first place. It wasn't so I could hide away for seven days like some wimp. I was here for answers, and I'd damn well get them before I set foot back on land.
Every inhale and exhale sent a surge of invigorating energy through my system until my heart pounded at my eardrums. Running away wasn't an option this time. Adam was it, and I wanted things to work out with him. Well, scratch that; I wanted to see if things could work out with him. I couldn't make an informed decision until I knew what this secret of his was.
No turning back, Eliza. You have to do it. Rip the bandage off. You can do it.
Psyching myself up until I was sure I'd go mad, I threw the door open and trudged up the stairs with my head held high. I had no idea what to expect up on the deck, and I thought I braced myself enough to take whatever shit I'd see… But nope.
My last meal churned in my stomach and up to my throat, clogging it up and threatening to spew out when I saw the gruesome sight before me.
I couldn't feel anything but the chill of the ocean air as it wafted against me. Every inch of my body refused to budge despite my nerves aching with a need to run. But hell, wherecould I run? Back down below where he could corner me? Off the yacht and swim away until my limbs gave out for the ocean's depths to swallow me?
"Eliza." At least I wasn't the only one who was stunned stupid. "What are you…" Adam's face twisted with frustration, and his hand raked down his face then through his hair. "Why are you here? You're supposed to be back home." He was pissed, upset, and rightfully so.
Yet… his voice…
Why isn't he yelling at me?
The burning anger in his eyes was like looking at a picture of a furnace, but there was something off about his glassy orbs. His eyes were locked right onto me, but the storm in his eyes wasn't directed at me.
Who was he angry at?
A glint under the harsh lights flickered in my field of vision before I caught a glimpse of the knife in his hand slipping and falling to the ground with a loud clatter.
Neither of us twitched a finger in the other's direction, let alone move an inch. It might've stayed that way if I weren't an easy startle.
The yacht suddenly lurched, causing everyone to balance themselves. Now, that wasn't what got me. No, it was the bloody stump of a finger rolling across the deck and hitting my foot that got me jumping and screaming.
My actions caused Adam to spur into action. In the blink of an eye, he ran over to me and held me tight. "It's okay. It's okay. It's just a finger," he shushed and soothed me.
In a slight panic, I shoved at him to put some space between us. "Just a finger!?" I looked up at him in shock and horror. "Just a finger? As opposed to what? A head?" Adam reached out for me, but I backstepped and held my hands out for him to stop."You have any idea how insane you sound? Actually, how the hell can you sound so calm and casual about it?"
Okay, maybe I really would hurl. The staunch scent of iron didn't fully permeate my senses until now, and now my stomach felt like it was in the spin cycle of a washing machine. And, of course, I made the horrible decision of peering past Adam and saw the carnage of my ex.
Unable to stomach it, quite literally, I ran over to the railing and bent myself over the side of the boat. It'd been so long since I felt the burn of acid and digested food burn my throat and mouth. God, and the horrid stench and taste of it.
But the sight of James on the floor with his hands being bloody stumps because his fingers were cut off bit by bit was too much for me to handle.
A hand on my back caused me to reel back and swat at the limb. "Don't touch me!" The look of hurt across Adam's face felt like a stab to my heart. "Don't touch me with the same hand you…" There was no churning tummy this time; everything came straight up. "Oh God…" Leaning back over the railing, I puked… again.
"I fucking told you… bitch…" James's raspy voice cut clearly through the chaos around me, along with his mocking laughter.
