Page 18 of Dismantle & Prevail
The white and crimson mask stares deep into my soul, the same face that has been haunting all my nightmares.
“I really hope you don’t speak to your crew like this. If you do, I can see why no one has come for your sorry ass.”
He waits for my response, but I don’t give it to him.
“Oh c'mon, tough guy. Don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking about why you’ve been stuck down here for months and no one has even attempted to rescue you. Have you ever stopped to think it's because everyone is happier without you? That maybe I did them a favor by taking you off their hands?”
My teeth grind and I feel my fingernails digging into my palm.
His head tilts to the side. “Didn’t like the sound of that? How about this? I’ve checked on your little friend, Taylor. She’s got great legs, by the way. Please tell me you’ve tapped that little ass? I’m sure she’s fun to toss around.”
Unable to stop myself, I let out a low growl. “Shut the fuck up.”
A maniacal laugh falls from the mask, and I want to put a bullet through his head.
“What? Mad that I found out about your little girlfriend? Oh wait. She’s not your girl, is she? At least that's what I’ve heard. So that means she’s free.” He sits back in the chair and strokes his gloved hand over his chin. “Maybe I’ll have to go give her a test ride. Claim her as mine and toss her aside like the garbage she is. After all, she needs to be punished for even associating with someone like you. But I think it will be fun. And of course, when I dump her body after I wreck her little hole, I’ll be sure she knows you are the one to thank.”
All I see is red. My arms rip and tug at the chains, the wounds on my wrist ripping open. “LEAVE HER THE FUCK ALONE YOU FUCKING BASTARD!”
I’m going to kill him. I’m going to rip his head from his body and shove it up his ass.
My eyes close and all I see is him on top of a screaming Taylor. His words replay in my mind like some messed up movie.
Laughter echoes throughout the cage, and my eyes fly open just in time to see him standing. “Have a good rest of your night, Aries. I’m off to find me a pretty little black-haired girl covered in butterflies.”
“NO! Leave her alone. Whatever game you’re playing doesn’t involve her. If your end goal was her, you should have killed me already. Actually fucking do it. Kill me. I’ll go without a fight. Just leave my team and Taylor alone.”
Any other day I wouldn’t give in this easily, but it’s been two months. This cage is my future and I will not be getting out of here until my heart stops beating. So if the last thing I can do is save my team and Taylor, I will do anything to stop him.
He stares down at me for a moment before moving to stand at my feet and crouches down to level his masked gaze with mine. “If you think you have any control or say in what goes on outside of your cage, you’ve got it all wrong. Your pathetic life is at the mercy of me. I control you. I decide your fate. You made this mess and I will be sure anyone that I take as punishment for knowing you understands it is all your fault.”
I expect him to deliver a blow to my face or ribs, but he doesn’t. Instead, he stands and walks out of the cage.
As the sound of the metal scraping on the ground and the locks engaging echo through the dark room, all I can feel is guilt.
I glance down at my tattered jeans and say the words I wish I could say to the bright-eyed girl I would give anything to see in this moment. “I’m sorry, Hellhound. Please forgive me. Hope to not see you on the other side.”
I spend the next few hours fighting sleep, but eventually exhaustion and pain overwhelm my senses.
As I drift off to sleep, Taylor’s face fills my mind and my heart breaks for the thousandth time.
And just before my mind goes blank, I send up the same wish to the universe that I have done for the past month, except this time adding in one extra wish.
Let this be my final time I go to sleep because I’m tired of existing on this fucked up timeline. Keep Taylor safe. She has been through enough. And if this omen is too late, give her the strength of all the men that wronged her to fight off one more.
Fight Hellhound. I miss you.
Chapter Eight
Taylor
Thewindflowsthroughmy hair as my bike hits a hundred miles an hour down a vacant highway.
I desperately want to feel as if I’m flying, but the only way to do that would result in the lights turning off and escaping this cruel world. But I’ve come too far to allow that to happen.
A car flies by, going in the opposite direction and the small glimpse of terror that I might hit them causes me to take that as a sign to slow the hell down.
As I round the curve of the mountain, I catch sight of a lookout point and pull into the small gravel lot.
