“Well, the two Alpha guys are dead, thanks to yours truly. That delta guy has been missing since I put Logan in medical.”
“You knew when you shot them,” Baron asks, but I refuse to answer.
True to his word of what happens if I avoid a question, Corey jumps out from under the couch and starts to dig his electric talons into my chest. The pain is like nothing I have ever felt before. My whole body is on fire, as if molten lava is being dumped on me. My heart feels like it’sthe metal portion of the game Operation with someone repeatedly jamming the tweezers into the harsh metal. The pain mixes between burning alive and getting electrocuted to death. I let out the most blood curdling scream as my knees give out.
“Alley, stop fighting and it will stop,” Baron sighs when my screams turn to sobs.
“I knew,” I cry as Corey retreats.
“What did Logan say for you to attack him?”
“Fuck you!” I glare at Baron.
Benji swooshes in and repeats what Corey was doing but instead of the electrocution it feels like tiny razor blades and that I am freezing instead of burning.
“He said I either kept my mouth shut about everything, or he would take Carson’s severed penis and fuck Annie with it while Carson held me down to watch.” Benji retreats and I am able to breathe normally again. “And before you ask me about the other guy, I have no fucking clue where he went.”
“Little kitten, why didn’t you tell me,” Vaughn asks, almost sounding hurt. Annie just covers her face.
“I’m just spit balling here, but maybe it has something to do with what you had already previously done to her. Being raped, tortured, maimed and not to mention being forced to watch you savagely kill a friend doesn’t really scream safe person to talk to,” I snark. “But I am just speaking from personal experience.”
“Nobody asked you to speak.” Vaughn steps in my direction, but Nik stops him.
“Considering Annie doesn’t have a tongue thanks to you, how do you expect her to tell you?” I smile at him.
“This needs to be looked into,” Nik says and they all move into a little huddle at the far corner of Baron’s office.
I push back, trying not to squish my bound hands, leaning against the front of Baron’s desk. Annie is still shaking with her head in her hands, rocking back and forth. I lean my head back, closing my eyes, hoping that it helps to get my breathing under control.
“Mommy?” His soft voice has my eyes bursting open, automatically going blurry.
“Seth,” I whisper as his small form sits crisscrossed in front of me. His lifeless face is still covered in bruises andcuts while his eyes are completely bloodshot. Despite his battered face, my baby boy still has the biggest and brightest smile, just like every time I would pick him up from school or his dad’s. His voice isn’t hoarse from screaming like it was in the video. No, it sounds just like it did when we would cuddle while watching a movie, right before he would ask for popcorn or some type of snack.
“Don’t cry mommy.” His ghostly cold hand caresses my cheek, wiping the fallen tears away. He still has that sweetheart and the need to comfort others who are sad. Seth always hated when I would cry. If I just let out a sniffle, he would be by my side trying to squeeze me tightly while saying, “It’s okay, mommy. Don’t be sad. Seth’s here to make mommy happy.”
The memories of my celebration of winning custody of him came storming back. His laugh and how I promised I would always protect him and be there. It was a fucking lie. I wasn’t there when I should’ve been. I knew better but court orders are court orders. I was a fucking idiot and because of that I lost the best part of my life. I failed him. Because of one heinous person, my sweet boy was taken away from me.
The sobs crawl up my throat, stopping me from being able to scream I am sorry. To tell him, I made a massivemistake. I should’ve fought harder, instead of caving and letting him go there. Before I can clear my throat to say that he hops to his feet and walks towards Benji, Corey, and Dave.
They all crowd around Annie as she lifts her head. Annie’s maroon hollowed eye sockets are facing directly at me while her fingers feel for the handle of the knife. Literally making her look like she should be in the movie Truth or Dare. Her trembling fingers wrap around the smooth black marbled handle. With stealth that would make you wonder if she was a ninja in a past life, she quietly pulls it from the cushion without alerting any of the guys.
Oh, fuck no!!
“Annie,” I whisper.
“It’s okay mommy, I’ll take care of her. Lots of bear hugs,” Seth giggles, taking Annie’s other hand into his.
“Annie,” I say firmly, but she just shakes her head.
I jump to my feet and try to lunge for her. “Annie,” I scream. “No, Annie.”
I land, stomach first, on the coffee table in my attempts to get to her, but it’s too late. Annie blows me a kiss before swiftly thrusting the knife into her jugular, beforeripping it out. The blood comes rushing out of the wound as if a dam had just broken. It feels like time has slowed to a snail’s pace as I watch her body slowly slump back, hitting the back of the sofa and her head lolls on the cushion. The others retreat to the black hole from which they came but Seth remains. His hand is still clasping Annie’s.
“NO, NO, NO,” I repeat. “ANNIE! ANNIE!!”
“Fucking Christ,” Nik shouts from behind me.
“Seth, please!!” I wail. “Seth!”