Page 87 of Firethorne
When had that happened?
The door had closed behind Damien when he left this morning, I was sure of that.
Had I been so engrossed in my laptop that it’d opened without me noticing or hearing it?
Was there someone here?
I whispered, “Hello?” Then, a little louder, “Hello? Is anyone there?” But no one answered.
If Damien was here, in this apartment, he’d have made his presence known. He wouldn’t play with me like this.
So why was it open?
Was Damien standing on the other side, waiting for me to push the door open so he could surprise me with my freedom?
I took slow, trepid steps across the living room towards the door, nervous about what I’d find, but I had to know what was going on. I had to walk through that door.
My fingers trembled as I stood in front of it and reached forward to touch it, placing my hands on the reinforced steel that’d kept me locked up in here for so long.
I curled my fingers around the edge of the door and slowly, so slowly, I pulled it open to reveal a hallway.
I’d never seen this hallway before, but it looked exactly like the apartment, with the same white walls and carpet. Tentatively, I peered around the doorway, expecting to see Damien waiting for me, but there was no one there.
“Hello?” I called down the hallway as I moved my head from left to right, but no one answered.
I took a step forward, taking myself from the apartment into the hallway, and I stood still for a moment, not sure if I was doing the right thing as I gazed down one side and then the other.
Maybe I should go back into the apartment and close the door? Wait for Damien to come back.
Maybe I should hit the panic button? Tell them I needed help. But past experience had told me that’d be pointless.
Or maybe, just maybe, I should do the right thing for me and walk the hell out of this apartment, out into a world that I hadn’t seen in so long. Feel the breeze on my skin. Breathe fresh, clean air. Walk on something other than plush carpet and start living my life again. A life that had so much hope now that Damien was in it.
Yes, that’s what I’d do. I’d walk down this corridor and leave. I had no idea where my feet would take me, but wasn’t this what I’d wanted from the start? To be free to make my own choices. I smiled to myself, thinking that this was so Damien-coded. He loved to give me freedom in whatever way he could, and that’s exactly what he was doing now. I knew it.
I decided to turn right and head that way down the corridor. Right had to be the right choice, after all. My heart beat faster as excitement stirred in my belly.
This was it.
This was the end.
Or the start, whichever way you looked at it.
My steps were slow but purposeful, my heartbeat pounding in my ears so loud, I didn’t hear anyone come up behind me. But when something was thrown over my head, strong arms grabbing me in a punishing grip, and a mean voice hissed viciously, “There you are, slut,” I knew I’d made a big fucking mistake.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Maya
They didn’t even bother to drug me this time. Whoever it was that’d jumped me and shoved the sack over my head put me in a headlock and squeezed my throat. I clawed and scratched at their arm, fighting for my life, my legs kicking out to try and take them down. But it became impossible to breathe, and as deadly stars danced in front of my eyes, I slipped away, falling unconscious into the arms of my captor.
I don’t know how long I was out for, but when I came to, I was lying on the cold metal floor of what appeared to be some sort of van. It stank of oil and paint, and the engine roared as it sped across uneven terrain, throwing my body around. I had to brace myself as best I could with my wrists and ankles bound together, and I could already feel the pain in my body from where I’d been knocked about while I was unconscious. My mouth was taped shut but I still cried out, using my muffled screams and banging my feet against the floor to fight back.
It was no use, though.
There didn’t seem to be anyone else in the back of the van with me.
Whoever had taken me, and I had a pretty good idea who it was, they were up front, driving me back to the hell I thought I’d escaped.
