Page 52 of A Game of Survival

“With you in two.” The familiar voice states before ending the call. I pocket my phone as Kat stands in front of me, pleading silently for answers.

“I have to go,” I say, ignoring the confusion that quickly morphs itself to shock then anger.

“What do you mean you have to go? Go where?” Kat insists.

“I have to make this right,” I whisper, grabbing the back of her neck and pulling her into me again, kissing her forehead. Lingering for a beat too long as I take in the feel of her in my arms for what could be the last time. I inhale her scent, filling my lungs with her deliciously sweet aroma before pulling away and striding over to Nicholas who hasn’t moved from his position.

“If anything happens to her when I’m gone. I will kill you.” I state matter of factly, keeping my emotions void. He will never know how much it angers me to leave her with another man. Especially him. I know there’s history there, even if it’s small, they know each other and he lied to me about it.

“Max, where are you going?” Kat asks desperately as she comes up beside me, but I remain still with my eyes locked on Nic’s.

“Noted,” he grunts, glancing at Katrina and clenching his jaw like he’s biting back more words but I don’t give him a chance to speak them. I make my way to the door as Kat begs behind me, her voice becoming more desperate with each word.

“Max, please don’t do anything stupid. Silas and Linc will bring Lucille back. We just need to wait here.”

I stop at the front door and look deep into her glossy eyes. “This is all my fault. I need to do this Katrina. Promise me you’ll stay here with Nic and the kids?”

Kat pulls her bottom lip between her teeth as a single tear glides down across her cheek. “Max, please,” she cries at barely a whisper.

“Promise me, Katrina,”.

“I promise,” she relents and before I can consider not leaving at all, I push my way through the door and walk the short distance to the community gate where a black unmarked Toyota Camry sits waiting against the sidewalk.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Asks a stocky, dark haired man with a bullet proof vest wrapped around his chest. He has a bunch of old military style tags hanging around his neck but shows no real sign that he’s been in any type of battle himself.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” I breathe out slowly, coming to terms with the fact that I'm about to discard everything I was brought up believing in.

Chapter 27

Lucille

I never imagined I could scream for so long but as I helplessly watched Cole’s body slump forward against his restraints, the loud smack of the hammer splintered every last piece of my resolve as Ronan’s men continued their brutal assault. My legs threatened to give way beneath me as I was made to watch, but the iron grip around my biceps kept me upright, ensuring I didn’t miss a thing.

“Marcus, shut her the fuck up would you or I’ll make sure she’s next in the chair.” Ronan’s order cuts through, sending me into a white panic, making me scream even louder. Suddenly the vice-like hold on my arm intensifies and sharp nails pierce into the flesh of my arms causing me to wince.

“For your own sake Lucille, you need to do as he says. He will fuck you in that chair while everybody else here watches and he won’t even bat an eyelid about it when they each take their turn after, no matter how loudly you scream. Now shut the fuck up.” His voice hisses just behind my ear, forcing me to snap my mouth shut. I quickly gaze around the room, nobody makes any indication that they heard his whisper of warning as they try to bring Cole back to consciousness.

“What do you want from me? I thought you were dead. I don’t understand what’s going on. Is your name really Marcus?” I whimper, trying to pull myself from his body.

“I thought you were smarter than this. I am nothing like the man you married. The man I once called my brother. You’ll do well to remember that,” he snaps back at me.

I immediately freeze at his words. I didn’t know Vinny had a brother, an identical twin brother to be precise. How could we have been together for so long without him even mentioning any other siblings to me? I go to question him further but catch Ronan glaring in our direction. I clap my mouth shut at once, remaining silent and looking anywhere but at him as he makes his way over to us. He comes to stand in front of me, and I notice Marcus’ hands on my arms tense ever so slightly as Ronan grabs hold of my face, digging his thumb and fingers into my cheeks so hard I can taste the blood pool across my tongue. He angles my head, tilting my face to look directly into his snake-like eyes and it takes everything I have in me not to shiver at his touch. I refuse to give him the satisfaction.

“Pretty little thing, aren’t you dear daughter. I can see why they all pine after you so much.” He licks his lips as he speaks, churning my stomach at the overwhelming stench of cigar mixed with strong liquor on his breath making me feel physically sick. As though my body recognises the intention behind his words, fear settles into my bones. His smirk is enough to show that he got the reaction he wanted. My mother must have been high or off her head to have married this man.

His attention is quickly drawn away, enabling me to fully breathe again as Cole emits a worryingly strained groan after one of Ronan’s men appears to have showered him in a bucket of ice water, shocking him back to a questionable state of consciousness.

“Ahh Cole, you have returned to us once again. You missed saying goodbye to your brother, dear friend.” Ronan taunts him as he walks over and leans down in front of the chair that both of Cole’s hands are now nailed down too. “You’re not looking too healthy, Cole. Do you think you’ll last long enough to see that beloved brother of yours and his little lapdog take their last breaths? Or will you be taking your own first?” Ronan cackles, shoving Cole's head back, making him hiss at the painful movement that jerks his hands against the nails.

“Fuck you!” Cole spits, using too much of his strength to spit into Ronan’s face. “You will never win this,” he snaps before Ronan turns his face to look at me. The look on his face turns my blood to ice. His eyes were no longer human, every part of them had bled to black and if anybody had told me that this was a man I knew, a man I’d once called my father, I would never believe them, for there was nothing recognizable left. He was all monster.

His lips slowly and menacingly pull up at the sides, revealing his stained teeth as he lifts his foot above Cole’s hand, staring directly into my eyes as he slams his boot down. Cole erupts, screaming in pain as Ronan twists his foot against him, audibly crunching the bones beneath. I flail my body, pulling desperately to get to him but it’s no use. I’m not strong enough to break free.

“Stop. Please stop this!” I scream, with fresh tears staining my cheeks but Ronan doesn’t relent. “PLEASE! I’ll do anything you want. Please, just stop hurting him.” I cry, pulling forward to get closer to Cole, and in that moment everything stops. Ronan removes his boot from Cole’s obliterated hand. His blood loss is getting worse now. The wounds on his hands are dripping into already formed puddles.

Ronan turns back to Cole and smiles. “It appears I have already won,” he snickers loudly, his gang of assailants joined in and an unnerving laughter swamps the room.

“Lu…cille,” Cole stuttered, physically fighting through the pain, trying to stay conscious.

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