“Fuck you! You want to kill me? Then do it! What’s stopping you?” I spit, and he just starts laughing again. Without her, I’m nothing. No one.God, my brothers must be fucking heartbroken and going out of their minds. I’m not there. She’s gone… She’s gone!
“Oh, but I do need you. See, I need you to help me lure your brothers somewhere. This very basement you're in is the same one that was used to beat and break in your little girlfriend. This is where her childhood started. Brock would send us pretty little pictures of her strung up, almost exactly like you are now. She was so bloody and beaten. Mmmm, the videos we would get of her chained up and being used like the whore she is. Damn, how I wish I had her tied up here instead of you. How ironic is it though? Her life started here, and this is where your life will end,” he says matter-of-factly.
“I’m not doing shit for you, scumbag. I’ll never help you harm my brothers, so you’d better just fucking kill me. There is no other option,” I growl as he sends a blow to my chest, knocking the wind out of me. All I can think is that there’s no life without Raven! Even with my brothers, we will all be missing the biggest piece of our hearts. HER. He hits me again in the same spot, causing me to gasp for air, and finally, he delivers a blow to my temple, whipping my head to the side. The last thing I see is the girl I love… and lost. All I can think about is that one verse from the song I know all too well. I can almost hear her singing it to me,“And if you go, I wanna go with you.”As the darknessconsumes me, I softly sing back to her,“And if you die, I wanna die with you.”
Chapter 8
Raven
My whole body is in pain, and I’m not sure what’s really hurt or what’s broken. Once I flew off my bike, I knew. I knew that was the end for me. My helmet flying off, and my head bouncing off the pavement only made matters worse. Lying here, all I can think about is my guys and whoever may have been on the other end of that phone call. How I’ll never see them again. How I never made it to Luis in time. I just hope they do. Please, someone find him.
“If you want to find your little boyfriend, go back to where this all started, Sweetness.” He laughs so close to my face, I can smell his rancid breath.
“No. No, no, no. Please let him go! Don’t do to him what was done to me. Take me. Just hurt me, not him. Please, I’m begging you!!” I scream as tears stream down my face. I don’t want Luis to endure the things I’ve had done to me my whole life. I’ll gladly take his place. They can’t hurt me any more than I’ve already been hurt. He doesn’t deserve this.
A flash of white light stabs into my mind before I’m taken through a sea of colors, the word ‘sweetness’ being repeated so loudly it makes me want to puke. Fucking sweetness. My stomach turns as my vision, yet again, spins with colors, making me feel dizzy.
How did I not know that the guy working for us was behind all this? I should’ve known. All the signs were there. My gut feeling is never wrong, but I didn’t trust it, and that fuck-up cost me everything. My life, and probably Luis’s. God, to know he’s been taken to the one place I should’ve burned down years ago makes my stomach turn again.
I always thought I’d die alone, but not now. Not after finding love like they showed me. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. But, I know that I’ll continue to love them while I wait for them in the afterlife. Suddenly, I can hear someone calling my name in the distance. I try to turn toward them, to let them know where I am, but I can’t move. I can’t speak. The white light looms on the edge of my vision.
“Raven!!!” They scream over and over again.
It’s now that I realize it was Damien’s voice. Don’t worry, Casanova, I’ll give them hell wherever I’m going. I wouldn’t dare lose the attitude just because I’m not flesh and bone anymore. I used to think about all the ways that I would die. How every time they chained me up, it would be my last breath that they would take from me. I always knew I would die by their cruel hands. But then I got out. I had hope, found love, and reasons to think about life and a damn future. And now, I don’t want to die, but here I am. Once again at their hands, and the thought of death consumes me. I know I won’t be able to hold on much longer. Please. Please, just get to Luis in time and get revenge for us all. You three will always be my forever. Everything hurts, and I’m tired, so fucking tired. I don’t have it in me to fight anymore. Right before I chase the white light andpray to no longer feel, his last words ring through as I feel an electric shock on my lips.
“I never thought I would want to burn the world down for anyone. Then you came along and bulldozed yourself into my life. I wouldn’t just burn the world for you, Angel. I’d carve my heart out of my own chest and give it to you if that’s what it would take to save you.”
Darkness comes, and all I can do is bask in the abyss. I don’t have to hurt anymore, and no one has to hurt because of me.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
That annoying noise was never here before. Where the fuck is it coming from? I thought I was dead. I chased the white light, praying for God to take me, and now I’m stuck in my own nightmare.
Looking around the basement, I see nothing that could make that beeping noise. I hate this place. So many depraved things have happened here, and I just want to burn it down and bleed it from my memories. The sound of the chains, the constant sight of all the blood on the floor. My virginity being ripped from me while being cut open repeatedly by a man that I despise.
“Raven? Can you hear me? It’s okay.”
Why do those voices sound so familiar? I don’t see anyone here but Luis and HIM. Luis is looking at me with pleading eyes while I’m chained up next to him.
“Stop. Don’t touch him! Just take it out on me,” I cry out.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
I jolt awake as strong arms grab me before I can sit up. Panicking, I look around, but the lights are so damn bright, everything's so blurry and it smells like bleach in here. Blinking a few times, my eyes start to focus and then I see faces. I see Reyes, Damien, and Naomi beside me.
“Where am I? What… What the fuck happened? Did you get Luis?” I ask, my voice coming out dry and hoarse. Naomi walks away and comes back, holding a cup out to me. Looking down at it, she holds the ice chips up to my mouth.
“You’re in the hospital, Babygirl. Do you remember anything?” Reyes asks, holding my hand in one of his and hitting the call button on the side of the bed with his other.
“I remember… I remember the wreck. I thought I was dead. Did I die? I’ve been in my own personal hell this whole time,” I reply, closing my eyes.Was I dreaming?Is Luis gone or is he okay?
“Angel,” My eyes look at Damien, and he just stares at me before he continues. “We can’t find Luis. By the time we got the call, he was gone and you, well, you were basically on death's door when I got there,” Damien breathes out, letting out a long sigh.
Looking around the room, they all look like hell, like no one has slept and the sadness in the room is thick–like a dark, looming cloud.
“I just–” I’m cut off when the doctor walks in.
“Hello, Raven, how are you feeling?” he asks, walking up to the side of the bed. Damien and Naomi move out of his way, coming over to the other side of me and joining Reyes.
