Drowsy, no inhibitions, and moments from falling into a deep sleep.
I didn’t remember how I made it outside or how I found myself standing near the gates of the estate, close to the woods, where Ella often parked her Ducati or Porsche. That connection of ours, forged the second I laid eyes on her and strengthened over the course of our relationship, thrummed like a potent instinct, telling me she’d be here.
The dark night and the strong gust of wind rustling the tree leaves made it difficult to see or focus. My breaths turned choppy and a rivulet of sweat trickled from my brow into my eye.
Everything inside of me felt off-kilter, cataclysmically wrong.
The sound of a devastated cry had me swinging my head to the left. There she was. My light at the end of the dark tunnel. Ella.Mo chuisle. Mi vida.
Like a hopeless fool, I staggered after her, calling out hername.
Ella didn’t hear or see me.
Instead, she got into her car and drove away.
The angry screech of her tires was the last audible sound echoing in my ears. It hurt. The lacerations Ella left on my heart with her departure.
“You have me now. I’ll never leave you.”
Her promise. She broke it.
She said she’d never leave me…and she did.
Without even hearing me out, she tossed me aside like I was a used-up, dirty napkin.
Did she have so little faith in me that she thought I’d willingly cheat? Did I not make it clear the only girl I was crazy about washer?
Ella had to hear me out.
This couldn’t be the end of us.
I refused to believe it—refused toacceptit.
Numbness spread through me like a wildfire. I stood alone in the dark, panting and grief-stricken.
Out of nowhere, the back of a gun slammed against my temple and caused pain to explode all over my skull. I lost my balance and fell to my knees with a curse.
What…What the fuck was that?
Groaning, I went to grab my forehead when suddenly, my arms were yanked back in an unyielding hold.
Overpowered, I watched through a blurry gaze as four bodies buzzed around me, hushed voices erupting from their mouths. Guy Fawkes masks concealing their faces, they wore all black attire…almost like…
The stranger who bumped into me before I left to go find Ella in my room.
My senses were impaired, yet my fight and flight response still kicked in. Trying to struggle and scream was all in vain,though. I wasn’t strong enough to defend myself, let alone take on four individuals.
One punched me across the face and the coppery taste of blood filled my mouth.
The second cocked a gun at my sweat-slickened temple.
The third slapped manacles on my wrists.
The fourth…crouched down in front of me.
With a gloved hand, he grabbed my chin in a bruising grip and assessed my face. I couldn’t see any of their characteristics. But I knew with certainty that this one was their leader. “How much did you give him?”
He talked to the one with the gun. “Enough Benzos in his drink that he can’t fight back but remembers every second of us fucking him up.”
