The men are outside. And he knows it.
“You can’t go anywhere without them. Can you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You wouldn’t come here alone.”
“Not by choice, no, but you have my son. Of course I’m here alone. It’s a mother’s duty to put their child first. I can tell yours didn’t do a grand job of raising you.”
“I’m afraid there’s a change of plan.” Conrad nets his hands together, as if trying to tease me that he can still use his. “You and Otis will both be going nowhere.”
The hurt I felt before, at the thought of Otis and I being forever separated, disappears.
But then comes the guilt. It hits me like a bolt of lightning and now every cell in my body is freaking out. I need to sit down before my knees break from all the weight they’ve been trying to hold. It feels like I’ve gained a couple hundred pounds and I no longer feel able to stay standing. Everything feels heavy.
Please let this be a nightmare.
Please let me wake up with Otis in my arms, safe in bed.
The emotions are running so high that I can almost see Carter walk into the bedroom, handing me a lazy cup of coffee as the other two alternate giving me back massages. We’re all together. Vex. Skipper. Carter. Otis. We live under one roof, and my biggest worry is what outfit I’m gonna pick out for the day.
The shrill rattling of chains brings me back to the present moment. Darkness engulfs the pale hues of my lazy morning dream, the vision ripped away from me.
I don’t even get to have an imagination anymore.
“Quickly,” Conrad mutters to another.
Black figures move through shadows. I straighten my vision and look over at Otis, who seems so far away. Would it be too much hassle for them to bring me over to him so I can squeeze his hand? A loving gesture such as that one would probably sicken the lot of them.
I realize now that it’s not just my arms I can’t move. My legs have also been taken. The icky feeling in my belly tells me that I’m now upside down, being carried across the warehouse.
My eyes can’t focus. Lifting my head helps, but the man carrying me pushes my head back down.
Time doesn’t feel like it exists.
Sunrise feels so far away.
Adrenaline ebbs and flows like a coastal tide, coming and going in drips and drabs. I get a burst of it and donkey-kick the man who’s carrying me, but then I’m flopping back down again. Exhausted.
Nobody tells you how tiring it is to fight for your life.
I manage to somewhat straighten my vision and see Otis. The hope has now completely drained from his eyes, replaced by the most disturbing shade of gray I have ever laid eyes on.
I failed to comfort him.
I failed to keep my composure and handle this situation with class.
And now, I’m about to handle it even less.
I suck in a deep breath…
And scream like a banshee.
There’s not gonna be anything left of my vocal cords by the time I finish, but I have to keep going. I scream until there’s nothing left inside of me, and slump against my carrier, defeated.
Only then does it dawn on me that Conrad’s bazillion men might’ve already taken care of the situation outside.
My men might be dead.
