“No! Please!” I yell, my voice going hoarse. “Take me! Take me instead!” I plead, pulling against my restraints. I would rather take every ounce of pain they’re willing to dish out if that meant that Darby was safe and unhurt.
Suddenly, Darby kicks her foot out, hitting the man in his thigh, barely missing his groin, and he takes a step back and says, “Try thatagain, bitch, and I’ll carve my initials into yourfeckin’face.” He pulls a switchblade out of his pocket, sliding it open and showing it to her.
Suddenly, Darby is quiet, so quiet, and it scares the hell out of me.
“Hey, asshole!” I shout as I buck around in my chair, the screeching sound almost deafening, but nothing breaks his concentration. His sole focus is on Darby.
I hear footfalls enter the room, and I look up to see a shadowed figure. He steps into the light, and I get a better look at him. He’s tall and built with shaggy, dark brown hair. His green eyes take in the situation before him as he says, “I thought we weren’t supposed to hurt them.”
“Just that one,” the man says, pointing the blade at me.
The new guy turns and looks at me, and I can see the concern written all over his face. If I can get through to anyone, perhaps it’s him. “Please,” I beg him. “Please don’t let them hurt her!”
He closes his eyes for a moment and turns away from me. At first, I think he’s going to leave and let them have their way with my friend. But then suddenly, he shouts, “That’s enough! Leave her alone.” He starts pulling the men away from her and ends up getting a fist thrown in his direction. He expertly dodges it, however, and lands one of his own on his colleague. They scuffle for a bit, and I find myself rooting for the new guy. He seems to come out on top, taking one down expertly in the brawl.
“She broke myfeckin’nose! Bitch is gonna pay for that, Cillian,” Darby’s attacker sneers.
Cillian.The man who might be Darby’s saving grace is named Cillian.
“She’s been a problem ever since she got here,” another says.
“Let me handle her,” Cillian speaks up. “I’ll get her out of your hair,” he offers.
The men consider this, but the one with the broken nose shakes his head. “Still gotta make her pay first. Eye for afeckin’eye.”
“Enough!” a deep voice roars, drawing everyone’s attention,including mine. He’s an older man with brown hair graying at the temples, and he’s wearing an expensive, tailored suit. Power clings to him like a second skin, and I realize this must be their boss. I was wondering when he would finally make an appearance. I look down at his dark brown Oxford shoes, which are polished to perfection, as he walks past me without even so much as a glance and stands a few feet away from his men. “What is all the racket, youfeckin’ eejits?” the man asks in a gruff voice.
“This bitch is actin’ up,” broken nose says before grabbing Darby’s face roughly and squeezing her cheeks together until she’s whimpering in pain. He releases his grip before backhanding her, sending her head flying to the side.
“Leave her alone!” I scream.
The boss pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration. “This is the kind of shit I don’t want to deal with today, boys.”
“I can take her to the safehouse. Deal with her there,” Cillian abruptly offers, and I narrow my eyes at him, not knowing if he’s doing Darby a favor or wanting to get her alone so that he can hurt her too.
“Good idea. She’s too much of a distraction here,” the boss agrees.
“Fine. LetThe Carvertake care of the bitch,” broken nose says.
Oh god, they call himThe Carver? I thought Cillian was our saving grace, but now I think I was horribly mistaken.
I watch in dismay as Darby is hauled upright by her hair and pushed in the direction of Cillian. He manages to catch her in his arms. With one steady arm behind her back, he gently sweeps her hair away from her face and stares down into her eyes. “Let’s go, love,” he whispers to her.
“I’m not leaving without my friend,” she says stubbornly before turning, pleading to me with her eyes.
I don’t want him to take Darby away, but I know she’s better off not being with these men who were about to rape her. At least she can take one man on by herself. Darby has more of a possibility ofgetting away if Cillian takes her away from here. Darby is resourceful. She’s the strongest person I know. And so that’s why I find myself saying, “It’s okay, Darby. I’ll be f-f-fine.” My voice is shaking, but I hope that she can read my face. The odds are way better for her out there than in here.
Darby shakes her head slowly as tears fill her eyes. She opens her mouth to protest, but the boss says with finality, “Get her the hell out of here.”
Cillian drags Darby away and out the door while she fights him. And that’s the last image I have of her in my mind. All I have to hold on to is the hope that I’ll see my best friend again someday.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Dimitri
EARLY THE NEXT morning,I go to my father’s office. Supposedly, he has a contact in Russia who might be willing to help us, but I don’t allow myself to get my hopes up just yet. This man could flat-out refuse our request, or he could attempt to double-cross us. Unfortunately, you can never truly trust anyone in our world. Not completely anyway.
My father sits at his large oak desk, which dominates the small room. Rain streaks the windows behind him, blurring the busy city below. He sips at a cup of espresso; his eyes meeting mine when I walk in. “You look like shit,” he remarks.
