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What consumed me was the fact that the woman I'd loved since I was seventeen years old was upstairs with a monster, and I couldn’t do anything to stop the pain he inflicted on her every night. I didn’t even drown out her cries, because I didn’t want her to be alone. So I suffered, making myself sick. Evie tried to come down here afterwards with a smile, but it was so misplaced on her face. She was suffering in silence, and I couldn’t do anything to save her.

But I had to hope that someone had discovered I was missing by now. If there was anything positive I could take from my career, it was the fact that I was so well known, I could only imagine the media circus happening right now. Missing the Grand Final would’ve sent my team into a tailspin. I was arguably the most famous player at the moment. Between the fans, the coaches, and the endorsements, there were a lot of people who were counting on me and would do anything to find me.

Wayne Gatz had made a mistake taking me.

Or at least…that was what I told myself as the man himself stomped down the stairs.

“There’s my favourite two,” he chuckled as he stepped fully into the room, his silhouette swallowing what little light there was. Even in the dimness, he looked too fucking big. I didn’t react, didn’t give him anything, didn’t let him see any of my fear, though it enveloped me like molasses. This man was capable of doing the most disgusting and depraved things, and he was standing right in front of me.

“Two little cunts sitting in my basement.” He ventured further into the room and reached up to yank on a string, flicking a light on. It was barely cutting through the dark, but it was enough to show his face.

That fucking face.

And that fucking smile.

“You’re gonna pay for this, Wayne,” I said, spitting his name like it tasted rotten. He stopped a few feet away, planting his hands on his hips, letting out a rough, ugly chuckle.

“Yeah?” he said, tilting his head. “And who’s gonna make me? You?” He gestured lazily at the chains. “Or your mate over there?”

“Maybe you haven’t been paying attention,” I went on, leaning forward as far as the chains would allow, metal biting into my wrists. “But people will be looking for me. You’ve made a mistake.”

That made him grin wider. “Oh yeah?” he rasped. “You reckon the coppers are gonna come bustin’ down my door, do ya?”

“I reckon you’re already dead,” I shot back. “You just don’t know it yet.”

Something flickered behind his eyes.

Small.

But I saw it.

“And when they find you,” I added, my voice dropping, steady despite the way my pulse was starting to pound, “they’re not taking you in.” In hindsight, I should’ve kept my mouth shut and let the bastard do what he wanted to me. But I couldn’t keep quiet when Wayne was torturing the woman I loved.

Wayne’s smile faded just enough to show what was underneath, and folding his arms slowly, he locked his gaze onto mine in a way that made every muscle in my body tighten in awareness, knowing it was in the presence of a predator. I waited for him to take the bait, but the hair on my arms stood up on end as Wayne reached up with a smile and pulled the light off, plunging the room into darkness.

Fuck sake.

Christopher’s panicked, heavy breathing beside me only heightened the mind-numbing fear that gripped my body. I kept looking where I knew Wayne was still standing, squinting through the darkness for any movement. But it was silent—so silent, I could hear Evie’s light footsteps above us.

My stomach twisted.

“What’s wrong?” I called out. “Don’t like the light on your face?”

Silence.

“What is it, huh? Harder to pretend you’re a good man when people can actually see you?” I shifted again, chains rattling as I pushed forward, ignoring the way they tore into my skin. “Or is this where you feel big? In the dark? With people tied up?” A floorboard creaked, and I lunged toward the sound instinctively, chains snapping tight, pain ripping through my shoulders, but I didn’t stop. “Come on then!” I shouted into the dark. “Do something!” I drew my legs closer to my chest, a haphazard attempt at protecting myself when a bloodcurdling scream from beside me pierced my eardrums.

“Get off me!” Christopher screamed, his body thrashing to my left. “Fucking get off me!” Wayne just laughed as Christopher howled in pain.

“Leave him alone!” I shouted, straining forward against the chains. “Fight me, you fucking coward!” I groaned when a fist came out of the dark and cracked against my jaw, snapping my head sideways into the brick behind me. Pain detonated through my skull, white-hot, stars bursting across my vision as everything spun. Before I could recover, he straddled me, laughing as he clasped both hands around my neck and squeezed so hard, it felt like he'd crushed my windpipe. I wheezed and gasped, struggling to take in air. I kicked my feet out and thrashed wildly, trying to loosen his grip.

“You reckon you’re tough, do you?” Wayne snarled, his face inches from mine, spittle hitting my cheek as he spoke. “Go on, then. Be the hero. Try and stop me.” His hands tightened around my throat again, shaking me hard enough, my head knocked back against the brick. My vision flickered, black creeping in at the edges, but I forced my eyes to stay open and look at him.

“Is…that…it?” I choked out, the words scraping raw on the way up.

His grip tightened. “Can’t even breathe, and you’re still runnin’ your mouth,” he sneered. “Not as strong as you thought, hey?”

“Stronger…than you’ll ever be,” I rasped, even as my lungs screamed. For a second, something ugly flashed across his face. Then my head slammed into the wall again, pain exploding through my skull. Wayne cursed and let go before I collapsed forward, dragging in air like I’d been underwater too long, my chest heaving violently as my lungs burned. Wayne’s laughter echoed above me.