Page 18 of Depraved

He nodded with a smirk on his face. “Hence the reason you’re here today, alive and breathing. A thank you would suffice.”

I lightly shook my head at his arrogance. “Thank you for saving me, and then kidnapping me again.”

“Well,” he slapped his hands on his knees and got up from his seat, “it’s my pleasure. Now eat your food and behave.” He winked at me, making it clear there was nothing wrong with his confidence.

And judging by how chuffed he seemed with himself, killing people was something to be proud of around here. It made me even more aware of how much danger I was really in.

“Why am I here?”

Onyx stopped then turned to face me again. “That, you’ll have to ask Granite.”

“Granite?”

“My brother. He’s the only one who can answer your questions. I’m not on his current favorites list, so the last thing I need is to piss him off by saying shit I shouldn’t.”

I looked down to the ground. “Granite,” I murmured softly. After years of watching him from my bedroom window, I finally had a name. It was probably something I could have found out on my own if I wanted to. But I never tried to figure out who and what the American Street Kings were, who its leader was. I liked the mystery that surrounded him. In fact, I was drawn to him even more because of it. Yet, with each passing second since they took me, I cursed this infatuation I had with him.

“Anyway. You should eat. Clearly, you need some meat on those bones. I hope you like turkey sandwiches.”

I snorted. “I doubt I’d be able to eat anything right now.”

Onyx studied me, the light coming through the window bringing out the intense blue of his eyes. Even though it was beautiful, his eyes didn’t beg me to stare back at them the way his brother’s did.

“That’s one shiner you have there.” He motioned toward my face where it ached.

Gently, I placed my fingertips against the skin. “Yeah.”

Onyx stared at me for two seconds before moving to the cabinet on the other side of the bed. Only when he opened it, pulling out a bottle of water, did I realize it was a bar fridge.

“Here.” He walked over to me and held the bottle up to my face, but I jerked back, and he stilled. “I’m not going to hurt you. Relax.”

Terrified, I froze, not knowing what to expect. My stomach wanted to leap out of my throat when he leaned forward, but then he gently placed the ice-cold bottle of water against my eye. “Keep it cold, for the swelling.”

I placed my hand over his, taking the bottle while keeping it against my face. Onyx took a step back, his eyes never leaving mine. This act of kindness was unexpected, yet I didn’t let my guard down.

“Thank you,” I murmured, inching back more.

“Yeah. Sure.” He turned and walked straight out the door, but then turned and glanced over his shoulder at me for a few seconds…then left.

Tears slipped down my cheeks, the adrenaline in my veins finally giving way so reality could seep through. It was terrifying, and something I never thought would happen to me. Shit like this always happened to other people. This was the kind of story you’d see on the news or hear over the radio. Girls who got kidnapped, raped, and murdered—not necessarily in that order. Just thinking about me ending up naked, broken, and alone in a ditch somewhere was enough to push the bile up my throat.

For a moment, I allowed myself to ask a shitload of what-ifs.

What if I had stayed just ten minutes longer with Red, telling her the story behind the tattoo she inked on my thigh?

What if I ignored my mom’s phone call, and rather decided to drive off?

What if I just never went to Red’s in the first place, getting the damn tattoo?

Over and over, I allowed myself to relive that scene, to try to figure out what happened. Who those men were. And where my dad’s men who followed me disappeared to. They were there in their SUV one minute, then gone the next. How was that possible?

My legs began to quiver, too weak to keep me upright anymore. With my back against the wall, I slipped down to the ground, still holding the water bottle against my eye.

I wiped at my tears, my tummy hurting with the pain and fear that possessed by entire body. It was crushing, like I was trapped between two walls closing in, squeezing the life out of me. What I wouldn’t give for this all to be nothing more than a goddamn nightmare.

The bag Onyx tossed on the bed caught my eye. Did they really think I’d feel like eating? God, this all felt too insane to be true.

I cracked open the bottle of water and took a few sips before closing it and placing it against my eye again. It was kind of Onyx to give me something for my bruised eye, but Red always said if the devil gave you a kind gesture in hell, be prepared to pay for it in blood.