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“No,” I croaked.
From behind me, Kaden called out. “Don’t leave me here. Fucking bitch, you’re gonna leave me to rot.”
The sound of his struggles as he once again got to his feet sent a bolt of terror through me. He was going to attack me again. I knew it. I had no more energy to fight him off. What would he do when he got me? Kill me? Rape me? Torture me to extract the information I didn’t have?
The same moment his hand grabbed my ankle like a steel band, the sound of sprinting feet echoed from the hall. Taking a desperate glance toward the exit, I saw Drake rushing down the hall. I watched him through the ever-shrinking opening of the door. He must have heard the howls and came to help me. There was a moment when I almost breathed a sigh of relief, but Kaden was hauling me back toward him. A scream burst out of my mouth, and Drake jumped forward, sliding through the door an instant before the opening became too small. Looking like a baseball player stealing third base, Drake slid ten feet on his stomach and jumped to his feet. He rushed toward us and dove right at Kaden. The other man grunted as Drake drove his shoulder into him and tackled him to the ground.
From all around the room, I heard what sounded like a million hissing snakes. In my panic, I glanced around furtively at smoke or steam issuing from the air conditioning vents. Drake was wrestling Kaden on the ground. Even from where I sat, I heard the multiple warning buzzes Drake was getting. He tumbled off of Kaden, clutching his wrist as the electric shocks started.
Through gritted teeth, he looked at me and said, “Gas.”
“Oh shit,” I mumbled and looked at the steam again.
“Son of a bitch. You’ll regret that,” Kaden said as he struggled up to his hands and knees.
Drake got up, and in one swift motion, swung his leg out and kicked Kaden in the face. The man flipped over and collapsed on the ground, knocked out. Drake ripped his shirt off as he coughed, revealing his muscled torso beneath before tossing his shirt to me.
“Cover—cough—your face.”
Catching the shirt in the air, I shoved it into my face, covering my mouth and nose. “Is it going to kill us?” I asked, my voice muffled by the shirt.
“Not sure—cough—maybe.” Before he could say more he slumped to the ground and passed out.
My heart hammered in my chest like a jackhammer, but the gas was getting to me even through the shirt. My head spun with dizziness and nausea surged in my stomach. The gas filled the room faster with each second. Taking two unsteady steps toward Drake, vertigo hit me and my balance went, I tumbled to my knees. Dropping the shirt to catch myself, I took a deep breath. There was a bitter taste at the back of my tongue as the gas shot down my throat. Terror was the last thing I had time to feel. A moment later, I knew nothing but darkness.
* * *
The first thing I noticed was the grunting sound. Was that what had woken me up? Eyes fluttering open, I noticed I was no longer in the dining room. My head felt like it’d been hit with a hammer, it ached worse than I could ever remember. Pushing up from the ground, another bolt of pain shot through my head.
The grunting sound became louder as I sat up. Still ignoring it, I glanced around and saw that I was in a familiar room. It was what Sam called the playroom, but I was beginning to think of it as The Torture Room. Turning, I saw what was making the grunting sound, and I dropped my jaw in horror.
Kaden was tied to the chair. He was secured even tighter than the others had been. The zip ties dug into his flesh so hard some had cut the skin. His right hand was nearly purple from the one on his wrist. He grunted and jerked his hands as he stared at me imploringly. The door out was closed, but I rushed to it and tried the knob and found it locked.
Bong. “Good evening, Dahlia. I would like to apologize for what you experienced earlier. While I believe suffering to be the best way to deal with trauma, this is still my house. I hold sway, and I determine who suffers, when, and how. Kaden Masla didn’t follow the rules. He was difficult to apprehend and has been more trouble than he’s worth. Again. I apologize.”
“Uh, thanks?” I felt stupid answering him but didn’t know what else to do.
“I don’t usually lose my patience, but today has been an exception. I feel it’s time for Mr. Masla to learn there are consequences to his actions.”
Oh no. I’d learned a long time ago that prayer didn’t help, but I hoped this wasn’t going where I thought it was.
Kaden’s eyes widened as he listened, and then struggled even harder with his bonds. I’d been here long enough to know what was coming. A stainless steel table sat beside the window into the viewing room. On the table was a ball peen hammer and what looked like a battery-powered hand saw. I shivered.
“Kaden,” Sam went on, “needs to be taught a lesson. I feel you are the best to do that. Please proceed.”
Kaden caught my eye, and through the ball gag in his mouth screamed at me. It wasn’t a scream of rage or anger. Instead, it was one of hopeless desperation. With his eyes, he was begging me to help him. Part of me thought he deserved what Sam was telling me to do. He’d attacked me, he’d been an asshole, and he’d done everything he could to be difficult. I also remembered him screaming for me to help him get out. His anger had turned to terror. His reactions had been based on fear more than hatred or an inner vile nature. How could I torture and kill someone who only wanted to go home? Regardless of how he’d acted, he didn’t deserve this.
Some lines shouldn’t be crossed.
“No,” I said, surprising myself.
Instead of a vocal answer, my cuff buzzed. Not painful, but a heavy enough shock to make me jump. Kaden flinched when he saw me jump, probably thinking I was about to attack him.
“I said, no,” I shouted.
This wasn’t right. I remembered my first day here. I’d been beyond panicked and could barely listen to reason. But for a few different choices I might have been in the same spot Kaden was. What he needed was someone to take him under their wing and help them figure out how to survive here. The way Drake had done for me.
The next buzz from my cuff sent a bolt of pain up my arm. I hissed in pain and fell back to my knees.
