Avenger(50)

Finally, after staring at me for a minute, he turned sharply and left the room. The door slammed closed behind him.

I guessed all my good behavior had been for nothing.

I began to cry, pulling at the chains. I didn’t care that it hurt my wrists. I needed to feel the pain to remind me that I was indeed still alive. A scream tore out of my throat. I think I was close to losing what was left of my sanity.

“Let me out!” I shouted, rattling the chains. “Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!”

I began to cry, unable to help myself. “Please,” I begged no one, “let me out. I want to go home,” my voice cracked.

I wanted Caeden. I wanted home. I wanted security.

Tears coursed down my cheeks, soaking the thin shirt I wore—a shirt that wasn’t even my own. For some reason I wondered whose it was. It certainly wasn’t Travis’, it was too small for that. Did that mean there was a female here? One who might possess some empathy and help me out of here? Oh, who was I kidding? If there was a female here—wherever here was—she was just as crazy as Travis and in no way would help me.

My tears dried up and I began to hiccup. “Caeden, where are you?”

* * *

Caeden

I needed to kill something.

No, not something, someone.

Someone with blond hair and black eyes.

My fist flew into the bag again and Bentley grunted from the impact. “Dude, I think that hit my kidney,” he said breathlessly.

“I. Don’t. Care.” I punched the bag over and over again, hoping I could punch the anger out of me. No such luck though. I’d been at it for a good two hours and I was still pissed and exhaustion had yet to set in.

Bentley grunted again and released the bag. It flew back at me and before I could move, it slammed into my chest, knocking me to the ground.

“What the hell?” I gasped; rubbing the sore spot on my chest that I could tell was already bruising.

“You need a reality check,” Bentley stood above me, his arms crossed over his chest as he sent me an icy glare. “Punching the shit out of that thing,” he pointed at the slightly swaying bag, “isn’t going to make you feel better.”

I clenched my teeth, my nostrils flaring with anger. He was right. “What do you expect me to do? I can’t find her! I can’t feel her! Even her familiar can’t find her! She’s gone,” I croaked like a big old baby, “and there’s nothing more I can do.”

“There’s always something you can do,” Bentley whispered.

“Like what?” I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “I’ve been everywhere I know to go and there’s no sign of her or Travis. They’re just gone. Poof! Non-existent!”

“Maybe you should talk to the elders,” he started, and when I opened my mouth to cut him off, he gave me a look that said I’d regret it later. I knew when Bentley got like this that I shouldn’t push him. “There might be something helpful in one of the legends. Maybe something that would help you locate her.”

I shook my head, letting out a sigh. “I’ve read those things so many times, looking for information on the mutants that I practically have them memorized. There’s nothing in there about locating person.”

Bentley nodded. “Okay, then. At least stop moping. I know it sucks that you haven’t found her yet—heck, Chris has been sick since she went missing because she’s been so worried—but you have to stay optimistic.”

“I’m an optimistic person by nature,” I shook my head, slowly rising to my feet, “but even the most positive person loses hope after a while. And once you’ve lost hope—”

“You’ve lost everything,” Bentley finished.

“Exactly,” I nodded, cracking my knuckles.

Bentley appeared thoughtful for a moment. “Why don’t you stay with Chris and I for a while? It’s not good for you to be holed up in that house, making furniture all day. We have an extra bedroom. We wouldn’t bother you.”

“I don’t know—”

“Don’t make an excuse. I’m not saying you need to move in, but a few days might do you some good.”

He was right. I really did need to get out of the house. The only time I left was to come here, to the gym, and to look for Sophie, which always left me feeling exhausted and defeated since everything led to a dead end. I didn’t understand how they were just…gone. For all I knew, they were states away, or even a whole other country. Looking for Sophie had become hopeless. Until she had the baby, or…or Travis killed her, I wouldn’t know anything. I was stuck in limbo, waiting for something. I didn’t like this one bit, but there was nothing more I could do and I had to face reality. This time, Sophie probably wasn’t coming home and neither would our son.