I heard Tony’s laughter as he followed after me. I kept running and screaming, getting toward the road.
“There’s nobody here,” he yelled out. “There’s nowhere for you to go.”
I got to the road, out of breath, and desperately looked around.
He was right. The streetlights weren’t even working. There was nothing around me and I was alone, so fucking alone. I thought about Gates, his strong body, the smile on his face as he went down on me. Those were good moments, beautiful moments, some of the best moments of my life. I wished that I could go back there and live in them, enjoy them, accept them for what they were. I wished I never had to end up at this warehouse.
And then Tony was on me. He punched me in the skull and threw me to the ground. He kicked me until I screamed out in pain, not able to stop the tears.
Finally, he pulled me to my feet by my hair. “Don’t run again,” he said simply, and began to drag me back toward the building.
I went with him. I had no other choice. I could run but there was nowhere to go. I couldn’t get far enough to get away from him, not in the shape I was in. Plus, he had a gun, and could kill me at any time.
We went into the front door. The place was empty and smelled like mildew and mold. He took me down a hall and through some plastic hanging doors. We moved through an open warehouse floor with old machines scattered around. He pushed me in through a door into what looked like an office.
“Sit,” he said.
I sat down in the only chair there. He rummaged around in a bin near the door and found a rope. He tied me to the chair, making the knots nice and tight.
Once he was done, he stepped back and admired what he had done.
“What are you going to do with me?” I asked him.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“You can’t just keep me here. Someone will find me.”
“I can do whatever I want.”
“You’re hurt, Tony. You need help.”
He laughed. “I’m fine, you stupid whore. I’m fine.”
He was unhinged, unraveling. I could hear it in his voice. He was losing his freaking mind and he was going to bring me down with him.
Fear lanced through my body again. I didn’t know what he was going to do with me in this room. He clearly knew this building and had been in this room before, since he knew where the rope was and brought me directly to this chair. Maybe this was the spot he brought people when he wanted to hurt them, the sick bastard.
“I’ll be back,” Tony mumbled, and her left the room.
I tested my restraints, working as hard as I could. I wasn’t done trying to get away, not by a long shot. I twisted my body, pressing against the ropes. As I worked it, chair feet rattling on the floor, I suddenly lost my balance. I tipped over and crashed onto my side.
I started to cry out of frustration. I felt so stupid laying there on my side, sobbing like a baby, but I couldn’t help it. I screamed, so damn angry, so damn helpless. I hated that I was being held there against my will and could do nothing about it.
Tony came back a few minutes later. He looked down at me and smiled slightly.
“Friends are coming,” he said simply. “They’ll help deal with you.”
“Bastard,” I said.
He shrugged and helped me back up. “Don’t worry,” he said softly. “It won’t be long now.”
I spit at him, but he just wiped it off his face and left the room again, that creepy smile never leaving his face.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I thought about Gates, about what he would do in this situation.
He would be brave. Gates was the bravest, strongest man I’d ever met, and I had to be brave. That was all I could do.
I pushed back against my fear and prepared to accept whatever came next.
Chapter 26
Gates
I was going on days without solid sleep, but I could handle it. I knew where Piper was, and that was all that mattered. That psycho had her, and I had to make all this shit right.
I drove faster and faster, breaking speed limits, being reckless. I knew I was pushing the limit but I couldn’t hold back. I had to get there in time to save her, and if I didn’t, I couldn’t ever forgive myself.
It was around ten at night by the time I got to the warehouse district of the Chicago suburbs. I had to stop and ask for directions twice, which was frustrating as fuck, but eventually I found the place. “J&J Shipping” was painted in white on the front of the building, and there were several black cars parked out front. There was nobody else around and not a single speck of artificial light anywhere, which was good for me. I was a master of stealth and night fighting.