“You wanna come party with me?”
I shake my head and cough weakly. I’m tired of playing Vince’s games. If he wants to toy with me, then he can deal with the consequences. Kade will defend me. No matter what I do, he’ll help me. He said he would.
“Fuck you.” My entire being begins to tremble as I hear the words fall from my lips. Shit. I think I just started a fight I’m not going to be able to finish. I hear an extra chuckle sound off on the sidelines and not a second later another Fortunate steps into view, one I’ve never seen before.
“She has a mouth on her,” he says and I take note of his short, curly brown hair. In the light, I can’t tell what colour his eyes are or what distinct features mark his face. I’m blind, caught in the darkness with enemies that want to hurt me. Vince sticks his finger in my mouth and the taste of whiskey taints my tastebuds. I try hard to spit it out, but he presses his finger down on my tongue and I’m unable to move it.
“Yes, she does.”
Left with no other option, I bite down. Swearing under his breath, he rips his finger out and I’m tossed to the side as his hand collides directly with my cheek. I crash to the ground, and as I lay, I feel my heart slamming against my ribcage, trying desperately to get Kade’s attention because my voice box isn’t working. It’s frozen, paralysed with fear. I whimper as Vince rolls me over onto my back with his foot and crouches low.
“I have a wild night planned for you, sugar.” He grips my face, squeezing my flesh against my teeth so I open my mouth. He drops something in and it lands at the back of my throat. It’s too far to spit out, but too dry to swallow. So I gag, trying desperately to get rid of it one way or another. I thrash, moving every muscle in my body until they burn, and Vince throws a leg over me, pinning me underneath him.
“Relax, baby, I’ve got something that will help that go down real smooth.”
I watch frantically as his friend hands him a bottle. The closer Vince draws it to my lips, the more distinct its smell becomes. Whiskey. I purse my lips shut, but he squeezes my mouth again, forcing it open.
“Don’t, please,” I manage to cry before the contents of the bottle are poured into my mouth and I’m forced to swallow. He keeps pouring until the liquid overfills my mouth, spills down my cheeks and fills my nostrils. Unable to breathe, I begin to choke. Then, and only then, does he let up. He rolls me to the side and I let the excess alcohol fall from my orifice. I cough and choke until my eyes water and my throat burns, and then I cough and choke a little more. I feel like hell. My nostrils burn, my throat burns, my lungs burn. It’s like my organs are on fire and I’m burning from the inside out.
“Please,” I mumble and my head begins to spin.
I can’t see properly—can’t tell which way is up. Then, weightlessness overcomes me as I’m thrown over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“Wait, what about your brother?”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got someone else that can take the rap for it. He can’t touch us.”
“Kade!” I call out, but his name is only a pathetic whisper on my lips. My eyes grow heavy, so heavy they hurt to keep open. He’ll save me. I know he will. He has to… he’s my protector. My lion.
Then my eyes close.
∞
“Don’t go sticking it in. Warm her up, touch her first.”
My eyes shoot open and the blurry lines of the world begin to sharpen. I peer at the wooden banisters that hold up the ceiling and then tilt my head, focusing on the small to medium gathering of people to my left. What the hell? Something brushes against my vagina and I jolt upwards on my elbows. My brain rolls violently in my skull, blurring my vision again. I quickly lay back down, hoping to make it stop.
“Wh—what’s happening?” I groan and attempt to roll onto my side, but heavy hands on my thighs prevent it.
I freeze then and peer down the length of my body. I see him, the Unfortunate poised between my legs with an excited gleam in his eyes. I shriek and pull my knees up before sending my feet crashing into his chest. Despite my rolling head, I roll off the table and crash to the floor. Pain shoots over every inch of my body, but I can’t pinpoint where. I hear scrambled laughter as I desperately try to crawl to my feet. I can’t, my head is woozy, my limbs sluggish and drugged. As I manage to force myself onto my hands and knees, I see two leather shoes, no, one leather shoe by my face, and then I hear Vince’s voice.
“Nine, what are you doing?” he asks, his voice light with amusement.
“I-I’m l-looking for Kade. Where is he?” My voice doesn’t sound like my own. It’s slurred, incoherent.