Bound

I was encompassed in an endless sea of darkness. My body was tense from the metal pressed against my wrists and ankles. My mouth gagged, and my eyes were bound in cloth.

I thrashed, and thrashed, attempting to rock the chair but it was hopeless—like someone nailed it to the ground.

I tried to open my mouth or utter a single fucking word or sound, but nothing came out.

I couldn't breathe or think as a rush of cool air caressed my exposed arms. My heart slammed against my chest like a frantic lion trapped in a cage with every intention of breaking out.

This couldn't be happening. Jared couldn't do this to me. Wouldn't do this to me. 

I was on the verge of hyperventilating when I heard light footfalls echo around me.

The lingering smell of mildew and rust assaulted my nose as the echoes became louder and louder.

My thundering heartbeat muffled in comparison to the echoes ringing in my ears.

This was how I was going to die. Crazy-ex mutilated and dumped ex-lover in the forest because he couldn't handle being with anyone else. That was the end of my pathetic existence.

An icy hand touched my face and I flinched so hard I shook the whole chair.

If I could see myself now, I probably looked like one of those shaky chihuahuas that just needed to peel over and die.

The room fell silent as they removed their hand from my cheek.

Chills edged down my spine.

I couldn't stop trembling as the sudden presence of others surrounded me.

"Where's the old hag?" A gruff voice demanded, cutting through the stillness of the air.

After those words left the man's lips, the erratic beats of my heart pounded harder against my chest. Thump—thump, THUMP, thump. It was like white noise—blocking out everything so I could slip into oblivion, or so I hoped.

It was eerily quiet, but I knew I wasn't alone. I could still feel the presence of countless eyes watching me.

My favorite jacket was somehow gone and the cold draft surged stronger through the room like an autumn breeze that nipped at my fingertips and sent gooseflesh down my neck.

Instantly, the cloth was torn from my face; the light blinded me until my eyes could refocus.

I gawked in horror at the man looming over me. He had alabaster white hair like he was the moon descending to earth; lighting up the grungy warehouse in his wake. The men and women surrounding him paled in comparison. Overshadowed by his brilliance—it was disturbing. He looked like death himself ready to reap the carnage that he had instigated.

I felt a gnawing pain cement itself within my stomach.

If I didn't find a way to escape, something told me the pitch black eyes that were fixated on me—didn't care if I lived or died.

I was fucked. What did Jared get me into?

The man's voice was commanding, but low. "Anyone care to explain this?" he asked again without raising a single octave, but it carried throughout the room regardless.

He crossed his arms; his black tuxedo shifted slightly as he lifted his sculpted jaw. His face was unreadable.

It seemed no one dared to respond to the man that made the earth tremble with just two simple questions.

The silence felt like an eternity before I heard Jared's grating voice. "Ryas said she was the one that had it," he paused, fidgeting before he worked up the courage to speak again. "You promised you would let her go after you got what you wanted."

Ah, so the rat was hiding in the corner this whole time. Of course he would try to conceal himself from me. I swear if I die because of that cheating bastard—I will rise from the depths of hell and haunt his ass for all of his pathetic existence.

I gave Jared the nastiest glare I could manifest despite my current situation but he avoided my eyes like the spineless prick he was.

I didn't dare look back at the man standing before me and instead, kept my focus on Jared, but his continued silence made me increasingly anxious.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him turn to Jared. His face twisted in disgust as his domineering posture became more evident. He was looking down on Jared like he was an insignificant bug that he could squash whenever he desired.

"It's a pity I have to repeat myself. I said I would consider it. Now my generosity is wavering," he said with the click of his tongue.

He didn't give Jared any more attention as his gaze fell back onto me.

In that second, I wished for myself to disappear so I wouldn't have to face that man any longer.

He pulled the cloth down from my mouth and in a low voice that rattled me to the core, he whispered, "Where is it?"

My mouth hung open. I had so many questions but I got the feeling that if I asked them, I was a goner—if I wasn't already.

I gulped. My mouth was bone-dry despite the humidity in the room.

Before I could answer, a flicker of light that resembled a blue flame appeared in his dark eyes and then he snatched the necklace off my neck.

I gasped from shock or flinched or maybe both before I realized what he took from me.

His smile felt ominous as he turned to the lady in a midnight blue dress and black heels.

"Take care of her. I don't care how you do it or what you do, but clean up the mess when you're done."

Then he was gone, and the men followed behind him.

Jared stood there gaping in disbelief, but it seemed like he didn't have the power to go against him and reluctantly followed.

The reality of my situation sunk in and betrayal and anger hit me all at once like a festering wound that only got worse the more he avoided my eyes.

"You fucking coward!" I screamed.

I cursed and cursed at Jared again until his black curls disappeared from my view and my voice went hoarse. Until I no longer heard his footfalls echo throughout the warehouse. Until my anger turned into desperation.