Chapter 16—Niece

Deven POV:

I groan as I feel something cold against my face as well as a pounding headache.

Where the heck am I?

The last thing I remember was this pervert kidnapping and me calling out for Doyle.

Doyle.

Dang, it! I have to get outta here.

I open my eyes and lift my head gradually as I access the room I'm in for any possible escape.

There are none. There's no window or trap door in here, at least none visible to me. The only way out is through the main door which is farther away from where I'm sitting or rather, chained to.

I sigh sadly and look down at my ankles and see the cold, rusty shackles around them. I feel the same material against my wrists and look behind me as I pull it back and forth.

There's definitely no way out.

Even if there is a window or trap door, I won't be able to get out since I'm chained.

I let my head fall gently onto the wall behind me and exhale a shaky breath.

This brings back memories.

I chuckle bitterly at my thought.

Who even kidnapped me?

I've done no one any harm. What would anyone want from a girl who once worked at a club?

It's a club for crying out loud; I don't get paid three billion dollars a month for you to kidnap me and possibly raise a bounty on my head.

I close my eyes as different thoughts begin to gather in my head.

Doyle.

The door opens sharply and so did my eyes.

"Nice. You're awake," the guy who kidnapped me earlier, says.

I don't make a sound or move my face. I just stare at him blankly.

"Not talking, huh?"

I stare blankly at him before turning my head the other way.

I don't know what he does next but I hear the door close which means he left

I let out a sigh of relief.

My moment of relief doesn't last because the door opens again and the person who walks through it is last yet the expected person I figured would do this.

I don't when my mouth moves but it does.

"You," I sneer as I subconsciously move forward to tackle him and I'm reminded by the rattles of the shackles that I'm chained.

"Me," he affirms with a smile. A smile that makes me feel sick.

"Hey sweetheart," he says.

'He.' The man who has been tormenting me for the past three years of my life. Both physically and mentally. Not one day have I ever gone to sleep without him plaguing my dreams. He has made my life a nightmare—a reality.

He has stripped me of the little to no innocence or hopes a girl who works at a club could have.

And those little to no innocence or hope were all I had. They were the only things I felt truly belonged to me. The only things that kept me pushing to tomorrow so I could experience freedom. A freedom that I would take, no matter its cost even if the cost were my life.

He took that away from me. He took my freedom.

"I'm sorry I missed your birthday but that was just a day or two ago. Nothing we can't make up for, right?" he smiles in a sadistic manner.

"Thanks but I appreciate nothing if it's coming from you," I reply.

"Well, I'm an everything man. So that means a birthday present has to be given especially if it's to my favorite niece," he stalks toward me while talking.

I open my mouth to reply with a witty remark but I close them once his words resonate in my brain.

What? Niece? I'm his niece? He's my uncle? That makes no sense.

"I have no relatives. At least none that are alive," I murmur as I look at the ground and try to put together the information I have.

It doesn't come together because it doesn't make sense.

I look at him and scrunch my face in confusion. And the realization dawns on me— he's talking nonsense.

I mean look at who we're talking about here.

I exhale in mock laughter. "I knew you were crazy but now you're just being delusional."

"I'm not your niece," I deadpan, "I have no family relatives, at least none that are alive."

He barks out in laughter.

See, crazy. Nothing I said was funny.

"But you do. Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll explain it later," he stalks closer till he is in front of me and touches me. He strokes my right cheek and I recoil from his touch and shiver in disgust. "Let's not hold up that present any longer."

Unfortunately, I know what he means.

"You moron!" I bark at him as his hands wander to places, they shouldn't even if I were or were not his 'niece.'