Page 164 of Rest In Knotty Pieces

I let out an almost silent whimper that I smother into silence. He’s not done yet, oh, god, I don’t know how much more of this I can take.

“Scream for me now, Merelee.”

The whip flies through the air. I scream.

“FORTY!”

Again.

“FORTY-ONE!”

Another.

“FORTY-TWO!”

He stops and stares at me. “If you survive this, remember that the next time you steal from me, I will peel the skin from your body, and we will see how long you live then.”

He undoes the manacles, letting me fall to the floor in a heavy thud.

“If you survive, you have one month to bring them back.”

I can barely think, I can barely breathe. His words are heavy, but they make no sense. I don’t understand. I pant and try to push myself up, but I can’t even manage that.

He walks away.

He leaves.

I struggle, pulling myself, dragging myself.

I can’t stay. I’m slipping away, but it's good. This is how we survive.

Into the dark I fall, pulling the pain with me, wrapping it around myself. An alter slides past me.

I want to comfort her, but I’ve got the pain wrapped up so tight. I’ll protect her. She won’t ever have to feel this.

No one will.

That is my job.

Roseland

Ihold my gun up as I slip around the corner, moving my gaze from point to point. Where is he? It’s so quiet. Are we too late? No, we can’t be. I still have two hours.

Raven’s plan went wrong. I don’t know how I know, but the plan to ambush Father didn’t work. As soon as she snuck away, I saw the car following her; the driver turned his head, and all I saw was a man in a bird skeleton mask. He knew I was there.

He knew what we were planning.

I’d raced into the street screaming.

I tried to catch up.

I’d rung the others, but they didn’t pick up. They were gone. Fuck knows where. Just gone.

The tracking app brought me here, but it took too freaking long.

The car drove out ten minutes ago, but her tracker is still inside. I glance at my phone, check again, and then pocket it and move deeper into the warehouse.

I click my torch on, checking before flicking it off and crossing the space. I’m moving fast and quick, but there’s so much here. It’s a freaking maze.