Chapter 101
Chapter 101
VENUS
My mouth was dry.
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So dry it felt like someone had scraped sandpaper along the inside of my throat. I tried to move only to realize I couldn’t.
My arms… my legs…
Rope. Coarse and unrelenting. Wrapped tight. Biting into the skin with a cruel rhythm. My wrists were pinned behind the back of the wooden chair, my ankles secured to its legs. The more I struggled, the deeper the rope dug in. A fresh wave of pain exploded from every twitch it was harp, red and raw.
Panic licked up my spine.
I opened my eyes fully.
Concrete. Bare, Grey.
A single bulb buzzed above, its yellow light sputtering like it was ready to die. It swayed gently, casting shadows that danced in slow, sinister arcs across the floor. The walls were raw cement streaked with mold and something darker. Unfinished. Windowless. There was only one door, it was metal, bolted and thick.
The air smelled like rust and oil. Old oil. The kind that seeps into everything.
I tried to scream, only to realize my mouth had been sealed shu with duct tape. My breath caught in my throat as the memories clawed back in.
The water. The couch. My mother. Her voice.
And then-Dain.
A specter I hadn’t seen in months. Towering. Drunk. And now apparently real. Standing in the hallway like a nightmare crawling back into the world.
I blinked, fast and hard, trying to push the panic back down. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might split through my ribs. I needed to think. I needed to remember. I needed to understand.
Footsteps.
Two sets. Heavy. Confident. Echoing off concrete. I tensed. My spine snapped straight despite the dull roar of protest from every muscle.
The metal door groaned open.
And there they were.
Dain looking like the walking definition of rock bottom. Grey stubble, puffy eyes, a film of grease clinging to his skin like a second layer. The stench of whiskey walked in before he did.
And beside him, Billy.
Slick. Smirking. Clean-shaven. His shirt stretched tight over his chest, arms folded as he leaned casually against the frame. His eyes raked over me like he was already carving the future into my skin.
“Well, well,” Billy drawled. “Sleeping Beauty’s up p>
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Chapter 101
They walked in with the slow, unhurried confidence of men whe believed no one was coming to stop them.
I glared. Fury. Fear. Shame. All tangled together like a wire no one could untangle. My stomach churned.
Dain ripped the tape from my mouth.
The skin around my lips burned, and I coughed, tasting blood and glue.
“What… what the hell is this?” My voice cracked. Dry. Weak. But still standing. Still mine.
Dain stepped in closer.
I flinched.
Not from cowardice. Not from fear.
From instinct.
Because men like Dain were grenades, already live, already seconds from detonating.
His smile curled. “Good to see you too, sweetheart p>
Same voice. Same bitterness, years old and still rotting.
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Billy’s gaze crawled down my body. He licked his lips, slow and eliberate. “Last time we met didn’t go so well, huh p>
I knew exactly what he meant.
A year ago. I’d returned to that cursed apartment to collect the list of my things. He’d cornered me in the kitchen. Grabbed me. Pinned me.
Aaron had nearly killed him that day.
My mouth twitched. “Untie me p>
Billy chuckled. “Oh, she still thinks she’s got leverage. Cute p>
I turned the full weight of my glare on him. “You don’t scare me
Lie.
A big one.
His grin widened. “Not yet p>
Dain crouched down until he was eye level. The stink of alcohol made my eyes water. His pupils were sharp, hard.
“You always thought you were better than us,” he said, voice low Miss Penthouse. Miss Designer Shoes. Like you didn’t crawl out of the same gutter we did p>
“I survived the gutter,” I said coldly. “I didn’t marry it p>
He barked out a laugh. A hollow sound that bounced off the walls.
I inhaled, slow and deliberate. “Why are you doing this? Is this about money? I’ll give you whatever you want. Just let me go p>
They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Cold spilled into my chest.
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Chapter 101
“Aaron will find me. I said. “And when he does, the two of you will regret this p>
Another lie.
Because deep down, I wasn’t even sure he knew I was gone.
And even if he did, after everything, I wasn’t sure he’d come for me.
Billy’s smirk twisted. “Sorry to break it to you, girlie, but you pissed off the wrong people. Ain’t nobody coming to save you”
He stepped forward, crouching down to mirror Dain’s earlier pose. He was too close. I recoiled, every muscle pulling away.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, trying to sound braver than I felt.
Billy leaned in. His breath hot. “We were hired p>
“No… you’re lying p>
They laughed again.
Dain began to pace. His boots clanged on the concrete.
“Who hired you p>
Billy gave a mock-innocent shrug. “That’s for us to know, and you to… suffer through p>
My mind raced.
Caroline? Dorian? Richard? Or someone I hadn’t even suspected
“Aaron’s not going to spare you,” I said. “Let me go now, and maybe I’ll convince him to show you mercy p>
Dain scoffed. “You think that Armani-wearing bastard’s gonna get a chance? You’ve been ghosted, sweetheart. Someone went to great lengths to make sure you disappeared p>
Billy ran a finger up my thigh.
My body recoiled violently.
“Get your filthy hands off me p>
He only smiled wider. That sick, twisted smile he always wore when he thought he had the upper hand.
“I’ve been dreaming about this. Since the day your lapdog jumped me. Now he’s not here to play hero p>
His fingers gripped tighter. My skin burned. I spat on him.
It landed squarely across his cheek.
His smile vanished.
His hand flew across my face with a sickening crack. My head wipped to the side. My vision blurred. Something warm spilled from my lip.
Blood.
He’d split it open.
“Bitch,” he growled. “You shouldn’t have done that p>
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Chapter 101
He fumbled with his belt.
Panic ripped through me. I thrashed. The rope sliced my skin, ut I didn’t care.
Then-
“Enough”
Dain shoved Billy back hard.
“He said untouched. That was the deal p>
“I don’t give a shit!” Billy snapped. “She needs to learn some manners p>
“You lay a hand on her again, he won’t pay us a cent. You wanna be broke and dead? Be my guest p>
Who is He?
Billy sneered, spat on the floor, and stormed out. The door slammed shut behind him.
I turned my head slowly, tasting blood.
“Dad… please p>
His eyes turned to ice.
“I ain’t your father p>
And then he left.
The door clicked shut.
I was alone again.
Breathing hard. Lip throbbing. Wrists screaming. Shoulders aching.
But I wasn’t broken.
Not yet.
I stared at the swaying bulb.
And I started counting the seconds between flickers.
Because time was all I had now.
And I had to come up with a plan because I wasn’t sure anyone was coming to save me.
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Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.