Chapter 13: What happened to Angel?

*Josh*

We had been later than planned to pick up Angel, Smiley and I. Instead of staying and watching over Angel while she worked we were given orders to try and search for Cayla and dig up anything we could about her whereabouts. Unluckily for us, we scooped up nothing, so we were arriving late at Angel's workplace by an hour. "She's not outside and the restaurant looks closed.." Smiley spoke up, confusion in his voice. From the back seat, I stood up just barely to peer out of the window shield of the SUV we arrived in, "Shit! that's no good.." I was dragged out in a bit of disbelief.

"No shit Josh, call the boss and let them know," Smiley got out of the car as I'm taking out my phone and called the boss's number, as I'm watching him I see him pick up what looked to be Angel's handbag. He searched it to be sure it was hers, and surely enough it was. "Aye boss, we got an issue.." before I could spill the information Gray was yelling on the other line for us to get to their house immediately. "Let's go, Smiley, the boss is impatient," hurrying back into the driver's seat and closing the door to the left of him heavily, Smiley pressed the gas hard and sped off out of the driveway of the restaurant.

*Angel*

Slowly I began to regain my consciousness, my ears were ringing as my eyes slowly opened to a blurry scene. I could tell the room was black with only a dim ceiling light to barely brighten it. I groaned in pain, the right side of my face ached as if I'd been hit right on the cheek. I tasted blood in my mouth, my lip had been busted from what I assumed was the hit that blacked me out a couple of hours ago. I remember being dragged into a black SUV with a bag drawn over my head and then not even moments later I was knocked out.

As my vision came to a clear view, I noticed a wooden chair stationed beneath the light that acted like a spotlight, no one sat in it yet. I groaned once more, my head beginning to feel as if it had a pulse of its own. I tried to stand, but my arms were tied to my back by a chain, which also had a chain tied to it that was attached to the wall I sat leaning against when I woke up. "So, she's finally awake.." I could hear Caylas' voice loud and clear as her clanking heels came closer and closer until the clanking of her heels against the hard concrete flooring stopped and she was seated in the chair that was in front of me. She crossed her legs effortlessly as she looked down at me as if I were some sort of pathetic prey for her to feast on at any moment.

"What do you want with me?... Why are you doing this?" my words dragged out slowly with a stammer, my tone low and soft hinting at how afraid I was in this moment. "Oh girl, you stole someone from me so you must pay. Don't worry though, this is only a mere warning for Gray, of course, though it'll hurt you more than me." With a sinister grin, Cayla who sat before me began to inform me of her plans. "You see, right now I'm in hiding since I know Gray so desperately wants to find me to protect your stupid ugly fat ass."

She scoffed disapprovingly as I just listened with open ears, damn near hugging the wall the best I could with my back. Her grin which was so sinister before disappeared, "I'll give you back once I'm done with you. Gray takes me as a game I'm sure they do, so for my benefit baby girl I have to y'know do something about that..." Making a small and effortless gesture with her hand a tall bulky man came up from the shadows. Speaking in Spanish, Cayla gave them what I assumed to be some kind of orders about what to do with me.

"Yes ma'am."

"And try not to be too rough with her, Gray won't approve if she's too ugly," With a nonchalant giggle Cayla stood from her chair and left me alone with the tall man who only stared at me until Cayla was gone and out of sight. "Please, I'm begging you!" I began to cry as I begged not knowing if here I would be sexually assaulted or worse. The tall man walked over to me in just a few strides and knelt in front of me, within seconds I was bloody and bruised lying on the ground sobbing as every part of my body ached. In those few minutes of me being alone with that man, he punched me, kicked me, and even choked me until I had almost blacked out. It felt like he literally had a personal problem with me and was just getting his chance to have a go at me.

"Drop her off in front of the building, I'm sure one of Gray's henchmen will find her." I heard Cayla order a few of her men later once the door to the room I was held in opened. Then two of the four men who were given the order came into the room I was held up in. One removed the chains that bruised my wrist and tossed me over their shoulder after throwing a bag over my face, I was carried away and taken outside where I felt a cool breeze attack all the bruises on my body that painted my bare skin almost purple and caused pain to surge throughout my body.

I groaned in pain, no longer being able to cry as if I had cried all of my tears during my unsavory beating. I was tossed carelessly into the backseat of the same SUV which brought me to this unknown place. I heard the engine rev up and start, and sooner or later I was rolled out of the moving SUV in front of Grays' residence. "Shit! Fuck!" A deep voice spoke, and footsteps of many rushed over to my aid. The bag that had covered my bruised face was pulled off and I could now see my surroundings. My hands no longer chained up, I reached up to the male before me with my hand who was knelt down holding me up just barely, "Please help me.." I begged, my voice cracked and sounded as if I were speaking in a broken whisper.

But really, my vocal cords were just swelling as time went by from having been forcefully squeezed upon for over a minute. "She's hurt bad, the boss won't enjoy this." The man who was knelt down in front of me picked me up and gestured with a nod of his head for the rest of the other men and even women to follow him who just so happened to be standing guard outside of the apartment complex, some of those had came running out from inside the building. I was rushed all the way up to the top floor where Gray's penthouse was, and once inside I was laid gently onto the black couch that sat in the main room not too far off from the front door. "What the fuck is going on?" Gray came speeding down the spiral stairs that lead up to the second floor of their penthouse apartment. "I think this was Caylas' doing, Angel is beaten up pretty badly," one of the guards informed Gray who was speed walking over to the couch as they walked over to them as if to attempt to keep them calm. "Listen to me, Boss.." The man placed their firm hand on Grays's bare tatted shoulder which made them stop and look at them. "Before you do anything rash, just don't beat yourself and keep a clear mind."

"Get your hand off of me."

As if they had growled like a wild beasts, Gray shot their demanding command in a low tone and within an instant they were standing near the couch looking down at me. One hand propped onto their hip while the other covered their mouth as their brows furrowed in anger, disbelief, and horror at the sight of me. "Fuck!" backing away, Gray turned and ferociously kicked the glass coffee table that was in the middle of the room causing it to shatter into itself. Pieces of glass shattered into smaller pieces as it fell to the ground. Gray retreated into their kitchen, not sparing me a second glance.

I was too shocked to form any thoughts, still trying to comprehend all that happened to me on this night, I was stuck. I didn't know what to do or how to respond, but I do know that Grays's actions scared me quite a lot. They looked so upset and horrified when they looked at me, I could hardly tell if it were me they were upset with or the people who did this to me. "Get the fuck here now! Hurry up!" I could hear Gray yelling at their phone, anger consuming them. For some reason, I felt bad and at fault, if only I hadn't asked to go home maybe all of this could have been avoided.

I sat up on the couch, my body still aching painfully without any faltering. The bruises that covered me seemed to be worsening rather than healing, there were some small cuts as well but I didn't pay them any mind. I felt like I needed water and a warm bath to help me feel better, "Wa..ter....plea..se" I looked up at one of the male guards who surrounded me in the room, my voice and swollen vocal cords hardly making the words I slowly tried to speak comprehensibly. "Right away ma'am" the guard I asked scurried into the kitchen hurriedly and came back with a cold cup of water in mere seconds. Just barely I took the glass into my own hand and put the edge of it to my lips and sipped at the water.

I'd never thought drinking water, something that contained barely any other chemicals or minerals within it would be so difficult to swallow down. I closed my eyes tightly as I swallowed the few sips I took before setting the glass down near my feet next to me. "Is she alright?!" Smiley came through the door damn near breaking it off of its hinges as he searched the entire room, his eyes soon landing on me. As if relieved, his wide eyes softened and grew smaller as he sighed, though he didn't look to pleased with what he saw. Josh came in soon after him rushing over to my side rather than staying a ways away and being cautious like everyone else.

"We are so sorry Angel, we should have come to you earlier or stayed like smart people," Their eyes spilled every ounce of how worried and sorry they were for me. My entire body began to shake as I parted my lips to respond but my voice was finally truly gone, a hoarse screech came out instead of words.