Chapter 84
***~Riley~***
The air was moist and thick with the stifling scent of mold and rust. My eyes flickered open and close with such rapidness that I was unable to fully piece together where I was. My body felt lifeless and unreactive to my internal commands and I had no choice but to remain limp and pliable in the hold of the two men dragging me along by my arms. I barely noticed anything special about the men, their words were indiscernible, almost as if they were speaking in tongues but I was certain they weren’t. I was just unable to process it. Being drugged will do that to you.
I couldn’t say that I missed this feeling of confused lucidness but I also hadn’t expected to be drugged. I had done as Todd advised, I’d met him in a discrete location and entered his car and that was all I remembered.
One of the grips on my arm slacked and then was completely removed, the heat that had seared my skin instantly cooling. A clattering of iron and keys rattled in my ears and I groaned in discomfort, unable to suppress my reaction as I forced my eyes to remain open for longer than a second. I had to fight this as much as possible, especially since I know whose clutches I was now in. A blurry figure stood in front of me, his silhouette almost fading into the darkness.
“I bet you’d sound just as pretty with a cock in you, huh?” The man still holding onto me tightened his grip, the outline of his face blocked the man I was staring at. My stomach churned, not from the words, I was barely able to register their meaning but from the tobacco on his breath from lowering his face within inches of mine.
“The boss said not to touch her, idiot.” I was yanked out of the man’s hands and simultaneously shoved forward. I landed on my hands and knees, the areas burned from the contact with the concrete but I barely comprehended the pain. One upside to being drugged. It had saved me countless nights of pain in the past.
That rattling sounded again and then there was blissful silence. I blinked furiously on my knees, silently praying that my eyes adjust to the darkness as my chest heaved. I hated this the most; being locked away in the cold and dark was enough for me to clutch my chest, my anxiety spiking, the darkness closing in, ready to drown me in my own thoughts and fears.
“Riley? Is that you?”
The haze retracted just a bit at the small, terrified voice. I searched the room with my limited sight, squinting in the process.
“It is you!” A half sob broke out and then the person was kneeling beside me, recognition hit me like a crashing wave.
“No,” I rasp, swallowing past the gravel in my throat, “No,” I mutter again, shaking my head. I squeezed my eyes shut and then reopened them in hopes that I was hallucinating.
“You aren’t supposed to be here, Talia. Why are you here?” I reach for her shoulders, her tear-stained eyes closed shut as she embraced me in an agonizing hug, her body heaving with new tears.
***~Draven~***
My head was about to explode. Or rather, I wish it did, that way I wouldn’t be forced to waste time enduring my mother’s very vocal disapproval of my actions. I didn’t give a fuck whether she agreed with my decision to find Riley, nor would I have allowed her in my space if it hadn’t been for the company-wide lockdown on all our resources. A petty endeavour to control me when I’ve barely relied on the organisation’s resources. A forum that could be easily monitored? With my less-than-innocent methods? I’ve used it sparingly over the years, just enough not to arouse suspicion of how I carry out my duties.
Regardless, not even their best tech personnel was capable of keeping me locked out. They had to know that, right?
What this was though, was a flagrant waste of time and energy. The longer I was delayed, the further away Riley was. I meant it when I told her I was never letting her go. I’d fucking confine her to our room when I find her. And I will find her.
“You need to slow down, Draven. You’ve been erratic.” My mother moved to block my path. I shoved my hands into my trouser pockets to prevent myself from pushing her out of the way. For all my demons, I could never disrespect the woman that saved me from a life as an orphan. Not physically anyway.
“Erratic?” There was barely any emotion in my tone. It was immensely lucky that I had Eddie working on tracing Riley’s movements or else I would have truly been erratic at being hindered. I did, however, want to be actively involved in the search for her. I couldn't function otherwise, the Gods alone knew how I was able to be lucid at this point when my every instinct was to sink to the floor and sulk. A pathetic intrusive temptation. I wasn't giving Riley up. Even if that meant I had to fight my body's own reaction to shut the fuck down.
“I’ve been uncommonly composed,” My voice wavered, anger testing its stability as images of my trashed bedroom flashed in my mind. I’ve never lost myself like that before and even now I had a heavy weight of pent-up frustration coursing through my veins. If I remained still and did nothing, I’d go fucking insane.
If I didn’t have Riley back by nightfall, I’d descend into madness.
“She made her choice,” her voice was low, in a manner that was reminiscent of my childhood. I almost scoffed, this was the most interest my mother has shown in Riley and of course, it was to entice me to let her go.
“That choice is not hers to make. We’ve discussed it at length.” The more I ran through the last few days, there was no indication that Riley wanted to leave or that she was unhappy. I have no fucking idea what prompted her to change her mind but she had a hell of a lot of explaining to do when I find her.
“Listen to yourself,” My mother gasped at my words, “You sound crazy. The girl isn’t some possession, Draven.”
“She is mine.” My control snapped, and my declaration came in a low, guttural sound. “The same way that I am hers.”