Chapter 85
***~Riley~***
I rub Talia’s back as she relieved her sorrow, my shoulders dampening from the weight of her tears. I attempted to breathe away the tears in my own eyes while I tried to soothe her. The drugs were wearing off bit by bit but my entire insides felt as if it were housing a desert. I shook the lulling thoughts away and force myself to focus on the present. How the hell was Talia here? The trade was supposed to have been made already. Me in exchange for her. Unless— it wasn’t honoured. Oh God, was her father even alive? There was no way he would have left unscathed, not when the deal wasn’t honoured.
“No, we need to be strong. We can get through this. I am sure my father is already looking for me.” Talia sniffled, pulling away from my embrace to stare at me with the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen and my chest constricted. Todd had no idea just want he’d inadvertently exposed his daughter to and I couldn’t excuse my part in this. It was my father, my past that had finally caught up with me, we’d just not expected that Talia would be caught in the crosshairs. Draven had anticipated it would be my friends and ensured they were safe. There was no way for him to have thought Talia would get dragged in.
“Talia, I—,” I wanted to manage her expectations but I also didn’t want to be the one to snatch her last bit of hope away.
“Now that you are also here, I am sure Draven will come for you, for us. We’ll be saved.” She swiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hands and my heart sank. How do I tell her that Draven will think I left voluntarily? That the only person who knew of this might be dead? And that same person was her father.
“We can only save ourselves.” I exhale a resounding sigh. I take Talia’s face in my hands, my eyes boring into hers, “Listen to me,” She shook her head, her lower lip quivering as she fought to hold the tears at bay.
“I’ll find you an opportunity to run and when I do, don’t even look back.” I whisper in the space between us, “In the meantime, regardless of who comes in here, regardless of what they do, don’t utter a word.”
“Riley…” Her voice broke, and tears slipped down her cheek.
“Trust me.” A silent plea. Fighting back only aggravates these men and they exert more force to dominate. I promised myself I’d do my best to shield Talia, even if that meant I had to defy them and risk their wrath. Talia nodded, biting down on her lower lip.
The door rattled, Talia’s grip on my hands suffocating as we turned towards the door in anticipation. “Go to a corner and stay there.” I advise her as I push to my feet, my vision blurring at the swift movement but I steadied myself, facing the door.
The large metal door creaked painfully to allow entrance for one person. I’d know that person even if I were blind and deaf. The familiar scent of smoke and vanilla clogged my nostrils. His heavy designer shoes clicked against the concrete.
“You’ve blossomed into quite the beauty, Poppy.” His rough baritone scraped against my skin and I shuddered, refusing to take my eyes off the tip of his brown shoes. I never thought I’d have to bear his presence again. I wanted to scream that Poppy wasn’t here but I swallowed it down. I hated being called that, it brought flashes of my life as her, of my hell.
“The man who brought me here…” I inhale a strengthening breath, raising my eyes to his. A hint of light through the cracked door was enough illumination to make out his features. He looked tired. I hadn’t expected that. The greys in his hair were prominent and he had this almost crazed gleam in his brown eyes. “where is he?”
His lips spread into a vicious smile, one that confirmed my suspicions. “Dead. He thought himself equipped to bargain with me. He was wrong.”
“Then let her go.” My voice shook, “I only gave myself up because you promised to release her.”
“Nuh-uh,” he sang, taking a step forward and I stumbled backwards, needing there to be distance between us. “I taught you better than that, sweetheart. You have no chips to bargain with and as I see it, you’ve caused me enough problems. An innocent is just want I need to add to my collection. I need to rebuild favour and she’ll do nicely if I pair her with you.”
I clench my jaw at his admission, my stomach churning. I had to find a way to get Talia out of there. For her sake and mine.
“She’s no good to you. She’ll shatter the moment you try to use her. That’s not good for business.” I hated the way I had to refer to Talia and the way I had to force myself to call sex trafficking a business, but it was the only talk he understood.
“Are you forgetting how I tamed you?” He reached out, and I turned my face away, his fingers brushing against my cheek. “You, who has my fire and stubbornness,” his voice turned husky and images of him tearing my cartoon coverlet off my sleeping frame, of his body suffocating mine as he violated me for an agonizing night flooded my mind. The darkness seeped in again, this time drowning me in memories I would rather forget.
“I can tame her too, with less effort.” His voice cut through the shadows and a sense of self-preservation rushed to the fore. I did my best to peek through the crack in the door. How many men did he still have? Draven said that he had my father backed into a corner but I hadn't thought to question him.
“You can’t. She’ll break. Your clients won’t like that.” I try again but he refused to heed me, instead, he groaned, tired of me talking back.
“Then I’ll make a onetime offer for her. That will fetch me more, you all of people know how much these men love to destroy. And if that were the goal...” He answered and I wondered if I should drag the dagger I had hidden in my bra out and lodge it into his throat. It wasn’t anything big, just small enough to go undetected. I was tempted but if it was the wrong time, I’d risk us having new captors, and then we'd still be trapped. The opportunity could not be wasted.
“Nevermind that.” He waved the conversation away. “Get your rest. We’ll be moving tomorrow.” He revealed and I knew that is when I could use the opportunity. Once we were outside. They couldn't chase us both and I was the real target.
“There are some people who require their pound of flesh from you, my dear.” He sighed, my blood-chilling.
“I’ve managed to convince them not to kill you but that just means you’ll have a lot to endure. Shouldn’t be difficult for you, my girl.” He continued when I remained silent. Killing Randall had been the most freeing experience in my life. I didn’t regret it. I won’t. Not even if his family tore me limb from limb.
But tomorrow, I was getting Talia out. I could only hope I was able to deliver a few stab wounds to my father in the process.