“Branna?” Ryder’s voice screamed. “BRANNA?”
“Shut up fucking screaming!” Big Phil snapped as he lifted the chair, and me, back to an upright position. “She’s fine, just passed out for a second. I used the scalding poker end to burn her wounds to stop her bleeding. You’re welcome.”
“When I fucking get my hands on you,” Ryder swore, “I’m going to kill you slowly. I’m going to make you beg for death!”
“I’m not afraid to die,” Big Phil dryly replied. “It’s only a heartbeat away.”
I willed myself to stay awake, though my body pleaded desperately to succumb to the bliss that was darkness. I managed to open my eyes in time to see that the next thing Big Phil cut was the restraints on my ankles and wrists. I fell forward when my limbs fell free, but he caught me and hauled me over to the big sofa near the fire. He dropped me onto it, and it was the stupidest thing to think of considering the circumstances, but the sofa was like landing on a soft cloud and for a moment I felt like I was already in Heaven.
“If you move, you’ll be sorry.”
I didn’t reply to Big Phil when he spoke to me because I was simply too weak to. I hurt all over, and felt like never moving again. I heard more talking and shouting coming from both parties on the phone, but I couldn’t pay attention any longer and I allowed myself to fall into sweet, sweet darkness.
“Wake up.”
Those two words were the first thing I heard, the second was my own heartbeat, and the third was my scream as it tore from my throat. Pain. So much fucking pain. It filled me from head to toe and it was constant.
I opened my eyes and whimpered when I realised I was still trapped in Hell.
“Please,” I pleaded to no one. “Please, help me.”
My voice sounded scratchy, and felt like it needed a big glass of water to soothe away the ache in my throat.
“They’re in the building,” Big Phil mumbled, making his presence known. “I just buzzed them in.”
I had no idea who he was talking to; I looked at him and found him gazing out of the window with a gun in one hand, and a glass of brown liquid in the other. My eyes lingered on the gun for a few moments, and I prayed to God that he wouldn’t use it.
“Wha-what are you sayin’?” I asked as I lifted my right arm and used my hand to press against my left wounded shoulder in an attempt to stop the pulsing sting.
“The Slaters,” Big Phil replied. “I just buzzed them into the building, they’ll be here soon. I unlocked the front door for them.”
What?
“Why?” I asked, trying to control my sobs. “Why did they come?”
“For you,” he replied and took a sip from his glass. “I told you they would.”
“You can’t hurt them, please, just—”
“Be. Quiet.” He growled. “This isn’t about you anymore. You can leave if you want to, you have served your purpose.”
I made an attempt to sit up, but hot pain filled my leg keeping me from doing so. When I jerked in response to the pain, I fell to the side, off the sofa, and hit the floor with a sickening smack.
“Branna?”
Kane.
“No!” I cried. “Get away!
I heard quick paced footsteps, then a loud bang as the door to the sitting room was swung open and cracked against the wall.
“Oh, my God,” I heard Kane rasp.
I tried to turn over to see him, but I couldn’t. I was so weak, and hurting so much that even breathing was a struggle.
“Kane,” I groaned. “Get out.”
While you still can.
“What the fuck have you done to her?” he asked, his voice gruff.
“It looks worse than it is,” Big Phil responded as he turned around. “She brought most of it on herself if I’m being honest.”
“Kane,” I rasped as I forced myself to roll onto my back. “Run, he has a gun!”
I reached up with my good arm, gripped onto the arm of the sofa and pulled myself into a sitting position. I blinked when I saw Kane standing mere metres away from me. He was dressed… odd. It looked like he had on hospital scrubs, and booties people wore over there shoes when then didn’t want to get dirt or stain on a floor.
“He doesn’t want to shoot me,” Kane replied to me, but kept his eyes on Big Phil. “He wants me to suffer like I made his piece of shit kid suffer. A bullet will be too quick.”
Fear gripped me when Big Phil dropped his glass to the ground and didn’t flinch when it smashed to pieces. I screamed when he lifted his hand that contained the gun and pointed it directly at Kane’s head.
“Where are the rest of your brothers’?” Big Phil asked, sounding eerily calm.
“At home… it took a lot of convincing, especially with my oldest brother who wants to tear you limb from limb for hurting his woman… but they know ending your miserable life is my task. Mine alone. I’ll make you pay for everything.”
Big Phil sneered. “The student has come to take out the master, huh?”
“Something like that,” Kane growled through gritted teeth.