Facade of Love (Yvette Scott and Idris Young)
Chapter 414 What goes around comes around

This chick was insane.

A couple of guys dragged me up to the attic, and the place was straight out of a horror movie, damp and reeking of blood. I could not help but scowl, thinking about all the poor souls who must have been tormented here, maybe even met their end.

The girl had her goons tie me up, hands and feet, to a cross. She wrapped her arms around herself, looking me over like she had won the lottery, and sneered, "Lots of people line up to charm Charlie, and you think you're in the same league? Today's your day to learn what happens to those who step out of line."

With that, she flicked her eyes at her sidekicks and ordered, "Give it to her, don't stop until she's a mess."

With her orders, she sashayed over to a chair, kicked back, and had someone serve her tea and snacks as if she were at a movie.

I was stuck there with no chance to fight back, just like a fish waiting to be filleted.

The whip cracked down, and even though I braced for it, knowing it was going to be agony, the icy sting was so intense when it hit I could not stop myself from screaming.

The girl was having the time of her life watching me. She popped a grape into her mouth, her voice muffled with glee, "Don't stop. Keep it coming!"

Her words were like a signal, and the whips just kept coming, each lash sharp and clear. I have always hated pain. Nevertheless, they just kept whipping, the pain stacking up so much I could not even tell where one lash ended and the next began.

I started with enough fight in me to yell, but by the end, I was in so much pain I could not even make a sound. I lost count of the hits, and the pain went from tearing me apart to a numb blur, with nothing left but the overpowering smell of blood.

Despite being unable to muster the strength to open my eyes and witness the horror of my battered state, I could pretty much guess that it was a ghastly mess.

Time seemed to blur as I lay there, too weak even to breathe. I felt myself being hauled off in a haze and dumped somewhere; then silence enveloped me.

I had a hunch this day would come ever since I tagged along with Lucas to the border. The shocker? It was not Lucas who made the move, but some girl I had never seen before.

Luck could not last forever. I got out of here without a scratch five years ago. However, this time, it was not looking good. Lucas is no dummy. He has dodged the reaper twice already. Had Officer Jackson not spotted him so quickly back in Lake City, it would not just be Jackson and his crew in trouble.

Idris and I would probably be goners too.

The agony was so intense that it wiped out my ability to think. Sprawled on the freezing floor, I felt every ounce of strength leave my body, leaving me lying there like a rag doll.

This mess today was probably just the opening act. The real nightmare, the kind that would make me wish I were dead, was likely just kicking off.

With that thought, despair took hold of me. I was not ready to die like this, broken and beaten.

Having no clue how long I had been out cold on that icy floor, I was suddenly jolted awake by a few voices.

"This old guy won't last if we keep this up. Maybe we should give the bosses a heads-up. If he kicks the bucket, we'll be in a world of trouble," an unfamiliar voice said.

"Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong," another snapped back. "The big shots said he's got to cough up the goods or else he's a goner right here."

A thud followed, suggesting someone had just been dumped on the ground like me.

The echo of footsteps retreated into silence, and I mustered the strength to rise, my body aching. Shadows clung to the corners of this grim and frosty place, where chaos reigned. Not far from me, a figure lay crumpled on the ground, a haunting silhouette marred by violence.