The Illusion

Two

I screamed, writhing in my restraints as I fought to break the knot.

"Just tell me Freya."

"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING." Another slice as my tear mixed with the blood now dripping down my legs. Not deep enough to kill me. No. He knew what he was doing. Causing pain so I'd tell him something I apparently knew but making sure I would be alive if he needed more information. I'd seen this in movies. Movies I'd watched with him. In his bed. In his shirts. "Zane... Zane, please. I swear... I don't... I don't know anything. The casinos are managed by the boys and dad goes off to the wholesalers. That's all I know." He shook his head, wiping my blood from his knife onto my untouched leg. The metal freezing against my skin as it burned.

"You know, there is multiple places I can sink this knife Freya that would give you more pain than you've ever imagined, and not kill you. Sure, you'll need a first aid kit to sort yourself out after but you'll live. Or I could just start breaking bones like I would normally with people who don't give me the information I'm looking for. But I like you. You're soft. You play the innocent card almost too well. I'd believe you if I didn't know how much of a Daddy's girl you are."

"Not with work. I don't- I'm not allowed to know about work. He says I don't need to know, that it's- it's not my job to worry about money. It's a man's job to worry about it." He pulled up my chin, grasping me between thumb and forefinger with so much pressure I wouldn't be surprised if it was another bruise. He stared into my cloudy eyes, tears streaming down my face and only getting harder as the back of his hand slapped across my face. The icy metal of his rings hitting against my cheek bones. I whimpered, lip quaking as I fought to hold myself together.

"You know something Freya."

"I don't." Again. "Zane,"

"I'm running out of patience for you Freya. Here's the thing," He grabbed my matted hair, pulling back until it felt like my scalp was being pulled from my head. "Your dad touched the wrong family and now he's going to get what he deserves. The more you tell me, the easier that's going to be and the less mess there is to clean up, the less people get hurt. I want your dad. I don't give a fuck about anything else. I want your dad and I want the money that's rightfully mine with interest."

"What money?" He snarled. What the fuck has he done? Zane laughed, dropping my hair from his hand. He slowly moved around the room. I could feel that his eyes didn't leave me for a second. By the time he was back in my view, his arms were crossed, one scratching at his chin. "If I knew Z, I'd tell you. I'd talk to dad and make him fix it."

"Talking isn't good enough." He waved his hand. "I want what's mine."

"Then tell me and let me talk to him and I can sort it but I can't do anything when I'm tied to a chair and bleeding." He sighed.

"This is a good look for you."

"Are you kidding?" A smirk, slowly moving his fingers to unbutton his shirt.

"No, I'm not kidding Freya. If you were hot before, covered in blood, begging for me to have mercy." He folded his shirt, laying it over the back of his chair. "I'll make a deal with you. Right now." I gulped. I knew where this was going. I wasn't stupid. I could see how he was looking at me. "I'm going to let you think about this. Give you a few days to decide if he's worth the pain. I'd prefer not to, but I can move things around. All you have to do, is be a good girl and let me do what I need to without making a fuss." I didn't really have a choice did I? What's another trauma to add to this fucking list? If it gives me a few days to try and work out what he wants to know. I nodded.

I was untied, laid down on the piece of material that did nothing to hinder the springs pushing into my back. I let him do what he wanted to, trying so hard to focus on anything else as he used my body like some emotionless toy. Fighting was useless. Even if I could get to the knife and render him unable to move, then what. I know for a fact I won't be able to run barefoot through what I'm guessing is his place. I knew it back to front but I'm guessing this room was in the cellar where he always said was too boring to show me. There was at least 2 men out there over a foot taller than me, stronger, more agile, carrying guns. If Zane can hurt me like this, I have not a single doubt they wouldn't hesitate to kill me and right now, my aim is just to survive this whole thing.

He stood up, put his clothes back on and I laid there staring at the ceiling with useless tears slipping down my face. He towered over me, pushed the knife back into its spot behind me, hands balling into fists in his pockets. A sniff as I slowly sat up. I could barely focus, the entire room was blurry, the outline of my ex-boyfriend watching over me, blood on his hands that now stained his shirt.

"3 days Freya. I'm not going to be as easy next time. I want answers. You decide to sit there and play innocent when I come back, I will not be afraid to break those pretty fingers of yours and it will just keep getting worse. I don't have much time and I am willing to do whatever it takes to get what I need."

Then he left.

Almost as quickly as the whole thing started, it was over. My eyes looked down at the blood now drying on my legs, skin burning under the cuts and yet I knew, this wasn't going to be the worst pain I'd be experiencing in here. So, I welcomed it. Embraced it. Thankful that the pain meant I wasn't dead yet. Yet being the key word there. With as gross as this room was, I don't think it'll take long to get an infection.