𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 | 𝟏𝟖+

11

I come to with a groan, every inch of my body in pain. It feels like I've been hit by a truck, then backed over a few more times.

My head is pounding, my vision blurry as I try to take in my surroundings.

I'm in a dark room with a cold concrete floor, the only light coming from a single bulb casting a red glow.

Shivering, I realize I'm lying on a thin, stained mattress on the floor. I try to sit up, but a sharp pain in my neck stops me short.

Reaching up with shaking hands, I feel a thick metal collar around my neck, attached to a heavy chain bolted to the wall.

Oh God. I've been taken, kidnapped. And Damien...I don't even know if he's alive. If they've taken him too. If he's looking for me, moving heaven and earth to find me. Or if he's bleeding out on the side of some nameless highway.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway outside my cell, interrupt my thoughts. I hear the scrape of a heavy deadbolt being unlocked. The door swings open, revealing two very large men in casual clothing. They walk into the room, their faces cold.

"Looks like our little princess is finally awake," one of them taunts, his eyes looking over my battered, trembling body with amusement. "Bout time we got her cleaned up for the boss."

I move back against the wall, trying to make myself as small as possible. But there's nowhere to hide, nowhere to run. The second man drags in a hose, the kind you'd use to water a lawn or wash a car. He smirks as he points the nozzle directly at me, his finger hovering over the trigger.

"Rise and shine, sweetheart, time for a bath." Before I can even process what's happening, a blast of icy water hits me square in the face, knocking the breath from my lungs.

I gasp, raising my hands in an attempt to block the freezing water. But the men just laugh, cranking up the pressure until it feels like I'm being pelted with rocks.

I cry out in pain, curling into a ball on the soaked mattress. But they don't let up, the hose tracking my every movement. It seems to go on forever, the cold seeping into my bones as the water fills my mouth and nose.

Just when I think I can't take another second, that I'm going to black out or drown right here, the spray cuts off, leaving me shivering violently. I look up at my captors, my teeth chattering so hard I'm sure they'll shatter.

"There, now. All nice and clean for the boss," the first man says, tossing a towel at my feet. "Better get yourself prettied up, princess. He'll be down to see you real soon."

With that, they turn and walk out of the cell, slamming the door shut behind them. I lay there on the wet mattress. I press a hand to my stomach, silently praying that the tiny life inside me is still safe.

"It's okay, baby," I whisper, my voice thin and raspy. "Mommy's here."

I sit huddled on the now damp mattress for hours, my entire body shivering. My muscles are becoming sore from the constant shaking. My fingers are turning purple. The silence is filled only by the chattering of my teeth and the occasional drip of water.

I hear the scrape of a key in the lock. The door swings open, and a man walks into the cell.

"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," he mocks, his voice a low, menacing rumble. "Damien Caine's little whore."

He walks towards me, his movements predatory.

Before I can even think to scramble away, he's on me, his hand wrapping around the exposed part of my throat and sitting me upright in his crushing grip.

"Here's how this is gonna go." he hisses, his face mere inches from mine. "You're going to tell me everything you know about your boyfriend and if you cooperate, maybe I'll go easy on you."

I gasp for air as I claw at his hand around my neck. "I don't..know anything," I rasp out, my vision starting to tunnel as he cuts off my air supply. "I'm just-"

"Just his whore?" the man finishes for me, his lips curling in a cruel smirk. "Yeah. But, here's the thing. Damien fucked up when he killed my men. And now, I'm gonna make him pay."

He releases his hold on my neck abruptly, letting me crumple on to the mattress, gasping and gagging. I raise a shaking hand to my bruised throat, tears leaking from the corners of my eyes.

The man's eyes flash with anger, his jaw clenching tight. "Let's see if you'll talk after this." He leans down, grabbing my chin, and punches me hard straight in the face.

I groan loudly at the impact, my vision blacking out shortly. My head cracks against the wall, my nose pouring out blood. He forces me to meet his gaze.. " I want information. So you better start talking, or things are going to get worse real fast."

This man, whoever he is, is going to torture me. He's going to fuck me up in ways I can't even imagine. "Please," I beg, my voice breaking on a sob. "Please, I'm...I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant, huh? Well, ain't that just a kick in the teeth." He laughs. releasing my chin, straightening up and pulling out a sleek black cell phone. "Guess we'll have to up the ante, then. Can't have Caine's little bastard getting caught in the crossfire, now can we?"

He dials a number, his eyes never leaving mine as he waits for the call to connect. "It's me. Turns out, Caine's bitch is knocked up. Yeah, I know. Fuckin' perfect, right?" A pause, then an evil, smile spreads across his face. "Raise the ransom to 250 million. And make sure Caine knows that if he doesn't pay up, it won't just be his whore's blood on his hands. It'll be his kid's, too."