TAMING MAX (Completed)

CHAPTER 39 - THE DARK ROOM

I am uncertain how long we drove, but it felt like about half an hour. They were likely driving us out of the city to some secluded place where no one would ever find us. My hand held fast to Piper's the entire time, and I prayed as I had never prayed before. Even though Max used the best security team money could buy, would they be enough to get us out in time?

Gravel crumpled under the tires as we slowed to a stop, and I held onto Piper for dear life. As soon as the roar of the engine stopped, someone grabbed me by the arm and snatched me away from her. Tears fell from my eyes as they ripped our hands apart.

My feet found steady ground, and they continued to yank and snatch me in the direction they were moving. A door opened and then shut after the sound of a few people's feet shuffled through it. The hard floor under my feet was unmistakable. We were inside a building.

Another door opened ahead of me and without warning, the man next to me shoved me an enormous amount of force. It sent me tumbling to the floor and as I crashed into it, my shoulder took the brunt of the fall. Piper was grunting next to me after I heard a large thud. She had met the same fate.

Not knowing where I was or where to go, I lay on the floor right where they left me, trying to get my bearings. A few seconds later, someone grabbed me by my shoulders and pulled me up, forcing me to sit upright.

His hands were up around my neck and it startled me for a moment until I realized he was taking the bag off of me. Light assaulted me as soon as I was free of it. My eyes tried to focus and when my sight became clear, the light source was a dim one in the center of an otherwise black room. It illuminated a single chair, and I cringed at the thought of why it was there.

My thoughts and eyes turned to Piper as another man removed hers. Black makeup trailed down her face as his hand grabbed the edge of the tape and ripped it off, showing no mercy as she screamed out in pain.

It was my turn next, and it hurt, there was no mistaking that. My pain was mixed with elation knowing that my mouth was free and I could hopefully communicate with Piper soon. Glancing over at her, I tried to reassure her as I stared into her tear-soaked eyes.

"Don't worry, we will be back soon enough," one of the men shouted as he slammed the door and they left.

We were alone, and I ran over to Piper and clung to her.

"What's going on, Lillie?" She cried.

"I'm sorry, I am so sorry we got you into this mess," I confessed.

Piper looked at me with a mix of fear and anger.

"Tell me what is going on, why did they take us?"

Not knowing how long we had, I told her everything, at least as much as I was free to share. She deserved that much. Unsure of where to begin, I started at the beginning. I explained what I knew about Max and Chase's "family business."

Choosing my words carefully, I told her how they had become the keepers of deadly secrets but did not say exactly what our captors were looking for. I wanted to spill it all, but I couldn't completely betray Max's confidence.

Silently she listened and hung on my every word. It seemed like some movie plot to her, but I assured her it was our reality and now hers. Once she had truly grasped everything, I could see her wheels spinning and braced myself for what was coming next.

"What did you really do with him that night?" She asked, and my heart sank. I knew exactly what she was talking about. Somehow, she had put together that the piece of crap who had beaten her had likely met an untimely fate.

"He's dead," I finally admitted as a look of complete and utter shock filled her face.

"Chase?" She inquired.

"No, he would never. It was the driver, Paul."

"Oh," she said in a small voice as she looked down. It was a lot to take in, and it was all hitting her at once.

"Are we going to die?" She asked after a few minutes.

"I don't know but I am praying they get to us in time."

Breaking down again, she pulled her knees to her chest and sobbed. I leaned against her for comfort but knew it was of little use. How could I comfort her when I couldn't even console myself?

Sometime later, two of the men returned. We both looked at each other, uncertain of what was about to happen. My eyes widened as one of them walked toward me. The sound of his black combat boots slamming into the floor rung in my ears as he approached.

"Get up," he said as he grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. He dragged me toward the chair in the center of the room and slammed me down into it. His grip was so tight on my arm that I could feel the bruises forming before he even released me.

"It looks like we need a few motivational photos for your boyfriend," he said as the other man looked on.

Unsure what he meant, I looked at him and hoped he would show me mercy. My body retracted as he pulled his fist back. It was impossible to divert my eyes as I tried to brace myself for the impact. No amount of preparation could have prepared me for the pain that came when his fist made slammed into my face. He struck me across my cheek, but his hand was so large that it encompassed my entire eye.

It felt like a Mac truck had just rammed into my face and I could not get the sound of bones cracking out of my head. A sadistic smile formed on his face as he looked down at me.

"You must be tougher than I thought, I was sure that would have knocked you out," he spat out venomously.

I screamed when he pulled his fist back once more. Piper came into view out of the corner of my eye. She was running toward my attacker, trying to protect me.

"Leave her alone," she screamed as she lunged at him. He effortlessly pulled his hand back and smacked her so hard that she flew backward.

"You want to take care of that one?" He said to the other man.

The man picked her up and drug her over against the wall. Pulling her hands behind her back, he secured them, but she fought him the entire time. She was trying so hard, but she was no match for him. As soon as he finished securing her hands, he took a gun from his pants and struck her in the temple. I watched helplessly as she fell to the floor.

I wasn't certain if she was dead or alive and I needed to get to her. Not thinking, I attempted to stand up, but my attacker slammed me back into the chair. He continued his assault, striking me again and again until eventually, everything went black. That was the last thing I remember were the pain and the utter darkness.

*********

A/N

It looks like they mean to send Max a message. I wonder how he will take it? Thanks for continuing on this journey and I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter.