Talk To Me

Chapter twenty-two

February fourteen

Leah winced from the view in front of her. The room filled with the smell of burning flesh as Lily screamed in pain. Tiny held the metal rod with a big, round, hollow metal plate at the end of his right hand.

He pressed the crimson end of the rod deeper into Lily's bicep, smirking while the girl wailed, unable to move from the pain as Diesel gripped her shoulders, repelling them to the armchair.

"This." Tiny removed the rod. "Will remind you who you belong to. So you won't get any more ideas about running away." He turned around, placing the rod near the fireplace.

The pain seemed too much for Lily as her head slammed to the left side of the armchair and she fell unconscious. Diesel released his grip on Lily's body and moved toward the kitchen. A loud melody interrupted the sound of the crackling fireplace and Diesel took his phone out. He inspected the phone screen with wide eyes.

"It's Mario." He lifted his head, peering at Tiny. "What are we going to do?"

"We?" Tiny lifted his brown eyebrows. "It's your fault the girl is dead, so you figure something out. I will take care of this one." Tiny took Lily, carrying the girl toward the corridor.

"Hey, Mario." Diesel lifted the phone to his ear. "How have you been, man?"

Leah shook her head as Diesel continued his phone call in the bogus chipper voice. She followed Tiny instead as he moved toward the bedroom. Turning left to the room, she stood in a doorway as Tiny undressed Lily.

Leah felt anxious and rushed to the end of the bed as Tiny took off jeans from Lily's long legs. She felt useless in the situation, but it seemed more like an instinct to help her friend. She sighed loudly as Tiny put Lily's pants on his forearm and left the room.

Leah felt like Lily slept for a year as she stepped back and forth, frequently changing her walking patterns. Somewhere outside the bedroom door, the men argued for a while, but with the loud thud of the outside door, the shouting stopped. Leah presumed one of them had left the cabin. Leah decided not to look at what happened outside the room. She felt nervous to miss when Lily would wake up.

Leah stood in front of the windows as the day progressed slowly, hiding the sun behind tall trees. The sound of metal rubbing against metal captured her attention. She turned around to the bed.

"Leah." Lily's voice appeared weak.

"I'm here." Leah rushed to the bedside.

"What happened?" Lily opened her eyes.

"You passed out after."

"The branding." Lily finished Leah's sentence.

"Yes," Leah whispered, tilting her head down. "How are you feeling?" She lifted her head, looking at Lily.

"It hurts everywhere." Lily furrowed her eyebrows. "Did they give me more drugs?"

"No. Why?"

"I feel dizzy, but that might be from the fall. Leah, there will be occasions when I can't see you."

"What?"

"The drugs, Leah. Remember, I told you before," Lily said, and Leah nodded. "If they keep giving me drugs, I won't be able to see you."

"I will still be here, I will stay with you the whole time," Leah promised and Lily nodded as tears left her right eye. "I have bad news."

"What can be worse than this?" Lily moved her shackled hands, metal grating against her fragile skin.

"I heard guys talking, and it looks like the woman backed out from the deal."