Atlas - Roberts Alyne - Страница 40

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I was no one. I was an orphan old enough to take care of myself. I was a number and name in a database no one looked at. I used to be a daughter and sister. I would never be a wife or mother. No one missed me and I felt lucky for that. When I heard the girl crying on the other side of the wall, my heart broke for her family because she couldn’t be any older than me. Someone missed her and was worried sick over her disappearance.

Without light, we didn't know how long we'd been held. Atlas would know I was missing by now, but I wasn’t sure he cared. He could have allowed this to happen from the beginning. Maybe he used me to find my brother's killer, then sold me off to the highest bidder. Was all that shit about trying to find my brother's lover a ploy to earn my trust? In this dark and damp place, I trusted no one.

"Hey," I whispered when the crying next door didn't stop. "You're going to get yourself killed."

She sniffled and tried to stop. I hoped she could because the weakest were always dragged upstairs. As much as these dark cells sucked, I was sure upstairs was not any better. Those girls never returned. Maybe they didn't know what I knew. They didn't know those girls were killed or sold off to a worse future.

"I want to go home," the girl next door cried.

"I know," I said, trying to sound calm and soothing. "But you need to be quiet. They’re punishing the ones that are loud."

She was quiet enough that I could hear the thuds upstairs. I could hear muffled voices and footsteps above my head. I was scared for the rest of us. The sound of footsteps came, making the dread grow. It was never me, but one of the others. That was worse for me. When my door opened and the dark shadow came for me, I felt relief.

I was pulled up and unchained from the wall. It was me this time and not one of the others. I went without fight as some sick man pushed me up the steps. They didn't even bother to blindfold me, so I knew this would be bad.

Bright sunlight met me when the door opened. I squinted and was momentarily blinded. I was used to darkness. I was pushed forward and my feet blindly carried me. I was ready for the end. I wasn't ready for what I would actually walk in to.

"There she is," a deep voice announced. It was familiar and set every nerve on end. I heard the voice my first day here. He rang with power and force, much like another monster I knew. My memory flashed to when I was first in Atlas’s basement. This was the same deep voice that ordered Atlas to kill me.

"She's sold of course," he continued. "Shipping to Spain in the morning."

"Is that so?" another voice asked, causing my head to rise.

Atlas.

He sat with an older man who looked much like him. He was leaning back in the chair like he didn't have a care in the world. Was it so easy to see me, still in his shirt and ready to be sent to the highest bidder? His dark eyes roamed my body, taking in the blood and bruises I endured both here and with him.

"How much?" he asked and I shivered at hearing his voice again.

"Too much for you," the man answered. "You already had it. For free."

Atlas's hands clenched and I recognized the anger in that move. He was pissed. I looked between the two men. I noted the way their noses bent, although Atlas's was bruised. This man had to be his father, their looks and mean glares were too similar for them to not to be related.

"And you took her," Atlas said. "I wasn't finished with her yet."

"You were supposed to kill her," his dad said, slamming his fist down on the table. I flinched but Atlas stayed still.

"I thought I would make her suffer a little longer. She's a fighter, but I like it when they scream," he said, a sick grin taking over his face and my stomach rolled. I thought he kept me around because he didn't want to kill me. He was only keeping me so he could fuck me?

"You lied to me," his dad said, standing and coming for me.

I trembled and watched his boots come closer. No one would save me and I knew it.

"It didn't matter," Atlas said. "She was gone."

The man came to stand next to me and roughly shoved me down to my knees. I hissed but stopped myself from crying. That would only make them hurt me more. I didn't know how long I had been here, but long enough to learn that.

"And now she will really be gone. Her buyer doesn't keep them around for too long before he breaks them in half."

I fell forward, gagging and crying. This was really happening. The man who dragged me up here kicked me in the back so I would shut up while his boss laughed manically.

"Touch her again and I will kill you."

My head shot up at the threatening voice. The familiarity tugged deep in my heart and I was sure I was hallucinating. The tears cleared and I was finally able to focus on the newcomer.

"Ace?" I whispered.

"Hang in there," he said only to me.

His gun was pointed at Atlas's dad while time seemed to have stopped. I briefly wondered if I was going into shock, or maybe I was already dead. I glanced around, half expecting my parents to come out as well.

"Mr. Harlow. It's good to see you alive, son." I could tell in the tightness of his voice, he was in fact not happy.

"I'm sure, Mr. Omega. I see you met my baby sister."

"Let's cut the bullshit," Atlas interrupted. "We are taking the girl and any others you have. You're done here."

His dad laughed and my skin scrawled with the sound. It was hollow and haunting.

"You aren't leaving here alive," he told them. "And neither is your little plaything anymore. Kill her."

I looked up into Atlas's eyes as the other man stepped forward. Most of the time, Atlas was locked away inside. The only thing I ever saw when I looked in his eyes were lust and anger. For the first time, I saw fear and panic. I felt the cold metal at the back of my head as the boss stepped away to avoid the blood spray. My eyes closed. I couldn't see the only people I had left as they witnessed the very thing they'd fought so hard to avoid.

A gun shot rang out and I fell to the hard floor. When I heard another shot, my eyes flew open. The first thing I saw was blood, but it wasn't mine. The red pool was coming from the guard who was supposed to have killed me. As I scrambled back, I saw Ace holding his bleeding hand. Atlas was on his back while his dad pinned him down with a gun to his chest.

"I will kill you myself, Atlas."

"No you won't because I will kill you first."

His dad laughed again before looking back at Ace in warning.

"Anyone moves and I will pull this trigger."

We were at a standstill. The atmosphere with thick with humidity, tension, and death. I could smell the blood I was covered in. Closing my eyes, I fought to calm my breathing. Now was not the time to slip into the past and lose it. Ace was bleeding, Atlas was unarmed and it seemed no one would leave this room alive.

Fighting back the panic, I spotted the gun covered in blood. I could probably reach it if I was quick enough. If I wasn't fast enough, he could shoot Atlas. I glanced up at my brother and he shook his head once. His eyes said 'don't fucking move'.

"Your men are all dead," Ace said. "No is coming to help you and we aren't leaving without Stella. Make this easy for yourself. Get up and walk away."

"And what the fuck will you do about it?"

"I will kill you," my voice cut through the silence.

I slowly pushed myself up to stand, keeping the gun aimed right at the man who had caused this shit storm. His eyes danced in amusement and my blood boiled.

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