Chapter Four

The basement I’m in is cold, damp, and scarcely lit. I can barely see outside through the small, dirt stained window to count if the day has gone by. I finally stopped tugging on the chains, only after my wrists have become heavily crusted with my own blood from where they dig into my skin.

He doesn’t return for the rest of the night. Or the next morning for that matter. It isn’t until what I assume is night by the fact, I can barely see in front of me, does the basement door open again and Jay saunters into the room.

He’s freshly shaven, hair still damp from what I can only imagine was a relaxing shower, and a grin that’d trick the devil. He runs his hand through his hair, and kneels beside me, widened, excitement filled eyes roam my face, and he bites his lip curiously.

“Filthy,” he mutters, momentarily distracted by a sound that echoes from outside of the room. He reaches his hand out and pushes some flat, greasy hair away from my face, and his grin disappears. “This will do.”

I gasp as I’m grabbed by the arm and hoisted up onto my feet. He holds up a key and wiggles it in my face.

“Listen good, topolina. I’m going to undo your chains. If you try to run. I will cut off a toe. Every time you try to run, from this point on, you will lose a toe. Until you can no longer run.” He wraps the chains around his fists and inserts the key in the lock. He doesn’t expect my response verbalized. He wants obedience.

From the mention of cutting off my toes, I flex them. I’m barefoot, and they’re icy cold. If he didn’t cut one off, I’m sure one would fall off soon in this basement. When the chains fall to the floor, I sigh quietly. The release of pressure from around my wrists is a luxury I’ve begun to forget. I gently rub at my wrists, careful not to disturb the cuts, with my eyes remaining on Jay.

I squint at the light in the hall and hold up a hand which causes him to snap his head in my direction. His brows are furrowed and his eyes leer into my soul with such anger, and aggression, I look away.

It’s not that I’m not used to that from men. It’s just this is a man who loses nothing by hurting me. Not publicly anyways. He doesn’t have to avoid hitting me in obvious spots like Will does – he can hit, cut, break all he wants, and he’ll answer to no one about it.

He doesn’t tell me to follow him. He expects it. I shuffle behind him like a beaten puppy and rapidly blink when the light streaming into my face burns my eyes. I don’t draw attention to the tears along my cheeks. He doesn’t turn around anyways, just keeps his broad shoulders forward, as we walk up the stairs.

He takes a sharp right at the top of the stairs, and we go through a door in a dusky, old room. It smells old. The wallpaper is peeling. It looks unlived in, and undisturbed. A chill takes me over as I notice a chair in the middle of the room. One that’s bolted to the floor and resembles the kind of chair used for prisoners who’re going to be electrocuted.

I feel the wails bubbling in the back of my throat but before they can come hurtling outward, another voice interrupts them.

“Jay it’s time.”

My hair falls in my face as I turn it slightly to see who’s entered the room with us. It’s another towering man, arms so thick they could probably snap my neck. He’s even more muscular than Jay, yet he approaches Jay with a respect just in the way of his tone. I glance back and forth between the two, careful not to annoy them with my stares and gain a blow to the face.

Jay points to the chair, and nods to me.

“Sit, now.”

“W-what for?”

What the fuck is wrong with me? Do I want to die? I couldn’t stop myself from asking, couldn’t fucking control my urge to beg and plead – no. I’m probably going to die at the hands of my own lacking restraint.

Jay rubs at his chin and his brows knit together.

Swiftly, he steps forward and grabs the back of my neck and shoves me towards the chair.

“Obedience, topolina – is the only thing that will keep you safe right now.”

Topolina. Even as my limbs shake as I climb into the chair, my thoughts race as to what he’s calling me. The other man snickers and cracks a grin at Jay.

They exchange a few words in another language. Italian maybe?

I shift in my seat when they linger their eyes on me. Jay’s cold, calculating eyes – despite holding that icy edge to them, look amused. He loves this. He truly is a fucking sadist.

“We’re going to make a nice video for that husband of yours,” Jay explains, while pulling out his phone. The man behind him cackles maniacally before stepping forward.

“Yeah, all you gotta do is open your mouth wide and take my fat cock,” the man spits. The look of disgust on my face couldn’t be hidden if I were wearing a fucking mask. Jay looks annoyed as he presses buttons on his phone and the light signaling a recording beams in my direction.

Why the hell are they making a video? They are wasting their time. Will won’t give them anything. He won’t rescue me. He’ll just find a new chew toy to paw and beat up. Oh god, Phoenix. He’s probably been beating the dog since realizing I’m missing. Hell, he probably thinks I fucking left and now my dogs probably dead.

“Senator Carpenter, you’ve lost something.”

I’m dangled in front of the camera like bait. Will won’t bite though. I remain silent. I don’t want to get myself killed prematurely. The thought makes me snicker.

Jay glares at me from behind the phone with a ‘what the fuck was that’ look. I firm my lips and swallow the lump in my throat and decide to go along and help the situation – even if it won’t help.

“Please, Will. Help me.”

I don’t say I love you. They’d have to kill me. Not after this shit. I just want to live.

“Think of this as thanks for your vote. If you want to see your wife alive again, answer your phone at eight o’clock tomorrow night and follow instructions. For every hour after that you don’t, we’ll send you pieces of your wife.”

I gasp just before he ends the video and shake my head rapidly. I’m gonna die. I’m gonna die for that piece of shit. I can’t breathe. My chest feels tight, and my legs shake with the urge to bolt. All I want to do is run. I know if I do he’ll cut off my toes so I ground myself in the chair and clutch the sides of it into my nails and fingers are searing with pain.

“It won’t work,” I mumble repeatedly. I stare at the cold, muddy floor, and watch as tear drops fall onto it’s surface. Jay stomps towards me and shoves my shoulder back so I look at him. Tears fill my eyes, blurring his figure. I leave my hands uselessly at my side. Happier not to see the man whose hands will probably end my life.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“I-it won’t work,” I stammer, sniffling and swallowing my sobs.

“Oh, it will – “

“It won’t!” I scream. I throw myself back in the chair when he raises his arm ready to send a blow to my face. Cowering, I pull my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them and bury my face against my legs.

When the blow doesn’t come, I slowly draw my attention upward to watch Jay swearing under his breath.

He snaps his attention from his phone to me as it begins vibrating in his hand.

He points at me.

“Let’s hope for your sake, it does. Otherwise, you’re useless. You’re dead.”

He storms out of the room – the man following behind him as well. I don’t move. Afraid this is it. If I move, I die. The chair is the only thing keeping me alive.

He returns what feels like hours later. I’m cold, stiff. Disoriented. My fingers have lost all feeling from squeezing the chair so tightly. He waves me to him.

“Let’s go.”

I hesitate. Scared by the fact this could be it. Will could’ve sealed my fate. I truly wish I’d never met that man. Jay is impatient with me. He stomps forward and yanks me out of the chair, and I fly forward towards the open door, throwing my arms out to stop myself from slamming into the hallway wall. He’s not a patient or kind man.

Not that it matters, otherwise he wouldn’t be here about to kill me. I snicker at the thought. How fucking funny my death seems.

We don’t return to the basement. He takes me to a room. It smells like him. Through the room is a door that leads us to a bathroom. He tosses a towel at me.

“Shower. You’re disgusting.”

He chuckles at the confusion on my face.

“W-what about Will?”

“Your husband’s playing a funny game – pissing off a lot of people he shouldn’t. We’re waiting for him to slip and we’ll find him. Then he won’t be able to play games. Hell, he won’t be able to do much of anything after we cut off all his limbs.”

“I told you it wouldn’t work,” I reply and cast my gaze down to the floor. I don’t mean it in a condescending way. It’s the truth. Will doesn’t care about any but himself. He’d probably just try to put some positive publicity spin on my death. Tragic – senator loses beloved wife – takes firm hand with crime in state.

Ugh. The thought makes me wanna fucking throw up.

Jay tilts his head sideways and narrows his eyes.

“Then enlighten me, topolina. What will work?”

I’m surprised he’s even asked. I assumed he wasn’t listening to me. No one ever does. I lift my eyes to him, resting them on his nose which is slightly crooked. What a peculiar flawed feature of a man who’s haunting, but beautiful.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I take a deep breath and open my mouth to answer.

“Will doesn’t cower from threats. Not one’s of gang members anyway because he has the power of the government and people to want to put an end to violence by people like you. No. You have to humiliate him. Make him look like he’s in on it.”

Jay’s brows raise, and he actually looks like he’s considering what I’ve said.

He steps forward, causing me to step back and bump my butt against the porcelain tub.

“Interesting, topolina. My only problem is – in that scenario your role isn’t very valuable is it? What should we do about that?”

Fuck.

My brain scrambles to think of something clever that will save my life. If I’m invaluable, I’m dead. I search and scour my mind for the life raft of information that I know will save me. When he begins clucking his tongue, I blurt it out.

“A scandal. A s-sex scandal.”

I can't believe the words that pour from my mouth. I analyze his expression to see if it's worked. If I've saved myself. He firms his lips and a flash of contemplation consumes his expression and I know I will live to see another day.