Antidote by LC Lehesaho

45

My body feels frozen when his words sink into my gray matter.

Silas was supposed to be dead.

They were all supposed to be dead.

"No... you're dead." I shake my head, denying it. The blade cuts into my skin a little, but I don't care.

Dad killed them all.

Silas had been running for months after Dad killed Victor—his own father—twenty years ago and took time before he'd tracked down Silas after he'd fled. Dad had burned the house where he'd been hiding, and there was a body. There had been a fucking body with Silas's dental records.

"Do I look dead to you, pretty bitch? Your daddy dearest didn't even know what he started—trying to take our city by avenging his mother's death? He killed my brother with an element of surprise, but trust me, beautiful. I'm going to destroy you all and take back what's mine." Silas' face twists into a nasty grin as he waves his hand in the air, and two armed men approach Tiger at his command. The other one is holding something in his gun-free hand, but I can't see what it is.

Tiger sees them but doesn't make a move. Because I have a fucking knife against my throat.

The pressure is building up inside me, and I'm ready to explode when I see what the other man holds—a syringe.

"Don't you fucking dare touch him," a menacing snarl rises from my chest as I watch the man bring it to Tiger's neck. He stays perfectly still, body rigid, and dark eyes glued to mine. There's the familiar rage in them, but also... fear.

He knows that we don't stand a chance.

There's too many of them, at least fifteen men and two of us. They're armed, we're not.

We're going to die here.

And I know Tiger is not scared for himself, but for me. Just like I'm only terrified for him.

I would die to keep him alive.

"Oh, don't worry, little girl." Silas moves further away from me like he’s predicting that I'll go haywire really soon. My muscles twitch under my skin, and I have to keep my lips parted because I’m breathing so fucking hard.

I will kill them all.

"Your brother will stay alive to tell the tale. He will crawl home to tell your daddy that I'll destroy everything he has built. I'll wreck his family, his business, his whole life. And I'm starting with you, pretty whore. You're coming with us, and in one way or another, you'll tell us everything about your family and help me destroy them. This was just the first move. The game begins now."

At that, the man behind Tiger plunges the syringe in his neck.

The ties on my wrists and ankles don't ease up even a little, no matter how much I jerk them. The ropes keep me in my place on the chair, and I feel the blood flowing down my palms.

But I don't feel the pain.

I'm fucking furious.

I scream against the bandana tied over my mouth, but still, no one comes. The fuckers locked me in an empty room after a ride in a trunk and just left me here. I counted minutes while they drove, and we only made a half an hour journey. Remembering the speed limits in the area, I think we're still very near Preston.

I bite the fucking bandana and close my eyes, trying to breathe through my nose. The image of Tiger going down like a tree after they drugged him flashes in my mind instantly.

He is okay.

He is okay.

That fact is the only reason I can keep myself together. They carried him back to our Explorer, and I was forced to keep my mouth shut and not fight, or they'd have shot him. It was the hardest thing I've ever done.

Just watch, unable to help him.

I wanted to raise hell.

Kill them all.

Burn the motherfuckers down.

But I needed to wait because there was no way to keep him safe.

"How's it going, darling?" Levi burst into the room, a sick fucking smile on his face.

My fists shake from the wrath inside me, and I glare at him, gritting my teeth against the fabric.

Levi rubs his hands as he walks in front of me. He's wearing a white T-shirt and light denim jeans, precisely the same style that he was wearing while fucking with my head.

"Well, let's take this off, so we can chat." He leans closer, hands going to the back of my head to open the bandana, and the second I feel it loosen, I hit my forehead to his nose with all the power I can muster.

"MOTHERFUCKER!" He falls backward, holding his nose. Blood spills between his fingers to his face, dripping onto his white shirt.

"You piece of shit!" I spit, jerking my hands again. "You think you can get away with this? I'll kill you slowly, you fucking bastard!"

Levi leans forward, resting his hands on his knees, letting the blood spill to the floor, and peeks at me under his brows. "Feisty little one. You'll come around, darling."

"What the fuck you want from me? I'm not going to tell you shit."

He wipes his nose with the back of his hand and straightens. It infuriates me that he doesn't even look mad.

"My job is to take care of you. I don't want anything." He pauses, tilting his head. "Or I do, but it has nothing to do with what Silas wants." Snapping his fingers, he comes closer again. "But that's not the thing I came to talk to you about."

I scowl at him as he crouches down in front of me, placing his hands on my thighs.

"Take your hands off me."

He doesn't.

Instead, he starts to massage them, kneading my sore muscles.

"I know you're angry, 'cause I lied to you about who I am but listen to me." His baby blue eyes drill into mine with a serious expression on his face. "They want information, and you'll make it way easier on yourself if you just comply. Silas has this guy who makes everyone talk so, please, just answer the questions, darling."

"Get your fucking hands off me, you sick fuck," I snarl at him. "You can stop your mind games 'cause you fucking blew your cover already, asshole. I swear on my life that I'm not telling you people shit."

Levi sighs, the sick smile creeping back on his face, making cold shivers run down my spine.

"Don't tell me I didn't warn you."

He gets up, towering over me, and pulls something out of his back pocket. When I realize what it is, I curse out loud.

"Yeah, I have a feeling that you're not going to be very easy to handle when I take those ropes off." He takes the sheath off the syringe, that creepy smile still on his face. "And I have to take you to our room, so this is kind of a must."

I stare at him, eyes wide, unable to say anything. Our room?

Levi walks behind me, and I know why.

"No, no, no, don't—"

My begging cuts off as he grabs hold of my chin and sticks the needle in my neck. It only takes seconds, and then he releases me before I can say anything.

"That should do it, 'cause you're so little," he tells me, now rubbing the spot he injected me. "It only stings a little while, darling. Do you feel better?"

My head starts to feel unnaturally light, and I fight to keep my lids open. No, I'm not going to—

No.

NO.

"That's right, feeling sleepy already?" His hand rubs my neck, the other one taking hold of my forehead, pulling my head back to lean against his stomach.

My head is so spinny. Dizzy. I see his blue eyes looking down at me, but... He spins. I close my eyes, trying to squeeze myself back to my senses.

But again... I feel so sleepy.

"You'll need to rest before tomorrow. They'll ask you questions then. I got you the same heavy blanket that you have at your home, so you can sleep well."

My mind spins but gets stuck on the blanket. My home? I blink, focusing on his eyes, my head leaning against him because it's just too... heavy.

Luke... no... Levi watches me with a crooked smile on his face.

His hand is sliding from my chest to my shoulder and back. Stroking me.

"Our contact took a look around in your apartment, now that there's no lock on your door. Very useful, 'cause I think I owe you that much for fucking you up."

I open my mouth to speak, but it's completely dry, so I need to try again. Focus.

Focus.

"Contact?" I manage to wheeze out.

"Yeah, darling. We've had someone on the inside for years. How else do you think we knew about you and your foster brother's twisted relationship? You two have been leaving trails like Hansel and Gretel." He caresses my cheek, but I'm too tired to move. "You like stories right, darling? Based on your bookshelf, you do."

What did he say... someone...

Someone on the inside.

My eyes flutter closed, even then I still try to think...

"That's right, just sleep, darling. I'll make you feel like you’re home."