Page 146 of Stabby Little

OLLIE

I coughas I wake up in a black room. Cords dig into my wrists and prevent me from moving. The concrete floor is freezing underneath the soles of my feet. The icy breeze that gusts through the cracked window paints my skin in goosebumps.

Rain sheets outside. A crack of thunder shakes the room, causing a barrage of pebbles to crash to the ground. Lightning illuminates my surroundings for a split second, before vanishing quickly.

I glance down and force myself to drag in a breath. It's not cords that tie my hands—it's zip ties. More zip ties bind my feet to a water pipe and prevent me from moving. My snuggly sweater I wore before I welcomed Miles into my house is missing and my briefs are gone.

I'm naked. The freezing air combined with the fear barreling through me causes my bits to shrink. My entire body is subjected to the whims of whoever fucking kidnapped me, on full display for them to see.

A tear trickles down my cheek. Who brought me here? Last I recall, I was preparing to bring Miles a lemon soda. He'd delivered rainbow sprinkle cupcakes to me and I wanted to dig into them. It'd been years since I'd had a rainbow sprinkle cupcake, the same kind we made at sleepovers.

I recall a sharp pain in my arm. My eyes drift down and lock on my elbow. There's enough light to make out the tiny red dot that mars my skin. Blood trickles out from the puncture wound. My vision goes blurry.

It crashes through my mind with the next thunderclap.

Miles.

Motherfucker.

Why the hell did he drug me?

He acted so nice to my face, letting me believe he truly wanted to see me.

Now I know he was only doing that to disarm me.

Clearly, he had other plans that involved triggering my worst traumas and bringing me somewhere.

Who's the woman who accompanied him? I scrunch my eyes shut and recall long, black hair, skinny limbs, and designer jeans. Try as I might, I can't remember who this is.

I spit on the ground and fight against the zip ties. Why did Miles do this? Who is he working for? Is he the reason men originally stole me on the way to Grant's house—or did someone pay him off to take me?

"Help." My voice ricochets off the concrete floor and low ceilings of the space. I pray to God someone hears me over the storm. "Let me out!"

Nothing. Nada. The silence that greets me makes me want to gouge my eyes out.

The zip ties allow just enough wiggle room for me to kick my foot back and attempt to smash the water pipe. A dinging sound reaches my ears as the smell of rust and mildew penetrates my nose. I kick it again, seeking to deliver the blow that will bust it in two. If I crack it, I'll be able to rip my zip ties off and cut them using shards of rusty metal. It won't take long to free myself, slide out of the cracked window which I suppose is open to provide me with oxygen, and take out my captors.

I've been through too many fucking situations like this to let this catch me by surprise. I plotted to take out my abductors for years—I had endless assassination attempt ideas to put them in their graves. The only thing stopping me was my lack of opportunity. Later, I realized I needed to create my own opportunity—not rely on luck to provide it. The second I could, I murdered the guard hurting me and escaped.

If Miles or his handlers think they can destroy me, they're wrong.

I'll stab their eyes out with shards of broken pipe and leave them covered in blood.

The door on the far side of the room swings open. Two figures in black masks enter and shine a flashlight at me.

Quickly, I close my eyes and pretend to sleep. The best way to manipulate these motherfuckers is to catch them off guard. If they think I can't hear them, I'll glean information that'll help me break out.

"Should this clear it?" the woman demands.

"Yes." I recognize Miles's voice at once. "This is what he wanted."

"I can't believe he asked you to kidnap Ollie. It's so fucked up."

Miles lets out a growl. "I never should've agreed to sell his drugs. But I'm in too deep. This will wipe my slate clean. I can finally live a normal life."

Disbelief punches my gut. Miles's with… Linda? Never in a million years did I expect Linda to kidnap me. She wasn't the sweetest woman when she was with Grant, but she wasn't pure evil, either.

"Is he asleep?" Linda's voice is quiet.