Page 133 of Merciless
With a huff of irritation, Reid pulls a set of keys from his pocket and disappears behind me.
I guess I don’t need to ask whose idea this was.
His warmth hits my back a beat before there is a little pressure on my numb hands and sore wrists then the cuffs release.
“Oh my God.” I whimper, my shoulders aching like a motherfucker as I pull my arms around to my front.
I’ve no idea how long I’ve been bound, but it’s been too freaking long. Especially when I’ve been desperate for sleep.
“Here you go,” JD says, dropping to his haunches in front of me and holding out the mug like some kind of fucked-up sacrifice.
“Get the fuck up, you moron,” Reid snaps, clearly sharing my thoughts.
As much as I want to refuse, the temptation of having my first sip of coffee in Christ knows how many days is too much to deny and I press my lips to the edge of the mug.
So what if I’m about to be poisoned? Maybe it’ll be the easier option in the long run.
The moan that rumbles in my chest as the deep, rich liquid gold spills over my tongue is nothing but pure filth.
JD’s eyes burn into me, his interest more than obvious, but I refuse to open my eyes as I enjoy the creamy caffeine hit he supplied me with.
Silence fills the room, but I know I haven’t lost their attention. My skin tingles with it.
It’s not until the mug is empty that I finally look up. I immediately find JD’s heated blue eyes.
“Thank you,” I whisper, needing him to know just how much I appreciate it. Even if it kills me.
I shriek when a giant hand wraps around my upper arm and hauls me from the cot. “Let’s go, Pet.” Reid growls, his impatience running out.
He moves faster than my body can cope with and I end up being dragged out of my cell, my feet unable to find purchase on the cold concrete floor.
The scent that fills the air out here makes my lips peel back. But before I get a chance to ask what it is, I’m thrown into another cell, where the eye-watering stench is coming from, landing on my knees in the middle of what can only be described as a murder scene.
I scan the blood staining the walls and floor, but from the smell, I’m sure there are other bodily fluids here too.
The coffee swirls around in my stomach, threatening to make a reappearance.
“What the fuck?” I hiss, keeping my eyes on the small patch of floor in front of me.
“Jonno here isn’t doing so good,” Reid says, before the scrape of the cot against the concrete makes me wince as he kicks it.
Risking a look up, I gasp as I find a man bound and gagged on his cot.
His face is a wreck, everything swollen and bloody to the point he’s unrecognizable. His body is in a similar state to what Tommy looked like a few days ago, only beneath this man is a fast-growing pool of blood. I can’t see any obvious signs of injury, but clearly, something is wrong as his blood continues to drip down the small drain beneath him.
I’ve never been overly squeamish. The sight of blood has never really bothered me. But this is on a whole new level. My stomach contracts and I dry heave as it all becomes too much.
“And he really hates it when his cell is a mess,” Reid continues to explain.
He disappears from the doorway, both JD and I staring in confusion at the spot he just left.
He’s back before either of us gets to say anything and dumps a bucket of water and a sponge next to me.
“Clean it before he bleeds out and I’ll give you the chance to save his life,” Reid instructs.
“W-why is he down here?” I ask, my eyes locked on the beaten, half-dead man on the cot.
“That’s not your concern right now,” Reid says. “If he’s still alive by the time you’ve finished, I’ll tell you what he did and allow you to decide whether he lives or dies.”