Book 2 – Ch.#9
“Are you ready to follow the rules now?”
…Rule number one… obedience. Always follow the orders from the boss. No questions asked.
I‘d broken that rule. I knew I was breaking it the moment I‘d chosen to run that night. I knew it would land me here. And yet I still did it.
I pulled my body upright from the old bed, more sluggish than I would have liked, and hated how I still felt so sore from the injuries inflicted several days earlier.
‘Days‘. That was the key word.
That was how long I‘d been trapped in here, alone with my thoughts as it forced me to reflect on every decision I‘d made leading to this point,
Because, at its core, that was the true punishment.
It wasn‘t the pain. No, that was always over quickly. Gavin did a great job of making sure the damage inflicted was swift yet efficient. Always enough to get the point across and never seeming to even flinch as he did what he did.
But it was the psychological punishment that truly made it horrific.
…‘Days‘.
I’d been in here… for days.
Alone.
In pain.
Wondering how I’d managed to convince myself that running had been worth it. Wondering how much longer it would take before punishment was finally over.
And now this was the first thing spoken to me after all that time. This voice of my father on the other side of the door, asking if I was ‘ready to follow the rules‘.
Yes, I was ready.
Of course, I was ready.
I was about ready to do anything, to say anything, if it meant finally getting out of here. I‘d learnt my lesson the minute Gavin had ripped me from my bed. There was only one authority in my life and that was my father. It had always been my father.
…Someone I just wanted to be free of.
I forced that thought away as quickly as it sprung to mind. It was thoughts exactly like that which led me to this moment. Testing the patience of a man who had none. I wasn‘t exempt from the rules because of our relationship. If anything, this punishment had been necessary. I‘d clearly become too complacent in its absence and needed the reminder.
Really, it was my fault.
All my fault.
“Raven?” prompted my father.
bed and stood up, taking a deep breath.
to
before I heard it. The sound of a key clinking for a few seconds before the satisfying click of the lock. Within moments, I found myself face–to–face with
said, entering the room towards me. “Because
I should be thinking ‘thank you‘, praising how lucky I was to be given another chance. This was a good thing for me. A moment to redeem myself. A moment to show
towards me and I took it, giving a small nod to show how grateful I was. Forcing myself to believe that very thing. “It‘s a clean–up job,” he simply said. “You know what
hour, I had packed my things and gotten dressed. A black attire that made it impossible for anyone to recognise me; this being accomplished via a moveable cloth mask
the most important things when completing a mission like this. Making sure that no one saw me. Or, at least, if they
no one wanted to
alleys along the way. Thankfully, my speed and strength made the journey easier, but I‘d be lying if I said my injuries weren‘t interfering at all. Truthfully, even back in the fresh air and with slightly faster healing, I knew I would still need another day or so before I
with only the intent in mind of proving myself to my father. Telling myself that nothing
time, intending to enter the run down looking apartment complex, but as I did so, I felt
Similar to what i‘d experienced on the night of the charity event. One
This wasn‘t the time and I could deal with it later
needed to
through the front door silently, making
being nottced. It was late at night but not late enough that people wouldn‘t still be around, coming home from the local pubs and bars. Yet I knew this wasn‘t that big of a deal when this side of town was as neglected as this apartment‘s security was
straightforward job,
a location. I hadn‘t wanted to press for more details since it wasn‘t something I needed to
Always follow the orders from the boss. No
finally came upon the room
In fact, it made lockpicking the front door
a T.V, and smelt the scent of someone located in the same direction. This almost guaranteeing the target‘s exact position. All I needed to do was sneak up and end this quickly. A job that should
testing the floor for any weakness that may create sound, and proceeded to move. Moving closer
–You don‘t have to…’
a faint voice suddenly spoke behind me, and I instantly crouched to the
one
come from? It was almost like a whisper and yet I‘d heard it so clearly. As if it were right next to
it wasn‘t
and caused me to wince. Making it more difficult to focus as I looked around, frantically trying to spot the source. Searching for whoever had spoken. …And yet
sounds of people speaking on the T.V could now be heard, along with some light snores coming from the armchair in front of it. A confirmation that whoever had spoken, it wasn‘t stemming from the man I was here to see. A man
back up, walking to behind the armchair. Moving quietly until I stood right behind the man who fit
was now
make this quick. There
have to do this… You don‘t need to be…’ There it
instantly spun around and lashed my dagger out towards the voice, hoping to silence whoever it was once and for all. To stop the intense, sharp pain it seemed to bring me. To make it stop haunting me. …And yet only empty air filled the space
was no one there… but I thought I knew what was wrong now. The
…It was that drug.
Kieran Lycroft had
have still been in my system. Now, it was interfering with my work. Scaring me out of doing what I needed to
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