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.
legs out of the bed and stood up, taking a deep breath. The first one I‘d done
to this
take long before I heard it. The sound of a key clinking for a few seconds before the satisfying
me. “Because there is work to be done.”
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 that
folder towards me and I took it, giving a small nod to show how grateful I was. Forcing myself to believe
that made it impossible for anyone to recognise me; this being accomplished via a moveable cloth
this. Making sure that no one saw me. Or, at
one wanted to be recognised at a
left my house and swiftly started heading to the location, choosing to stick to the shadows of the night and alleys along the way. Thankfully, my speed and strength made the journey easier, but I‘d be lying if I
· Running with only the intent in mind of proving myself to my father. Telling myself that nothing else
to enter the run down looking apartment complex, but as I did so, I felt something
experienced on the night of the charity event. One I wished woull never
the pain and pushed through it. This wasn‘t the time and
just needed to focus on
slipped through the
been the easy part; entering the public area without 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
job, all
much information. Just a first name, a brief description, a time and a location. I hadn‘t wanted to press for more details since it wasn‘t something I needed to know. Not
one; obedience. Always follow the orders from the boss. No questions
I finally came upon the room I was looking for; apartment thirty–six. Located conveniently around the
subsided, something I was doing my best to ignore. In fact, it made lockpicking the front door harder as concentrating became increasingly more difficult. Just a little bit longer though.
could hear sounds coming from 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
the floor for any weakness that may create sound, and proceeded to move. Moving
–You don‘t have to…’
faint voice suddenly spoke behind
no one was
the hell had that come from? It was almost like a whisper and yet I‘d heard it so clearly. As if it were
wasn‘t just
me 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.
be heard, along with some light snores coming from the armchair in front of it.
back up, walking to behind the armchair. Moving quietly until
was now
for a spot that would make this quick. There was no need to
don‘t have to do this… You don‘t need to
and for all. To stop the intense, sharp pain it seemed to bring me. To make it stop haunting me. …And yet only empty
wrong now. The same thing that had been messing with my head only days
…It was that drug.
that Kieran Lycroft had given
to me must have still been in my system. Now, it was interfering with
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