Dear Ex Wife Please take me back by The Every Woman

ATHENA

"OH MY GOD!" I let out a scream as I step into the empty room.

Tied to a chair and beaten to a pulp is Arnold.

His face is barely recognizable. He's bruised, bloodied, swollen to the point where one eye is completely shut. Dried blood cakes his temple and lip. His breathing is shallow, wheezing with every inhale like it hurts to be alive.

"How is this possible?" My voice is shaking both from fear and frustration.

If the one we thought had it is here, then who has the damn box!

"It can be anyone!" Luca runs his hand through his hair. "Fuck!" His eyes start to slowly darken as anger starts to wrap around him, making me take a step back.

He has the face of someone who doesn't want to relax until someone is on the floor, bloody and broken.

But Arnold's already there.

Honestly I mirror his anger. I'm actually getting more pissed off by the second. It's like someone is toying with us and it's starting to get fucking annoying.

"Who the hell did this to him?" I whisper, my eyes darting around the room. No signs of forced entry. No bodies. Just this... brutal aftermath.

"I don't know," Luca growls. "But they left him alive for a reason."

I glance down at Arnold again. His fingers twitch weakly. Whatever fight he had left is long gone.

But we need answers, and fast.

I kneel beside the battered man, my fingers already reaching into the inner pocket

of my coat where I keep a few emergency tools.

"What are you doing?" Luca asks, watching me.

"Waking him up." I grab a pen from my coat and flick the cap off, exposing the sharp metal clip inside. "The carotid pressure point... right here-"

Before Luca can stop me, I stab the thin metal tip right under Arnold's jawlin deep enough to shock his system without hitting any fatal nerves.

Arnold jerks up violently in the chair with a scream that echoes off the concrete walls.

"FUCK!" he roars, thrashing as much as the ropes allow.

"You crazy bitch! What the hell-"

"You're welcome for not letting you die, asshole." I snap, grabbing his jaw and forcing him to look at me.

"You stupid motherfucker!" Luca growls, storming forward. "Do you have any idea of the damage you've caused? The people you've endangered? I should skin your ass alive!"

Arnold spits out blood and smirks through the pain, "Then why don't you go

psycho I know

near his gun, but I put a hand on

what

nostrils flare, but he

I

grin stretches

"Go fuck yourself."

Wrong answer.

him hard,

"Try again."

again, short

it in

down slowly, letting him see the rage flickering in my

in silence as I pull a small vial from my bag. One I grabbed

unscrew the top. "It's synthetic capsaicin. Basically pepper spray... on fire. And it burns like a bitch when it touches skin. Everytime you see your sorry

for

"You wouldn't-"

finish, I pour a few drops

nothing I've ever heard. Pure agony. His

"AHHHH! YOU LITTLE... FUCK!"

holding the vial over him. "Next one goes on your

don't have the

"Who?" Luca barks.

Arnold's chest heaves.

use it for my election

me. You can see the

impatience in his

know. Check

barely hanging on as his body slumps in the chair again, steam practically rising

Isabelle to come with an ambulance." I announce as

Luca's phone vibrates.

it out, glances at the screen and

my voice suddenly

my throat as I

don't

at me

have to move.

twists. "Did something

clenches,

gaze, his

is rare because it.... takes a lot to stir

to plan B. Alex's heart stopped. They had to resuscitate

s