Chapter 3

Murder isn't always bad.

After Gabrielle and I managed to get my body temperature back up to a place where I didn't have to worry about dying or losing any digits, my mind focused on my primary objective: how the fuck I was going to get Gabrielle and myself out of this mess.

For the first time in my life, I have no desire to see any of the people who have done this to us go through the judicial system. That's saying a lot for me. I'm a law and order man through and through. When I joined the FBI, it was like a dream come true. Everything I loved in one building: the ability to catch the bad guys and put them where they belonged while also bringing some peace to the people who were hurt in the process.

Shade, the Faceless, and Liam—none of them deserve that privilege. If I had the chance, the weapons, and the strength, I'd murder each and every one of them with my bare hands.

"Hey, I'm losing you again." Gabrielle reaches over from where she's sleeping on the bundled-up rags.

"I'm here," I offer in return, but my mind is still meticulously going through every option we have. Deep down, I know it's no use. I've already done this a million times. There's no way out of here that doesn't involve at least one of us dying. I'd happily offer my life if it meant that Gabrielle would be able to get away unharmed, but I've already made a promise to her that I wouldn't leave her to fight this battle on her own.

"How are you feeling? Anything still numb? Feverish?" She sits up, and I dart my eyes over to her face.

I feel like a world-class failure. The worry and concern etched on her face for me only drives my feelings home. I should be stronger than this. I shouldn't have gotten her mixed up with the Faceless to begin with.

"I'm fine, Gabrielle, honestly. Go on back to sleep."

She smiles at me and gets up from her space to sit next to me.

"You know that's nearly impossible, right? You're not lying there with me," she softly nudges my shoulder with hers, and it manages to get a soft smile out of me.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not able to wind down right now. Can't get my brain to stop moving." I shake my head as if the physical jolt would be enough for me to get all thoughts of murder out of my head.

"Well, let's see if we can distract you. Tell me something I don't know about you." She leans further back against the wall, getting as comfortable as she can in the small space.

As odd as it is, I feel myself tense at her request. I don't know why; she's seen all of me. Hell, I've been inside of her body, so why should telling her a secret be so hard for me to do?

"I don't know what you want to hear. I'm not that interesting."

"Lies, I bet you're just full of stories, aren't you?" She chuckles and turns her head. The glow of the dull light slipping through the bars of our cell door washes over the side of her face, and I'm nearly breathless. She's a beautiful woman. Even in this hellhole, her beauty is nearly overwhelming.

"I don't think so. What is it that you want to know?"

This is Gabrielle"s wheelhouse.

As a psychiatrist, it"s almost like she"s hardwired to want to get to the root questions no one wants to talk about. I could sit back and talk to her for hours without feeling like she was trying to pry for information I didn"t want to speak to her about. It"s almost like breathing when it comes to opening up to her; of course, that was only the case when she took charge of the conversation. If I tried to do it on my own, it felt like someone was running a cheese grater over my skin.

"It doesn"t have to be something huge. How about where you got your road name from? I know your momma didn"t name you Bishop, so where is it from?" Gabrielle lifts her legs so she can rest her chin on her knees, all the while not taking her eyes off me.

"That"s easy. I got it from Wyatt. When I first joined the club, I was really religious. Not so much that I was pushing everyone to go to Sunday service or anything like that, but I"d missed quite a few meetings because I was at mass and they couldn"t get in contact with me. There were times we"d have a big dinner, and I"d stop everyone from eating because I wanted them to say grace. My faith used to be a big part of who I am." I shrug and wipe my hands down the threadbare shorts Liam and the rest of the Faceless have allowed me to wear.

"Used to be. I"m assuming that means it"s not as prevalent in your life as it once was?" Gabrielle tilts her head, and I scoff in disbelief.

"How can you even think I was still religious? Do you not know what"s going on here? We"re locked in a fucking dungeon with people who"d be better off playing who"s the better torturer with the devil. No, I"m not religious anymore."

She sighs almost as if she"s disappointed. "Bishop, I can"t say that I"ve ever been completely convinced that there was some great big God up in the skies looking down on us, but I"ve always known that there is something more than just us in this world. After all, how can you explain all the good that happens? Even in the worst of times, I know there is someone or something somewhere looking out for us. I"d never have gotten through this on my own. You"re here just when I needed you. Back at my place, there"s no way anyone would have seen that woman signaling for help outside of her window, but somehow I managed to come out to my balcony just in time to catch her. There"s no way that your club would have randomly chosen you to join their ranks, but once again, somehow they did. It may not all be sunshine and rainbows, but there"s always a reason to keep faith. Always a reason to believe." She gives me a soft smile, before she scoots over and lays her head on my chest, not expecting me to say anything in return.

I don"t have anything more to say. Instead, I just mull over her words. She, out of everyone, should be the one set on being disenchanted, yet she shows me once again just how unique and strong she is. With a sigh, I wrap my arms around her tighter and close my eyes, the weight of the world just a little bit lighter now that she"s in my arms.

***

The sound of the heavy lock sliding out of place jerks me awake, merely seconds before the room is rushed by four guards and Shade. My inner clock reels at the fact that I"m awake. I don"t have a watch or a window in here, but I"m guessing it"s sometime in the very early hours.

"What"s happening... what?" Gabrielle struggles to wake. Her eyes blink furiously as she swings her head from side to side, trying to shake off the last bits of her slumber. When Shade grabs hold of Gabrielle and the other guards come in my direction, I know what"s going on. It"s time for our show.

"No, not again! Please!" Gabrielle begs. She must realize what"s going on too.

Every one of her tears cuts right through me, and the rage I"ve kept locked up comes bubbling to the surface once again. "Get your fucking hands off her! Leave her alone!" I scream and rush one of the guards. They pull out the clubs all of them have strapped to their waists and begin bludgeoning me with them. I fall to my knees but don"t stop trying to get back to Gabrielle.

"I don"t know why you do this. You know you"re not going to win."

Shade"s uninterested tone does nothing but piss me off even more. I roar in frustration and, even through the men beating me, get back to my feet and ram my fist into the face of one of the guards. He crumbles to the ground, clutching his nose and moaning in pain. The blood pouring down his face is satisfying but does nothing to stop the rest of them from coming for me. I fight with all I have, which isn"t much since I"ve been in here for so long, and just like every time before, they are able to subdue me.

With my face pressed hard against the cold stone wall, I jerk my eyes in Gabrielle"s direction. She cries quietly, gently shaking her head, willing me to stop fighting. This isn"t the first time something like this has happened. In fact, by now we should both be used to it.

They are going to bring us into a large clear prison and force me to take her. I wonder what the most requested kink will be tonight. It seems the longer both of us do this, the more crazed the requests become.

Without much force, the guards pull me away from the wall and march me in the direction of the door while Shade grabs hold of Gabrielle and walks her out as well. It"s been a while since I"ve prayed, but after the conversation Gabrielle and I had earlier, I figure this is as good a time as any. I don"t know what"s going on with the rest of the guys from the club or even if they are still alive, but I pray with all I have that they are on their way.

I don"t know how much longer I can do this. Or how much longer I can continue to watch Gabrielle cry.

Slowly, we are pushed into the clear prison, and bright lights slice through the darkness. I struggle to get to my feet and look around. More faces than usual, new ones too. All of them sneering and laughing at our misfortune. All of them paying money to see me do unspeakable things to Gabrielle. No matter how many times we"ve been forced to do this, it always feels like the very first time.