26. Chapter Twenty

Xander

I grunt when another blow lands to my ribs. Karl stands at the back of the room smiling like he won the fucking lottery. I'm in the center of the room with my hands chained above my head, suspended slightly so only the tips of my boots touch the concrete floor, forcing my arms to bear the majority of my weight. They've worked me over pretty good, my face aching and I'm sure they have cracked a few of my ribs. I'm not dumb, I see the knives and tools that line the metal cart against the wall, they are just getting warmed up before the real fun begins.

"All you have to do is make a call, bring her here and return all those whores, then this will end. I'll ship what remains of you back to that little prick. I'm not unreasonable, Alexander," Karl taunts like he's doing me a favor. Rather than answering, I look at the cunt who has been working me over and spit right in his face.

"Motherfucker!" he snarls, then lands a combo of jabs, kicks and even uppercuts me. I hang here limply, feeling every ounce of pain they have inflicted upon my body but still, none of this hurts worse than thinking about never seeing Waverly again. I hope Lakeland believes Trey and tells Knox she is alive. I know Wave hates him but Knox would come for her and give her the army she needs to take over Ireland.

"I think you hurt Fin's feelings." At the mention of the cocksucker's name anger swirls inside me. Karl laughs when he sees me shooting Fin a death glare, he's one of the cunts that hurt Wave's son. "He wasn't the only one who got to play with your girlfriend, we all enjoyed her." I look around the room, ten of the bastards are in here grinning. These are the last ones on her list. I know it without needing to hear their names, these cunts hurt my girl and for that, they will all fucking die, slowly. I will peel the fucking skin from their bones and have them begging for death.

"I'm going to give you all a chance. You can let me go now and I will end your miserable excuse of a life quickly or, don't heed my warning and I'll drag your end out slowly." They all look around at each other, it takes a solid minute before laughter breaks out and I grit my teeth as all these motherfuckers brush off my threat.

"You think you're getting out of here?" the cunt to the right of Karl asks. I keep my face blank of all the pain I'm feeling and put my gladiator mask in place. If they think they can beat me, torture me or break me, then they are out of their fucking minds, I have nothing left to break. The only thing they could break me with isn't here, she's safe and I know Trey will keep her away from here. I would never forgive myself if she was stupid enough to stage a breakout for me and she was captured. God, I would die a painful fucking death before I ever let these cocksuckers lay a single finger on her again.

"Clearly Fin knocked him too many times in the head," Karl jibes, the rest of his followers cackle like a pack of hyenas. I remain stoic, still trying to give myself some time to figure a way out of here. I know I've been chained up for hours so it has to be close to dusk and surely these cunts have other shit they need to do. They must at least have damage control to do since Wave took out two more of their clubs. "Nolan, take Ed, Stephen and George and deal with the damage at Prime. Fin, take Frank, Len and Thomas and go check out the two clubs from last night. Ron and I will keep an eye on this leech." They do as instructed but before they can leave Ron blocks the doorway and shakes his head.

"Don't be rude, say goodbye to our guest," he jeers. The men stand around and laugh for a second before focusing their attention on me. I brace myself for the pain that is about to unfold. The fuckers make a line and each take their turns inflicting as much pain as possible in the five second window they have given themselves before they leave the room. By the time the last one leaves the room I am nothing but limp weight in my chains and panting, barely hanging on to consciousness but I will not give them the satisfaction of passing out.

I'll admit, they have worked me over pretty fucking well but I see from the glint in Karl and Ron's eyes that the both have something in store for me. I frown when Ron walks across the room and retrieves a metal bucket. I begin to think that they are going to strap me to a table and place a rat beneath the bucket on my stomach and then heat it so it claws its way through my insides. He holds my attention with rapt interest when he positions the bucket in front of me and gets right up in my face.

"You'll get special treatment because I know how much she likes you." My brows raise as my face clears of all emotion. "Hmmmm, she tasted so good." I jerk forward and headbutt the cunt. He stumbles back cursing and holding his nose as it gushes out with blood.

"You'll pay for that!" Karl roars before stalking across the room to the metal cart and grabbing a whip. I stare the cunt down. I've seen the scars on her body, I know he did that to her and if he thinks I will shrink away and cower in fear he's fucking wrong. He comes to stand behind me and tears the back of my shirt open, exposing my naked flesh.

"You're going to fucking wish I killed you slowly," Ron promises as he steps aside just as Karl cracks the whip, taunting me. I brace and try to prepare myself for what is to come. Their laughter ricochets around the room, building to the anticipation of what is about to happen. I close my eyes and force my mind to quieten and lock away all my emotions.

He can't hurt me, she isn't here.

I keep repeating that over and over in my head, reminding myself that no physical pain can harm me, the only person that can hurt me is nowhere near here. I hear the whip crack again and ready myself for the inevitable lashing that is coming my way.

"Twenty should be enough to get us started before Ron gets to play with you. Same rules apply, your whore knew them well. You count them aloud, the moment you stop we begin again." Shock, shame, anger and guilt war inside me at the knowledge of how she had to live through this shit for years. "You scream out or pass out, we begin again."

"I'm going to flay you alive, peel the skin from your fucking bones while—" The whip sails through the air and the burning pain that rips through me is a feeling I can't even put into words. I gasp and draw in a sharp intake of breath as I breathe through the searing pain.

"He didn't count it out loud, boss," Ron says with humor in his tone.

"No, he didn't. We'll class that as a warm up strike, shall we?" Karl answers. I hear the tip of the whip drag along the ground and tense in anticipation of the pain that is coming but then a phone ringing breaks the tension in the room. "I don't like interruptions when I am teaching!" Karl scolds. Ron quickly fishes out his phone and hits answer.

"Darling, daddy is—" Ron clamps his mouth closed and darts a fearful look to Karl before placing the call on speaker.

"Do I have your attention?" My eyes widen at the sound of Waverly's voice.

"If you hurt a single hair on their?—"

She cuts Ron off before he can finish. "Shut the fuck up. You don't call the shots here, you do as I say and I won't let thirty men take turns on your wife Meg. When they tire of her, your daughters Christine and Zoe can take their mother's spot and entertain my men. Now, do I have your attention?" Karl moves toward Ron with the whip still clasped in his hand, they share a loaded look before Ron swallows and answers.

"You have my attention," he sneers. I wipe the shock from my face and play it cool.

"Now, I assume by the big boy tone of your voice that you're with that dead man walking." Karl beams like a proud father.

"Are you ready to come home, Doxy?"

"Say another fucking word you cock sucking son of a cunt and I'll slit his daughter's throats." Ron stumbles back a couple steps and shoots Karl a pleading look, he was untouchable a minute ago but with the threat of his daughters lives on the line he's been reduced to a fucking puppet.

My girl did that shit!

"What are your terms, Doxy?" Karl asks, Ron's eyes widen with a pleading look asking him to shut the fuck up but Karl ignores him. He doesn't give a fuck about Ron's daughters, he just wants to taunt Doxy.

"You have something that belongs to me." Karl snaps his gaze to me and sneers while I smirk. "I want him back." She sounds like a fucking queen.

"I am the leader of this family, you are nothing but a common whore that can be replaced in a?—"

"You have three hours to bring him to me unharmed or I start with the wife then move on to the daughters. Don't be late." The second she ends the call, Ron is shouting and pleading for Karl to release me and save the lives of his family. I bite back the snort from breaking free. Ten minutes ago he had the biggest dick energy and now he is a pleading pussy.

"I will not meet the demands of some fucking whore!" Karl roars, silencing Ron. "He is going nowhere, she's a stupid cunt."

"How so?" Ron asks.

"She's at your house. Get the men, we're going to get that bitch back. She needs to be taught a lesson and I am dying to give it to her in front of this soon to be dead bastard." Both of them stroll out of the room and slam the door closed behind themselves. I hear the lock click into place and smirk.

Their greatest mistake is underestimating her. I bet my life on the fact she isn't at Ron's house and is staking out this joint.