69. Chapter 69

69

Wren

I slam my fist against the cold metal bars, the clang echoing through the empty corridor.

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!

"Alex!" I scream, my voice raw and desperate. "Lenny!"

Silence. Just the drip-drip-drip of some leaky pipe mocking me. I grip the bars so tight that my knuckles turn white, pressing my forehead against the rust-flecked metal.

"Goddammit," I mutter, tasting blood where I've bitten my lip. The image of Alex's terrified face burns behind my eyelids. His little arms reaching out, tears streaming down his cheeks. Fuck, I shoulda been faster, smarter. Some mother I turned out to be.

I kick the bars, pain shooting up my leg. Good. Physical pain's better than this hollowness eating me from the inside out.

"Hey!" I yell, my voice bouncing off concrete walls. "You pussy-ass bitches too scared to face me? Come on!"

Nothing. Not even an echoing footstep. Just me and my fucked-up thoughts.

I slump down against the wall, the chill seeping through my clothes. My hand brushes against my boot, and—wait. The knife. Those dumb fucks didn't find it.

My jaw tightens, and I click my tongue. Idiots. I work the blade free and twirl the knife between my fingers, muscle memory from a lifetime ago taking over. The metallic glint catches the dim light as I imagine burying it in the throat of every last Skull Collector piece of shit.

"Hang on, baby," I whisper, picturing Alex's face. "Momma's coming. And she's bringing hell with her."

The sound of heels clicking against concrete snaps me to attention. I palm the knife, tucking it up my sleeve. Showtime.

Elena saunters into view, all sleek elegance and cold calculation. Her eyes, sharp as ice picks, scan me like I'm a lab rat. "Well, well," she purrs, "look what the cat dragged in."

I spit at her feet. "Fuck you, Elena."

She tsks, wagging a manicured finger. "Such language. What would your precious little boy think?"

My blood turns to lava. I lunge at the bars, snarling. "You keep his name out of your whore mouth!"

Elena's laugh is like broken glass. "Oh, Wren. Still so… passionate." She leans in close, her breath hot on my face. "I wonder if you'll keep that fire when you hear your son screaming."

My fingers twitch, the knife's weight a promise. One quick slash, and I could paint these bars red. But I grit my teeth, forcing myself still. Not yet.

"What's the matter, Elena?" I growl. "Zimniy not man enough to keep you satisfied? Gotta get your kicks torturing kids now?"

Her eyes flash, a nerve struck. Good.

"Now I know the reason," she says in a sing-song way.

"Reason?" I hiss. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

She leans in closer, her voice dripping with venom. "That's what he liked about you. You're so… unrefined. A little street rat he could play hero with."

"Thanks for the compliment, bitch." I bare my teeth in a feral grin. "Jealous? D always did prefer a real woman to a plastic bitch."

"Real?" Elena scoffs. "You mean cheap. Common. Like a dog in heat."

"Better a dog than a snake," I spit back. "At least I didn't have to spread my legs for every—"

Elena's composure cracks. Her hand whips out, grabbing my hair and slamming my head against the bars. Stars explode behind my eyes, but I laugh through the pain.

"Struck a nerve, did I?" I taunt, tasting copper.

She releases me, smoothing her hair. "Enjoy your little jokes, Wren. We'll see how funny you find it when—"

The sudden shriek of a child shatters the tension. My heart stops.

"I want my momma!"

Alex. Oh God, Alex.

"Bring him here!" Elena snarls, her arms crossing over her chest.

A woman struggles to hold onto Alex as he thrashes and wails. The moment his teary eyes lock onto mine, he launches forward, tiny hands reaching. "Momma!"

My fingers curl around the cold metal bars; every instinct screams to tear this cell apart, to rip Elena's throat out with my bare hands. But I swallow it down, forcing my face into a mask of calm.

"Hey, buddy," I say, my voice steadier than I feel. "It's okay. Momma's right here."

Alex hiccups, snot and tears streaking his face. "I want to go home."

"I know, baby. We will soon. You're being so brave." I manage a smile, praying he can't see how it trembles at the edges.

Elena's satisfied laugh grates like nails on a chalkboard. "Oh, look how the wild tiger cowers."

I turn to her, voice low and deadly. "What do you want now? Tell me."

Her lips curl into a viper's smile. "I want you to tell him we have you and his baby."

Ice floods my veins. "What? No—"

"No?" Elena's eyebrow arches. "Well, we could always see how long it takes to make the boy scream. I hear children's fingers are so delicate…"

Bile rises in my throat. You sadistic bitch. "Fine," I grit out. "But Alex stays with me."

"You have no leverage to bargain, little mouse," Elena sneers, gesturing to take Alex away.

"Wait!" The word tears from my throat. "Okay. I'll… I'll do what you ask."

Triumph blazes in Elena's eyes as she pulls out a phone, manicured nail tapping a number.

"Speak." D's voice, gruff and disinterested, crackles through the speaker.

"Long time no see, lover ," Elena purrs.

"What do you want?" D's tone could freeze hell itself.

"Oh, just catching up. Thought you might want to know…" Elena's eyes lock onto mine, savoring every word. "I have the love of your life here. And your cute little baby boy."

The silence stretches, endless and suffocating. I can barely breathe.

Finally, D's voice, cold as a Siberian winter: "It's none of my business."

The line goes dead.

My heart plummets, shattering on the concrete floor. Elena's laughter rings out, triumphant and cruel, but I barely hear it. All I can focus on is Alex's trembling form and the sickening realization that we're truly alone.

D, you heartless bastard, I think, fighting back tears. I hope you burn in hell for this.