Rage shines in her tear-filled eyes, even as she chokes on her sobs, she swings back her arm and slaps Franco with everything she has before I can stop her.
His head whips to the side, a red handprint darkening his cheek and he rubs a hand over the spot as he glances back at Tillie with hard eyes. I don’t like that look in his gaze that’s a mix between fury and lust, it has me stepping over Payne’s body to pull her into my body and away from him as she goes limp like everything that’s happened is hitting her at once.
“I’ll let it slide this one time, little girl. You have a week to get yourself together and then come back home by your own will or by my hand,” Franco orders darkly and strides over to Diana, gripping her by the elbow to drag her shaking body out of the room without looking back.
I don’t bother looking at anyone, I know Logan will look after Dalton as I take care of our girl. I pick Tillie up, cradling her in my arms, and hold her close to my chest. Walking over the shattered glass and through the French doors, I keep going until I’m sinking into the warm shallow end of the pool. I don’t care if my clothes get wet, the only thing that matters is healing my Angel who hasn’t said one word to me or protested my actions. She lays her cheek against my chest, inhaling a shaky breath as I switch her position so her legs can wrap around my waist. She lets me walk us deeper into the water until it starts turning a bright red against the light blue water. Her father’s blood washes off our bodies, leaving behind the smell of chlorine instead of the strong scent of copper. I don’t glance over as a shadow falls above us, staying silent as he watches us from the edge of the pool. Not even a minute later, a small splash beside us lets me know he is done waiting. My eyes meet Nicky’s over Tillie’s shoulder when he steps closer and moves her hair off of her shoulder. She doesn’t move, just stares off in the distance and sinks into my body as Nicky steps up behind her back. He places his chin on her shoulder, sliding his arms around until I feel his hands grip my waist and just holds her tightly between our bodies until there's hardly room to breathe.
“We got you,” I whisper down at her and cradle her closer just so I know she’s really in my arms.
Tillie
I’m warm, cocooned in a dream of heat. Maybe a little too warm. My clothes stick to my body like a second skin. I try to roll away from the constant heat to cool down but something stops me from moving.
Holding me hostage.
I blink my eyes open, only to see my feet dangling inches from the cold, cement flooring as my chin drops towards my chest. A red trail of blood slides down my legs, dripping to the floor like a teardrop and leaving a small puddle underneath me. The strain in my shoulders suddenly becomes so overwhelming that I jerk my head up, an agonizing hiss leaving my mouth as I take in my wrists chained to the ceiling. I sway from side to side so slowly that it makes me nauseous. It doesn't help that I’m in pain and bleeding from the deep cuts on my wrists from the metal cuffs. How long have I been hanging here? Unbelievable, intense heat settles against my back, leaving behind the smell of burnt flesh. A scream rips out of my throat, the sound soul-stirring even to my own ears, and a noise I hope to never hear again. I’m thrashing to get away, but the heat stops sizzling as whatever burns me is pulled away. My body slumps in the shackles, and the breath whooshing in and out of me is loud and hard.
“Do you really want to know? What will you give me in return?” Payne’s voice comes from beside my right ear, a whisper of a ghost haunting me.
Dark, dirty, biker boots stop in front of my swaying body as I remain silent and a deeply tanned hand lifts my chin so I’m staring into eyes that make me feel like I’m looking into the abyss of hell.
My own personal hell.
“You're dead.” The words leave my panting lips, terror nearly making me pass out as he finally steps into my line of sight.
“Am I? I’ll always be here, Tillie.” He taps my head with his knuckle and chuckles at my expression that has likely gone pale. “Aren’t you going to ask? I know you're dying to know. You can’t help yourself.” He shakes his head when tears pool in my eyes because I know exactly what he’s talking about but I can’t play this game anymore.
There’s only so much I can take and I’m not ready for this moment that will change everything I thought I knew. I lick my dry, cracked lips and stare over his shoulder at the workbench that holds all my worst nightmares. This isn’t right. I remember this moment, the first time I was brought down to the basement with endless days of pain inflicted on my body at the age of sixteen. Except this memory is different, Payne never offered an explanation as to why he wanted to hurt me. I never got my answer but I think I finally understand why he tortured me for countless hours.
“What do you want?” I choke back a sob, despising myself when I can’t help but glance back at him and hating the evil smile that spreads across his lips at my desperate tone.
“I want you to suffer but first I want you to ask me. Go ahead and ask me!” He suddenly screams the last part in my face, his spittle landing on my cheeks from how close he is to me. He’s so close that I can’t see anything but his harsh, brown eyes.
“Who is my father?” I breathe out in a strangled, raspy tone while staring into his eyes that hide many secrets and will continue to, just to see me suffer.
He stares at me for an amount of time that feels like forever before he turns around and starts walking away into the dark void. At the edge of where dark and light meets, he stops next to a man with his back towards me. The patch of the Demon Jokers stares at me and Payne places his arm around the man's shoulder, leading him away and into the dark.
“No! You can’t do this! Who is he?!” My shouting echoes all around me, and I yank on my wrists so hard that they burn from the pressure.
“I think you already know the answer to that, Tillie,” Payne says over his shoulder and continues walking into the shadows with the man until they are only a body outline with little light, being swallowed up by the black abyss.
“Look at me! goddammit, look at me!” I scream with everything inside of me, fighting against my restraints to break free, to run to them, but it’s no use.
The man never looks back, the last thing I see is the dancing demon with a joker's mask over its face on the back of his vest. I’m left alone with a single lightbulb swinging over my head. The screams don’t stop leaving my mouth, even when my throat hurts.
“Come back,” I whisper brokenly on a sob.
“Tillie! Wake the fuck up! Come on, little bitch, don’t do this!”
My body jerks like it’s been struck by lightning as I struggle to sit up. Hands restrain my wrists as I take deep, gasping breaths and fight against the body looming over my own.
“Fuck, Tillie. It’s me. It’s Dalton,” the gravelly, deep voice whispers in my ear with a ragged breath as if he’s been running for miles.
My blurry, watery eyes blink rapidly until Dalton’s face over mine comes into focus. It’s like the fight goes out of my body as I collapse against the mattress. Dalton relaxes his tense muscles along with mine as he exhales a relieved breath.
“What happened? Wh–where are we?” I croak out in a stutter, taking stock of my surroundings as my brain battles against sleep and being woken up.
I’m laying on a bed with a navy blue comforter, and tan walls surround the small room with a bathroom door slightly open, the light inside it on. A dresser and nightstand are the only other items in the room that tell me nothing. It gives away nothing of where I am and whose bedroom I am in, but then the smell of gasoline and cedar fills my senses and tells me this is Dalton’s room.
