You Found Me

Chapter 17

My lower lip wobbled as they bought a chair into the room complete with manacles on the legs and arms. They pushed his body into the chairs and locked him into it. I saw how the metal burnt his skin, how much pain it caused him- he shouldn’t have to go through this! Tears leaked out of my eyes as I ran, angry tears; Paul had no right! Messing with me was one thing, but you should never mess with my family!

I ran faster and faster as I kept my eyes on Matt.

“Amazing.” I heard Liam breath; I didn’t care what he said though- someday he’d pay for his betrayal and that day would come soon. “She’s about to break the treadmill speed!”

I felt the surface underneath me slow down and I wanted to keep running but they would do something bad to Matt if I didn’t comply.

Two huge vampires unchained me from the treadmill and lead me over to a weights bench, cuffing me to a pole set above my head.

I could hear Matt growling quietly and I hands shook as I held onto the bar. I was so mad. My fists clenched and I heard the groaning of metal as the bar bent under my hands. The two men stood on either side, next to a rack of weights. “Begin.” Liam said.

I hissed when they slotted the first weights and lifted the bar. It felt like nothing, I tried deep breathing to calm myself down but every time I tried to think of something else, the image of Matt silently screaming in pain came to the forefront of my mind.

I don’t know how long I managed to hold the weights above my head, or how heavy it got, but I knew that it must have been substantial as when my arms gave out, it too three vampires to carry the weights and another to unlock me.

I sat up and almost fell back down, feeling so dizzy.

“Riley!” Matt’s voice was but a whisper but I hear him loud and clear. I felt a tear escape my eye and slid down my cheek as I looked at him. His wrists and ankles had burn marks form the metal and I saw that he had been crying; I didn’t blame him, it looked painful.

I held back a sob when he cringed again, his ankle coming into contact with the chair.

This couldn’t be happening! Not to Matt! Why? Why were they doing this too him?

I walked over to him slowly; falling down in front of him I rested my head on his lap. “I am so, so sorry.” I whispered.

“It’s ok Riles.” He whispered.

“Why would he do this to you? Why come back for me?” I asked, more to myself than the people around us.

 I looked up at Matt through misty eyes and could only see pity. “Because you’re you- you’re alluring, bright, innocent and pretty.”

I felt the air shift and Liam’s voice ordered the others in the room behind me, “Take her back to the room.” I thought he meant the adjacent room but when they grabbed my arms and began dragging me back towards the door I panicked.

“No! You’ll hurt him! No! Let him go! No!” I screamed, scratching at the men trying to take me out of the room. I thrashed, kicked, punched, scratched and when they stepped back I looked over to Matt and froze.

“Now Riley, you wouldn’t want your friend to be hurt now?” Paul asked, holding a long, sharp blade to Matt’s neck. “Move.” He ordered, digging the end into his skin, a drop of blood slowly sliding down his neck. He winced in pain as Paul dug it deeper and I was livid; first they chain him to a chair with some kind of metal that burnt his skin, now they threaten him with a nasty looking knife.

I hissed- actually hissed at Paul and pushed the guards away from me. “Don’t. Don’t hurt him. Let him go!” I shouted. How did I know they wouldn’t just kill him once I left the room?