This Is War [sequel to So Cold]

08: Beaten

Michael POV

All that I could get out of that dreadful moment was the pain coursing throughout every nerve within my entire body. My muscles were aching from the intolerable waves of pain that consistently piled over one another to make me feel nothing but the want to be back with the group, wishing that I had never split off from everyone else.

Hefty boots dug into my ribs as they were kicking profoundly at me, the rubber of their soles peeling my skin.

I wanted to know what the point of beating me was. I wanted to know why I deserved getting hurt like this when these men didn't know me or didn't know what sort of pain I had been through. I wanted to know why this couldn't have taken place in a more public setting where people would come over and help me - or even better - call the police and arrest these men who were physically assaulting me.

Another hard kick was delivered to my face, landing directly above my eye socket where the skin is thinner and far more sensitive. I hissed from the impact, tears springing to my eyes. I was more than certain I was going to have a black eye later. I was going to be infested with bruises - swollen and surely unidentifiable with them. I did feel my skin break at some of the more forceful kicks delivered by the men, so there was no denying that there were many cuts on my skin.

"You're pathetic," one seethed through his teeth. "You're not even fighting back because you're such a coward. Do you know how to fight, kid? Don't you ever try to fight back?" I winced and grunted as another noticeably harder kick was sent to my abdomen. I was clutching my stomach, feeling as though a round of vile would be spilling out from my mouth because of the harsh force.

"He's too weak, Ryder." One man spoke, his words drenched with over-confidence. "He doesn't even seem to be in the condition to lift a finger, don't you agree?" I flinched at his words, whimpering slightly to myself as another wave of tears prickled at the corners of my eyes, soon to be splling down and streaking my face. The pain was excruciating and I couldn't seem to keep myself fully conscious very well as they brutally beat me with no sort of sympathy. The more they kicked at me and tried to insult me with sharp words that should have meant nothing, the more that their voice seemed to be distant to my ears.

They were going to kill me if they didn't stop. To be honest with myself, dying didn't sound all that awful at the moment. I would do anything to wash away all of the unbearable pain from my body. I just wasn't strong enough to tolerate any of it.

There was one specific jab in the stomach that blew all of the possible air out of me, causing for a low groan to fall from my swollen and split lip.

"Hey!" A different voice shouted. It was far more distant than the others, I could tell. I rolled pathetically on the ground as I tried to get even a short glimpse of the person.

The first thing I saw was the long wavy hair that cascaded all the way down to the girl's shoulder blades and her eyes that went wide with astonishment as they overlooked the scene before her. I immediately identified her as Sam, eyes blown and showing more white than the original color of her iris. Her jaw was dangling open, the muscles having softened as she was at a loss for words. Did I really look that bad?

Then at that moment, I saw him. I wanted to clench my jaw at the sight of Sam's hand secured tightly over Harry's wrist, but I couldn't speak out against it. Right now was the worst time possible and I didn't think that I could yell at him even if I tried. All of the wind in my lungs had been knocked out of me from the last blow to my chest. I was in no condition to speak.

An unforgiving chuckle left the lips of the man that stood over me, his hard boot landing only inches away from my face. He could have lifted his foot up and slammed it down on my head if he wanted to. I swallowed thickly at the thought of the horrified expression on Sam's face as the action happened, my life being crushed out from me - literally.