Never the Same

Chapter 25

My head is pounding like nothing I've ever experienced before. I've suffered many hangovers over the years and a car accident but this pain is worse. A hell of a lot worse than those two combined and I know it's not going to go away anytime soon. Even when I attempt to move my head from side to side is painful. It sends sharp pains throughout my body and I can't help but moan with pain.

Until this point, I haven't attempted to open my eyes and I don't know if I'll be able to without feeling the need to screw them shut again. If I want to know where I am, I'll need to open my eyes. I need to at least make an effort to open them. Even if it's only for a moment, it's all I'll need to try and get my bearings.

I take a couple of deep breathes and slowly open my eyes.

I don't see much to begin with, mainly because where I am is dark, but I can faintly hear the sound of water dripping. That would explain why the ground beneath me is damp – or I hope it's damp with water and nothing else for the sake of my baby.

God, my baby. I hope my baby is alright. I hope the pains I'm feeling throughout my body aren't from a miscarriage and my mind is masking them as something else. I can't make out the colour of ground beneath me to know for sure but I'm hoping it's just water.

I carefully turn my head to the left to get a better sense of where I may be and squint my eyes when I see the outline of a door not far from where I am. I can see a hint of light at the bottom of the door where there's a gap and groan louder.

It's the only thing I can think of doing right now, but do I really want to do that and draw attention to myself? Attract attention to whoever it was that brought me here? Do I want them to know I'm awake? Do I want to know who they are?

No.

The answer is no to all of those questions apart from the last one.

The last thing I remember was being in Allison's flat and hearing a male voice, the next thing I knew I was seeing black. I didn't get a chance to see the male in question before blacking out but who do this to me? Why did they do this to me? Who are they? Is it someone who has a grudge against me or Luca? Was this done to make a point to Luca? To me? Or was it the people who did this to me, the same ones who smashed into Allison and me at the traffic lights?

Either way, they've achieved whatever it was they wanted.

The sound a car engine roaring close by snaps me out of my thoughts and I turn my head to the right. I wince at the pain that surges through me with the sudden movement and try to move my body but I don't get far when I try to pull my hands from where they are at my back. They're bound together and I'm against what I can only describe as some kind of post. I make a move to stand but my feet slide away from me and I hit the floor with a thud.

I draw a breath in through gritted teeth and let my head fall back against the post, my eyes closing back over. "Fuck."

The door to my left suddenly opens and a man swiftly walks out, not bothering to look at me which is a relief, to say the least. I open my eyes slightly to watch him as he walks over to something that's to the right of me. He presses a couple of buttons and a large roller shutter opens, allowing the car I just heard to enter.

It's high beam lights are blinding. Much so that I shut my eyes tightly and turn my head to the opposite side, something I know the driver of the car will have noticed.

"Well, look who's finally awake." The headlights stay on as the driver gets out the car, slamming the door closed, and walks over to me. "Don't pretend to be still knocked out. It would be the worst thing you could possibly do since I saw you look at my car."