Birds of a Feather | | Leo Fitz Book One

Chapter 30

Asia woke up with the entire world upside down. The floor had become the ceiling, and the ceiling the floor. No, no that wasn't right. She had become upside down. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Clearly, blood had rushed to her head. She needed to focus. She took a deep breath and assessed.

Her arms were handcuffed and spread out, tied to something on the either end of her body. Her wrists hurt, and her ankles, which were suspended. She could feel blood dripping down her legs. As she looked up, she could see she was hanging from some sort of chandelier. There were chains around her ankles and wrists, but also barbed wire, which clung to her skin, piercing her, causing her to bleed. Great.

Someone had removed her jacket so that she was wearing only her white tank top. She looked further around, till her eyes landed on a man in a suit, grinning wickedly at her. Ian Quinn. He was blurry, but it was him. She gritted her teeth.

"Well hello, sleeping beauty. Back with the real world now are we?" He asked, standing up and moving towards her, bending slightly so they were eye level. "You made just a few too many mistakes today, Asia Monroe. Such a disappointment. I'm sure that's what Barton and Romanoff would think."

Asia turned her head so she wouldn't have to look at him. She wouldn't cry. No. Not because of this jackass. He grabbed her cheeks, forcefully turning her back towards him. "Nuh uh uh now, we're talking. Look at me. Now, we're going to have some nice conversations, and you're going to give me some information. And then I won't have to hurt you any more than I already have," he gestured towards her bleeding arms and legs.

"But if you don't give me the information I want," He took a sharp, glinting knife out of his pocket, running his finger along the edge till a small drop of blood appeared. He looked up at Asia and flashed that wicked grin again.

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It must have been an hour before he stopped. Asia couldn't be sure. Her body ached. Blood was running over her face. Cuts covered her cheeks, her bare arms, her stomach, her legs. She was fading in and out of conscious. When he asked her a question, she tried to say she didn't know, but the words came out slurred and stumpy. She couldn't feel her tongue and she was scared he had cut it out. She tasted blood, so he must not have. She couldn't taste if he had cut her tongue out.

"Now now, I'm going to take a quick little break," Quinn said, wiping the blood away from her eyes so she could see him. God her body ached. Burned. Everything hurt. Some of the cuts were shallow, but some of them were gushing rivulets of blood towards her face. Nothing could be too vital, or she would be dead by now. She didn't know if that was good or bad.

"But don't think I'm done with you," Quinn said with a small smirk. "I've got to go deal with your nosey little friend now." Skye.

"Nroow," Asia slurred. "Wou leabe her bwe." She strained against her constraints, which only caused her to bleed more.

"Oh no, I'm not going to do that," Quinn said, taking a gun from his belt, pushing back her bloody lips with it till she could feel the metal on her tongue. "But I am going to make both of you suffer." He grabbed her arm, where several deep cuts were and squeezed till Asia saw stars. He withdrew the gun and walked away till Asia couldn't tell if she could now longer see him because he had left, or because too much blood covered her eyes.