Started With a Lie

Chapter Sixty

"Get up." The wretched voice belongs to Victor. His voice sounds harsher than ever. "GET UP!"

A shuffle of footsteps and I am tased again without hesitation, the voltage definitely higher than last time as it rips through my body. I seize, writhing in pain, my scream coming out in strangled noises. I hope I pass out.

When he stops, my skin still feels like it could feel the same pain again by just moving. I can barely sit up. But I do not want to get struck again so I rise, sitting up. Every limb aches, screaming for me to stop.

But I am struck again. This time, it is with his hand.

"Get up, you bitch."

Somehow, being hit from his hand enrages me more than being tased. I would rather have electricity jolt me to my bones than his filthy, murderous hand to ever touch me.

I slowly get to my knees, dragging and willing each body part to listen. I get up, barely standing. But I look at him through my falling, tangled hair and spit in his vicinity. "How am I supposed to get up when you keep striking me?" I spit again, lunging farther towards him, causing my chains to rattle. "When I am chained to the fucking wall?"

Victor's eyebrow twitches. None of my spit or words actually reach him, but he is angry anyways. He is just eternally angry. He walks swiftly over and raises his fist straight into my jaw, sending me whirling. My chains bite into my skin as I fall over, far as I can get from the wall.

"Talk again and I will kill you," he threatens. He doesn't stop there, inching close before kicking me directly in the stomach. He does it over and over until I can barely breathe, much less talk any time soon. Tears spill down my cheeks but I cannot move or cry, only clutch my stomach. I do not regret opening my mouth and I do not regret retaliating.

"The day is ending and your little Lee has made no contact," Victor reveals, his words full of venom and disgust. No wonder he is enraged. No money yet. "I promised not to hurt or kill you as long as I got my money. But I don't have that. So don't think I won't hesitate to hurt you. I can't kill you just yet but I can break your ribs. I can paralyze you for hours. I can do everything else. So don't fucking even breathe in front of me unless I tell you."

I try to curl into a ball on the ground. I hope I pass out. Anything to get me away.

"Get up again. Now!" he barks, his voice echoing against the walls and my surely broken bones. I drag myself to move, slowly but eventually raising myself from my weak knees to a standing version of myself that I don't recognize. My vision is spotty.

Victor reaches into his pocket and a cold chill snakes up my spine. I can feel the pain from earlier vibrating through my bones. My eyes begin to water. For some reason, I did not really process the thought of actual pain. That someone would rescue me before anything really happened. That I could say whatever I wanted and get away with it.

Little did I know.

Surprisingly, he removes his phone from his pocket. Except it's one of those burner flip phones. Without even having to look for the number, his thumb presses the number pad quickly. Quickly, he shoves the phone between his ear and shoulder. Reaching into his other pocket, he obtains the taser. I am shaking.

The line seems to connect because Victor smirks, despite his anger. His too-quick shift in his moods scares me. "Hello," he sings into the phone. He pulls it away and presses another button.

"Where is she?" a booming voice demands. A voice that makes my heart shrivel and bloom at the same time. I don't even have to think his name.

"Ah ah ah, keep your voice down, Lee," Victor coos. "You are listening to my demands."