An ache nestled deep in Emmett's body, but he tried to ignore it. Withdrawal would hit him eventually and he'd be forced to deal with that when the time came.
Perspiration clung to his skin as he fanned himself, wishing for a refreshing glass of ice water. His tongue felt so dry and his stomach grumbled with hunger. Maybe they really would starve him to death.
Emmett wasn't sure how long he'd been down there. It felt like an eternity, but he knew that wasn't the case. But where the fuck was he? Why hadn't his rebels come to his rescue yet?
While wallowing in his thoughts, a sudden thump caught his attention. Emmett sprung up from his spot on the floor, grasping the metal bars with trembling hands. He screamed at whoever had come down into the abyss, threatening to beat the shit out of them.
A bright light flashed in his face, causing him to stagger back. He raised a hand to shield his eyes, only confronting the man when he lowered his flashlight.
"Hope you're settling in well," Griffin said. "I bet you're hungry, aren't you?"
"You piece of shit!" Emmett lunged for the bars, struggling to squeeze his hand through one to strangle him. "Let me out of here. Fight me like a real man. What the hell's with this kidnapping bullshit, huh? You're fucking pathetic."
"If you keep misbehaving, I'll have to punish you," Griffin said. "I'm sure Juliette's already filled you in on what happens when you piss us off. And your screaming has been on my fucking nerves."
"Fuck you," Emmett spat. "I'll scream until I deafen you. Let me out and I'll cut your ears off for you."
"Always so brutal with the cutting of body parts." Griffin tsked. "Who taught you how to gouge eyeballs? You really fucked up Samantha. Poor bitch came crying to me after you did that. She vowed to get revenge for her precious boyfriend and kill you. But a certain little artist came to your rescue, didn't he?"
"Why bring this up now? It's been over three years. Where have you been all this time? Watching me? What the hell do you even want? If it's money, I can pay you whatever you want."
"No, I don't want your money. I needed to see what you became myself," Griffin replied. "When I saw how well you were doing, I had to make sure you had some competition. I couldn't let you get too cozy. You don't belong here, Emmett. You should've died a long time ago, but I'm willing to compromise. I'll let you live, so long as you come back to me."
Emmett scoffed. "I'd rather you just fucking shoot me. There's no chance in hell I'm working with you again. Not after you left me for dead."
"That's water under the bridge now, Emmett."
"Hell it is. I don't know what plans you've got, but you might as well give up now. My people will find me. They will kill you," Emmett spat. "And I can't wait to piss on your corpse."
"Such a vile mouth." Griffin shook his head. "You never learn, do you?"
"Quit playing fucking games with me. Tell me, what do you want?" Emmett asked. "What's the point in all this? Why keep me down here?"
"Human trafficking is a lucrative business. You'd be surprised how much money rich bastards will pay for these sluts." Griffin cackled. "And now, we have a new male escort for them. It's not as popular as the ladies, but rich men have disturbing kinks. I've already got some clients lined up for ya."
"Male escort? You're nuts if you think I'm fucking any nasty men in here," Emmett forced a laugh. "I'll kill them, and then, I'll sneak up when you least expect it and slit your fucking throat too."
"I'll be back soon to bring you supper." Griffin smirked at him before turning his back on Emmett; his footsteps echoed amid the dimly lit corridor. If only he had something to break himself out of that cell. Emmett wanted to strangle the bastard himself.
💀
Emmett glared at the platter served through a small slot in the bottom of the cell. He tried reaching his hand inside it to no avail. There had to be some way out of that god-forsaken cell. Despite how hungry he was, Emmett refused to eat the crap Griffin served to him. Part of him wondered if Griffin put something in it to render him unconscious or poison him to death.
If he didn't eat, he'd slowly starve to death. Griffin kept bringing him meals and he'd use what little strength he had in him to throw the shit at the bars to hit him.
"You used to love my cooking," Griffin taunted.
"I'd rather starve to death than eat anything you prepared," Emmett told him. "Why don't you let me out of here so we can end this? Let's fight, for old time's sake."
Griffin laughed. "So desperate to get your ass beat, huh? Don't worry, I'll have you on your knees, begging for mercy soon. You ought to go ahead and give up on your precious rebels coming though. They'll never find you down here. No one will."
"Oh yeah? Where the hell are we?" Emmett asked. "It's not like I have any way to contact my people and tell them, so there's no harm in telling me."
"I'll leave that up to your imagination," Griffin said. "You better eat before that shit gets cold. I'm tired of you wasting good food."
"You might as well eat it yourself then," Emmett replied. "Cuz I ain't touching that shit. I dunno what kind of fool you take me for. You probably drugged it. Take a bite yourself. Prove to me you didn't do anything to it."
"What happened between us, Emmett?" Griffin pouted. "You never used to question my authority. Anything I wanted, you always followed along. What changed?"
"I stopped depending on your ass," Emmett snapped. "I learned that I didn't need a jackass like you to stand on my own feet. Now, if you're done fucking around, let me out so we can end this like men. Keeping me here like your little whore only shows how afraid you are of me. You need me caged in because you know I'll splatter these walls with your blood."
"You've always had such a terrible temper." Griffin strummed his fingers along the metal bars. "I know you too well, Emmett. You'll have no choice but to come back to me. Your people can join us in the Black Vipers too. But it's time you stop pretending to be a leader. It's just sad and pathetic. You're in no condition to have such a role."
"Fuck you. I've built a lucrative business on my own and your shitheads just want to steal it from me."
Griffin retrieved a plastic bag from his coat pocket, dropping it beside the food he'd served. Emmett eyed the white powder but said nothing. He wouldn't accept it. He didn't need it.
"Like I said, I know you, Emm. It won't be long before you cave. I'll come back to check on you later, kay?" Griffin turned his back on him, striding off toward the opening down the cavernous hall. His footsteps echoed until Emmett was left alone with his thoughts and those goddamn drugs.