morning-after regrets. He got caught up in a pity fuck and all because he was just doing his sister a favor by checking on me. I had been so caught up in my feelings for him, even my ribs took a break from their constant state of pain when he had been inside me. I had felt nothing but his touch. I had felt nothing but the burning desire to let him own me, body and mind.
God, I was such an idiot.
But, at least, I was an idiot with some pride still left. Ciro’s timing had prevented me from blurting out my unsolicited declarations of almost-love, and for that I was grateful.
Stupid, but still grateful.
Once I got out of the shower, I had gotten dress and headed out to look for Gary and Merrick. I wasn’t sure where to begin, so I headed through the neighborhood on Randy’s block. My plan was to head over to Mackland Apartments if I didn’t see anyone. Mackland had to be the most dangerous area in Cedar Creek, and so I figured someone there might know Gary or Merrick,
Turns out I didn’t have to go that far.
About a half hour after walking the streets, a car slowly pulled up next to the sidewalk, and Merrick stuck his red head out the window. “Hey, Darlin’.”
I walked over to the car and peeked into the window. Gary was in the passenger seat, and even though this is what I was waiting for, my heart threatened to beat out of my chest.
“Whatcha doin’?” Gary asked from his side of the car.
“I…I was looking for you guys, actually,” I admitted.
Gary curled his lips inward and gave me a small, resigned nod. Jerking his head, he said, “Get in the back.”
My palms were a sweaty mess, so it took me two tries before I could get the door handle to work, but I finally managed and got in.
Merrick spoke as he put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb. “I can’t help but notice you don’t have your purse, or…a box in those lovely hands of yours.”
I had to swallow twice to get my voice to work. “Is there somewhere…private we can go?” I knew I was signing my own death warrant by insisting on privacy, but I wanted this done and over with. I wasn’t being brave. I was being cowardly. I was letting every shitty piece of my life take hold right now, and appreciating there was more bad than good, I just wanted this over.
My parents barely spoke to me. Frankie was heading into an entirely new phase in her life. I was existing in a barely decent neighborhood. And, if I kept picking the guys I did, there would be no future for me with marriage and kids.
I was fucking tired.
“Sure thing, Robbie,” Merrick answered. “We got just the place.”
The ride to…well, wherever, was silent. Neither man spoke to me or each other for the entire ride. About half an hour later, Merrick drove us through a thicket of trees and brush. The dirt road barely existed, and you wouldn’t notice it if you weren’t looking for it. A few minutes later, we came to a rickety-looking building that, I was fairly sure, was only standing by the grace of God.
“Here we are,” Gary announced happily.
“Where are we?” I asked then immediately realized how stupid that question was. It was likely I wasn’t going to leave this place alive, so what did I care what this place was?
“Our vacation home,” Gary deadpanned, and Merrick chuckled.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “That was a stupid question.”
“You asked for privacy,” Gary reminded me. “So, here we are.” We all got out of the car and headed towards the metal building.
The smell of death greeted me as soon as Merrick opened the door. I felt the signs of a panic attack coming on, but I soldiered through it and forced myself to walk inside. Merrick turned on the lights and I saw a couple of chairs, a table, a huge wooden trunk, a green cot, and chains hanging from the ceiling.
A shitload of chains.
Gary grabbed one of the chairs, and I watched in befuddlement as he cleaned off the seat for me. I was probably going to shit myself in fear, and here he was cleaning it off for me.
Oh, the irony.
“Have a seat, hon,” he said.
“I’d rather stand for now,” I replied, scared spitless now that I was seeing this through.