Chapter 13

Jerry, Justin, and Max flipped through the pages of books in the lair frantically while Dean paced the room. The door clicked open and Theresa stepped into the room. Her hair was pulled back messily and her eyes were red and puffy. It had been nearly 48 hours since Alex had gone missing. The police were searching for her, but there had been no success.

"Maybe you guys should take a break. It's getting late." Theresa suggested. The four of them had been searching endlessly for something to find Alex, but currently, they were unsuccessful. The gnawing anxiety swimming in Theresa's stomach grew worse with each passing minute. The statistics were known to all of them; the first 48 hours are crucial to a missing person's case. They were approaching that deadline fast.

"No! There has to be some kind of spell to get around the plastic or find her or something!" Justin shook his head, flipping to the next page of the book. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "There has to be something."

"Maybe I should go out looking for her again." Dean reached into his jean pockets for his car keys. He's driven or walked down nearly every street in the area in hope of some sort of sign to where Alex was.

Theresa shook her head. "No, it's late. You need to get some sleep. The police are looking for her."

"They're not doing a good job!" Dean shouted, throwing his hand in the air. He ran a hand through his hair and inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry, Theresa, I just- I need to know that she's okay."

Tears shone in Theresa's eyes. She offered Dean a weak smile. "You don't have to apologize. I know how you feel."

The door clicked open. Alex's stomach lurched. She was curled in fetal position where she had remained for several hours after his latest assault. She held her breath as the sound of footsteps assaulted her ears. Her eyes fluttered shut as he approached, hoping that he would leave her alone if he thought she was sleeping.

"Hello, my love." A wide grin stretched Mason's lips as he knelt down before her.

For the umpteenth time since she was brought here, her hope was crushed. She opened her eyes slowly, meeting his. Somehow the dread and fear coursing through every inch of her body intensified. Her eyes caught the cellphone and keys in his back pocket of his jeans. She needed to get to them; they were her only chances of escaping. She swallowed back her fear and met Mason's eyes. She forced a wide smile at him. "Hi, Mason."

Mason placed a hand on her cheek and Alex fought the urge to pull away.

"I've been thinking all night and I think you're right, I think we do belong together." She widened her smile as she leaned into his touch. "I dreamt last night of our first kiss. Do you remember that kiss in the rain?"

"How could I forget?" A grin stretched his lips as he reminisced about that very day.

Alex felt nauseous thinking back to that kiss, ashamed that she was ever attracted to him. But she kept the smile plastered on her face. "It made me think of all of our memories together. We were really good together."

Mason nodded, pushing a strand of hair behind Alex's ear. "We sure were."

"Forget Dean. It's you I really love." Alex felt a twinge to her heart as she said those words.

"I love you too, darling." Mason leaned forward to connect their lips.

Alex blinked back tears as she forced herself to kiss him back. Shame exploded within her. "Can you unchain me so I can show you how much I love you?"

Mason narrowed his eyes and glanced at the chains on her wrists and ankle hesitantly. He chained her last night, insisting she needed to earn his trust.

Alex saw the hesitation; she needed to be more convincing. "You…you've just made me f-feel so good, I…want to r-return the favor."

Mason reached into his back pocket and retrieved the ring of keys. The keys jingled against one another as he lowered them to her feet. Alex had been watching closely since her time here to know that the small, squared silver key was for her chains and the rounded, gold one was for the room she had been trapped in- the one she needed to escape. She didn't know what the other five keys on the ring were for, but all she needed was the gold one and her plan to get it has succeeded thus far.

Alex held her breath as she watched him insert the key into the hole and twist it. The chains around her right ankle clanked as they bounced onto the concrete floor. He scooted around to her back and unlocked the handcuffs on her wrists. Alex let out a small sigh of relief; the handcuffs had been digging into her skin, leaving angry red gashes on her already bruised flesh. She felt free finally being unbounded and she wanted to run, but she knew she had to play it right if she wanted to make her plan work.

"I'm so happy you came to your senses, my love." Mason slipped the keys back into his pocket and stood up.

Alex swallowed back the pain shooting through every inch of her body and slowly planted her feet on the ground. Her heart pounded inside her chest, but she flashed Mason a flirty smile. "Let me show you how much you mean to me."

Mason's eyes gleamed with lust and power. He took a step closer to Alex and pulled her into a hungry kiss. Her stomach churned, but she leaned into the kiss. She took the opportunity to wrap her arms around his waist and slowly lowered them to the small of his back; inches from his back pocket. She blinked back tears as he deepened the kiss, but she had to continue; it was her only chance at getting out of here. Lying and manipulation were skills that normally came easy to her, skills she used to brag about mastering. But this was the most difficult thing she had to do, and the shame was unbearable. She lowered her hand further, slowly wrapping her fingers around the phone sticking out of his back pocket.

His lips detached from hers. She froze before slowly releasing the grip of the phone. His lips trailed down to her neck, ripping at her flesh. She needed to distract him. She moved her trembling hands to the front of his jeans. She fumbled with the belt buckle and button with her swollen wrist but eventually popped it open. "I want this to be about you right now."

"I just can't keep my hands off you." He chuckled.

Alex swallowed the bile rising in her throat. It took everything in her to continue. She tugged his pants down, letting them pool around his ankles. She watched as the phone in his pocket slid onto the floor. She was so close to getting the keys.

Mason stepped out of the jeans, kicking them to the side. Alex inhaled deeply as she lowered herself to her knees. One hand rested on the waistband of his boxers while the other reached into the pocket of the jeans lying on the floor. She grabbed the keys, but Mason's head snapped towards her at the sound of the jingling.

She inhaled sharply as she scrambled to her feet. A grunt left his lips as his hands reached out to grasp her, but she darted towards the door. Trembling hands fumbled with the keys before she finally jammed it into the lock. A deadly grip latched onto her arm, whipping her back and flinging her to the hard floor. She let out a cry of frustration. All she had to do was turn the knob and she could have escaped. She could have locked him inside and seek help. But she failed. She failed and now she would have to face his wrath.

"You tricked me!" His voice boomed throughout the room as his fist came down on her face. "You're going to pay for that, you dumb whore."

A yelp escaped Alex's lips as Mason's foot met her abdomen. She curled onto her side "I-I'm s-sorry."

Mason knelt before her and grabbed her jaw. His fingers squeezed her jawbone painfully as he forced her to look at him. "You're sorry? You're sorry?"

Alex blinked dumbly as he screamed at her face. She was nearly positive she had just signed her death certificate. Mason was livid, and she was very well aware that he was about to unleash a brutal punishment. Her body was weak, suffering from countless injuries, and she was sure it couldn't take much more.

Mason ripped his belt off his jeans that were now back around his waist. A thunderous crack echoed through the room as the belt came down hard on Alex's bare side. A cry left her lips as she curled further into herself. Mason pushed her onto her stomach, leaving her back exposed. Alex braced herself for the next lash and it came seconds later, followed by a third, a fourth, a fifth; she lost count at twenty. Her entire back burned unbearably and she squeezed her eyes shut, praying for him to stop.

Eventually, he did, but the relief was short lived. His fist replaced the belt, striking her anywhere he could. The pain was agonizing, and she couldn't help but wonder if this was going to be the end. It would be a relief to end this suffering, but she didn't want to leave Dean or her family and she most certainly did not want Mason's face to be the last one she saw.

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