Olivia gaped at him, her muscles rigid with the tension coursing through her. How was he already awake? Her gaze shifted to the gun held firmly in his hand, and she was overwhelmed with the desire to throw herself at his feet. Beg him for mercy she knew he wasn't capable of.
"You really think I'm stupid enough to leave the gun in here?" Lewis straightened, his broad form filling the doorway. "I learned a long time ago never to underestimate you."
Olivia's fingernails dug into her palms, her eyes darting between Lewis and Allison. Her tongue refused to move, seeming to understand nothing she said would make a difference.
"Really though, what was your plan? Huh?" Lewis crossed his arms, keeping his finger on the trigger. "Get the cuffs off, find the gun…then what? You can't call for help. There's no phone. And the car? You'd never find it. And that would only be a problem if you actually found the keys."
"Just let us go," Allison whimpered.
Lewis sneered at her. "Shut up."
"Leave her alone!" Olivia jumped in, suddenly able to find her voice. "She didn't do anything."
"No?" Lewis pushed off the door frame and walked towards them, danger lurking in his light brown eyes. "Is that why she's trying to untie her ankles?"
Allison cringed and dropped her hands, her dejected eyes meeting his piercing gaze. She raised her trembling hands in an attempt to appease him. "I'm sorry. Please…please don't -"
"I said shut up!" Lewis rounded on her, crashing the gun into her head.
"Stop! Leave her alone!" Olivia insisted, indignation filling her heart. She took a step towards him, wanting to stop any further outburst.
"Or what?" Lewis turned on his heel, moving to grab her. "What are you gonna do?"
Olivia jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding him. His fingers grazed against her naked breasts, and the reality of her situation hit her full force. What was she going to do? Without the gun, she didn't stand a chance fighting him. He had brute strength on his side. She could barely stand up straight. "You're right." Olivia put her hands up, hoping to calm him down. "You're in charge."
"Don't try to coddle me." He snapped, moving closer towards her.
Olivia's eyes widened, her feet moving backwards. His anger sucked the air out of her lungs, and her brain scrambled to keep working. "I – I'm not," Olivia stammered. "This – this was me. All me. Leave her out of this."
Lewis narrowed his eyes. "So you're not coddling me. You're just telling me what to do."
Olivia opened her mouth and then closed it. She couldn't talk her way out of this. She glanced past him, checking on the unconscious woman lying on the mattress. She needed to get Allison out of here but that wasn't looking promising.
Lewis sneered. "You finally decide it's a good idea to stop talking?" He took another step towards her, an evil grin spreading on his face as she backed into the table. "Nowhere to run, baby girl."
Bile rose in her throat, the wooden table digging into her hips. Her shaky legs threatened to buckle, and Olivia grabbed the table, anxious to remain upright.
"You don't look so good. Maybe you should sit down," Lewis suggested huskily. He put one arm on either side of her, pinning her between him and the table.
Another wave of nausea hit her, the baby eager to prove his father's point. She cringed and swallowed it down, inwardly begging the baby to work with her just this once. She could feel Lewis' warm breath against her face and turned away from his penetrating gaze.
"It's always the hard way with you, isn't it?" Lewis jerked her chin back towards him. Lust flickered in his eyes as he drank in the emotions written on her face.
Olivia's heart skipped a beat as she took in his furious glare, the sadism she only saw when the psychopath in him was at its worse. She had spent enough time with Lewis to almost read his mind. And as she searched his gaze, what she found there terrified her. She clenched the table harder, her shaky legs protesting her weight.
His eyes scrutinized Olivia, her weakness obvious. A slow grin spread across his face as Lewis lowered his head. He captured her lips with bruising force, his fingers digging into her chin.
Olivia groaned against him, her grip jostling the table. Glass clinked behind her, and Olivia's eyes flew open as she registered the sound. The oil lamp. She reached for it without a second thought, throwing it against his head. He broke the kiss as the lamp's globe shattered on his head, a shower of glass cascading around them. Lewis stumbled back with a startled grunt, the gun falling to the floor.
The smell of gasoline assaulted her nose. Broken glass covered the ground, and Olivia was pretty sure she was going to throw up any second. But none of that mattered. All she could see was the gun. She pushed off the table and lunged for it, adrenaline pumping through her veins.
A dazed Lewis saw the focus of her attention and caught her with a growl of frustration. She struggled against him, and their uncoordinated movements sent them crashing to the floor. Olivia landed on Lewis' arm, his body providing a partial cushion against the cement. She fought against him, the gun no longer a viable threat. Her hands clawed at his face, the silver handcuff still dangling from her left wrist.
Lewis furiously reached for her hands. "You just never learn, do you?" His fingers closed around her wrist, but his grip didn't have its normal force. He was still disoriented from the two blows to his head.
Olivia twisted beneath him and looked anxiously for the gun. She could feel her strength waning. Desperation clawed out of her heart, demanding attention. If she lost, Lewis would come down hard. Harder than normal. And this time, she wouldn't be the only one suffering the consequences. She spotted the gun and she set her jaw. Olivia twisted free of his grip and stretched for it.
Lewis grabbed her by the hair and flung her to the side. "Where do you think you're going?"
She cried out as her she slid across the floor, the shards of glass cutting into her back. Lewis was on her in an instant, pinning both of her arms above her head. "Stop it, Olivia! You're done."
His weight settled on her hips, ensuring she couldn't move. "Please. I can't do this anymore." Tears filled Olivia's eyes, evidence of the broken woman hiding inside.
Lewis shook his head, tension in his jaw. "That's not your decision." He lifted Olivia by the hair and slammed her head into the ground. His fist then collided with her face, causing an explosion of pain behind her eye. Her eyes opened in time to see another swing connecting with her face. And just like an old friend, darkness came for her.
Faint crackling reached her ears, pulling her from the blackness she had come to crave. A muffled groan passed through her lips. She felt like a hammer was dancing around inside her skull, the pounding of her brain making it hard to breathe. Her eyes blinked open, causing a shooting pain in her pupils. Blurry shapes and dull colors were all she could see. She winced and closed her eyes, turning her head to escape the light from the burning fire pit.
Olivia took a deep breath to calm her stomach and waited until the ringing in her ears died down. She slid her eyes open, blinking until she could distinguish the faded mattress beneath her. Her brow furrowed. She was on her stomach. Olivia went to reach for her pounding head but found her hand couldn't move. She raised her eyes and found rope secured to her wrist. Her hand was already turning red, and there was no slackness in the rope. A part of her knew that was bad, but she couldn't concentrate enough to figure out why. A quick tug proved her other arm was similarly restrained, along with her legs.
She searched her mind for what had happened, the reason everything hurt so bad. Olivia shifted and was rewarded with a stinging pain in her back. She let out another pained cry and went limp, the rough mattress chafing her blistered shoulder. She couldn't remember the last time she hurt this bad. Her eyes lowered back to the mattress, landing on a crimson stain. The blood stood out in sharp contrast against the dull white material. It was an odd spot for blood. It almost lined up with her neck. But Lewis hadn't cut her neck. Had he?
Olivia carefully turned her head to the left, taking inventory of her room. It was empty, lit in a faint glow from the fire by the door. Lewis had left the door open, probably to vent the smoke. Her eyes darted around the room before landing on the wooden chair a few feet away. Her eyes widened. "Allison!" The last few hours flooded her memory, filling her with panic.
She fought her restraints with renewed energy, trying to ignore the mounting tension in her head. "Lewis!" Ringing filled her ears, the room once more twirling in a sea of dark colors. But she didn't let that stop her. She knew what Lewis did when he was angry, and if Lewis wasn't with her, that could only mean he was with Allison. A fate she wouldn't wish on anyone.
"Lewis!" her voice cracked. "Where is she?" Her head pounded harder with each breath she took, making it harder to focus. She pulled against the rope, knowing full well it wouldn't budge. Not that it mattered. She couldn't just lie here doing nothing. Not when someone else's life was on the line.
"You were out for a while."
Olivia jolted at his voice. She winced and swallowed her groan. "Where's Allison?"
He sauntered into her line of vision, his face void of all emotion. "Away from you."
"What did you do to her?" Olivia anxiously searched his face for answers, not entirely sure she wanted to know.
Lewis came to a halt, regarding her with disinterest. He had gotten dressed, Olivia noted. He had even put his work boots back on. "A few things."
"Is she still alive?" The words passed through her lips before Olivia could stop them.
"For now. Though I don't think she's very happy about it." Lewis snorted.
Olivia thought her heart would pound out of her chest at the callous tone he used. "Leave her alone, this is between you and me."
"I couldn't agree more."
She cringed at the anger radiating from him. She had fought him hard. And lost. Twice. Olivia took in his appearance, wondering how bad he was going to punish her for this. A bruise colored his temple, along with a few scratches. Given the world of pain she was in, Olivia felt disheartened at his lack of injury.
"You're persistent, I'll give you that." Lewis rubbed his head. The movement raised his shirtsleeve, exposing the white bandage around his arm. He met her quizzical gaze with annoyance. "A part of the lamp got stuck in my arm. It bled pretty good."
At least that was something. A wound that showed she wasn't a passive little puppet. Olivia's eyes darted around the room. The glass had exploded around them. She remembered it flying everywhere. You would never know the room had been a disaster, though. There was no evidence of their struggle.
"It took me awhile to clean up your mess," he acknowledged. His hands clenched into a fist, his displeasure rapidly apparent. "Only have one thing left to do." Lewis smirked and looked to her back.
Olivia's lips parted as she realized why her back throbbed. And why Lewis had tied her down on her stomach. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. This was going to hurt.
Lewis lifted the needle nosed pliers he carried in his hand. "Looks like I get to use these on you after all." He sat down beside her and ran his hand along her back. "You really did a number on yourself."
Olivia cringed at the feel of his skin. She could argue that he was the one who did this, throwing her across the floor. She doubted that would make a difference. "Just get it over with it," she ground out. She clearly couldn't stop this torture, but she could at least make sure he enjoyed it as little as possible.
"What's the matter, Olivia? Thought you enjoyed doing things the hard way."
Her breath hitched at the cold pliers touching her shoulder. She could feel the shards of glass now, how they shifted when she moved. Olivia knew they had to come out, but she also knew Lewis would make this process an excruciating one. "You act like you need an excuse to do this."
Lewis opened the pliers and set his attention on a piece of glass sticking out of her shoulder. "I don't. Not with you trying to be Wonder Woman over here." The pliers slid into her open wound and gripped the glass. "Maybe I've just been too easy on you lately."
Olivia hissed as Lewis stabbed the glass further into her shoulder before yanking it out. His words rang in her ears like a sick joke. The blowtorch, the knives, the endless assaults…how did he think that was easy?
"That's okay. I can fix that. First, we'll get all this glass out. And then, well…" Lewis moved the pliers between her shoulders. "Then I can remind you how bad life can be after you piss me off."
Her muscles went rigid, preparing for a new onslaught of pain. Lewis closed the pliers on another piece of glass and pulled the glass down the length of her back, creating a thin line of red.
Olivia screamed and bucked against the pliers. The pain rolled down her back, the glass slicing her apart.
"Easy there, sweetheart. Might not want to move when I'm this close to your spine." Lewis chuckled. He pulled out the bloodied piece of glass and tossed it in the bucket.
"Please stop," she whimpered. He had barely started and already the pain consumed her. But Lewis knew nothing of mercy. Not now. Not ever. Especially not after she almost escaped.
Lewis reached for another piece of glass, this time going for one under her shoulder blade. He dug the pliers into her skin, twisting the glass he found there. "You should know better than to fight me. You did this to yourself," he whispered smoothly.
A groan clawed out of her throat, the glass tearing into her muscles. "Stop," her broken voice pleaded.
Lewis stabbed the pliers into her shoulder wound, wrenching another cry from her lips. He grabbed her hair and yanked her head up. "You don't tell me to stop. And after the mess you pulled, you're lucky I don't tear you apart and break your bones in the process."
Olivia's head fell back on the mattress, cringing at the intent behind his words. She felt Lewis start again and buried her head into the mattress. He took his time, doing something different with each piece of glass. She lost count of the jabs, the cuts. The pounding in her head made it worse, every little sound screeching against her ears.
"There you go." Lewis stood and admired the bloody lines covering Olivia's back. "That wasn't so bad."
She didn't bother replying. She was too busy trying to breathe. Even still, something akin to relief passed through her that at least that part of her ordeal was done.
"Now that you're all cleaned up, what can we do to keep you from running? The blowtorch wasn't very effective last time." Lewis mused.
The relief flowing through her came to a sudden halt, and Olivia gave up on trying to keep her composure. "Please no more," she implored weakly, tears dripping off her nose. "I'll behave. I'll stop fighting."
Lewis rolled his eyes. "We both know that's not going to happen. So what can we do to keep you from running? Break your ankle? Your leg?"
"No," she pleaded.
He tilted his head and took in her wet face, the anguish etched into her features. "You're right. I'm not feeling it either." His eyes traveled down her body. "These cuts do give me an idea though."
Olivia lifted her head off the mattress, her anxious eyes following Lewis around the room.
"There it is." Lewis knelt down and picked up the black knife. "I think this will do."
She shook her head, an exhausted sob passing through her lips. "Please don't."
His eyes drank in her terror, curiosity twinkling in his eyes. He moved to the foot of the bed. "I didn't pick this fight, Olivia. You did."
Olivia flinched at his words. His hand closed around her ankle, pinning her right foot to the bed. The knife touched her heel. At first, she could only feel the cold blade. But the sharp pain hit a moment later. Her scream echoed off the walls as Lewis punctured her foot with the knife and pulled the blade up to her toes. Her brain didn't even have time to process the shockwave of agony before the knife entered the other side of her foot and made a parallel cut.
"Did you know the sole of your foot is one of the slowest areas to heal on your body?" Lewis tightened his grip on her foot, cutting a diagonal line in the arch of her foot. "It's partially because there's not as much blood supply."
She barely registered his words, her world narrowing to the ever increasing pain being inflicted on her body. His hands circled around her other foot, and she knew what was coming. Her pleas fell on deaf ears as the knife sliced into her left foot.
"But mainly, it takes longer to heal because every time you stand – you open the wound." Lewis slid the knife across the ball of her foot. "It makes walking very painful."
Olivia bit back a sob, burying her head back into the mattress. How could she have been so stupid? To think for a second that she could outsmart Lewis? That she could beat him at his own game? He had kept her in checkmate for months. Every time she thought there might be a way out, he always seemed to get there first. He always won.
Lewis finally finished his task, satisfied her lacerated feet would keep her in check. Lewis dug his finger into her foot, grinning at the tremor of pain coursing through her. "I don't think you'll be running anytime soon."
Olivia struggled to draw enough air into her lungs, the shock from her ordeal robbing her of the oxygen she desperately needed. She was vaguely aware Lewis had stepped out of the room. She was alone. If only she could find some comfort in that. But she knew he would be back. Back to inflict more pain. Back to tear down more walls. Back to make her more vulnerable. His footsteps echoed through the kitchen, bringing another wave of desolation to Olivia.
Lewis entered the room and walked over to her, taking note of the tears trickling out of her eyes. "What's the matter, sweetheart? Not enjoying yourself?"
Olivia's defeated eyes lowered to the bottle he carried. "What is that?"
"This?" He lifted up the bottle. "Lucky for you, I still have some extra vodka around."
Her brow furrowed. Confusion ran through her. What would he do with the alcohol? He didn't make her drink it anymore. She tried to think but found the aching hole in her head made it difficult. Her gaze darted back to Lewis. A smile played on his lips, his eyes focused on her feet. Olivia's eyes widened, her heart beginning to race. "No. Please," she pleaded with a cry.
Lewis grinned and unscrewed the cap. "Have to clean your feet somehow."
"Please! I'm sorry!" Olivia begged. She pulled against the rope circling her raw wrists, desperate to keep him this newest torture.
"You're only sorry because you got caught," Lewis retorted.
Liquid fire erupted on her feet, the alcohol swirling into her open wounds. Olivia pulled against her restraints with strength she didn't know she had. White hot pain spread across her back a moment later as Lewis shifted the bottle. Olivia's shoulders shook, her sobs coming from a hidden part of herself that she rarely let Lewis see. But she was exhausted. Everything hurt. Her body. Her heart. After everything she had endured, she didn't have the willpower to hide her emotions anymore.
Lewis lowered the empty bottle to the floor and ran his hand along her back, reveling in her distress. "I do love the sound of your screams," he whispered. His pants fell to the floor. He climbed on the bed a moment later. Soft words fell from his lips, his body settling on top of hers.
Olivia twisted her head to the side, his crushing weight making it hard to breathe. There was no stalling. No pleading. No bargaining. Just a grunt, slow and deep…filled with power and lust. Olivia was sure she voiced her protest, but she couldn't hear anything past the roaring in her ears. She clenched the rope holding her to the bed, her knuckles turning white. Waves of pain threatened to drown her, each one crashing over her with a force so powerful that no one could ever understand it. So mind-numbing Olivia could process nothing else. The hope she had felt not long ago was snuffed out, like a light switch had been turned off. Lewis was right. She knew better. Hope didn't exist. Not here. Not with Lewis. And as her injured body shifted beneath Lewis, she wondered if it would ever exist again.