Chapter 57

Alison

I pulled my eyes open and I realized

I was blindfolded.

The black piece of clothing on my face made it difficult for me to see where I was and my wrists bound so tightly behind my back made it hard for me to take off the stupid blindfold.

The only sounds I could make out were the low grunts of the men who were moving me around.

Where were they taking me? And where was I?

Suddenly I was dropped.

Pain shot through my body as I hit the hard, cold floor. A groan slipped past my lips, but I barely had time to process the discomfort before the sound of heavy boots retreating filled the air.

I swallowed, my throat dry. “Hello?” My voice wavered. “Who’s there?”

There was no answer. The silence that followed made me realize I was all alone.

I lay still, with my chest rising and falling with panicked breaths. My heart pounded so loudly that it drowned out the quiet.

I had no idea where I was.

And worse—I had no idea who had me.

Regret churned in my stomach.

I shouldn’t have run out of that house.

I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the best of me.

I should have fought when those men came for me. I should have fled. I should have done something—anything—to escape.

Now, I was trapped.

Suddenly, I heard a voice.

I held my breath, my ears straining to pick up the words.

“Did you get her?”

My stomach turned. The voice was familiar. Too familiar.

Maybe I was just dreaming It couldn’t be him.

I squeezed my eyes shut beneath the blindfold, listening more carefully. I wanted to be sure that voice was who I thought it was.

A different voice responded. “Yeah. No issues. But we didn’t get Damien.”

There was a sharp pause, then a low exhale. “Figures. We will go after him again. He has to be somewhere in the highlands.”

I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.

I was right. That voice belonged to Aiden.

My mind refused to believe it, refused to accept what my ears were telling me.

Then I heard one of the men speak again. “I think it would be best if me and Harris try searching for him. Harris can go the hideout while I would visit the mansion.”

There was a beat of silence before I heard Aiden’s voice.

“I don’t think searching for Damien is such a good idea. I have an even better one. I want you to Finish her off. Then parade her body around the highlands like a flag.”

The air in my lungs turned to ice.

“That’ll bring Damien crawling to us.”

A sharp, bitter laugh left Aiden’s lips. He sounded so evil.

“And once he’s here, we’ll finish him, too.”

My whole body froze

This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be real.

Aiden wanted me dead.

He wanted to use my corpse as bait to lure Damien.

There was no point in denying it now.

Aiden never cared about me. That was the reason he told me to stay in the highlands even after I had given him every information he needed.

Aiden had played me.

I had been a fool.

I had sided with the wrong people and trusted the wrong man. And now, I was going to die for it.

The feeling of Betrayal was so overwhelming, that I almost felt detached from my own body. It was as if I were floating above myself, watching as the truth crushed me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to prepare myself for the inevitable.

I didn’t even have the strength to fight anymore.

I deserved this.

I deserved whatever happened next.

***

Minutes passed or Maybe it was hours, it was hard to tell the time when you were miserable and blindfolded.

The sound of the door creaking open pulled me out of my thoughts.

My entire body went still.

This was it.

A hand gripped my arm, yanking me up roughly.

The person directed me forward. Then suddenly he paused.

I wondered why he was stopping when suddenly I heard the sound of a gunshot in the air.

I flinched and my heartbeat skyrocketed.

Who fired the gun?

What was happening?

More gunshots followed, and My body trembled as I tried to make sense of the chaos unfolding around me.

I suddenly heard Boots scuffle and a body thudded to the floor.

The distinct sound of a door swinging open followed several minutes later.

I felt fresh air against my face.

We were outside.

Where were they taking me?

I was shoved forward, stumbling as someone hauled me toward what I assumed was a car.

I felt my body being lowered onto a seat, the cold leather pressing against my skin.

A voice murmured close to my ear.

“Time to meet your end.”

A shiver of pure terror ran through me.

So this was really happening.

No last-minute miracle.

No escape.

I squeezed my eyes shut beneath the blindfold, bracing myself for the gunshot that would end my life.

Then I heard another BANG, but it didn’t seem to be directed at me. I could still feel my heart beating.

Who was shot?

The sound of a car door being flung open and a shuffle of movement made me stop my thoughts.

Then, suddenly, the car was in motion.

It was moving really fast.

The blindfold was still on, and I couldn’t move my hands, but I could feel the shift in momentum as the vehicle sped down what I assumed was a rough road.

My mind was filling up with thoughts.

What just happened?

Who had my executioner just shot?

I badly needed answers.

Then I felt my consciousness slipping, and my body growing weaker.

So I let my head roll back against the seat, the vibrations of the moving car lulling me into a strange state of acceptance.

It didn’t matter anymore.

Whether I was being rescued or simply taken somewhere else to die. It didn’t change the fact that I had lost everything.

I let out a weak, bitter laugh.

This was karma, wasn’t it?

I should have never gotten involved in this world.

I Should have never believed in redemption.

My lips parted, and in a whisper barely audible even to myself, I muttered my final words.

“Bye-bye, world.”

Then, in a softer tone I said;

“Bye, Damien.”