Chapter 108

Mia

I had no idea how long it had been since Herbert had left me tied to the bed in this dark, dingy room, dehydrated, hungry, and tired. As I stayed there in that uncomfortable position, my mind drifted here and there, thinking about anything and everything, but most especially about James. When I got too tired, I’d accidentally fall asleep, only to snap myself awake again a few moments later. To be sure, I didn’t want to be in such a vulnerable position when Herbert returned.

The light from outside scattering in through the thin curtain was getting lighter now, which told me dawn was approaching. That meant I had been held captive for one full night already, and it sickened me to think I would be in such a dire situation. Even more so that Uncle Herbert was the culprit behind this farce and not James’ enemies, like the Mexican mafia.

I licked my dry lips and then gave a quick glance at the door, my chest tight with dread as I considered Herbert’s return.

As if on cue, I heard heavy footsteps from the other side, followed by the rattling of the doorknob. I gasped and silently swore. Because I was so weary and my mind and body weren’t functioning properly, my reaction was slow. My plan of action had been to once again play unconscious if Uncle Herbert were to return, but of course, he caught me off guard.

I stared wide-eyed in defense as he burst in through the door.

The moment he laid his eyes on me and noticed me wide awake, he grinned, which sent a shiver of dread down my spine and my stomach churning in sickness.

Shit!

He eagerly came toward me after shutting the door behind him, which only made me groan in despair deep down.

He was rubbing his thick, fatty hands together in glee as he came to kneel on the concrete floor beside the bed. The moment he was next to me, I turned my face away from his. God, I felt like crying but knew I was a grown woman and must overcome the fear I had for this man.

My whole body was shivering as I commanded myself to face the music, to stand up to the man who had molested me since I had been a child.

“Mia,” Herbert called out my name. “Sweeting.”

I felt his sweaty fingers stroking my cheek, and I recoiled in disgust.

God, no. Please don’t touch me. You make me sick.

He moved his hands now to stroke my hair, and I felt his face close to mine. “I’ve been looking for you for so long,” he said. “Finally, I’ve found you, and now I’ve got you.”

He grabbed my small chin in his large hand and forced me to turn my eyes to him. I resisted at first, but he was persistent, and I found myself staring at him, at the face that sometimes haunted me during my sleep.

Greasy brown hair, deep-set eyes, large crooked nose, and thin lips—Hebert Weston was an ugly man. He was the type that’d appear in any child’s nightmare, just like the boogeyman.

I glared at him to show him how much I hated him and how much he disgusted me.

“Why have you kidnapped me, Herbert?” I asked, my voice stern. I wanted to show him I wasn’t afraid of him as I used to be. This time, I wasn’t going to let him hurt me. This time, I wasn’t going to let him touch me if I could help it.

“Why?” I asked again. “You must know by now that Andy and I want nothing to do with you. You do know what you’ve done to us is wrong, right? That if anyone were to find out, you’d be in deep shit, right?”

He chuckled at my queries, as if he found it rather funny. “Oh, my little Mia has grown up all right. So you do know what I’ve done to you and your brother is wrong, eh?” He leaned closer to me, and God, the stench of his body odor was overwhelming.

“But then…” He continued with an amused smile playing about his face. “That’s what makes it thrilling, isn’t it? That’s what makes it fun. And let me tell you something, love.”

Suddenly, he kissed me on the cheek, and I immediately recoiled in disgust. My stomach churned in sickness, and I wanted to cry. God, I knew this was only the beginning, this kissing. I knew more disturbing things—things I had dreaded every time I’d ever thought of him, things that would stay with me and haunt me—would be done to me very soon.

“Once you’ve tried it—because you can’t help yourself, because you’re curious—after that one time, you’re hooked. And, my sweet Mia, it’s the best thing ever. It’s like a drug.”

My whole body was shaking now, and I knew I had to somehow distract Herbert from proceeding further, from touching me and molesting me again. Oh, I knew it wasn’t possible, considering my precarious situation, but I had to do what I could. If I could somehow delay the inevitable, that was better than me doing nothing to protect myself. If I could stall him until James and his team found me, all the better.

I took a deep breath, telling myself to calm down and think clearly. Think, Mia, the little voice in my head said demandingly. Just think. You’re a smart girl.

Herbert was stroking my cheek and marveling at my face, as if he were in a trance or something. He seemed lost in his own little weird, disturbing world. Perhaps he was thinking about me, imagining the many things he would do to me.

I felt a shiver of fear rushing down my spine again. Shit! No! Don’t think about that, Mia. Think of a way to stall him, to distract him.

I took another deep breath and shut my eyes for a moment as I thought deeply. Then I got it.

I opened my eyes once again and licked my dry lips with nervousness.

“Uncle Herbert?” I asked, my voice soft. I wanted to convey to him with my docile tone that I wasn’t going to fight him, that I wasn’t going to try and run away. I wanted him to trust me.

He smiled at me, his gaze on me. “What is it, love?”

He didn’t seem suspicious, which was a relief to me.

I wiggled my body and groaned in pain. “I’m sore,” I said. “Can you please untie my arms?”

He raised a brow at me. “Is it that uncomfortable, love?”

I licked my lips again. “Yes, it’s very uncomfortable. And I think my wrists are bruised.”

He raised his heavy body and leaned forward to look at my tightly bound wrists. “Shit!” he swore as he quickly untied the rope. “Uncle is sorry, love. I didn’t mean to bruise your beautiful white skin like that.”

Once I was untied, I gladly moved my arms to my sides, sighing a breath of relief. God, I felt numb all over.

I sat up and rested my back against the head of the bed while I rubbed my wrists.

“Are you all right, love?” Herbert asked.

I avoided looking directly into his eyes. God, how I wanted to laugh. “Are you all right, love?” Truly, this man genuinely sounded worried about my well-being, but of course, I knew better than to trust him or his concerned words. This guy was fucking twisted, after all.

I said, “I’m dehydrated.”

Herbert sprang onto his feet immediately. “I’ll get you some water,” he said and rushed out the door.

I noted he left the door wide open, and I knew I still wouldn’t be able to escape if I wanted to. First, I knew he was in that front room, ready for any retaliation. He is always ready for any retaliation from me. And second, even though he was heavy, his movement was quite quick when it came to hurting those weaker than him, such as me and Andy when we had been young. He’d pounce on me the moment I made a move, the moment he knew I was trying to escape his clutches.