The New Boss (MXM)

Chapter 19

Jace sat alone in the dimly lit underground cell, his heart pounding with fear and anger. His mind raced with questions: Why had he been taken? Who were these people? And most importantly, would he ever make it out alive?

The darkness pressed in on him, suffocating and oppressive, as if it were alive and breathing. Jace tried to steady himself, to find a way to escape his thoughts and focus on anything else. But all he could think about was the unknown fate that awaited him.

He had no idea who had taken him, or why, and that uncertainty was a heavy weight on his already panicked mind. His breaths came in short gasps as he tried to stave off the rising panic.

Jace's heart beat wildly in his chest as he listened intently for any sound that might offer some clue as to his captors' whereabouts. But there was only silence, oppressive and heavy as if the walls were closing in on him.

He was alone, trapped in this cold and clammy cell with no idea how long he had been here, or how long he would remain. A deep sense of despair settled in Jace's chest as he contemplated his fate, and he could feel his mind slipping into a dark and dangerous place.

Jace tried to sleep but couldn't. He tried meditating as Giovanni had told him but his mind kept slipping to their uncertain fate. Alone with his thoughts, trapped in this underground purgatory, unsure of what was happening beyond the walls of his cell. He could only imagine the worst.

He had no idea how much time had passed when he finally heard the hatch open. It could have been just a few hours, but it felt like a small eternity.

But when he looked at the figure that entered from the hatch he couldn't breathe.

A sense of helplessness overwhelmed him, as he took in Giovanni's battered and bruised face, his heart felt heavy with worry and concern.

Are you all right?" Jace said, stumbling forward. His knees still felt too weak and shaky from his latest panic attack, but at least he was physically fine. 

From the way Giovanni gingerly hauled himself into a sitting position, he wasn't.

"Fine," he said in a tone that suggested that the subject was closed.

Jace narrowed his eyes, studying him carefully. Giovanni's lip was split, there was an ugly bruise on his arm and there was an open cut still bleeding through his eyebrow, but those were just the injuries he could see physically.

Jace looked at Giovanni with concern etched on his face. "Let me see," he said, ignoring the annoyed look Giovanni gave him. Quickly, he unbuttoned Giovanni's shirt and gently pushed it off his shoulders.

As soon as he saw the dark bruises covering Giovanni's torso, Jace sucked in a sharp breath. It was clear that Giovanni had been beaten badly.

"Are any of your ribs broken?" Jace asked, softly touching Giovanni's ribcage.

"Just a crack or two," Giovanni said in a clipped voice, trying to downplay the severity of his injuries.

"Let me clean your wound if the infection spreads through these cuts, you'll get ill," Jace said.

Taking Giovanni's silence as his approval, Jace removed his tie and tied it around Giovanni's arm to prevent further blood loss. 

Luckily, Jace still had his handkerchief in his pocket. He went to the washroom to soak it in some water and returned. 

Jace winced at the sight of the numerous cuts and bruises that marred Giovanni's back. The available resources were limited, but they had to make do with what they had.

Jace worked methodically, wiping away dirt and blood from the wounds and treating Giovanni as best he could.

It was a daunting task, with so many injuries to attend to, but Jace remained focused, determined to help the injured person in any way he could.