Phoenix's Revenge

11.

Nikolai POV

I watch as they knock her and then head towards me.

I need to rattle them. Make them make a mistake.

"Have a wife buddy?" I ask, noticing the ring on his finger. He stiffens for a second and stares.

"Thought so. Just know, whatever is done to her will be done to your wife."

His jaw clenches and he swings. Blood goes splattering on the floor and rug.

Perfect.

"Is that a threat?" He spits.

"Of course not. It's a promise." Within seconds, my lights are out.

...

I wake up in a cell stripped to my underwear. Fucking perves.

My eyes fly around trying to find something, anything I recognize or can use. My food is chained to the floor. As my eyes adjust, I notice a cell next to mine with someone in it. I squint and move as far as I can, trying to get a better look.

The figure moves with a groan.

"Nikolai?" Thank god.

"Yeah, yeah it's me." I answer. They stripped her down to her bra and underwear as well.

Someone doesn't value their life very much.

Yup.

"Just like old times." She says, chuckling without humor.

We stay silent as she scoots as close as she can to me, curling her body into a ball.

"I'm scared." Her voice barely comes out and I hear her start to panic.

"I know."

I'm not good at comforting. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't panicking. I slide as far as I can and slide my hand through the bars.

She does the same. We sit and hold hands for what seems like hours.

The jingling of keys rattle through the hallway. A man unlocks her cell and steps in. She slides her body back as far as it goes. He grabs her ankle, uncuffs it and picks her up. She thrashes and screams and fights while I do the same. I'm fucking useless from in here.

"I'll start with your hands. I'll burn the top layer, so it's like you never touched her. I'll let you pick what comes next, I'm nice like that. By the end, I swear to you, you'll be begging to die." I seethe. He continues to drag her out, ignoring me.

...

Hours. Fucking hours pass by before I hear them come back down the hallway and I jump to my feet. They drag her back into the cell and leave. Right before they do, one of them makes eye contact with me. I send him a murderous glare. It shakes him. He collects himself and heads back out.

"Sweetheart? Phoenix? Are you okay?"

She lays limp on the floor. Her eyes remain open, void of emotion. My eyes trail down her body. Bruises line her hips, her neck, her throat. Blood is spread on her thighs.

I feel my anger skyrocket.

"Nikolai?" She croaks out.

"I'm here sweetheart."

"I'm going to kill all of them."

...

Phoenix POV

Those motherfuckers.

I didn't tell him what happened and I never will, but he knows.

He knows.

...

Days pass. Maybe a week.

It continues like that. Taking us, asking us questions, but nothing works. Nikolai's body is littered with fresh cuts and bruises. His nails are gone, his face is sunken.

We lay on our sides, our hands tangled through the bars. He passed out an hour ago, and I'm counting every fucking breath he takes.

Please keep taking them.

Tears fall down my cheeks and I'm not totally sure why. I cry because the strongest man I've ever seen was beaten until he went unconscious or if it's because I'm so mad that anger is radiating off of me in fucking waves.

I hear the familiar footsteps and I lurch up.

"Nikolai." I call out.

He doesn't stir.

"Wake up." Still nothing.

The asshats enter the cell, except this time Gonzo follows them. My blood goes cold. They pick Nikolai's limp body off of the floor and sit him in a chair. Cold water is dumped on him until he comes to. He groggily opens his eyes.

"Wow. It's a party." He says.

Idiot.

Gonzo speaks.

"You guys are stubborn so we're doing this my way. For every question that Phoenix doesn't answer, Nikolai will be..punished. Easy enough, right?"

I feel sick. Nikolai makes eye contact with me and shakes his head, signifying for me to keep silent. How can I do that?

"Okay. Phoenix, where are the American strong houses located?"

"Go fuck your self." I spit. Gonzo turns and nods in one of his mens directions.

A mallet is pulled out and slammed into Nikolai's hand. His face contorts with pain and his breathing grows labored.

"I'll ask again."

I look to him and he still shakes his head. I remain silent. His finger is pulled back until a load snapping sound hits our ears.

He keeps asking.

Nikolai keeps shaking his head.

His bones keep breaking.

His head eventually lulls back as he teeters the brink of consciousness.

I cave.

"Okay! Okay please stop I'll tell you anything." I scream.

"Good girl." Gonzo hums. "Let's start-"

His sentence is cut off with the sounds of gunshots filling the air. The men rush out just in time for a flurry of bullets to hit them. Men in all black file in and Gonzo is somehow nowhere to be seen.

A familiar face turns towards us.

"Jesus Christ." Tommy mutters. He unlocks my cell first, but I shake my head.

"Hun first. He's worse."

Tommy hesitates but nods. He goes into his brother. Nikolai is so out of it that he doesn't recognize him at first.

"Wow, big man. It's Tommy." His body relaxes and allows the help.

Another man comes into my own cell and we head out the door. We move as quickly as we can.

Finally, the vehicles come into view and we're put into the back. Tommy had the seats laid down, made into a makeshift bed across the entire backseat. Nikolai grunts as he slides his body in and the man helping me simply picks me up and lays me next to him. The car starts and we move. Nikolai's mesmerizing eyes land on mine as I reach over and grab his face.

"Hey, beautiful." He says with a lazy smirk. His eyes flutter back and he goes under once more.

I still watch him breathe.