Somewhere Between the Depths

Chapter Thirty

Lydia

I pull to a stop far enough away from the warehouse to mask the sound of my car. I park with shaky hands, grabbing my purse with the stolen money as I hustle as quietly and quickly as possible to the side door. I peer in through the dirty window and have to cover my mouth to hide my gasp as I watch that bastard Knox hit Nora in the face. She's bleeding all over, her head slumped down as her chin touches her chest. Oh God...

I drop my purse to the ground as unexpected rage fills my bloodstream, overshadowing the nerves and fear. Fuck these bastards and their demands. I flex my fingers, silently opening the door as I step inside. Only a few shop lights are on, focused on Nora tied to a chair on the other side of the room. This side of the warehouse is dark, pitch black as the sun has already set. I stalk over to an abandoned set of beams, concrete and two by fours and crouch as I toss a rock toward the window I just peered in through. 

Knox and Sloane's heads snap up in unison. A look of panic on both their faces. They know they've fucked up, and they know this is only going to end with them running or dying. My money on the latter.  I toss another rock as they squint into the darkness before turning one of the lights toward the window. Sloane nudges Knox to go check out the noise and while the idiots argue, I flick open the blade I brought with me, watching with bated breath as they both head outside. The moment the door slams behind them, I rush for Nora. 

"Nora? Oh god, you're bleeding everywhere." I gasp, gingerly cradling her face before I whirl behind her and begin slashing through the ropes around her ankles and hands. 

"Lydi?" She calls my name, her voice halfway between a sob and a whisper. 

"I'm here, sis. I'm here." I choke on my own sobs, finally sawing through the rope on her ankles. 

When the final cut is made and she's free, she slumps forward, body too weak to hold her upright in the chair any longer. I rush to grab her, dragging her toward the darkened corner of the warehouse, careful not to let any blood trail on the floor. I fall against the wall, Nora cradled to my chest as her breathing hitches in pain. 

"Lydi?" She whispers again, cracking her unswollen eye open as she gazes up at me as if she may be dreaming. "You... You came for me?" 

I nod, tears blurring my vision as I brush her hair out of her face. "I'm sorry, Nora. I'm so fucking sorry I never saved you. But I'm here now. I'm here, and I don't care how, I'm getting you the fuck out of here." 

A pained smile lifts up her mouth, her pupils deliriously dilated from blood loss. "You're wrong." She whispers, gasping as she wraps an arm around her midsection, "You did save me. All those years, protecting you is what kept me going. You made me strong enough to survive it all. I love you." 

I choke on sobs as twin streams of tears slip down my face. I lean down, kissing her forehead as gently as I can. "I love you too. You're my best-friend. I love you." 

I cry quietly against her, trying to think of a way out of here. There's no way I can drag her to my car without one or both of those assholes seeing us. I search around frantically, deciding on one of the steel pipes near my feet. One has been cracked on the end somehow and has a fairly sharp point. With all the training I've done with Nora over the years, I think I can win if I catch one of them off guard. I lay Nora on the ground easily, covering her with a tarp to keep her hidden. I test the pipe in my hand, getting used to the weight of it as I wait. 

Knox reenters first, his eyes going wide at the empty chair. He turns to yell out the door, but I'm on him before he knows what hit him. I slam the pipe into his face, hearing the sickening crunch of his nose as he lets out a string of curses and blood pours like a wide-open faucet down his face. I don't give him time to get his bearings, slamming that pipe into one kneecap and then the other.  He goes down hard, lunging for me but I sidestep him, kicking him in the jaw with my boot. He slumps, blood pooling beneath him on the ground as he goes unconscious. I stand over him, chest heaving, sweat dotting my brow and slipping down my temples. I can't help the triumphant grin that spreads across my face.