Stalker

Chapter 18- Worse

Maria

I was selfish, I was the most selfish person on earth. My brother had rules, and I ignored him. That's why I was here now, that's why he hadn't come for me.

And Aiden, Aiden loved me. He was protecting me. And I pushed him away.

In my mind I thought it doesn't get worse than your brother spying on you for half of your junior year, always having someone watching. He didn't trust me, and my life was being taken over. But it got worse, it got so much worse.

And now I was going to die without Aiden ever knowing how I feel about him.

When I wasn't being tortured I had a lot of time alone with my thoughts, time to think about everything he said before we got taken.

He said he loved me, but I wasn't sure if I loved him too. Seeing him in his room, watching him give up his food for me, it changed things. So did thinking he was dead.

Nothing was the same, knowing he never wanted to be mean to me. His true self was the boy who hugged me while I cried over Jackson, the one who went on a walk with me to look at the sunset.

Not the one who told me to stay away, the one who called me stupid. It was weird to think that all this time he was trying to keep himself from loving me, I thought he hated me.

And I thought I hated him, until all I could think about was seeing him again. Daniel told me he was dead, and that had ruined me. I wanted his warmth and his protection now more than ever, and I knew he was staying for me. They didn't want Aiden, if he talked they would let him go.

After I was taken from Aiden's room I was placed back in my room and sat down on the metal chair. My hands and ankles were tied up by two men, but my head was pounding hard enough that I couldn't focus. The lighting in Aiden's room made it worse, but I guess that's what happens when you're tossed around like a doll for hours.

Daniel walked in once I was tied, the two other men stepping towards the back of the room. They liked to watch.

Daniel smiled down at me, his aged face twisting into a sinister grin. He walked closer, a small knife appearing in his hand. He placed the knife under my jaw, using it to tilt my chin up. I tried not to breathe or swallow, the knife not puncturing my skin yet.

Daniels knives were always perfectly sharp, this one would cut me like paper if I moved.

"Why won't you speak?" Daniel asked me, his voice deep. Aiden's voice was deep, but his was soft and warm. Daniel's voice was cold.

"I can't." I hardly got the words out before I felt the sting of his knife, digging into my jaw slightly as I spoke.

"You can, im not stopping you." His smile widened, likely at the sight of my blood.

"I don't know anything." Tears began to blur my vision as Daniel put the knife down, my head immediately dropping. "Please, I swear he never told me. Please Daniel, i'll do anything." I began to sob, looking into Daniel's eyes. I was hoping he would see I was telling the truth, Marco didn't tell me anything about our parent's company.

The truth is that I thought it dissapeared once they died, I didn't know it was still around. But Daniel was convinced that I held the secrets, secrets that would ruin the company forever. And he wanted them, that's why I was here.

Daniel got on his knees in front of me, smiling at my thighs. "Should I carve them again?" Daniel asked, looking up at me. "Or should we go further?"

I shook my head frantically, thighs pushed together as hard as I could. "No, no Daniel please-"

"God you're annoying." He rolled his eyes, snapping his fingers. Immediately there was a rag in my mouth, placed by one of the men that had tied me up. I attempted to resist, shaking my head and even going as far to try and bite the man.

But it didn't work, the rag tasting slightly salty as it was placed between my teeth. Daniel didn't like using tape because he liked to hear me gag as I screamed.

As soon as the rag was in my mouth Daniel dropped his hands to my thighs and pulled them open, grinning up at me as I attempted to close them. "Just relax, picture me as Jackson."

I froze, Daniel's grin widening. "Oh yeah, you think I wasn't keeping my eyes on you? My son made for a really good spy. Getting you drunk wasn't part of his assignment, but watching the videos of you struggling was so satisfying."

I wanted to vomit, realizing it made sense. Jackson had been going after me for years, no matter how much I rejected him. It made sense now.

My brain was unable to think about Jackson any longer as Daniel placed his knife on my thigh, the blade slicing through so easily.

I screamed as the pain took over, my legs shaking. I closed my eyes, trying to get in my head, trying to pretend I was somewhere else.

He had been doing this since I got here, small cuts along my skin at first, but gradually they got deeper.

He took away my dignity when he tore up my dress, leaving me exposed. And now he was slicing me up again, running his knife along my left arm painfully slow.

It got worse when Daniel stood up, hands squeezing my breasts through my bra. His grip was tight and uncomfortable, but slowly he began to run his knife along the outline of my chest, making me scream again. I focused on Aiden's face, pictured him in my mind.

"Who's gonna love you looking like that hm?" Daniel said, removing his knife from my skin. "I've ruined your only good features. Lucky for you, i'm saving your face for last."

Daniel was done with me after that, but I didn't open my eyes. I imagined Aiden behind me, his large hands on my shoulders, calling me sweetheart, telling me to not give up.

He needed me as much as I needed him. And I wouldnt abandon him. I just hoped that somewhere out there, Marco had a plan.