Bad Blood

Chapter 5

Emily sat in the cold, dark factory, her wrists bound to the chair, her breath shaky. The overwhelming silence of the abandoned building pressed in on her, and all she could hear was her own heartbeat, thudding in her ears. Kane had stormed out, leaving her alone, bound and helpless.

She glanced around, her mind racing with panic. There was no one to help her, no way to free herself. Every time she tried to shift her weight to loosen the ropes, the bindings only seemed to tighten. Tears streamed down her face, fear gripping her more tightly than the ropes themselves.

Time passed, though it was impossible to tell how much. Minutes? Hours? She had no way of knowing. The night outside had grown darker, the wind howling through the broken windows of the factory, a chilling reminder of how alone she was.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps echoing through the factory. At first, Emily’s heart leapt with hope—maybe Kane had come back, maybe he had realized what he had done and was coming to release her.

But as the footsteps drew closer, that hope quickly faded. These steps were heavy, purposeful, and they weren’t coming from one person—they were coming from a group. The unmistakable sound of several voices reached her ears, low and menacing.

Emily’s blood ran cold.

A group of figures appeared at the entrance to the factory, silhouetted against the faint light from outside. There were five of them, rough-looking men, hooligans by the looks of their ragged clothing and swaggering gait. They laughed and joked among themselves as they entered, clearly up to no good.

One of them, a tall man with a scar running down the side of his face, spotted Emily tied to the chair and grinned wickedly.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” he sneered, his voice dripping with malice.

The other men followed his gaze and quickly surrounded her, their eyes gleaming with dangerous intent. Emily’s heart pounded in her chest as they closed in around her, their leering smiles sending waves of terror through her.

“Looks like someone left us a little gift,” another man, shorter but just as rough, said with a chuckle. “Ain’t she pretty?”

Emily struggled against the ropes, but it was no use. The men only laughed at her fear, enjoying the sight of her helplessness. The scar-faced man crouched in front of her, his face inches from hers, the stench of alcohol on his breath.

“Now, now,” he said mockingly, “don’t be scared. We’re just here to have a little fun.”

Emily’s throat was tight with fear, her voice caught in her chest. She knew what they intended. The way they looked at her, the cruel smirks on their faces—it made her skin crawl. She had to do something, anything, to protect herself.

“Please,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Just let me go. I haven’t done anything to you.”

The scarred man chuckled darkly, his hand reaching out to brush her cheek, causing her to flinch. “Oh, sweetheart, we ain’t here to hurt you. Not unless you make us.”

The others laughed, the sound cruel and sharp. They circled her like vultures, waiting to pounce. Emily’s mind raced, trying to think of a way out, but there was none. She was tied, alone, and outnumbered.

Just as the scar-faced man reached to touch her again, the sound of a door slamming echoed through the factory. The men froze, their heads snapping toward the source of the noise.

Kane.

He stood in the doorway, his face contorted with fury, his fists clenched at his sides. His eyes burned with a rage Emily had never seen before—an intensity that made the air around him feel electric.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Kane’s voice was low, dangerous, filled with a threat that sent a chill through the room.

The hooligans sneered at him, but there was hesitation in their eyes. Kane was not a man to be trifled with, and they knew it.

“Hey, relax, man,” the scar-faced leader said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “We were just having a little fun. Didn’t know she was yours.”

Kane’s eyes narrowed, his body tense with barely controlled rage. “She’s not yours to touch. Get out, now.”

The men exchanged glances, weighing their options. They outnumbered him, but Kane’s reputation as a dangerous man preceded him. The scar-faced man took a step closer to Kane, trying to assert dominance.

“Maybe we don’t wanna leave just yet,” he said with a grin. “Maybe you and us need to have a little talk.”

But before he could finish his sentence, Kane moved like lightning. He lunged at the scarred man, his fist connecting with his jaw in a sickening crack. The man crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain.

The other men immediately backed off, realizing that Kane was not playing around. One by one, they grabbed their fallen friend and dragged him toward the exit, muttering curses under their breath. But none of them dared to challenge Kane further.

As they disappeared into the night, the factory fell silent once more. Kane stood there, his chest heaving with anger, his fists still clenched. Emily stared at him, her heart pounding, her fear slowly giving way to a strange mixture of relief and confusion.

Kane turned to her, his face still hardened, but there was something different in his eyes now. Guilt, maybe. Regret.

He knelt down beside her, his hands trembling slightly as he reached for the ropes that bound her. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, his voice hoarse. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I just… I didn’t want to lose you.”

Emily watched him, her body still shaking from the fear that had gripped her moments ago. She didn’t say anything as he untied her, her mind too overwhelmed to process what had just happened.

When the ropes finally fell away, she stood shakily, her legs weak beneath her. Kane rose to his feet as well, looking at her with a mixture of guilt and desperation.

“I just wanted you to see,” he whispered. “To see that we belong together.”

Emily shook her head slowly, tears welling in her eyes once more. “This… this isn’t love, Kane. This is madness.”

Kane’s face twisted in pain at her words, but he said nothing. He knew she was right. He had gone too far, crossed lines he could never uncross.

“I’ll take you home,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll let you go.”

For the first time, Kane realized that holding onto her like this wasn’t love. It was destruction. And he couldn’t keep destroying the one thing he wanted most in the world.

Without another word, he led her out of the factory, into the night.