An Eye For An Eye

•Chapter 9•

"Come here."

Maks yanked me upwards, only to slam me back down on the table again.

"Where is Casey?" I cried, barely paying any attention to the pain. "Where's my dog?"

Maks didn't answer me. Instead, he pinned my arms above my head and pawed at my shorts, trying to inch them off of me. I kicked and squirmed and twisted and screamed until my lungs were raw and my muscles were about to snap.

"Knock it off!" Maks roared, and not a second later, a searing pain tore across my cheek as Maks' hand collided with my face.

A sudden jolt ricocheted throughout my body; I couldn't tell if it was anger, fear, or pure desperation, but something inside me had snapped.

I broke my arms free from Maks' grasp, giving me a five second window to swing my fist at his face; the fist that still clutched the keys to Casey's truck.

I felt the impact in my bones. The key had resisted at first, but it gave way the harder I pushed. Maks' furious roar told me I had broke the skin. His hands released my arms, and I rolled off the table onto the floor.

But, before I could even catch my breath, a huge weight pressed down on my back, crushing my lungs against my rib cage.

I was yanked upwards by my hair, and then my face was slammed into the floor.

Once.

Daggers of pain pierced my skull.

Twice.

Something hot trickled from my nose and down my lips. I tasted copper. My nose was numb.

Three times.

My head spun, black spots bloomed in my already impaired vision.

Maks' hot breath in my ear made me cringe. "Don't get up."

Heavy footsteps thundered across the floors. The door was swung open with such force it slammed into the wall. I felt it shake the floors.

With my forearms pressed against the floor, I pushed my upper body up a fraction. That was as far as I could go. My head was spinning so hard, I wasn't sure which way was up or down. I couldn't tell if I was about to pass out or throw up. Or both.

I spit out the blood that had been welling in my mouth and pouring from my nose. I managed to roll over, but Maks was already making his way back to me.

"Where are they?" His fingers twisted into my hair.

"What...?" I croaked, trying to focus on his blur of a body.

"My bullets. What did you do with them?"

"Bullets... I-I didn't..."

Maks hands grabbed my already bruising arms. "Where?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"If you don't tell me right now--"

"I really don't--"