Lessons In Revenge (Daredevil Book 2)

A temple of bad decisions and STDs

Austin's POV

I remembered the warehouse. The smells, sounds, and the feeling of hopelessness every time I walked in. I hated the damn place, with every bone in my body. It always made me feel trapped, like there was no escape; no way out.

And for me, there wasn't. I was trapped. I knew that now. I knew this was my hell, and I had absolutely no one but myself to blame. I'd put myself in the situation I was in. Dove head first into it, like an idiot, and now I had to endure the consequences.

"Dashwood," the gruff voice traveled through the moldy, stale air, making my heart still in my chest, the blood turning cold in my veins. "Did you really think you could snitch and walk away?"

I froze, my heartbeat quickening, beads of cold sweat trickling down my forehead.

He couldn't know, right?

I'd been careful. I'd followed every instruction I'd been given, so there was no way that Jason could know.

"You know, I have to admit, I didn't really see this coming, especially from my best booster," he continued, the sound of his footsteps getting closer, and I waited with bated breath for the inevitable.

I already knew what was coming, I'd had this nightmare before on so many nights that I now knew it wasn't real and knew exactly what was going to happen each time. It didn't mean it didn't terrify me to my core every time.

But I preferred this version. Only because it didn't feature my favorite blonde.

I waited anxiously for the cold, steel barrow of the gun to press into the small of my back, like it always did, but the minutes ticked by, slowly, and nothing.

The air shifted, colder, and I felt the horror sink in. She was here.

"I thought long and hard of what I should do to you. Cut your eyes out. Break a few bones...even thought about just killing you, but then I remembered," he snickered, and I held my breath, "I remembered that there is one person you love more than anything in this entire fucking world."

I felt my heart crash in my chest, my hands starting to shake, my vision going blurry for a second, the blood rushing in my ears, making everything around me seem deafening.

Snapping around, my eyes shifted around the room, anxiously searching for them when all I found was darkness behind me.

I needed to get to her.

I needed to save her before the time ran out and I lost her.

"I told you feelings in this game were a mistake, didn't I, Austin? Women are a weakness, they mess with your head and throw you off your game." His voice was everywhere now; surrounding me. Taunting me.

If I could just get my hands on him...

"She is quite...exquisite...I can see why you're so taken with her..."

"If you touch her, I promise you I would make this city run red with your blood," I gritted out, trying to keep my voice even, if I so much as showed a bit of fear it was game over for both of us.

"Don't make threats you can't keep, Austin," he replied, chuckling darkly, his tone mocking. "It's a shame...pretty little thing...wasted away because you couldn't keep your mouth shut."

"Just let her go, alright?" As hard as I tried, the terrifying knowledge that she was in his hands, her life was in his hands, picked away at my carefully put together composure, and my voice broke.

I knew then it was the end. I'd failed. Again. I'd let him know how much I actually cared. And before I could stop it, the sound of the bullet leaving the barrel of the gun, rang through the empty, dark warehouse, making my ears ring, a scream ripping through my chest.