Marriage Before Graduation

Chapter Twenty-Eight

A sharp pain in my skull made me wince as I sucked a breath through my teeth.

"She's finally awake! She's not dead!" A voice shouted.

"Oh, thank God," came in a voice that sounded relieved.

"Hey, what's your name, little one?"

"Octavia," I mumbled. I blinked until my eyes opened. "Who are you?" I asked the two bearded men standing in front of me.

"We want to know everything you know about Elijah Bruni."

"What?" I asked. I was blinking, but my vision wasn't clearing up.

"Everything you know. Why were you driving his car?"

"To pick up something he left at his office." What has happened? What's the last thing I remember? Driving?

"Where were you coming from?"

"The apartment. Who are you? Why are you asking these questions?" I grumbled.

"We're police officers."

In a flash, I remembered the sound of my phone, as the taller man pulled me out of the car. "You made me wreck the car. No you're not. You thought I was him. Why were you trying to kill my husband?" I grumbled. As I leaned forward I realized I was bound to a chair at my wrists and ankles.

"Husband? How old are you, kid?"

"I'm sixteen."

"Holy shit. This just became federal," one of the guys said, running his hands through his hair.

"It's not illegal to be married," I argued. "My mom consented-"

"Not the marriage, idiot. The kidnapping."

"Oh. You kidnapped me? Why would you do that?" My head was so fuzzy I couldn't make sense of anything. I was so confused.

"You have no idea do you?"

"I'm not talking to you anymore," I said. "I think it's best that you take me back."

The shorter one, standing in front laughed. "I don't think so. I think we'll keep you for awhile." He ran his fingers along my cheek bone and I turned my head quickly, biting down on his hand as hard as I could. He wailed, punching me in the jaw with his free hand until I released his fingers. "You fucking bitch. You're going to regret that."

He pulled a knife from his pocket and cut the ropes from my arms and legs. He pulled me up by my throat and pushed me against a wall, kicking the chair over out of his way. "Tell me what you know. Where is Malik?"

I looked at the ceiling, away from him. The worst he could do was kill me. By now Elijah had to be looking for me.

"Talk!" He screamed.

I closed my eyes, thinking of the last thing Elijah said to me. "Be careful." I'd told him I would. Uncle John had told me to be strong. Mama told me to take things one breath at a time. I could do this.

The beating was relentless, but I expected it to be. We will never be apart. I am safe; loved and protected. I will never leave you alone. I repeated it over and over in my head, using it to draw away from my consciousness and numb myself.

"When you are ready to talk to me, you holler," he said as he walked away.

I gulped. The words to the song we walked down the aisle to played in my head. "Come away with me, tonight." I'd never been so scared in my life as I was the day we got married, and it had turned out so well. This fear would end in happiness as well. Elijah would find me.

~

I woke to see that the sun was up, and looked to have been for awhile. My ankles and hands were tired together this time, and I was still laying on the concrete floor. I tried to peek out the dusty window, but all I saw was the outside of another building.

Footsteps were getting closer and closer. I sat up, and peeked around quickly for a weapon, or a place to hide, but I found nothing. "Wow, you're awake again." He crouched down to eye level. "You're a tough nut to crack. How much more do you think you can take? Are you ready to die to protect the Bruni family?"

"I'm ready to die to keep you from hearing anything from me."

"You think you're so strong? We're about to start the real fun. Yesterday was nothing."

Without control, I spit in his face. "Try me!"

"You little bitch. You really think you can take me?" He pulled something from behind his back, and I heard the crackle for half a second before every muscle in my body tense up from the electrical shock. I thought my teeth would break if I clenched them together any tighter.

I gasped when the pain stopped.

"Are you ready to talk now?"

I moaned, trying to find my voice. "I'll never tell you a fucking thing-" When the blue light touched my skin again, it knocked me out.

~ i wrote this super quickly. Sorry for any mistakes.