The Killer Secret

20.

Pain. It was all I could feel as I stirred awake. Groaning, I raised my head and winced at the pain coming from my neck. My vision was a little blurry but I had enough to see that I was a room surrounded by saran wrapped cardboard boxes.

I glanced down at myself. My hands were tightly tied to the armrest of a chair and my ankles were taped to its front legs. Panicking, I struggled against the restraints, twisting my wrists and hoping to become free but it was no use, and my skin burned where the ropes were bound.

"Hello! Kidnapping is a crime you know!" I yelled. My voice bounced around the room, repeating what I had just said and I sighed, trying to find any clue as to where I was.

A few minutes later, the sound a door opening and then closing, followed by slow and calculated steps, made their way towards where I was. There wasn't a lot of light in the room but the familiar scent that once made me feel at home, now made me sick to my stomach.

"Good. You're awake." His voice was void of any emotion and straight to the point.

"Untie me Travis," I growled at him, shifting in the chair. He leaned forward, coming face to face with me.

"Not until you answer some questions first." His smirk made my stomach ache.

"I have nothing to say to you," I growled again and he grabbed my cheeks in one hand. I was breathing hard, seething with anger. I fought against his hold on my face and he laughed.

Travis snapped his fingers and the door opened again, followed by low groans and dragging feet. There was a loud thud, followed by another painful grunt. My eyes travelled down the where he was, beaten and bloody. His left eye was swollen and his nose dripped with blood.

Tears welled in my eyes as I snapped them back to Travis. "What happened to you? What happened to the sweet, caring guy who always put others before himself?"

"This is who I am. You were just too naive to see the real me."

I shook my head, refusing to cry more. "Travis-"

"Enough!" He yelled and I jumped at the sudden outburst. "Where is Bethany?"

"W-what?"

Travis sighed heavily, walking slowly behind my chair. "Where. Is. She, Kayla? I know. You know. Where she is." He said slower, his breath fanning my earlobe. I shivered by his proximity to me, remaining silent.

Apparently Travis found my silence funny because his laugh boomed throughout the room and he approached Liam, pulling his hair back so that I had a better view of his face. I gasped, my mouth trembling as at the sight of him.

"Don't tell him anything Kayla," Liam spat, spurts of blood coming out of his mouth as he spoke.

"Shut up," Travis stated, tugging Liam's hair harder. Liam grunted in pain, seething blood through his teeth and shot Travis a warning look.

"Travis stop it! I will tell you anything you want to know. Just let Liam go."

I was stern and never wavered even though my pulse was probably racing at 150 beats per minute.

"Kayla," Liam grunted again and I swallowed my pride, focusing on Travis.

I knew the only way to get Travis away from Liam was to play his game and I was damn good at them.

"Travis," I said, almost bored by his attempts to hurt me. His eyes snapped to mine and I knew I had him then. "Let him go and untie me."

Liam looked at me like I was crazy, raising his eyebrows in protest of my demands. I knew he didn't want to leave me alone with Travis but this was the only way I could make sure he was safe. I wouldn't be able to carry on with my plan if he got hurt in the process.

Travis let go of Liam's hair and Liam slowly stood up, his eyes begging me not to do this.

"Get out of here," Travis said without his eyes leaving mine. "This is between Kayla and I now."

Liam hesitated but I gave him a subtle nod, telling him that I would be okay, and, with much regret, he limped to the exit. The two guys that had brought him in earlier, also left, leaving Travis and I alone in the room.

Travis flipped a pocket knife and sliced through the rope and tape that bounded my wrists and ankles, and I rubbed the irritated area under my hand.

"Thank you," I told him softly as he pulled a chair up to face me. He sat in it and leaned forward, his elbows digging into his thighs as he clasped his hands in front of him.

"I didn't want it to come to this, you know?" Travis sighed, looking me deep in the eyes. "I had no choice."

I scoffed, leaning back in the chair and folding my arms. "Is that supposed to make me feel better? You tried to kill me? You killed your best friend and lied to everyone about it."

Travis sat back and ran his hand through his hair. He bounced his knee nervously. "Would you believe me if I said that I was sorry?"

He seemed genuine, like he meant every word and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. In that moment I understood.

"You were forced into this, weren't you?" I said softly.

It was his turn to shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"Do you know who is behind all of this?"

Travis averted his eyes away from me, looking down at his boots. He seemed afraid, bouncing his knees up and down like he was trying to talk himself out of something.

"Liam can help you, Trav. You just have to come clean about everything."

At the sound of Liam's name, his eyes snapped back to mine, fury welled up behind them. He laughed. His voice boomed in the space, making me jump a little. "Damn, you are so predictable! Did you ever once considered that I wasn't the bad guy. That maybe he was?"

I furrowed my eyebrows at him and shook my head in disbelief. "What?"

"My blood boils everything I see you with him. He reeled you in and turned you against me."

"I...I..." Shaking my head, I couldn't wrap my head around any of this. "Why? Why would Liam do this? What's his end game?"

Travis ran a hand through his hair and sighed, standing up. "I don't know, Kayla! You just have to trust me on this okay?"

"Trust you?" I laughed. "You want me," I pointed to myself, "to trust you?" I finished, pointing at him. "You just tried to kill me and the guy you're pinning all of this on."

"I didn't..." He yelled but dialed back his tone to a calmer one. "I didn't try to kill you, okay? I just...I just wanted him away from you."

He sighed, running his hands through his hair. He looked scared and alert like he knew, by telling me all this, he would be in trouble andvI felt it.

"Okay, let's say for argument sake that I believed you...What does Beth have to do with any of this?"

"Because she to pay for her involvement in Emma's death," another voice sounded before Travis could give his answer and I froze.

Liam appeared in the light, holding a gun at my chest. He was shaking with anger as he looked at me with so much hate that I had to blink a few times to make sure I was seeing the same person.

"But first," he pointed the gun at Travis. I watched in horror as Liam pulled the trigger.

"Noo!" I yelled but I was too late. A loud bang echoed throughout the warehouse and Travis crumbled to the floor as blood seeped through the side of his head.