Torn

Chapter 31✓

Carter

I look into his pain filled eyes, the same eyes as Xander, and my heart plummeted. Xavier has been trapped here for over two years and no one had found him. It broke Xander to this day that he had no idea what happened to his twin brother. Goddess knows what he has had to endure, and it breaks my heart that I can't save him.

I kneel in front of him in my cell and grasp the bars as I look down on him. He is still lying on the ground with his face turned towards me. Viktor and Tyler stand back and watched our interaction with vicious smiles while their two henchmen turn away, leaving the way they came in.

"Xavier, I am so sorry. You need to know that Xander has never stopped searching for you." I whisper to him, tears still flowing freely down my face. He looks awful, his clothes torn and dirty. His hair is long, past his shoulders, but matted and greasy. He's so skinny it hurts to look at him. Bruises paint every bare patch of skin. A feral need to growl builds in my chest and the protective instinct to keep him from further harm, floods through my veins.

Xavier closes his eyes and takes a ragged breath. His brows furrow and I notice his chin wobble before he gives me the most subtle nod. While we are probably not going to make it out of here alive, at least he knows that his brother never gave up on him. I needed to give him that little bit of hope.

"Alright, enough of this. Let's get down to business." Viktor says, startling us both as he claps his hands together loudly.

Tyler walks over to Xavier and picks him up roughly before dragging him over to one of the two metal beds. He tosses his body onto the bed with ease, as if he weighs nothing, before strapping him down tight.

"Please, don't hurt him." I cry out, reaching through the bars towards them.

Viktor chuckles darkly. "Oh, dear Carter. I really suggest you stop worrying about anyone but yourself right now."

He walks up to the bars, and my outstretched arm falls when I see a set of keys in his hand. He takes the largest key on the ring and clinks it into the opening. As he twists the key to the side the metal groans loudly and the door swing wide open.

I back away from the door quickly and curl into the corner of the cell, as if I could make myself small enough to disappear. Viktor walks swiftly towards me, reaches down, and grasps me by the hair roughly. A small cry of pain left my lips before I could try and stop it. Tyler's head quickly turns towards us at the sound, his brows furrowed deeply.

Viktor yanks me up to my feet and pulls me out of the cell towards the only remaining bed. I dig my heels into the floor and try to pull away, but his grip on my hair is solid.

I lift my leg and try to kick him between the legs but end up missing and hitting his calf. He turns to me, his eyes blazing with fiery anger.

"You fucking little bitch! You're going to regret that." He snarls as he shoves me roughly onto the bed. Tyler comes around and grabs my arm to pull me flat onto the cold metal. He looks me in the eye, and I swear I see regret, but it's gone before I can blink.

As Viktor comes to the other side to help strap me down, I begin to hyperventilate. I need to get out of this! I can't let them kill me. I begin to thrash my arms and legs around, effectively punching Viktor in the jaw.

Sparks flash behind my eyes as my head snaps backwards. The back of my head slams roughly into the table. Blood burst from my nose and down the sides of my face. The thick metallic liquid drips into my mouth and my stomach heaves painfully as I gag.

"You didn't have to hit her so hard, Dad." Tyler chastises.

"That's twice that the little bitch got a hit on me. I wasn't going to let her get away with that. Now look at her, she's dazed and isn't putting up any more of a fight. Seems to me that it was the perfect way to get her to be complacent, son. Remember your place and why you are here." Viktor says, sounding like he was the child being punished.