Crimson shadows

?!" I screamed, my vo

k, his words slurred with alcohol

nds sprawled out on the couch, drunk off their asses, playing cards like

ing about?!" I demanded, my

ing that guy-what, because he drives a Mer

, James! He brought me home because you couldn't bother to sh

've lost everything. I'm a dead man if I don't pay them back!" His

have any money, and you keep gambling the ones I give you away! I'm done, James. I

as I saw it-a wooden box, shattered into pieces at the foot of the couch. The box where I kept my savings. My m

their filthy hands. But before I could grab anything, one of them shoved me back, hard. I hit the floor with a pain

aw

ith Max's head, and he let out a blood-curdling scream, doubling over in pain. I didn't wait a second longer. I scrambled to my feet,

e, the force of it ringing in my ears. Suddenly, James was on me, his fists flyi

m, but my voice was lost in the storm of pain. Then I felt my shirt being torn off, followe

let this

hroat was raw from screaming, but I couldn't stop. One of them pinned down my arms, the other my legs, stretching me o

appened. They took turns, each one violating me as if I were nothing more than a toy for their sick amusemen

inal insult after the nightmare they'd put me through. My body was a canvas of pain, covered in stingi

them asked, his voice

d, but I kept my eyes closed, forcing my body to remain still. One of them accidentally stepped on my fingers, but I d

when

ingers trembling as I unlocked the door. I peeked out into the hallway, making sure they were gone. No sign of them. Either my

i, a watered-down version of what had just happened and my live location. She called i

the driver took one

ke you to the hospital," he

ead, my mind foc

em!," I ordered. I didn't care where he was goin

ing my mo

awed at the edges of my consciousness. The cab finally slowed down, coming to a stop in front of a s

ding off without even asking for payme

ds shaking as I called Imani.

ame through the speak

I rasped, my th

y together. Just stay where you

reath coming in ragged gasps

-" Imani's voice broke through the line before my phone wen

was m

oving. I dragged my battered body across the street, each step sending waves of agony through me.

of multiple guns trained on me, their cold barrels glinting in the dim light. But I didn't care. My eyes lo

into his skin, desperate to draw blood. He shoved me off, and I hit the ground hard, the impact sending sharp jolts of pain

eled my determination. Then, out of nowhere, a voic

oug

y throat as recognition dawned.

es struggling to focus on the figur

, but I couldn't move, couldn't even blink. My feet felt like they were cemented to the ground, and my heart pounded so violently that I feared it might burst from my chest. The world around me

en me through the city streets with a sense of quiet strength, now stood in the middle of a scene that seemed ripped from the worst kind

vision began to blur, the edges darkening as if someone had slowly turned down the lights on the world. The details of the room, the s

e same terror that was creeping into my own heart, but the words were muffled, as though she was speaking to me from underwater. Rico's voice, usually so

he was the last piece of normalcy in my life, the only anchor I had left in this storm of madness that threatened to swallow me whole. But even the thought of her, usually so comfortin

letely black was Lamar's face, expression unreadable, as the darkness claimed me. And I let it-because