Chapter 33: Sacrifices

KIANA

“Long time no see, ~Rose~,” Cooper said, emphasizing my childhood name as he moved closer.

“It’s Kiana,” I spat back with defiance, backing up until I hit a desk.

I tried to run, but he was too fast. He trapped me between his arms.

“Kiana is your whore name. I suppose that’s what you are now, though. It suits you better. My Rose would never betray me like you have.” His face was twisted into a scowl that sent chills down my spine. He was clearly angry and seemed ready to take it out on me.

I wanted to lean back, to get as far from him as possible. But if I moved back any further, I’d be lying on the table with no way out.

“Have you let your new boyfriend taste this delicious body yet?” he asked, leaning in, his foul breath hitting my face as his eyes slowly scanned me from head to toe. He seemed to be savoring the moment.

He whispered in my ear, “Does he know I had you first? Does he know how much you loved it when I claimed you?” His hand slithered up my thigh.

Gaining some courage, I slapped his hand away in disgust.

He growled like a feral animal before wrapping his hand around my throat in a bruising grip.

I gasped, tears threatening to spill. I wanted to push him away, to scream, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. I was ~frozen~.

“You gave yourself to a man you barely know, but you made me wait for months!” he yelled, slamming his hand on the desk. I flinched.

I swallowed my fear, my saliva soothing the rawness in my throat. I found the courage to speak. “He’s nothing like you. My body is mine to do with as I please, and I hated every second with you,” I spat, finally able to voice my thoughts.

It only made him angrier.

His eyes narrowed, his body shaking with rage. He grabbed my hair and yanked me up. I squealed and tried to pull his hand away, but it was no use.

“You’ll pay for that,” he hissed, removing his grip from my throat and hair and instead grabbing my waist and dragging me out of the room.

I scanned the area for my guard. Where was he? What was taking so long?

Unless Joanna was delaying him, acting as a distraction.

~No!~

“You will cooperate, or I’ll deliver you straight to Kenzo,” he hissed.

“You wouldn’t!” I gasped, my rising fear reaching its peak.

As we neared the exit, I saw Mia. For a moment, I felt a rush of relief, but it was short-lived.

“~Play along, or she’s next~,” Cooper threatened.

I swallowed hard.

Mia walked toward us, her eyes darting between me and Cooper, clearly confused by our proximity. Her gaze finally settled on mine, her eyes narrowing, silently asking if everything was okay.

“Hey, you must be Mia. We were just about to step out for a late lunch. Isn’t that right, ~Kiana~?” Cooper’s grip on my waist tightened in silent warning.

Mia’s eyes were on me, her anticipation palpable.

I yearned to scream, to warn her to keep as far away from him as possible, to plead for her help. But Cooper’s warning echoed in my ears, restraining me.

The thought of Mia getting hurt because of me was unbearable. So, I did the only thing I could think of…

“Y-yes, Cooper’s right,” I stuttered. I gathered my wits and inhaled sharply. “Tell Chase to let Angela know I’ll be home late tonight,” I said, forcing a smile, hoping she’d catch on.

“Okay… Are you sure you’re all right?” she asked, skepticism lacing her voice.

“Yeah, I’ll be back home later.” I reassured her with another weak smile before Cooper led us away.

“Good girl,” he murmured, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

Escape was impossible. Even if I tried, my body would betray me, freezing up like it always did around Cooper.

He had a control over me that no one else did. The bitter truth was that I wasn’t sure if I could ever break free.

To me, Cooper was the epitome of evil.

Aside from my father, he was the most heartless, ruthless person I knew. His potential for wickedness was limitless, especially when he wanted something.

Predicting his moves or the lengths he would go to was futile.

Only a strong adversary could hope to defeat him, and I was far from being that person.

All I could do was pray that Mia called Chase, and that he understood my message.

MIA

Something was off. I could see it in Kiana’s expression. And that message for Chase—it was odd.

Wasn’t she going out with Chase tonight? She even mentioned she might not be coming home.

And Angela? Who the heck was that?

Something was amiss, and I had to figure out what.

I scrambled for my phone and dialed Chase. I was grateful Kiana had given me his number for emergencies. It rang for what felt like forever before it finally connected.

“Hello, is this Chase?” I inquired.

“Yes, who’s this?” he responded, sounding rushed.

“Mia, Kiana’s friend,” I clarified.

“Mia? Is everything all right?” His tone softened upon recognizing my name.

“Kiana asked me to relay a message to you…”

CHASE

Mia sounded worried. Something was definitely wrong. Why would Kiana’s best friend be calling me when she knew we weren’t together?

“She said you needed to tell Angela she’d be home late,” she said, sounding confused.

~Angela who?~

Then it clicked. She’d used our code word. Kiana was in trouble, and she was letting me know the only way she knew how.

“Was she with anyone?” I questioned, already making my way to my car.

“Yes. They said they were going to lunch. But, Chase, something felt off. She wasn’t acting like herself…” Mia’s voice trailed off, her concern apparent.

“Who was she with, Mia?” My patience was wearing thin.

“A man. I didn’t recognize him.”

“What did he look like?” My panic was at an all-time high—adrenaline coursed through me as I reached my car.

“He’s around your age, white, has short dark-brown hair, average height, dark-brown eyes, and a dimple on his left cheek. She said his name, but I didn’t quite catch it. I think it was something like Conner.”

I clenched my phone, feeling the metal case bend under my grip. “Cooper?” I asked. ~It had to be him.~

“Yes. Cooper. That’s it,” she confirmed.

I slammed my fists down on the steering wheel.

I took a deep breath and asked, “Do you know where they were going? Can you track her?”

“Yes, I have Find My iPhone,” she confirmed.

“Send me her location. Don’t worry. She’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of it,” I assured her before hanging up.

I had no clue what was happening, but my gut was telling me it was something bad.

Where the heck was her security? Her guard was supposed to be with her at all times!

I called Lucas, placing him on loudspeaker as I sped out of the car park, having no patience to wait.

“Lucas,” I called out once he answered. “Hold down the fort. I need to step out,” I instructed, then hung up before giving him a chance to reply.

I headed toward her university, knowing they couldn’t have gotten far.

My phone pinged, and I could see Kiana’s live location. She was moving fast, as if in a car.

I didn’t like that, so I sped up.

~Hang on, Kiana.~

KIANA

Cooper’s hands trembled on the steering wheel as he recklessly drove us toward our destination.

I was clueless about where he was taking me or what he planned to do once we got there.

This was a first for him. Sure, he had a knack for tormenting me, but this was on a whole new level. Given his erratic behavior, I was beginning to doubt whether I’d make it out of the car alive.

I knew his mother suffered from an abundance of mental stability issues. Although I couldn’t remember what exactly she was diagnosed with.

Did Cooper have whatever she had?

I remembered that he took medication when we were younger. Had he stopped taking his meds?

After what felt like an eternity, he finally pulled up in front of an abandoned warehouse. We hadn’t passed another building for what seemed like miles. As he killed the engine and reached for my door, I swallowed hard, clutching my chest.

“Why am I here, Cooper?” I managed to ask, my breath coming in short gasps.

I could sense a panic attack brewing. My chest tightened, and my body began to shake in warning.

~Not now.~

I couldn’t afford to lose control.

I managed to take a few deep breaths, picturing Chase holding me close, his hand protectively cradling my head against his chest, his steady breathing, his calm heartbeat. The thought helped me regain some composure.

Cooper didn’t answer me. He yanked me by the arm, pulling me out of the car. I stumbled as he dragged me toward the warehouse.

My panic tried to resurface, but I forced myself to keep thinking of Chase. I clung to the memory of him taking care of me during a panic attack. The thought of Chase was enough to keep me grounded.

As we stepped into the warehouse, I realized it wasn’t as desolate as I had initially assumed.

Empty wooden crates were stacked on one side, while a table surrounded by chairs occupied another. It was evident that this place was a hub for illegal activities. It reminded me of a similar scene I had witnessed as a child, courtesy of my father.

“Sit,” he commanded, shoving me into a chair.

I hit the corner of the table, gasping as pain shot through my side.

I leaned unsteadily against the table, using one arm to prop myself up, trying to hide the bruise that I could feel forming on my skin. Cooper shot me a warning look.

“What do you want, Cooper?” My voice trembled. “I’ve tried to keep my distance. I want to move on. So why won’t you let me?”

Tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over.

“There’s no reason for this. Please, just let me go,” I pleaded.

He laughed as he moved in closer—a chilling, twisted sound.

~Is he going to kill me?~