Perfect Match (Vice Club Nights #2)

24. Tori

Chapter twenty-four

Tori

P ain arcs through my head, emanating from behind my right eye, and it’s so piercingly sharp that it feels like I’ve been stabbed. My shoulders curl into my chest. A low moaning sound pounds in my eardrums, before I realize that the sound is coming from me. Slowly, I peel my eyes open to squint into the dark room, needing a minute for them to adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings. Pins and needles radiate from the tips of my fingers to my wrists, which are tied in front of my body with what feels like zip ties.

My hands move as one to touch my head, expecting my fingers to come away with blood, but while it’s wet, it appears to just be water, though it’s hard to see in the low light. Next, I run my fingers over my face, checking for injury, wincing only when I touch a nasty graze on my right cheek, with what feels like a bruise already forming beneath it.

How did that happen ? The effects of whatever I’ve injested is making it hard to pull any memory from my fuzzy brain. I shift my position, and my nose wrinkles in distaste. The sour, moldy smell from whatever I’m lying on wafts up, making me gag. It smells like something died here.

It’s then that the true reality of my situation hits me. I’m tied up in some dark hellhole, and I’ve no idea how I’ve gotten here.

Where the fuck am I ?

Flashes of memory filter through with each heavy beat of my heart.

Walking along the sidewalk. Calling Charli.

Yes, I was calling Charli, and my hands fumble at the waistband of my leggings. My phone is still tucked against my belly, although the buds that were in my ears are long gone. I unfurl my body enough to wiggle it out. It’s not easy with my feet also tied, but it eventually pops out onto the rancid mattress that I’m lying on.

An electronic lifeline in a fucking desperate situation, and I thank God that my attacker was a fucking idiot for not bothering to check for a phone. The screen is smashed, but when I squeeze the button on the side, it still manages to flicker to life. My eyes close briefly in a prayer of gratitude to some higher being for keeping me safe so far.

The previous call to Charli had disconnected at some point, and I quickly swipe to reconnect. It’s answered immediately, but instead of the reassuring voice of my sister, it’s Ryan. “Tori. Where are you?”

Tears leak uncontrollably down my cheeks, even though I know now isn’t the time for them. It takes every ounce of inner strength to squeeze back more from falling. “I don’t know, Ryan.” Blinking to clear my watery view, I focus on my surroundings. “It looks like I’m in a bathroom, tiled walls and floor. The mattress I’m on is pushed into one corner, and there are a couple of sinks beside me and cubicles in front. There doesn’t seem to be any windows, and the only light is coming from a gap under the closed door.”

“That’s good. Now, what else can you tell me? What can you hear?”

I listen carefully before answering. “There’s a low grinding from some sort of machine, but it doesn’t seem to be coming from this building, just nearby. I think this might be an old warehouse, but I’m not sure. It’s hard to move because my hands and feet are tied with zip ties.”

Gio’s voice growls threateningly in the background. “I’m going to kill the fucker who’s done this.”

“Gio?” My voice wobbles, threatening to crack and shatter into a million pieces along with my heart.

“Yes, bella, I’m here. So are Charli, Tony, and Sadie. We’re going to find you, soon. Tony is trying to trace the call right now.” His voice is reassuring and so clear that he could be lying beside me on this putrid mattress.

“Gio, I need to tell you something.” I don’t care that the others can hear; this may be my only chance to say this. “I was going to call you tonight when I got home. I wanted to tell you that …” I force the lump in my throat back down. “… we should be together. But then the guy grabbed me …” My voice hitches on a sob. “Gio, I’m scared that my life reel of memories doesn’t have enough of us in it.”

“I know, sweetheart, and we’ll fix that when I find you.” His voice is gruff. “But first you need to help us by answering Ryan’s questions.”

A soft sob in the background that I know has come from Charli rips my heart in two, and a fresh wave of tears rolls down my face, spilling onto the mattress.

“Tori, tell me about the guy who grabbed you.” Ryan’s voice is strong and calm, and I cling to it.

I force my mind to remember through the fog that still clouds my memory. “He grabbed me from behind, pinning my arms down like he knew I’d fight back if he didn’t. He was big, maybe a few inches taller than you, like six foot four or five. And he was strong; his arms were like a vise. He drugged me, so my head’s a bit foggy.”

“I’ve got it.” The announcement seems to have come from Tony.

But Ryan continues his questions undeterred. “So only one guy?” His calm, steady voice again captures my attention.

“It was only one guy who grabbed me.”

“Do you think you know him?”

“No. I’ve no idea who or why they’d want to kidnap me. Do you …” The sound of men’s voices coming closer stops me midsentence. “Fuck, someone’s coming. There are two of them. I have to go.”

“We’re on our way. Stay strong.”

“I love you,” Charli croaks the last words I hear before I disconnect. I’m all thumbs trying to get my phone secured again in my waistband as the scrape of a metal bolt sliding comes from the doorway.

Another shove and the phone is safely tucked back into my leggings.

It’s just in time, as light floods across the bathroom floor from the hallway. The brightness momentarily blinding me.

“You're awake. Good, that will make this easier,” the big dude says, striding over to me. The other guy hovers in the open doorway.

What are they planning that needs me to be awake? Please, God, don’t let it be rape.

My heart pounds against my ribcage like it wants to escape and hide far away.

“Get up,” he growls, and the words are muffled in the thick balaclava he’s wearing over his head so only two black bulbous eyes and thick snarling lips are visible. I make my body go limp and heavy. My chances are much better here on the ground than trying to stand when my feet are restrained.

“I said get the fuck up.”

“You’ll have to undo my feet if you want me to move.”

He looks back to the guy in the doorway as if seeking his permission. That man is slighter than the brute standing over me, and even though his face is covered by a balaclava too, I can tell his features are fairer. He doesn’t respond; instead, he enters the room for the first time, then pulls a boxcutter knife from his hoodie pocket and slices easily through the plastic binding at my ankles. The job done, he returns to his post.

“Why am I here?” I ask, my head turning back to the big guy, the only one seemingly willing to speak.

“I guess you messed with the wrong guy.”

What the hell does that mean ? The only guy I’ve had any interactions with in New York has been Gio, and I know he’s not behind this. Unless this is some sort of blackmail attempt.

“Gio and I aren’t seeing each other anymore if you’re trying to exhort money from him.”

“Who the fuck is Gio?” the big guy asks, turning to the weedy one for the answer. He just shakes his head and shrugs. The faint ring of an old-style landline can be heard in the distance, and the guy in the doorway turns and disappears.

My focus shifts back to the brute. But the lack of answers has my brain buzzing. I wince; my head hurts as a frown tugs my brow low. If the wrong guy isn’t Gio, then why have they kidnapped me?

“You’ve got the wrong girl,” I yell as I put some of the pieces together.

His answering laughter reverberates off the tiled walls. It’s a deep, evil laugh that holds no mirth. “I got the right one because you’re even prettier than your picture.” His strong New Yorker accent makes him sound like he stepped out of a Godfather movie. He’s terrifying, but I can’t let the fear overrun my years of training. I know how to deal with an attacker, even one as big as this guy. All I need to do is remain clearheaded, even if it’s not an easy task when my head is still spinning from whatever they pumped into me earlier.

The horrible man steps closer and bends to brush a fat, dirty finger across my chin, and I try not to recoil since I need him closer if I want a chance to take him down. He leans in further, and a sneer curls his top lip. It’s then that I twist on the mattress, swinging my leg to curl behind his knees before pushing my shoulder into his gut, knocking him off balance. He crashes into the cubicle door behind him with a grunt, the wood splintering as it breaks his fall. As quickly as I can, I maneuver to bring his arm into a shoulder lock, but with my hands still tied, it’s impossible to fight effectively. I’m trying everything in my power to disable this guy so I can get away, but I’ve now lost the element of surprise, and he’s become an angry big dude.

He reaches for me, but I’m quicker and avoid his grasp, springing to my feet. He seems dazed and has not yet made it back up on his feet. I land a satisfyingly hard kick to his groin that doubles him over, then use the opportunity to make a dash for the door. I’m moving on pure instinct because I have to believe that it will keep me safe.

“You’re a tough little bitch, but that is going to make this so much more fun,” he threatens before barreling toward me, his shoulder low and hitting me in the stomach. I’m flying through the air, only stopping when my body slams against a brick wall in the hall. The wind knocks from my chest as I slump to the floor. I force my legs underneath me and try to push up, but I only make it halfway when a bone-crushing fist knocks me off my feet again.

Dizziness overwhelms me, and a dark cloud descends.