The Silence That Surrounds

Louis’s POV:

I watched Damien pull Sophia up from the ground with extreme brutality, her body flinging into his own like a helpless ragdoll as he all but dragged us along with him towards the cabin.

“No wonder your brother committed suicide, Ms. Stone. If I had to bear witness to my sister show such sentimentality, I’d of gouged my own eyes out with my knife but not before I slit her throat with it. You see, Sophie Angel, your brother was weak. He couldn’t handle the fact that you pushed him over that edge simply because you were selfish. You leant on him but when it came down to it, he couldn’t lean on you; could he? You let him down and now that you fucked up, he’s dead and you are stuck with me, alone.” Damien taunted, enjoying Sophia’s cry of anguish.

I let him pull me along by the arm, my eyes positioned to the ground. I couldn’t do anything without further punishment but Sophia was a different story because before Damien or I could process what was going on, Sophia reached over and stole the knife I kept with me at all times from my back pocket.

Her footsteps backed away, eyes blazing in anger and hand shaking.

“My brother loved me! We took care of one another!” She screamed, her voice deepening with every word.

So much so that I’m now sure Satan had a daughter and her name was Sophia Stone. Holy fuck, if her tone was any lower she would be a perfect recast to play the possessed girl in The Exorcist.

Damien smirked, releasing me from his grip and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Your brother didn’t love you, sweetie. He left you all alone, here, with me. If that’s love then I’d hate to see how he reacted if he despised someone. Face it, your brother was like your father. A cold hearted snake. A pretender, a selfish little boy that left his only sister here to fend off the big bad wolves…and a daughter who a father could only be ashamed of. You weren’t even good enough for him and that’s saying something.” He taunted, chuckling softly with the intent to instigate the poor girl further.

“Sophia? Flower? Listen to me, he’s trying to bait –“

My words were cut short by a hollowed punch to my stomach, the pain cutting off what I was going to say to the distraught girl.

“Shut it, Tomlinson, you know what I am saying is true. She was not good enough for her father’s attention and even less so to her brother that left. Killing himself like the coward he is but I expected no less.” Damien continued.

Sophia’s eyes burned vibrantly, darkening and lightening in contrast to the sun that shined above. She had so many emotions swimming around but sadness and anger were the most apparent.

“He had nothing to do with any of this. I brought him into this, it’s my fault.” Sophia gritted, her teeth barring into a fierce snarl that made her look completely rabid. I wouldn’t be surprised if she turned into a werewolf and ate Damien for a midafternoon snack considering he was the main source of her aggression.

“I won’t deny you those thoughts, considering they’re true but him being brought in is what saved you. Would you have rather Harry killed him and your father at the same time? Because that’s what the alternative would have been. At least you got to bear witness to his pathetic end. Sadly, as much as I want to be rid of you, I will have much more fun keeping you around, with the exception of some changes. When you are properly trained, you will take Dylan’s place in my cabin. However, before that happens Harry needs to get you properly acquainted with a slave to master routine. Like a perfect little housebroken pet. It might be a year from now, perhaps two. You can’t rush perfection and my darling cow, you have a lot that needs perfected.”

Sophia growled.

Uh-oh.

I stepped back a safe distance from Damien, swallowing. Sophia is sprouting horns and getting ready to charge.

“I’m not your goddamn slave and I will die before I let you take away my dignity or anything else!” She vowed, her tone dropping on the last part. “Or you will.”

Her voice a finality of twisted vows. I didn’t know where her head was at the moment but it was certainly not screwed on too tight because now she sprung forward, my knife raised in the air like a wild savage going in for the kill.

Damien obviously had anticipated her move because he reached out and with lightning speed, took hold of the silk black strands of hair and yanked her head viciously to the side while his other hand caught her wrist that held the knife.

When I blinked he had forced her in front of him so her back was securely against his tightly toned chest, his breath still even and unafraid. I saw his hand go from her hair and slink across her waistline, the other not leaving the knife.

“Darling, baby girl –you’re not going to win. Any move you make, I will counteract it and any thought you have to proceed further I guarantee will never end well. Now, drop the blade or I’m going to break two of your fingers.” Damien related with fatal but calm promise. By his own vocal abilities, you knew when he spoke calmly that he was at his most dangerous.

Sophia’s grip only tightened on the handle, unheeding to the older man’s warning.

“Last warning, little Stone. Drop the bloody goddamn knife!” Damien growled, his mouth by her ear while he tightened his security on her by crushing her in his hold.

“No!” Sophia argued, her own grip vice like.

Damien’s eyes mirrored Harry’s when he got pissed…and boy was smoke coming out his ears – like a pissed off cartoon character.

“Fine. Louis? Take the knife off her.” Damien ordered, which in turn made Sophia look from her spot and growl.

Nope, that won’t be happening today. I can’t afford to contract rabies and she looks absolutely feral.

“Sorry Master Styles, you’re on your own there with that one. I’ve learned well enough with Ms. Stone what happens when she’s pushed beyond her limits and I actually want to be able to produce children someday.” I reasoned, unheeding his warning.

Like I said, I wasn’t going out of my way to make it easier for Damien. He instigated her aggression, he can deal with it.

“That wasn’t a request, Tomlinson. That was a direct order.” Damien barked but got aggravated enough to squeeze her wrist that held the weapon and force it from her hold in a harsh bone snapping tug.

When her death grip was relinquished, his arm was still snaked around her waist but his other hand met her left and took her middle and index finger into his grasp and bent them back.

She screamed out in agony a half minute later, the pain gradually becoming unbearable.

“Your defiance Angel, is astonishing. Truly remarkable really. I mean, I’m going to snap your fingers and you don’t even seem to give a fuck.

A little more pressure, my eyes watching the two bones give, a loud sharp snap sounded in the thicket of tension, like a carrot being snapped in half and two jagged pieces of bone underneath protruding slightly from below the skin, giving it a nasty, unnatural look but nothing could compare to the screams of agony that left Sophia’s mouth. Her feet gave beneath her completely and Damien let her fall.

I rushed forward and fell to my knees, grabbing at her fingers to examine the damage. Never in my whole life did I imagine being in the position I am right now.

“Sophie? Angel?!” I exclaimed, a cold ice bucket of water coursing through my veins, her body absolutely quivering in unimaginable pain. From the way Damien snapped her fingers, he had done so in a way that they would have to be moved back in to place and strapped together or put into make shift splints.

She didn’t fight me as I took her hand. In fact, she was so broken now that she yearned for someone’s touch, anyone’s. Her body gently leaning into my own. Our body heat intermixing and warming us but her loud agonizing cries didn’t die down and her eyes were red from crying. I don’t say this often enough but I began to pity her.

“M-m…” She cried, unable to form a coherent word.

“Shhh, shh,” I soothed, well aware that Damien was watching us. I put my arm around the broken girl and hugged her against me, letting her head drop against my chest. “Don’t try to speak right now, Angel. You’ll be alright. We’ll get Liam to set and splinter them when he’s able.”

“I w-want Dylan. I want my brother.” Sophia managed to sob out but the strength in her inflection kept vacillating between a scream and whisper.

“I never pegged you for weak, Tomlinson but apparently even I can be wrong. What is your infatuation with the little bird? Surely nothing more than an interest in her tits and ass – after all, was that not your whole forefront with Caroline? Sexually? If that is so your desire, then take Sophia here and now, I certainly could use some entertainment.”

The mocking in his tone did not go unnoticed and I promptly stopped and turned a deadly steel eye to Damien that could freeze water in the deepest circles of hell.

I stood calmly and faced him, so close that I could smell the aftershave he wore, intermixing with the smell of nature around us.

“Caroline was beautiful. Caroline was the sunlight in this godforsaken place and you snuffed her out like a flame to a candle. There will never be another Caroline – that’s long passed. Despite my carefree attitude, my sarcastic wit and a bit of a problem balancing the two at times, no one can say I didn’t care. She made everything tolerable. Harry stopped trying to break her and I enjoyed her company. Sophia is not like her and she never will be. The difference between Caroline Deprave and Sophia Stone is the tragedy wasn’t nearly as much for Carol. Her family was murdered far before her kidnapping and Sophia killed her father, saw her brother hung and was raped by a sadistic fuck…and I blew up her mother by accident although she seems to have forgiven me for that –I think.” I hummed as an afterthought, balling my hand into a fist.

“Caroline was beautiful and I had fun torturing her until she bled out. First and only time I saw Niall cry like a little sapling. However, Sophia is none of those, correct?” Damien chuckled, glancing at my balled fist, the heat of anger illuminating around us like a fire.

“Sophia was a job and nothing more. She was a pain in the ass, difficult and I’d of loved nothing more than to blow her brains out the first week she came to the cabin but –“ I paused, looking at the girl, her face looking up at me with defeat, a silent plea to just end her suffering then and there. “She brings her own promise to the group, despite it being a challenge to you. Her body, her personality –it’s got its own exquisite beauty that can’t be tamed or beaten down by insults or scars. She has far more worth then you ever will.” I proclaimed with a smile, my fist going straight to his face, a crunch of bone smashing between my flesh.

His hand went distinctively to his nose with a loud exclamation. Judging by the crooked angle of it, it’s safe to assume I had broken it.

“We will see about that, lad! Oh we will see!” Damien seethed, whistling for his cronies.

“You sure you’re not related to Ivan the Terrible? You could be his long lost bro-“

My feet were swept out from beneath me and I landed hard onto my knees, staring up at Damien with contempt but didn’t press my luck further. I simply looked to my left, reaching out to the frightened looking girl, holding a weak smile.

“You’re gonna be alright, yeah? Just hold on for –“

Damien’s boot found my stomach in a painful kick and I no longer had the air capacity to continue. Although winded, I found it rather rude to have kept getting interrupted.

“I’m personally going to enjoy gagging you, Tomlinson. You don’t seem to know when to shut your fucking mouth!” he growled but I was satisfied that it held a certain level of pain to it and that he was still holding his nose –which, for Damien Styles, was positively hilarious.

I heaved out a breath, my lungs struggling to bring in air, crying for it really. They were sending a message to my brain but it wasn’t responding to the call just yet.

Hello, brain? Yeah – pain, need air – help…do you copy?

Nope.

I continued to fight for the precious life source of the trees around us. Oxygen I desperately craved and needed – or I could just pass out, I’m all for that to. This feeling was almost as unbearable as the cheese grater.

Like a relapse of unknown time, I was suddenly hauled to my feet by a strong able-bodied bloke by the name of Steel.

“How kind of you to help a bloke up when he’s been kicked down. Much appreciated, Muffins.” I wheezed, slowly familiarizing myself with how it felt to breathe again.

Steel growled, shaking me a little violently. Not much, just enough to raddle my brain a bit.

Where’s the rolling papers? I need a bloody joint, fuck this bullocks, call me when it’s over.

“Stop calling me muffins!” Steel growled, making Damien chuckle, blood seeping from his nose now.

Good, bastard deserves worse.

“You know what? I’m far too tempted to slit his throat, will you take him into the cabin, tie him down and for god’s sake, make sure and gag him? In fact, seal his mouth closed permanently for all I care.” Damien ordered with a bite and I unceremonious was then hauled over Steel’s shoulder like a sack of spuds.

How fun, least he could do was spin a few times and entertain the notion that I’m not being sent to my impending doom. Besides, I haven’t gotten to go on an amusement park ride since executing that one bloke on the tilt-o-whirl and then proceeded to toss my cookies after…part of me hopes Steel does it, it’d be worth the beating I’d get. Muffins is officially on my shit list.

The sound of paper opening caught my attention, my thoughts coming back to the here and now.

“We got Harry stripped and chained like ordered. That fell out of his pocket, looks like a letter for your little bird there.” Steel chuckled, turning around to walk into the cabin, seeing Damien’s eyes scan the piece of tree flesh with vindictive sadistic delight.

“I knew Harry shoulda burnt that bloody fucking letter.” I murmured, yelping in surprise when Steel’s hand slapped viciously against my arse – what the actual fuck?!

I struggled with what little strength I had left, the sting on my flesh through my pants was hot and sharp. I can honestly say, throughout all my kinky adventures with my hands, I had not thought to slap myself in the ass – and now thanks to Steel, I can officially cross that off my list of things that will never be tried. Holy hell that hurt.

“Quiet, fag. By the time I’m done with you, you’re not going to be able to open that pretty little mouth of yours. It’ll be too busy sucking my fucking cock.” Steel laughs, his hand coming down a little more vicious.

My body jerked upward again in a quick motion, my tender skin already feeling bruised from the abuse.

“Sorry mate, I don’t play for your team and even if I did, I’d want a cock in adult size, not a child’s so, no thanks.” I replied, after careful consideration to just how much my poor body could take. Compared to the hulk here, I was a short shit and I knew my chances of fighting him off were slim.

“Want me to bend you over the steps here and test that theory, pretty boy? I’m sure Damien wouldn’t mind the show and I haven’t been able to fuck anyone since killing that fifteen year old. Doesn’t help he was already dead after the fact, so, shall we?” Steel smirked, throwing me onto my stomach at the top of the steps, the air knocked out of me once more.

I tried pushing myself up but he was quick to pull my hands behind my back in one move while using his other hand to pull at my pants.

“No!” I kicked out, a wave of fear overcoming me. He was deranged –no, he was a psychopath!

“Steel? Let Louis go. I need him intact. Don’t make me castrate you. It was disturbing enough to walk in on you skull fucking the dead boy, I need Louis unharmed for now so do as ordered. Tie him up and gag him, nothing more, nothing less.” Damien ordered firmly, already carrying Sophia on his shoulder in the same fashion.

Steel let out a grunt of frustration but let go of my hands that were held behind me. I took the time to scramble to my feet but Muffins evidently wasn’t letting me out of his grasp because his slimy fingers gripped my arm in a vice like iron grip but not before swatting my arse again – which was now burning red hot and the lads call ME a pervert? I’m a saint compared to the cadaver fucker here.

I glance over my shoulder at Sophia, her body laying limp against Damien’s broad shoulders but I could still hear the pained cries coming from her mouth.

“Let’s go, fag.” Steel growled in sexual frustration.

I scoffed.

“I’m not the one swinging for the other team, mate and if you ever do that again I’ll –“

He cut me off briskly with a challenge of his own.

“You’ll WHAT, fag-boy?” He catechized, puffing his chest out.

“As I walk through the shadow of death I shall fear no evil.” I smirked at him, my unseized hand balling up into a tight fist, bringing it to his crotch with all the strength I had, knowing what I just did was very stupid – hence the little prayer…though, Louis – you should learn by now punching people has consequences, yeah?

The small microscopic voice in me agrees but the rational side – yes, I, Louis Tomlinson, have a rational side that tends to come out to play when he realizes that he has done something incredibly stupid. Like punching Muffins in the happy spot; and let me tell you, his current state would be downright hilarious any other time but he is currently screaming like a girl and holding himself. But hey, at least he let go of my arm and is no longer slapping me on the ass so, Mission accomplished.

“Louis!” Damien yelled but that’s as far as he got before Steel’s body overcame mine again. Thankfully, when he tackled me, I broke his fall. How lucky for him. Unfortunately, unlucky me – which seems to be my life story, had hit my head against the rough wood of the cabin, hulk-boy’s hands around my neck a second later, choking me into unconsciousness – and man, I could not have been more thankful.

Though, the rational side of me is still screaming in the distance to run but the darkness was far more inviting and there, nothing can harm me so I let it take me without struggle.

*

Zayn’s POV:

The doors to the basement creaked open, disturbing the dead silent air. Each of us already having been tied up and gagged as per request of Damien. So the only thing that really sounded was the slight tinkering of the chains Harry hung on. Other than that, nothing shifted or moved. The parting wood was the first thing to sound and it caught all of our attention.

Damien came through first with Louis hoisted over his shoulder like a bag of flower. Despite the awkward shape, he managed with no trouble in carrying the shorter lad. Next was Steel, carrying Sophia – though I didn’t miss the slight limp in his walk and his face was bright tomato red.

Louis punched him in the balls.

I chuckled but felt the rags in my mouth stifle the sound, thankfully. It sounded like I was clearing my throat.

“What happened to them?” Jonathan asked, frowning. He, like the rest of us saw Louis’s hands tied behind him and a clothing scarf tied firmly over his mouth, unconscious.

“Louis broke my nose and kicked Steel in the balls. Sophia however, has two fingers that will need to be reset and splinted as the first part of her punishment was breaking her two fingers for not listening when she tried to stab me. Once I’ve finished dealing out the appropriate consequences to the guilty parties, I’ll grab the documents and be on my way. I won’t stay in this shithole for longer than necessary.” Damien responded to Jonathan’s question, hauling Louis from his shoulder and dropping him harshly to the ground in a heap next to me.

Sophia hadn’t been gagged but she was crying silently, her frail body being set easily next to Niall. Steel backed away then, Damien walking in front of her, kneeling down to Sophia’s level, the air thick again. Harry watched Damien intently.

“Did you know Harry was keeping this from you, love? It’s a letter from your brother before he pathetically ended his miserable, worthless life. It’s actually quite heartfelt – especially that vomit inducing poem. Though, I can’t quite decide if the twitch in my stomach was emotion or digesting food I ate earlier. I’m going to go with the latter. Anyhow, let’s read it together, shall we?” He smirked, sitting on Sophia’s left and began to read the poem, dramatically moving the back of his hand to his forehead and delivered an over dramatic performance, laughing at the end and reaching behind Sophia, gripping his fist through her hair and forcing her to look down at the neatly written handwriting before moving onto the letter itself, a quiet sob escaping her dry lips.

“My darling sister –wow, your brother was a sap for the over sentimentalities, wasn’t he lass? Good fucking god.” Damien muttered but continued to read, his voice growing louder over Sophia’s cries until he was all but shouting.

When it finally ended, her world shattered all over again. He flipped the wrinkled paper over to the back and showed her the beautiful sketch that Dylan had done. The detail was extraordinary, every line was perfect. It depicted Sophia flawlessly in every facial detail and his distorted one, for he seemed to look longingly over his sister, protecting her. They both sat at the windowsill, his guitar visible on his lap, the blossoming darkness of the clouds outside visible in the large window, a place that will forever be theirs.

“How beautiful is that? His detail on your face was quite exquisite, lifelike almost. If I had an appreciation with artwork from lowly servants, I might actually be impressed but –that’s life, yeah? One big endless disappointment. Dylan was weak, he didn’t fucking love you. He couldn’t even stand to look at himself! Look how distorted his vision of himself is?” He tugged Sophia’s hair savagely, forcing her closed eyes back on the picture.

“The coward couldn’t bear to see what was really in the mirror. He let you down Sophia, you’ll always be let down because you will never be good enough. He knew that, he knew because he hung himself to get the fuck away from the worthless traitor he had been forced to call a sister. Since being so prim and proper, he of course being a gentleman, wanted to make it seem you were not at fault but we know that’s not true, don’t we Angel pie? Like you said, it was all your fault – and who am I to disagree? Your weakness is my strength to pick at like a vulture to a carcass. It’s what puts me to sleep and wakes me up. Without weakness, I wouldn’t be able to do my job nearly as well.”

“You have what you came for, Damien. Why don’t you just leave? You’ll do nothing but complicate our jobs as we have to watch her to make sure she doesn’t go killing herself. This isn’t helping and you bloody fucking know it!” Harry shouted, having not been gagged either. He just knew when to keep his mouth shut…well, most of the time.

Damien chuckled, patting Sophia’s tears away with his callous laced finger and standing.

“I bet you wish you put a bullet in her fucking head, huh? Well, too late for wayward wishes and there’s no time machine to go back. Her responsibility is yours and yours alone, son. You will oversee her training. When she is properly trained, she will move with me to my cabin. I don’t need you distracted. Lucky for you, there is no timeline to her training. Be it a year or two, I will assuredly wait for her and then – I’ll make her wish she was never born.”

I looked over Damien’s men. Steel and Colton had a smirk the size of Europe, Shane was disinterested and Jonathan frowned, a small onset of worry in his youthful features.

“You won’t touch her!” Harry yelled, struggling to pull down the chains that held him in a fit of rage, his irises as dark as the room around us, save for a dim light, illuminating a small circular space raised above us all, a clear shadowed gleam that shone in his green orbs.

I shuddered and looked away. Sometimes Harry could be downright dangerous looking, despite being half naked.

“Oh son, I will. Every night I will chain her down in shackles at the foot of my bed, a small dog pillow under her head, a muzzle to mute her sobbing – which I doubt the crying can be bred out of her. She’s far too weak to stop and I need my beauty rest. Before that though, I will savagely rip her clothes from her body and ravish what I own, what is rightfully MINE. When I am done, I will severely beat her for any mistakes she made that day and repeat the same thing the next. No less than what my slaves deserve.” Damien smirked, his eyes glowering with a happiness that made my skin crawl. He was worse than what Satan could ever be. A deceptive angel he may be but even Damien’s level of suffering could make the dark one run whilst shitting himself in fright.

“She would be dead the first week, you can’t do that to her!” Harry growled, yanking down on his wrists harshly, his eyes going to the hook that made the chains sturdy.

“Son? Have you met me? I gave you life. I believe that is proof enough that I can do anything I please.” He taunted, looking back down at Sophia again, noticing her intent glass stare on the letter and that was all it took for him to continue to torment the frail girl.

“Oh sweetheart, I didn’t show this letter to you out of the goodness of my heart. I wanted to leave an everlasting impression of just how cruel the world can be. It’s ironic that this was the very last thing he gave to you, something that has a special meaning, to give you hope when there isn’t any. I mean, confide in Harry? Seek comfort in Zayn? I don’t know who Dylan thought they were, but little cow? They certainly aren’t your fucking saviors. They are the demons among the darkness. They are mine in every aspect and now, you are too and I will not have you finding hope. There is none, you are here until you die. Shackled and caged, like the animal you are, like you’ll ever be.” Damien’s voice grew to a low growl, his fingers pinching the paper, the shrill sound of it being ripped in half, following another and another and another, until all that remained was medium square confetti. The paper in a hundred different pieces.

Sophia let out a howl of hollowed breath, pleading Damien to stop, her uninjured arm reaching up to beg for some sort of mercy. It’s a shame that Damien knew nothing of the word or its meaning.

“Put your fucking hand down before I break those fingers you fucking cunt!” Damien turned his aggression on the girl, his olive greens going to Sophia’s beautiful necklace, the same one that had hung on the hanger as the dress he had gifted to her.

He threw the shredded letter onto her lap, kneeling back down to grasp the necklace, examining the silver chain and gorgeous black onyx stone that hung so delicately on her dainty neck that it suited her so perfectly.

“Dylan give you this too?” Damien smirked, grasping the stone around his fist, making Sophia’s eyes go wide.

“STOP!” Harry exclaimed, only for Colton to take a step forward, a faded blue cloth in his hand. He fisted it with both limbs so it hung taunt between them before slipping it between Harry’s teeth, tying it roughly in the back, effectively gagging his mouth, leaving him to growl out only halfway intelligible threats.

Damien chuckled, ignoring his son. Instead he saw Sophia reach her good limb over his fist, weeping and pleading for him to let her keep it.

He grasped the hand on top of hers, using his other to bend back the same exact fingers that were broken on her other one.

“NO!” Sophia screamed, unable to catch her breath.

“Then keep your fucking hands off mine. The only time I want you touching me little cow, is when you’re sucking my fucking dick. You got me, slag?” He smirked madly – though with his nose so crooked, it made him wheeze a little anytime he spoke.

She threw her hand off, hyperventilating and unable to quit bawling. God, my heart was breaking at the sight, making the other lads beside me look sullen. Even Niall had a small tear trailing down his cheek. Jonathan didn’t look far behind, while Shane looked passively around, leaving his position to head inside the cabin, coming out a moment later with an empty paper bag.

Damien was satisfied with her fearful whimpers. He proceeded to grasp the beautiful stone and tug it viciously from her neck, the clasp breaking easily. Of course with anything Damien does, he wasn’t through with his complete annihilation on the defenseless object.

Without a word, Harry’s muffled protests in the background, he ripped the chain into another half and another, until the chain could not be repaired, throwing the stone on the ground and standing, his boot slamming down, cracking the stone itself.

“You’re a monster!” Sophia grasped to get out feeling lightheaded, her hand going to her chest. It was heaving rapidly, her lungs struggling to take in air too quickly and it was only getting increasingly worse.

“I’m not. It’s best to have no memory or attachments of your old life, Sophia. To be sure, whatever I find of Dylan’s, it will be taken with me and burned. Since I cannot trust you to not be hiding something, you will be stripped naked and from there, I will finish out the rest of your punishment. I hope for future events that you learn to be a good girl,” Damien tsked, snapping his fingers and looking at Jonathan. “Jonathan? You will strip her.”

Jonathan swallowed the lump in his throat but nodded, stopping when Shane smashed the paper bag against his chest with a small crinkle.

“Make sure she gets her breathing under control, can’t have her passing out before the fun, can we?” Shane asked, his tone emotionless and bored.

At this point I envied Louis, I want to pass out to because the sight itself is sickening but Harry is making it worse by trying to get to the frightened flower.

Jonathan approached Sophia and took her hand from her chest into his own large one, the opening of the paper bag forced over her mouth.

“In and out, love. In and out, come on, breathe with me.” Jonathan instructed gently, guided her into a synchronized breathing exercise. After about a minute, her breaths weren’t so ragged but she was still crying, just not as hysterical.

“Good girl. That’s good, you’re doing great. A little slower, that’s it.” He forced a smile but it was sad, the crystalline of wetness peaked from his own tear ducts. It was obvious Jonathan hated Damien.

“Don’t feel bad, Ms. Stone. Damien flushed a ring my mum had given me a few years ago for my birthday down the loo. It was the only thing I had left to remember her by.” Jonathan whispered but because it was quiet again, aside from Harry panting heavily into the cloth in his mouth, it rang clearly in the space around us all.

“You are with me now, lad. Your mum should not be a passing thought and there should be no further attachments. That was your old life, this is your new one. Now, strip her. I want to get this over with as quick as possible.” Damien ordered firmly, making Jonathan sigh, reaching to help Sophia remove her shirt.

Sophia’s hand discreetly reached into her pocket of what she wore and leant into Jonathan, her breath still quaking.

Jonathan felt an object fall into his lap, her shirt sliding easily up over her head, her braless chest showing in full display but she didn’t focus on our attention. She focused into Jonathan’s eyes. His beautiful, kind eyes. They reminded her of Christian’s – minus the innocence. Jonathan’s innocents was long gone.

“T-thank you for your k-kindness.” Sophia sobbed, his fingers shimming to the waistband of her pants, pulling them down with gentle ease.

“You’re welcome, Ms. Stone. I truly wish you luck.” Jonathan swallowed, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek, standing up after, sneaking Dylan’s necklace that Sophia had taken from him before they stuck him in the acid bath into his pocket, positioning himself by Louis, helping him into a more comfortable position than the pile of heap he was currently laying as.

In doing that, he slipped the necklace into Louis’s pocket, everyone’s focus on Damien. It wasn’t until Jonathan heard the dull thud of leather hitting flesh did his neck snap up.

Damien had wordlessly began to beat Sophia, starting with a kick. One of many and I sat silently, unable to call out, unable to protect her. Damien was counting on our helplessness, his eyes shone proudly of his potion.

“You can’t rely on them, Sophia. They’re sitting right there, tied up, gagged and unable to help you or stop me. Not one of them is able to reach for you, coddle you or promise you to stay strong. They’re unable to do anything, why? Because I ordered it done to make my point valid and I always get what I want…” He trailed off, delivering a kick to her shoulder, a popping sound filling the space but hardly heard from Harry’s feral growling, the rest of us remaining in tension filled silence.

Sophia screamed, coughing and struggling to fill her lungs with precious air.

“You’re not strong! You will NEVER be anything but weak. Your brother fed you lies, fed you false hope. You know why? Because he kept telling himself that you would rise above and become something great. The prospect of that is laughable! Oh God, I wish I would have known your brother, Ms. Stone, lad sounded like a fucking hoot.” Damien continued, getting her again in the side, spitting in her face in disgust.

“You’re rubbish. A fuck toy that might be worth sending in on jobs my men can’t but you’re nothing more than what your capabilities are and all I see is a crying, worthless, fucking bitch. I don’t see how your brother could be so cruel, falsifying belief that you can even hope to become anything more than what you already were. Weak and pathetic. It won’t ever change. You, won’t ever change and I’m giving you a lesson – a crash course, really. Now, your first order as your boss, when I kick you, I want you to THANK me, if you don’t I will kick your teeth down in one by one. Alright?” Damien gritted, his wheezing nose making him look no less threatening, the dry blood coming from his nostrils added a nice touch.

I swallowed the bile in my throat, my ears ringing from Sophia’s constant high pitched screams. Her shoulder was dislocated from the kick and with any mercy from whatever god there may be, I hope she passes out.

Unfortunately, Damien also made sure Sophia was awake, unrelenting.

With each abusive kick, Sophia managed to scream out a ‘thank you’, it continued until her voice was nothing but a whisper and finally, she laid there. Beaten, bruised and broken but through her darkening skin, she was still beautiful.

I felt tears escape down my cheek and when I looked back up at Harry, he too had grown limp, simply watching, one tear trailing behind. Unlike before, our helplessness was felt, it was realized and it tortured us that we could not help Sophia. This was not only her punishment but ours as well and I would give anything to be out of these ropes, anything to hold her close and tell her everything was going to be alright.

The desperation in Sophia’s eyes as she slipped Dylan’s necklace into Jonathan’s lap didn’t go unnoticed. The way her irises pleaded with the boy for help and in a sense, when he slipped it into Louis’s pocket, I saw the relief flow out of her expression but now, all I saw was yearning. For death? For release from the physical pain? I don’t know but my heart shattered.

Damien delivered the last kick, turning to Harry, walking toward him and pulling the faded blue gag from his mouth, smirking at him like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.

“As for you, my little lad –“Damien paused, patting Harry’s cheek, the muffled slaps echoing in the dull space. “Because you were going to release both of my prisoners without permission or consent, you too will receive a similar punishment. Only slightly more painful.”

He unloops his belt, slipping the leather strip with the long patch of jagged studded metal at the placement of the belt buckle, which would add more of a sting. The studded metal would do most of the damage.

“You will count to thirty-nine. If you don’t, I will continue to whip you until you do. If you pass out, I will continue it until your back is a mere stripped pile of meaty flesh hanging off your spinal cord like raw shredded pulled pork and I will continue until you die.” Damien explained, his eyes studying Harry, their orbs boring challenge with one another, fighting for control.

“Fuck you.” Harry finally growled, straightening up so his head was displayed high. He would not give his father the satisfaction, even if it killed him. His main concern right now was Sophia.

She laid on the ground unmoving, unblinking but nonetheless, they stared up into Harry’s, watching…maybe not. It was hard to tell.

“I wish I had time for a fuck, son, but sadly I am pressed on time. When we are done with this, I will grab the documents and be on my way. I’ll until your little soldiers and they can carry their captain to his bed chambers and clean him up, Sophia too. I hope you two are wise enough next time to follow orders. It makes me almost sad I have to use such force.” Damien sighed, snorting a second after – wincing in pain.

“Not if the orders are coming from a pretentious asshole like you.” Harry back chatted defiantly, making Sophia whimper.

Damien frowned but shrugged.

“Then I will punish you again. Only next time, Sophia will bear the brunt of it. I will kill her if I have too, Harry. Don’t make the mistake to think I won’t.”

Harry said nothing, he simply stared straight ahead with the same defiant stare.

Damien shifted to the back of our leader, folding the belt so the studded metal faced Harry outright. Each hit would tear into his skin, there was no other way Harry would get out unscathed and we all knew it because all we could do was follow Sophia’s example and stare.

Damien raised his belt high in the air and in one fluid motion, brought it down roughly against Harry’s already scarred flesh, making him jump but otherwise remain silent. I knew Harry would try to last as long as he could before giving into the pain.

Another hit his flesh and another but he stared defiantly ahead, tears falling from his eyes but he would not crack and in that moment, I felt nothing but proud and fondness of Harry. He was driven by Sophia’s stare, their glances continuing throughout the torture.

At nineteen, he began to whimper, gradually crying out at twenty.

When the belt raised again, Sophia’s voice – though only just above a raspy whisper, was heard in the thicket of misery, her angelic voice, though lost to its pain, sounded, emitting a sound of relief to everyone around, save for Shane, Colton and Steel. They simply stood and observed.

“Twenty-one.”

I closed my eyes in relief, my arms relaxing against the ropes that held me captive. I hadn’t even realized I had tensed.

“Aw, Harry, your little lost innocence is counting for you. How selfless. Alright, you count Ms. Stone but because he was defiant in the first place, he will get an additional ten lashes. Understand?” Damien smirked, bringing it down again, this time on this shoulder as the studs ripped through his flesh, bright red blood welling up at the torn away meat.

“Twenty-two.” Sophia swallowed, her throat dry from her own excursion but regardless, she wouldn’t let Harry down.

The belt hit again, metal and leather slapping against the thick copper liquid of broken tissue.

“Twenty-three. Please, give me the last ten lashes. I deserve them, for what I did to Dylan, what I did to everyone. It’s my fault. Please? He’ll die if you do more than thirty-nine, he’s barely standing.” Sophia begged weakly, tears still flowing and voice cracking but if I hadn’t thought so before, I surely believe so now. Sophia was selfless, she begged for her captor – a monster that had punished her so mercilessly in the beginning to take the last ten lashes…and she did so willingly.

Damien paused, smiling broadly. Despite his crooked, swollen nose – he seems to be passing the pain he’s feeling onto everyone else and man, it’s working.

“As you wish, Ms. Stone.” He bowled sardonically.

Each strike was harder than the last, Harry eventually crying out in agony, his feet giving on him by thirty-five and his complete stillness as the chains supported his weight by his wrists.

When it was done, Damien released Harry, satisfied when he dropped without resistance onto his hands and knees, panting, bloody and out of breath.

Damien wasted no time in cleaning the metal prongs on his belt with his shirt and raising it in the air, bringing it down on Sophia’s bare chest, the metal ripping into the tender flesh of her breast.

“You’re where you’re supposed to be, on your knees in front of me. The sooner you learn that place, the sooner we can get back to business on more important matters. Now, COUNT!” Damien roared, bringing it down again, this time on Sophia’s Stomach.

“T-two.” She gasped, shoulders shaking. It was both from fear and pain. I don’t know how she’s not still screaming, the ripping of her flesh was painful –

“T-three.”

The sharp slaps continued, Harry’s weak body, attempting to craw to her but Steel kicked him down onto his side, keeping him away until Sophia counted to ten. When the final number was sounded, we all took a deep sigh of relief but was shocked when Damien brought the belt back down again for one final blow, making the end count eleven.

“Jonathan? Untie the lads, let them clean Harry and Sophia up, Liam should take charge in that as he’s the doctor here.” Damien ordered, his eyes meeting Liam’s.

“Oh, Liam? I hope you have some of that stuff that removes superglue. Steel got carried away with Louis, used a whole tube on his lips to seal it shut and then used about the same amount to glue the scarf around his mouth. Might take a few hours to get him free, good luck but it will serve as a reminder to him to be mindful of his superiors.”

Liam groaned, his hands being unwound from the thicket of rope. His gag being untied next.

At Jonathan was releasing everyone, Harry crawled over to Sophia, taking her hand.

“Thank you. Thank you so much, Sophia.” Harry cried softly, using everything he had to pull himself into the girl’s embrace, hugging her gently but no matter how soft his touch was, her blood was staining his chest, luckily he didn’t have any open wounds there.

Sophia didn’t react. She simply blinked. Seeing but not registering. She was slipping back into the safe confines of her mind, a place no one could hurt her but unfortunately, I fear the damage was already done.

Only time will tell for sure and unfortunately, that too may very well not be on our side.

END

AUTHOR’S NOTE: So I changed the ending a little, I want to continue this on the sequel (Which will be up sometime in the next day or two, so please don’t unsubscribe! Please keep checking back as once the chapter to the sequel is up, I will post a link here! So – thoughts, what did you think? Disappointment or was it a good ending? Excited to hear from you guys! So let me know, good or bad! Thanks for reading and PLEASE keep checking back for the sequel! To be posted later tonight or tomorrow!

Notes