CAPTIVE
I woke to the taste of blood in my mouth and the smell of concrete.
My head throbbed. Vision blurred. Hands bound behind me. Sitting in a chair that was bolted to the floor.
Professional. Prepared. This wasn’t improvised this was planned.
“Aria.” Dante’s voice. Strained. Close.
I forced my eyes open. Found him across from me. Maybe ten feet away. Same position bound to a chair, bolted down. Blood trickling from a cut above his eyebrow.
“You’re awake.” Relief flooded his voice. “Thank god. You’ve been out for..I don’t know. Hours, maybe.”
I took inventory. We were in a basement. Concrete walls. Single door. No windows. One harsh light overhead. The kind of place designed for criminal interrogations.
For pain.
“Where are we?” My voice was rough.
“Don’t know. They moved us w
