Kane stood in the doorway, one hand resting on the frame as he glanced back at Lucas. His eyes gleamed with a knowing look, that smug grin still playing on his lips. "I'll be back," he said casually, as if Lucas being tied up was nothing more than an inconvenience.
Lucas's breath came in shallow bursts as he fought against the ropes binding his wrists to the bedframe. He yanked hard, feeling the burn against his skin, but it only seemed to make the restraints tighter. His mind raced, every muscle coiled with tension, but he refused to let Kane see him struggle.
"You think this is going to hold me?" Lucas spat, his voice low, laced with venom. "You're a bigger fool than I thought."
Kane paused mid-step, turning just enough to cast a smirk over his shoulder. "Oh, Lucas. Always so dramatic. I'd say you're exactly where you need to be."
Lucas's eyes darkened, a wild fury simmering beneath the surface. "I swear, Kane, if you walk out that door, I'll make sure the next time we meet, it'll be the last thing you ever regret."
Kane chuckled, stepping out but keeping his hand on the doorframe. "Promises, promises. But for now, be a good boy and wait for me."
Lucas snarled, pulling harder against the ropes until his wrists were raw, his teeth clenched in frustration. His vision blurred for a second from the effort, but he wasn't going to stop. "When I get out of this, you won't be able to hide from me. I'll hunt you down like a dog and tear you apart piece by piece. You won't see it coming, Kane."
Kane raised an eyebrow, intrigued but unfazed. "You'll have to get out first, Lucas. Let's see how long that takes."
Lucas thrashed harder, feeling one of the ropes give slightly under his relentless effort. His lips curled into a wicked grin despite the pain. "Go ahead, keep playing your little game," he growled. "But remember, Kane, every second you leave me tied here is a second I'm imagining all the ways I'll make you beg when it's your turn."
Kane glanced at Lucas's wrists, noticing the slight slack but said nothing. He merely smiled that same insufferable smile. "I'll be waiting, love."
And with that, he slipped out of the room, leaving Lucas alone, struggling with newfound determination.
-
As soon as Kane's footsteps faded down the hall, something inside Lucas snapped. His entire body tensed like a caged animal, and his scream echoed off the cold, sterile walls. He thrashed against the ropes binding his wrists to the arms of the chair, the sturdy metal bolted into the floor, creaking under the force of his rage. His feet were chained, ankles bound tight, but that didn't stop him from trying to kick free, the clanging of the chain only fueling his fury.
"Kane!" Lucas roared, voice raw with desperation and wrath. The thought of Kane—obsessive, manipulative Kane—knowing about Dimitri's existence, knowing what he meant to Lucas, made his blood boil. Kane had always been deranged, but the glint in his eyes earlier, the sick smile, it was different this time. Kane wasn't just toying with Lucas; he was threatening the one person who mattered.
Lucas's wrists burned as he yanked against the ropes, his flesh tearing open as the coarse fibers bit deep into his skin. Blood began to trickle down his arms, staining the metal arms of the chair, but he barely noticed. His mind was a storm of rage and fear, each thought whipping through him with the force of a hurricane.
"You sick fuck!" he bellowed, veins bulging in his neck as he thrashed harder, the chair groaning under the relentless assault. "You think you can touch him?! You think I'm going to let you hurt Dimitri? I'll kill you, Kane! I'll *gut* you!"
The rope binding his wrists was soaked with his blood now, the sticky warmth trickling down his fingers. Every pull sent searing pain up his arms, but he didn't stop. The chain on his feet rattled violently as he kicked, testing the restraints with manic desperation.
Images of Kane getting close to Dimitri flooded his mind, his stomach twisting in knots. He could picture it too clearly—Kane's hands on Dimitri, his sinister smile as he toyed with him, knowing Lucas was trapped, bound, unable to protect him.
"I'll make you *beg* for death!" Lucas spat, his teeth clenched so hard they ached. "You hear me, Kane?! I'll make you bleed. I'll break every bone in your body. Touch him, and I'll rip you apart, piece by fucking piece!"
His voice cracked with the strain, but he didn't care. The fury that consumed him was a living thing, clawing at him from the inside, pushing him to tear free no matter the cost. His wrists were raw and bloody, the skin peeling away in places, but the rope began to fray under the relentless pressure.
"You're dead, Kane," Lucas growled, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "When I get out of this, you're dead. And I'll make sure you *feel* every second of it."
The rope gave a little more, loosening just enough for him to sense freedom within reach. But the chair's bolts held firm, refusing to budge despite his wild thrashing. Blood smeared across the metal, his body shaking from exertion, but he didn't stop.
In his mind, Dimitri was already in danger, and every second he remained tied here was another second Kane could be closing in on him.
With a final, savage pull, Lucas let out a roar of pure frustration and agony. "I'll kill you, Kane! You'll wish you never met me!"
But Kane's laughter still echoed faintly down the hall, his departure hauntingly calm, as if he knew exactly what was waiting for Lucas.
And Lucas knew that if he didn't get out, Dimitri wouldn't be safe. Not from Kane. Not from the monster lurking behind that smile.
__________
Hours passed, the silence of the room thickening with every tick of the clock. Kane still hadn't returned, and Lucas's fury had long since burned away, replaced by a deeper, colder fear. He knew exactly what Kane was doing. Kane hadn't left for no reason—he was with Dimitri, and that thought alone gnawed at Lucas's insides like a festering wound. *Kane was obsessed,* and Dimitri... Dimitri wasn't safe.
Lucas's wrists bled from hours of pulling at the ropes. The chair creaked as he shifted restlessly, exhaustion settling deep into his bones. He gritted his teeth, eyes scanning the dark corners of the room, when suddenly, a sound—so soft it barely registered at first—cut through the silence.
A groan.
Lucas's gaze snapped toward the noise, toward the corner of the room where Ryan had been slumped earlier. He'd forgotten about him in his rage, but now... now he needed him.
"Ryan?" Lucas's voice was low, strained, as he stared into the shadows. He could barely make out Ryan's form, shifting weakly on the floor. There was another faint groan, and Lucas saw him stir, head lolling to one side.
"Ryan." This time, Lucas's voice softened, almost soothing, despite the frantic beat of his heart. He didn't care about the head injury, not really, but he needed Ryan to come closer—*close enough to free him.*
"Hey... hey, man," Lucas coaxed, his tone shifting into something gentle, almost kind. "You need to get up. Come on. I know you're hurt, but I need you. Just get up and come here. I can help you."
Ryan groaned again, the sound weak and pained, but Lucas could see him trying to move, his limbs sluggish and uncoordinated.
"That's it," Lucas murmured, forcing every ounce of patience into his voice. He couldn't afford to scare him off. "Come on, Ryan. Just a little closer. You're doing great."
Ryan's head turned slightly in Lucas's direction, his eyes fluttering open for a brief moment before closing again, disoriented from the injury.
"I know it hurts," Lucas continued, his voice softening even further, almost a whisper now. "But you have to trust me. I can get you out of here. Just come closer, Ryan. Just a little more."
Lucas's wrists strained against the ropes again, his blood-slicked hands trembling from the effort. He felt a flicker of hope as Ryan inched closer, crawling weakly across the floor, one slow movement at a time.
"Good," Lucas praised, his tone filled with false warmth. "Keep going. I'll take care of you. We'll get out of here. Just a little bit more, Ryan."
Ryan groaned, his breath labored as he dragged himself nearer, his hands were bound in front and his legs were free so he could've walked close enough for Lucas to almost reach him.
Lucas's heart pounded in his chest. *Just a little closer. That's all he needed.*
"Ryan," Lucas's voice dipped, barely a murmur now, laced with urgency, "I need you to help me. Untie my hands. Please."
Ryan's fingers twitched as he reached up, dazed and barely conscious, inching toward Lucas's bound wrists.
Ryan's fingers brushed against the ropes binding Lucas's wrists, but before he could get a proper grip, his body wavered. His strength was rapidly fading. With a pained groan, Ryan slumped back, collapsing against the floor, his head lolling to one side. The impact made him wince, and his breaths became shallow.
"No," Lucas hissed, his voice growing sharper. The faint hope that had sparked inside him was beginning to crumble. "Ryan!"
Ryan's eyes fluttered open briefly, disoriented and struggling, but his body refused to cooperate.
Lucas's patience snapped. He couldn't afford for this to fall apart. Not now. Dimitri's life was on the line, and Kane was unpredictable. Whatever Kane was doing, Lucas knew it wasn't good. He needed to get out of here—*now*.
"Get up!" Lucas barked, his voice a harsh command. He yanked at the ropes again, the strain sending fresh waves of pain shooting through his wrists. Blood dripped steadily onto the floor, but Lucas didn't care. He leaned forward as much as the chains would allow, his eyes burning into Ryan. "Untie me, now!"
Ryan groaned again but remained still, his body too weak and battered to move.
"Do you want to die here, Ryan?" Lucas growled, his frustration boiling over. "Because I'm not waiting for Kane to come back! Get over here and untie me! Move!"
Ryan's hand twitched, but his body was on the brink of giving out. His breaths were ragged, and the head injury had taken its toll. He wasn't moving fast enough, and Lucas could feel the clock ticking down in his mind. The urgency clawed at him, making him more aggressive, more desperate.
Ryan's eyes fluttered again, his face contorted in pain, but Lucas's words seemed to reach him. His hand slowly inched upward again, trembling as he tried to reach for the ropes.
"Yes!" Lucas urged, his tone a vicious mix of desperation and anger. "That's it! Keep going. Don't you dare give up now!"
But Ryan's movements were sluggish, his hand falling back again, weak from the injury. Lucas felt the frustration boiling over, his body thrumming with panic as time slipped through his fingers.
Ryan's trembling fingers finally managed to undo the knots binding Lucas's wrists. As the rope loosened, Lucas immediately ripped it away, ignoring the blood and raw skin on his wrists. He was free. Without hesitation, he bent down, frantically working on the thick chains Kane had wound tightly around his feet. His hands were shaking with adrenaline, but he forced himself to focus, unwrapping the metal links with a growing sense of urgency.
"Come on, come on..." Lucas muttered to himself, his frustration mounting as the chains clinked against the floor. Every second felt like an eternity.
Finally, with a harsh tug, the last of the chains fell to the ground. Lucas shot up, his body a blur of motion as he grabbed Ryan's phone from his back pocket. He tossed it toward Ryan, who barely caught it with his shaking hands. "Call the police," Lucas ordered, his voice sharp but steady. "Now!"
Ryan blinked, dazed from his injury, but Lucas didn't have time to check if he'd even heard him. He spun on his heel and darted for the door, his heart hammering in his chest. He didn't care where Kane was, only that he had to find Dimitri before it was too late.
The hallway outside the room stretched before him like a gauntlet, but Lucas didn't slow down. His feet pounded against the floor as he sprinted down the corridor, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Kane's twisted games were one thing, but the thought of Dimitri in danger sent a fresh wave of fury coursing through him.
Bursting through the door, Lucas barely registered the cold air hitting his face. He was already thinking ahead, his mind racing as he scanned his surroundings. He needed to find Dimitri. And fast.