Firefly

58: kill with kindness.

Chapter 58: kill with kindness.

Justin

"Stop." I roar, shaking from head to toe. "STOP IT!"

One of the guards pours down a bucket full of water on her face and her hair. Her chair is bolted upright. Her eyes still remain closed. Her head sags with water dripping into her red jumpsuit. She didn't even change her clothes.

I ambush towards the pod cabin when I see her hair. It's burnt off from her waist length to a little past her shoulders. A good seven inches turned to ash. Another reason to hate the number seven. I howl when she doesn't wake up.

"Shh," Miley gestures to me by holding a finger up against her sealed lips.

That will be my bidding word to her fucking corpse.

I see her pinning Elena's cheeks in one hand and hoisting it up. Miley pats her cheeks until Elena's eyes are wearily open. I exhale relief and angry tears when she wakes up. Miley holds water up to her lips and when Elena denies it, she forces it down her throat until she's coughing.

"There," Miley hands the bottle to the guard. "Now that everyone knows I'm not bluffing, you will all behave." She gives me hating smile. "Will you obey?" She asks me.

Sparingly, I nod. She motions for the guards to loosen my shackles. I feel only one person holding me now. I can, but I don't fight the guard. He ushers me to the office pod. Closer to her. I wait for him to shove me inside the cabin, exactly where I want to be.

Elena's jaded face turns to me. I can't make out if the wetness on her face is because of the water that was poured on her, forced into her, or if they're her tears and sweat. Her loud shaky breaths confirm at least some of them are tears and sweat.

I never thought I'd miss her hair. The one time I adore them, this happens. Her hair was burnt, because of me. It wasn't just chopped off, it was burnt. Into ashes. I see the remnants and everything shoots up-anger, pain, guilt.

Miley takes one step closer to me and my temper takes control. I grab her neck with my hand and press against her jugular vein enough to decolorize her face. She stops the guards from pulling me away. Her actions make me choke her harder. She snaps once.

Dylan's mumbled grunts don't get to me. I almost rend her vein when I hear a soft cry. "Justin," Elena says my name like a plea.

My head swings to her. I see a knife piercing her throat and a trail of her blood running down her collarbone. The blood, her neck, and the knife are enough to break out of my temper and release Miley's neck. The moment I release Miley, the knife lifts from Elena's neck.

I back to the wall, forcing my eyes shut because there is nothing I can do to remove her from my mess. Miley coughs until she snatches water from the guard and gulps it down. She pours the rest of the water on Elena's neck.

I groan, looking away, imagining the sting. But I don't hear a scream. I don't even hear a flinch.

That's when I realize something. She is tied to a chair, half her hair was burnt, and her neck was cut, but not once had I heard her scream. Nate screamed, Dylan screamed, and I roared. But she hasn't cried for help or begged to stop. Not even once.

The front door bursts open. But the five of them barely enter before they're taped shut and their hands are cuffed behind their backs. Holden, Dallas, Ace, Caleb, and Spencer, all have a guard pinning them down on their knees, just like Dylan and Nate.

"Lock the damn door for fuck's sake," Miley instructs one of her guards. "Now, if any of your tries to outsmart me, you'll only push me to my level ten ploy." Miley cocks an eyebrow at me. "If anyone calls the police, or tries to hit even one of my guards, I will snap twice and Kevin right there will cut Elena's throat. The police can arrest me, but Justin, you know my father, right? His influence and power can wipe my slate clean, get me out of this mess, and cover it up as if nothing happened. The only casualty will be your girl's life. So if you don't want Elena dead, obey me and she'll live."