Defining Darkness - K E Osborn Page 0,2

the body. We have upwards of fifteen bodies in here at any one time.

Then there’s the Brick Cell.

A place of immense torture.

I turn back to Dustin, placing the brick on top of the wet mortar, his chin and mouth now covered. All that remains are the two bricks where his terrified eyes frantically stare out at me. Dustin’s desperate as he thrashes about behind the wall, but the space is tight, and his hands are tied behind his back. His clothing’s attached to a hook in the wall at the back, so he can’t move far. He has to stand or hang, it’s up to him.

I look him square in his scared pussy-boy eyes. “Any last words, Dustin?”

“Seriously! You’re gonna brick me up behind this wall? I’m gonna suffocate and die behind here.”

A slow grin lights up my face. “That’s the idea.”

His Adam’s apple bobs up and down as I slather on another layer of mortar. Dustin’s eyes actually begin to water as he pants for breaths. I place the right-hand brick in place, leaving one brick to go.

The saltwater in his eyes well and overflow down his pretty-boy face. I smile, enjoying the fact I’ve brought a street thug to tears. “Remember this moment, Dustin. Remember what happens when you cross the Royal Bastards MC.”

He’s shaking all over as I slather on the last layer of mortar. “Nycto, Nycto, you don’t have to do—”

I place the brick in position muffling his words, not that I care what they are anyway.

A sense of calm rushes over me as another tomb is created along the long line of brick wall. His muffled screams echo from behind the bricks as the faint moaning from last week’s victim starts up from across the room. It’s an eerie sensation, one that sends goosebumps over my skin in an electrifying way.

I take immense enjoyment out of bringing these assholes down.

I love the pain it brings them.

I relish in the fact that I’m forcing them into the dark.

It’s where I live every damn day.

If they’re going to try and dance in my world, then they better learn to dance with the devil.

And soon enough, everyone will learn the devil’s name is Nycto.

Chapter Two

EVA

I have to be brave.

I have to be strong.

Not only for myself, but for my sister, Ivy, and the other four women living this hell right here with me.

As we huddle in the confined space, some sob, some stare blankly into space, while one woman holds her hands together sending out a muffled prayer.

I don’t think God will help us now.

We’re in the hands of the devil.

The ship is slowing, sending a surge of anxiety through me.

When this all started, I had no idea what the hell was happening. My sister and I were enjoying a night out in Havana, that was until we were cornered in an alley by some masked men with guns. The rest is kind of a blur. Then I found myself waking up in this shipping container which is the size of a freaking pea, with four other women who are just as terrified as me.

We’re all still wearing the clothes we were taken in. I have to admit, I’m completely out of place among the other women in here. They’re all dolled up, even my younger sister Ivy’s in a glittery red dress which clings tightly to her curves and has her entire back on show. It’s sexy as hell, just like the others in their mini dresses and tiny skirts. Me? I’m wearing a gray dress, the shoulders are covered in shiny silver beads, and the length sits mid-thigh. There’s nothing adventurous about my outfit. Nothing that screams sex appeal

Their faces are covered in black streaks from their mascara, where I am wearing only the slightest hint of makeup. Their hair’s perfect, or it was. My dark auburn strands are down and straight. There’s nothing about me that would have caught their attention, and it has me wondering.

Maybe because I was with Ivy, they took me too.

The whimpering woman lets out another loud wail as Ivy clings tighter to me. The ship jolts as if it’s pulling in to dock.

I sit taller, smoothing my hand over Ivy’s wavy hair. “Hey, look at me!” Her watering eyes meet mine. “I don’t know what’s about to happen, but I’m not going anywhere without you. We’re a team, si?” My Spanish accent coming through thicker when I’m scared. Even though we live in Cuba, we learned English from a very