15 Olivia
July 5th, 2022
I wasn’t sure how long I had been sitting there before the door opened again.
In walked a large, muscular man with a shaved head and a large chest. He had striking green eyes and tattoos crawling down his neck, disappearing under his jacket. He even had a dark tattoo all around the top of his head and down the back of his neck, mixing in with the others. I assumed he was the woman’s father.
I hardened my eyes, watching him carefully, studying him, memorizing him. I suddenly had the horrible realization that I wouldn’t be able to tell the others anything until after it happened. I couldn’t give away my only connection to them. I wouldn’t survive without it. So, I had to wait. Memorize, learn, repeat everything, even if it wasn’t important, even if it seemed insignificant, I needed to tell them everything.
The male eyed me like a predator sizing up his prey. “It seems my daughter, as precious as she is, already told you about the girl.”
His accent was heavy, his voice low, and I realized that he would be a great addition to my book if I managed to get out of here intact. A classic Russian Mob Boss. Maybe that’s what I could do. Pretend this was all for a book. A re-enactment. A daydream gone too far. Maybe I could survive by pretending.
“It’s unfortunate because that means you don’t truly have an excuse to talk. No questions need to be asked, no worries in your mind about saving the little brunette. It’s quite sad, really.”
I was choosing not to talk because I knew how bad my tongue was. I knew where it would get me. My best option was to keep my lips sealed for as long as I could.
He walked up to me, pausing just a foot or so away. “Such a pretty young face you have, but your eyes, they are full of sadness. I almost feel bad that I will only make that sadness grow.”
Then he didn’t see what Everett saw. I could handle this. I would handle it. I would survive, they would find me, kill every single one of these bastards, and move on from the Delepski’s and their bullshit agenda.
I would get out of here, and we would never look back.
The man pulled out a knife and my heart skipped as I tracked it straight to my arm, only for him to cut the ropes, releasing each hand and then each leg with ease.
My brows furrowed, my confusion growing. What was he doing? Was it because I had nowhere to run? I suppose that was something I could tell the others. I was probably surrounded by woods. That eliminated the city. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
He walked behind me, but I didn’t watch him. I didn’t want him finding out I was as scared as I actually felt. Instead, I looked down at my wrists, rubbing them carefully, wincing at the raw skin that now ringed each one. That would take a while to heal.
The sound of chains met my ears, causing my back to stiffen. Panic slammed through me, and it was an effort to remain still, to keep my breathing steady.
He appeared in front of me again, thick chains gripped in one hand. “Put your wrists together,”
he instructed.
I glanced at the rusty chains and then his eyes before holding out my wrists. It was about the long game. Convincing him that I was somewhat cooperative would help me gain some traction.
At least that’s what I hoped. I wrote fiction, but I had done so much research into this. Thousands of hours dedicated to researching information to make my books more realistic. Even if I was wrong about this, I eventually had to be right about something.
He looped the chains around my wrists, between them, locking them tight before he pulled me up and forced me into the far corner.
He pulled my arms up and looked down on me smiling. “Deep breath,”
he told me and then wrapped a hand around my throat, squeezing so tight, my air was immediately cut off.
He lifted me into the air, my legs instinctively kicking, my brain going into a panic, my body taking over as I tried to fight against him only for him to release my neck and take a step back.
I fell, my heart slamming into my throat just as a searing pain erupted through my shoulders and around my wrists.
I bit my tongue against the cry, my entire body’s weight hanging on my wrists now, my arms pressing into my ears.
I tried to grab onto the chains, the hook, anything to alleviate the pain as my toes struggled to touch the ground, but it was no use. The chains were too thick, too tight.
He was hanging me like a fucking slaughtered pig.
Tears prickled the corners of my eyes as I breathed through my teeth, finding his eyes, seeing the smug smile on his face. “You won’t last long,”
he decided, lifting his chin. He grabbed my chin, and I tried to jerk away, only for the pain in my shoulders to flare. “Just because you survived whoever gave you that smile doesn’t mean you’ll survive me. Give me the sons, give me Adler, and maybe you’ll live.”
I snarled, my arms screaming, my fingers numb. “Already bargaining?”
I asked breathlessly and then laughed. “I don’t think I’m the one who will cave first.”
Goddammit. This was why I needed to stay quiet.
He chuckled, clearly as irritated as I was that I had the audacity to say something like that. He released my jaw, pulled his fist back, and slammed it into my stomach, knocking the breath out of me, causing my head to spin.
I coughed, unable to catch my breath.
He stepped back and fixed his jacket sleeve. “Lillian tells me you’re a writer. If that’s the case, you should already know how this plays out. I’d wish you luck but there’s no point. You’ll be dead the minute we decide you’re not useful anymore. Start counting your blessings and confessing your sins, Olivia Rose. You’ll be seeing God soon.”
He left the room, leaving the light on just as Lillian had. I counted to 60 and focused on my breathing before I dared say a word. “We’re in the woods,”
I whispered, my voice hoarse, still trying to catch my breath. “Somewhere remote. He unchained me for a second before hanging me from the ceiling. His daughter’s name is Lillian.”
“Lillian?”
Evie asked, her voice calm and clear. “We didn’t know he had any daughters.”
“This man, what did he look like?”
Everett asked tightly.
Hearing his voice sent my emotions running wild, but I swallowed it down. I swallowed it all down. “Big, 6’ 6”
I think, at least a few inches taller than you. Large chest, some ink on his neck and head, which is shaved, and he had light green eyes.”
“Did he have any rings on?”
“Like yours?”
I asked, glancing up towards my hands. They were already bright red. God, it hurt so much.
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes and thought hard about it, about when he was holding the chains in front of me, waiting for me to comply. “Yes,”
I finally said, my eyes flashing open. “Yes, on his left hand. A big silver one, I think there was a black tree on it. Index finger.”
“His brother,”
he replied. “Not Alexei, but his brother Isaak.”
I released a breath, my eyes filling. “Okay,”
I whispered, trying to nod. “Okay, see? I can do this,”
I went on, staring at that door, feeling my toes scrape the ground. “I can do it.”
“You’re doing great, Olivia,”
Evelyn assured me. “Just keep holding on.”
I nodded, swallowing. Fuck, I was thirsty. “How long has it been?”
“We’re not going to tell you that,”
Everett responded evenly. “We can’t.”
I licked my lips, staring at that door. I wanted to push, but I trusted him. He knew how to handle this. He knew what to do. “Okay.”
After a few seconds passed, Malachi came back over the earpiece. “You need to conserve your energy, darling. Close your eyes, enough talking for now. You can’t sleep, I understand that, but you have to find a way to conserve yourself. The real fight has yet to begin.”
I nodded, wincing at the pain it caused. “Okay. Okay, I’ll do that.”
My eyes burned, my throat closing. I couldn’t cry. I wouldn’t. “Baily and Lucy? Can…are they okay?”
“Lucy is still in surgery,”
Evelyn replied. “Baily is safe and sound at home, playing with her mom who hasn’t taken an eye off her since she was dropped back off. We’ve got trusted people watching her. A man named Jeremy. He’ll keep her safe, I promise.”
I nodded again. Okay, she was home. Baily was home and Lucy was alive. I didn’t do this for nothing. “I was trying to save her,”
I explained, my throat burning. “I was just trying to save her.”
“I know, pup, and you did. You did good, now you just have to hang on until I find you.”
“Okay,”
I whispered back. It wasn’t for nothing. This wasn’t for nothing.
“Liv, they used to work for us,”
Evelyn explained. “They were allies, and they fucked up, so we gave them a lesson, and that’s why they’re doing this. I just needed you to understand why you’re in this situation.”
I studied the wall carefully, my heart thudding. “Why didn’t you kill them?” I asked.
“They were good allies,”
Malachi said, “and it wasn’t information you needed.”
“She deserved to know,”
Evelyn replied, her tone hard.
Silence met me, seconds of it, ticking by like hours. I didn’t blame them. This was how their world worked. I had to adapt. I had to learn to be hard just like Everett was learning to be soft.
“It’s time to rest,”
Malachi said again.
I worked my jaw, trying to hold onto the determination burning under my skin. “Okay,”
I replied quietly. Time to rest. I could do that. I could rest. Baily was safe, Lucy was alive, and Everett would find me.
He gave me his word.
July 5th, 2022
The door opened, causing me to jerk awake.
Or out of the trance. I didn’t know if what I was doing could be qualified as sleep.
All I knew was that my arms from my shoulders up, were numb, and my toes sent prickles up my legs every time they brushed the ground.
My bladder was full too, but as I lifted my eyes, I decided to keep my mouth shut once again. I doubted they would give me any reprieve anyway.
Isaak was back, and he brought with him some friends this time.
His daughter Lillian, and two men I didn’t recognize. One of them carrying a small stand, and the other a bowl of water.
Isaak walked up to me as the men set up the items right in front of that chair. “Are you ready to tell me anything?”
I studied him carefully. I couldn’t risk saying anything. This wasn’t Everett. He wasn’t a serial killer who had a thing for watching me get off. This man was cruel and cold, and he didn’t give a damn about me. All he cared about were his answers. All he cared about was destroying my people.
His eyes held nothing. No warmth, no remorse, no evidence of any soul at all. “They don’t care what happens to you, I hope you understand that. You are just like every other woman in their little cult. You’re disposable.”
I wasn’t. I knew that. I had a scar on my leg to prove that.
After another moment, he shrugged. “Okay, Lillian was hoping to have some fun today, and you know us fathers. We just can’t say no to our little girls.”
He turned away from me, taking in the two men’s handywork, Lillian taking his place.
She smiled, such darkness in her eyes. A woman who had grown up in the house of a monster. A real monster. “You’re not going to last long in here with how little you already have on your bones,”
she mused. “How long before you starve to death? A day? Three?”
I would last as long as I needed. Whatever it took.
She tilted her head ever so slightly. “You’re just…so sad. Us Russians, we’re built for the cold, but you? You’re built for nothing. How does he even like fucking you, I just don’t see it.”
I searched her eyes carefully. She was doing her best to get under my skin, but she must have forgotten that I lived with someone who made it their mission in life to pick me apart. I was used to it.
So, I ignored her and looked up, searching for Isaak’s eyes. “I have to use the bathroom,”
I told him, my voice clear and unwavering.
“So, she does speak. Daddy, she has to use the bathroom,”
she hummed, glancing back.
She hated being ignored. Check.
Isaak looked deep into my eyes as if searching for the button that would force me to spill it all. “No one is stopping you,”
he finally said.
Lillian turned back, her smile wide. “You can try and pinch it off all you like, but near-death experiences have a way of pulling out everything. That includes bodily fluids.”
I thought as much, but it didn’t hurt to ask.
At least, I didn’t think it hurt to ask. Did I just give away a vulnerability? It didn’t matter either way, I would have to get used to it. They were going to try and humiliate me, use it to their advantage, and I couldn’t let them. Say goodbye to dignity and hello to my first of many future suppressed memories.
“Take her down,”
Isaak ordered.
I kept my mouth shut even as they shoved my dress up to lift me off the hook. Even when pain erupted down my shoulders and across my wrists. Even when they carried me over, squeezing me in places their hands never should have been, and placed me back into that chair.
I leaned back, my eyes locked with Isaak’s as they unwrapped the chains and rewrapped them around the arms of the chair, pinning my hands down once again.
“Nice little tattoo you have there,”
Isaak hummed as the two men pushed the small stand right between my legs. “What does it say, Lillian?”
I flexed my fingers and feet as much as I could without drawing too much attention to them. Isaak couldn’t read English, but he could speak it. That had to be something, I was sure of it.
“Owned,”
Lillian replied. “I assume he gave it to her. Along with the ‘E’ on the other thigh.”
His smile widened. “So, we were right. You are more than a debt to be paid.”
He gave a nod and a hand, almost as big as my head, wrapped itself deep into my hair, squeezing tight. “That helps. I would have been so embarrassed had you truly been just a good fuck. That’s happened before, you see, us torturing people who ended up being nothing but the whore of our intended target. Mistakes happen though, what can you do?”
The panic that slammed through me was nearly overwhelming. My body instinctively fought against the hand before I forced it to stop, my breathing labored. I could do this. I could control it.
“You have to figure out a way to talk to us,”
I heard Malachi say. “Tell us what’s happening.”
“Tell us what we want to know,”
Isaak instructed over the top of him. “Because we know a lot of ways to hurt you without killing you, and we will keep doing that for as long as it takes to get the information we want.”
I watched him, my head pounding, my mind racing. I could do that, I was a writer, a master manipulator Steven had called me once. I could figure this out.
I thought about it for a few seconds before icing over my expression. “What exactly is your goal here?”
I asked tightly. “I have nothing to offer you, they didn’t tell me anything, so drowning me isn’t going to be of any use.”
I couldn’t even give away that I knew the Delepski’s used to work for them. I couldn’t give away anything. Not his name, not anything at all. Every word I spoke had to be carefully thought out, carefully put. Everything I said and did had to be meticulous. All of it.
Isaak stood before me, looking down on me as if I were worth nothing more than dog shit. Which, I suppose, to him that might be true. “They told you something, and if we have to dig to get it, we will scrape the shovel along the inner edges of your skull until we get what we want.”
The hand in my hair tightened, pulling some strands out, and I prayed to God some of those strands clung to his clothes. I prayed that, against all odds, those strands somehow made their way back to Everett. “They told me nothing,”
I told him, my heart racing. I didn’t want to drown. “You’ve been watching them for a while, I assume, so you should know of their rules. Rules put in place specifically for situations just like this, so you can’t use us against them. I have the same information you do.”
Why didn’t they know anything? Did Malachi truly keep so many secrets from even his allies?
I suppose this proved why that was a good idea, but even still, I felt as if they should know something.
He lifted a brow. “Do you now? And what would that be?”
“The same information the entire world has,”
I said through my teeth. “Malachi Adler and his four masked sons run this world. Malachi is bald, his sons are all adopted, nobody knows their faces or their real names, not even me.”
Lillian appeared at my right side. “You’re telling me that you two fucked countless times, and you still don’t know what he looks like?”
She laughed. “Yeah right, she’s lying,”
she told her father.
Isaak watched her for a moment before nodding towards the man behind me.
The hand pushed my head forward.
“You know what he looks like!”
I said in a panic, my nails digging into the arms of the chair. “You know what he looks like, we all do.”
The hand stopped, Isaak’s chin lifting. “What are you talking about?”
“We’ve all seen them,”
I said quickly, trying my best not to look at that bowl of water. “All of us, we just don’t know it. How would we? They always wear their masks, but we have. You would know it if you ever looked them in the eyes. Their eyes are so different than ours. Dark and chilling. Like Hell lives within their souls. They see everything all at once, and their power is unmatched.”
“They aren’t gods,”
Isaak stated coldly. “Stop worshiping false idols.”
“You only think that because it’s hard for you to believe who you’re really challenging,”
I told him threateningly. “They are everywhere. In every corner of every city of every country in this whole fucking world. You can’t escape their reach, and you know—you know that once you do this, once you’ve crossed this line, there is no going back. You and your entire goddamn family, every branch on this arrogant family tree, will be eradicated from this world, and that should terrify you. That should scare you absolutely shitless. Once this bell is rung, you will never be able to unring it.”
Isaak stepped up to the bowl, looking down on me ruthlessly. “Good,”
he said and gave the nod.
I had less than a second to inhale before my head went under.
Panic filled me, my body fighting against the hand as it slammed me into the bowl, water encasing my head.
“Don’t scream,”
I heard a new voice say. This one cold, and chilling, and not one I expected to hear over the earpiece. “You’re going to want to, but you can’t.”
He sounded like he was on the radio, whispering and taunting, despite the words he used.
My heart was slamming against my ribs, fear racing through me in waves, my lungs screaming for air. “Help me!”
I wanted to scream. “I don’t want to drown. I don’t want to die. Help me!”
“Force your heart to slow and calm your mind, focus,”
Azrael went on evenly. “I know your precious Claim taught you that one. It’s time to be the rose that cuts.”
My nails cracked against the arms of the chair, tears burning my eyes. I didn’t want to die. I still had so much to do, so much to experience. I couldn’t die yet. I was just finding myself. Just discovering who I was. I finally escaped my mom, Steven. I was finally going to live.
Not just survive but live.
I couldn’t die.
I didn’t want to die yet.
Please don’t let me die.
“It’s not in their best interest to let you die, rose, especially not this early in the game,”
he hummed quietly, like the ghost that haunted your nightmares. “Your best course of action right now is to do everything you can to survive, but do not give them anything, not even false information. That will only lead to worse punishments, and I don’t like to give out hope, it’s against my best interest, but these people who have latched themselves onto me will stop at nothing to find you, all that is required of you is to hang on until then.”
They jerked my head up and I coughed and gagged, the water burning my nose.
“Control it, you’re going under in three…two…”
I inhaled again and as if they heard him, they slammed my head back into the water.
My lungs screamed louder this time, begging me to fight, to do something, but I stilled, forcing myself to remain calm. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, and I knew that if I stayed under more than ten seconds, I would start thrashing again, but for now, this was what I could manage.
Focus. I just had to survive a little while longer before I could live. Just a little while longer.
About twelve seconds in, my body jerked, my head pushing back on his hand. I tried to fight against that feeling, but my body was working of its own accord now, my lungs screaming for air as I fought the urge to inhale.
They jerked me out and I gasped, inhaling some water, coughing and gasping for air, my hair soaking through my clothes, warmth spreading between my legs, mixing with the cold water. Dammit. Dammit!
“Oops,”
Lillian laughing as I continued to regulate my breathing. “Guess she won’t be needing that bathroom anymore.”
I managed to get one good glare in before I went back into the water.
Over and over again, they did that.
Until spots sparked behind my eyes and my head spun from lack of oxygen.
Until the room started to go hazy and my limbs started to feel heavy.
I lost count of how many times I went under, but it was enough for the bowl to be refilled twice.
Enough for my entire body to be soaked from head to toe.
Enough for Lillian to grow bored of it, leave, and come back with food.
By the time they decided to hang me back up, I was too exhausted to do anything but let them. Like a ragdoll. I was barely conscious. Their words sounded far away and underwater, and I half wondered if maybe I had died.
Maybe I hadn’t focused as well as I thought.
Isaak promised to be back later, and they took their things and left, leaving me shivering and exhausted, hanging in the corner of the room. I just wanted to sleep.
“Olivia,”
Malachi spoke.
My throat was raw, my lips swollen. “She was eating a hamburger,”
I mumbled, my own stomach so filled with water, I couldn’t even fathom eating. “Smelled cheap.”
In fact, I felt as if I was going to throw up.
“That’s good, you’re doing great, darling.”
Fuck, I was so tired. Everything hurt. My head hurt. “Ev,”
I whispered. I didn’t even have the energy to say his whole name.
“I’m here,”
he spoke, his voice shaking in rage.
“Can I go back to sleep?”
I asked, unsure why. Rationally, I knew I didn’t need his permission. I knew what his answer would be, I knew I could rest whenever I needed, but irrationally?
I don’t know, irrationally I just needed him to tell me it was okay. I wanted to do this right. I needed to do this right. Follow the rules to the letter.
Protect The Family. Protect him.
“Yeah, pup, rest.”
“Okay,”
I breathed out, my lungs sore, my throat raw. “Okay, just for a few minutes. Just for a few…”
July 5th
6th, 2022
A sharp pain erupted across my ribs, and I cried out, jerking awake, my eyes flashing open.
I was met with a smile, the warmth of the blood dripping down my side as I panted through my teeth at the bitch before me.
Lillian was holding some sort of short whip. It had sliced right through me, and I was so cold that I was grateful for it. Grateful for the warmth of my own blood. I was so cold that I couldn’t feel my nose. The blood was a welcome gift.
“Hey,” she sang.
Had she changed clothes?
No, no, it had only been a few hours. I was fine. I could handle this. I would handle it.
She cocked her head to one side, her smile bright. “You know, I’m a girl’s girl. Pure and simple. I feel that we could have been such good friends had we met in any other circumstance. We’d have gossiped about boys, maybe even had a slumber party.”
I grimaced, angry and exhausted. “Slumber parties are for children.”
“And grown women who love to drink,”
she cheesed. “I know you love to drink, Olivia, I’ve seen it.”
My brows furrowed for half a second before I smoothed my face over. She was lying. Why was she lying? “You forget that when we first met, I didn’t know who you were,”
I told her. “I hated you from the start, why else would I lie about The Club?”
Her smile fell, her eyes turning to ice. “You were obviously protecting your boytoy. I don’t know why at that point, since he was basically raping you any chance he got.”
I gave her the most hate-filled look I could manage. “Just because you wanted what you could never have doesn’t mean it was rape when it came to me. I fucking begged him for it. I was there in the park that day waiting for him to come and take what was his. Don’t mistake my willingness for victimization. I am not a victim.”
She flicked that whip so fast, I didn’t even know what happened until the sharp pain exploded in my left side again.
“Fuck,”
I snarled through my teeth, breathing labored. God, that fucking hurt.
She stepped up to me, her eyes flaming. “If I wanted to fuck him, I would have fucked him. He has no idea who I am, little miss fucking whore. One good look at me and he would have begged me for a taste.”
I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my face, my parched lips cracking, the taste of copper spreading across my tongue. “Then how about you go out there, hunt him down, be a good little thirsty bitch and get on your knees for him. It’s the only way he’ll take it from you if he even wants it at all.”
“Is that what you did, huh?”
she asked venomously. “Did you get on your knees and beg him for it?”
“I didn’t have too. He hunted me.”
She snarled, took several steps back, and flicked that whip out again.
I cried out, my entire body jerking with every quick strike of that whip.
They were small slashes, but they burned like a motherfucker every time they hit. Over and over again, quick and sharp.
The door flung open on the 9th strike. “Lillian!”
Isaak ordered.
She stepped back, panting, her wild eyes on mine, her hair coming out of its perfect braid. “She was testing me, daddy. She didn’t give me a choice.”
“She’s in chains,”
he reminded her, walking over and snatching the whip out of her hand. “And you’re supposed to be acting like the lady I raised you to be.”
I grunted, my body on fire, blood dripping down my ribs, hips, my legs. God, I wanted to scream. I needed to scream, but I could handle it. I could handle it. I was fine.
I would be fine.
“Go get a drink of water. Now. Send Phil down.”
She shot another glare at me before storming off towards the door, slamming it behind her.
Isaak held the whip in both his hands, his eyes regretful when he turned back to me. “I apologize. My daughter takes after my brother.”
I worked my jaw, glaring at him. “Maybe you should have better security then, to prevent things like this from happening.”
One corner of his lips flicked up in a smile. “Phil will be outside your door from now on, you can count on it.”
“Such a relief. For a second, I was worried,”
I said bitterly.
He watched me for a few moments, long enough for another man, I presumed Phil, to show up. “Have you considered changing your mind?”
“No,”
I answered as Phil placed a tray on my chair.
“Why?”
Isaak asked. “Do you have any idea who these people are? Truly? Killers. Murderers.”
“Says the guy who chained me in a basement.”
“For your own good.”
I scoffed.
Isaak sighed. “Olivia, Malachi Adler is not a good man, and the people he has raised, the people he has hired, they are not good men. They do whatever they have to do to remain at the top of their criminal empire. They came to Russia and killed my people. My congregation. All because of a few diamonds,”
he said, shaking his head. “What kind of man kills women and children for diamonds?”
He was lying. He had to be lying. I knew Everett and Evelyn. They didn’t deal in kids, they said as much.
When I didn’t respond, he turned to Phil. “Give her some water.”
My eyes shot over to him. Hazel eyes, big, but more in the gut than the shoulders. Short brown hair. No tattoos. A wedding ring. His name was Phil.
Phil.
He brought over a bottle of water with a straw and held it up to my lips.
I drank long and deep, grateful for the water. My mouth had been so dry, I was desperate.
When I couldn’t handle another drop, I pulled my head away and found Phil’s eyes. “Thank you.”
He didn’t respond, but there was something about his eyes that gave me a little beacon of hope. Maybe it was the high from finally getting some water, or how exhausted I was, but I swore I saw it. A little light of remorse in the depths of his eyes. Something that could be used, manipulated. Something I could hold onto.
“We are going to get the answers out of you, Olivia,”
Isaak said as Phil put the bottle on the tray. “Whether you willingly give it to us or not. But you have to understand that we will break you. It’s not a matter of if, child, it’s a matter of when.”
I worked my jaw but kept my mouth shut for fear of saying something that might make this worse.
When I didn’t respond, Isaak nodded. “Don’t give her any food.”
With that, he left.
My eyes flicked to Phil’s.
He watched me for a long time before he picked up the tray and headed for the door.
I snarled as soon as the door shut behind him, jerking against the chains, screaming through my teeth. Fuck me. Come on! I wanted out! I needed out! I needed to get out, I needed to get out. I wanted to go home. I needed Lucy and my fucking coffee, and a big blanket and I wanted to go home. I needed to go home.
“Olivia.”
I screamed and jerked and kept fighting, my body numb to the pain that throbbed through every facet of who I was. “I want to go home,”
I panted, fighting against the chains. “I need to go home!”
“Olivia,”
Evelyn tried again.
Everything burned. Everything hurt. Everything was crying out for relief that I knew would never come. I wanted to go home! “Please,”
I begged, jerking at my arms. “Please!”
I screamed.
“Hello, pup.”
I gasped, falling limply into the chains at Everett’s voice, tears dripping down my face.
“You have to keep breathing,”
he told me evenly.
“Where are you?”
I asked through the tears, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why haven’t you come yet?”
“We’re still searching.
Still searching? Fuck. Okay, no, that was fine, I could handle this. I could do this. “Okay,”
I said, sniffing, trying to calm myself down. “Okay, Lillian wants to fuck you, and she lied about knowing how much I drink, I don’t know why.”
“What did they do to you?”
I swallowed, feeling the blood slowly dripping down my skin. I must have finally torn my wrists too because I could feel the warmth of the blood sliding down my arms now. “Nothing I couldn’t handle. They’re putting a man outside my door,”
I went on before he could respond. “Phil. He’s got a wedding ring, hazel eyes, no tattoos.”
“Okay, good. You’re doing good.”
He was quiet a moment. “Get some rest, Olivia, focus. Fall into your own mind, somewhere safe. That’s where you need to find your peace right now.”
I nodded, tears dripping down my face, my heart shattering. “Okay,”
I whispered back, my eyes lifting to that door. Somewhere safe? The only safe place in this world was his arms. The only safe place was within his death aura. “Are you still coming?”
“I won’t stop until you’re in my arms again.”
I inhaled sharply. “And Lucy?”
“Out of surgery and sleeping.”
I swallowed down a sob and nodded again. Lucy was alive and Everett was coming. It’s only been a few hours; I could keep going. I could. I still had some fight left. I was fine. I’d be okay.
Everything would be okay.