Page 47 of Coal Hearts

I gagged on fears of what would happen.

How would I survive?

How would I get free?

Because I would never stop trying. I would never accept this. Never let these men think they ruled me.

No one ruled me.

I’ll escape.

Somehow...

Tears ran down my cheeks as I squeezed my eyes tighter.

My lies didn’t help soothe me; if anything, they made me hate myself even more. I couldn’t believe I’d let this happen. What did that say about me? Just how dumb was I?

I should’ve slapped Henri the moment he propositioned me.

I should’ve kept screaming.

I should’ve gone with that nightclub bouncer.

God...why didn’t I go?

Why didn’t I see the evil inside him?

Another awful thought crashed into me.

Krish.

A keening noise pierced my chest, making Henri shift beside me.

I didn’t open my eyes.

I couldn’t.

All I could picture was Krish with his big black stare and wonderfully pure soul. If the French police told my parents I’d gone missing....

If I was never found again...God, Krish—

I flinched and shoved that thought away.

I couldn’t think how devastated he would be.

How much it would affect him, possibly even destroy him.

I’d been adopted because of him. I became his sister all because he’d taken one look at me when he was six years old and vowed he couldn’t live without me. I’d been given a home almost like a service animal was adopted to aid the life of someone suffering.

Krish had suffered, but the moment we met...I was his security blanket and salvation. It didn’t matter twenty-two years had passed since he found me...I was still his, and without me?

Don’t.

I gritted my teeth.

You’ll get back to him.

Somehow.