Page 94 of Her Wicked Plan

Yesterday, I only woke to the sound of the food and if I needed to use the toilet. Then I’d crawl over the itchy blanket and pass back out.

Now, I lay on my side with my knees tucked into my chest, staring into the darkness. The ceiling light hasn’t come on yet. Odd. Last I remember, it turns on when day three hits. Does this mean it isn’t day three? Is it still day two? I’m not even sure.

The little slot at the bottom of the door opens. A hand pushes the tray in, and my eyes hold focus while it scoots across the ground.

“You’re wasting food.” My voice is scratchy. Dry from the lack of water.

“Seems to me you are the one wasting food.” The guard quips back. “Every tray I’ve come in to take has been full.”

I swallow the small amount of saliva in my mouth. Fuck, it’s like I’m swallowing sandpaper. “You try being locked in here and tell me if you have an appetite.”

He says nothing. The guards, doctors, and nurses wouldn’t last a day here and they know it.

“Why isn’t the light on?”

“A few of the bulbs died in the rooms.” He states. “Haven’t fixed them.”

“Really? What the hell have you been doing then? Jacking off?”

“Funny.” He doesn’t laugh. “I’m not down here all the time. I have other responsibilities.”

I don’t care about what he has going on in his life. “You’re here now. Change it.”

“I’m not opening the door.” He responds.

“I’m not staying here a whole week in the dark!” I raise my voice, even though my throat feels like razor blades are scraping against it.

“Looks like you are.” With that, he shuts the slot, and I hear him walk away.

Fucking dammit!

A whole week in the dark? I’m going to lose my mind more than I already have.

CHAPTER 26

Leo

“How are you today?” I ask once she sits comfortably in the chair on the other side of this white, squared table.

She appears content, but with the way her shoulders hunch, I can tell she is anything but. On the inside, she’s tense and nervous. I don’t blame her.

“I’m alright,” Ruby answers, keeping her hands in her lap. “Healing up pretty nicely.”

She tilts her head up, and I allow my eyes to assess the damage Veronica has done. Cuts scatter Ruby’s face from the punches, the white cast along her nose, and the purple tint to her under eyes. When my eyes fall to her neck, I don’t miss the fingerprint bruising around her throat.

While I stare at her wounds, images of Veronica beating her flash through my mind. Those images send shivers down my spine. How can Veronica scare the absolute hell out of me, but I can still find an attraction to her?

“That you are,” I agree because Ruby is healing. Slowly.

“Do you think...” She picks at her fingernail. “Do you think she’ll come after me when she gets out?”

Sucking in a deep breath, I mull over the question before I respond. I could have calmed her down if I had told Veronica about being Ruby’s doctor, not her finding out from the source herself. The answer that flicks in my mind is yes. I think Veronica will go after Ruby again.

“No, I don’t think so,” I lie. Since when do I lie to patients? “As long as you stay away from her and not try anything like you did before, she will leave you alone,” I add with a comforting smile. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“Thank you, Dr. Madden.” The corner of her mouth tugs upward. “I’ve heard stories about her. A friend of mine got out of here not too long ago and was telling me about Veronica.” Interesting. “My friend said that Veronica was the epitome of a psycho. She would tell me stories of everything she used to do to her doctors or some of the other patients.”

“And yet you still picked a fight with her.” Her eyes cast down to her lap when she shakes her head.