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“True.” I nod my head but add, “It doesn’t mean the emotions aren’t real.”
She leans against me again. “At least we have each other. I’m not sure I would’ve survived if I were alone.”
I usually couldn’t give two shits what people think of me, but I’m desperate to know what Everleigh’s thinking.
Letting out a sigh, I mutter, “You have every right to hate me.”
She shakes her head.
“It’s my fault you’re in this hell,” I remind her.
“It is what it is, Alek. I also screwed up when I swapped clothes with Svetlana.” She hesitates momentarily, then asks, “What would you have done with me if we weren’t ambushed?”
Christ.
Vincent would’ve made the choice to either drop her off somewhere or take her home. If we took her home, there’s no telling what Papa would’ve done.
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “It would’ve been up to Vincent.”
“Do you think your brother is okay?” she asks. “We haven’t seen him since the first day.”
Again I answer, “I don’t know. He’s the oldest, so he’s taking the brunt of the torture.”
“I hope he’s alive,” she whispers.
“Me too.”
We grow silent again, and I stare into the darkness.
There’s a constant war inside me to demand to see my brother, but I know it will only make them torture us. Not asking for Vincent is the best thing I can do under the circumstances.
Papa used to make us all watch as he beat one of us. We weren’t allowed to show any emotion, or he’d beat us too. He said he was training us in case we got taken. It’s so we wouldn’t snitch on the bratva.
He also said it was to teach us not to show emotion because our captors would use it against us.
Still, all I want to do is demand to see my brother.
But years of conditioning keep me from banging on the door.
As tough as I am, I’m not indestructible. I know it’s only a matter of time before Prodi will either kill us or worse.
You can’t let him break you mentally.
Whatever happens, you have to fucking survive it.
“Prodi wants me to fall in love with you,” I inform Everleigh. “He’s going to use you to break me.”
She pulls back again, and a second later, I feel her hands fumbling their way up my shoulders and neck to rest on either side of my jaw.
There’s desperation in her voice as she says, “You can’t let him break you. I won’t survive without you.”
Needing to warn her, I say, “The longer we’re stuck in this room, deprived of everything but each other, the quicker we’re going to form a bond.”
Her voice is small as she replies, “I know.”
“Once Prodi is convinced I love you, they’re going to rape you.”
Everleigh wraps her arms around my neck and presses her body hard against mine. I feel the trembles wracking through her slender frame.
