AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Every cell in my body wants to grab Everleigh to me, but I know that would be too much of a risk.
This might be it. The end of us.
Or the final torture that will break me.
As we walk to what might be our impending death, Everleigh sticks close to my back. Right before we enter the torture room, her fingers brush over my lower back.
Stay strong for me,moya malen'kaya lyubov'.
My eyes land on Vincent, where he’s strapped to a wooden chair, and the air leaves my lungs in a woosh. My brother’s been tortured beyond recognition. He’s missing an ear, and what looks like the rest of his teeth lie by his bare feet.
His eyes are swollen shut, and the skin has been peeled from his back.
I can’t process what I see and stop dead in my tracks.
While I was deprived of food and light, locked in a room with only Everleigh for human contact, Vincent was tortured to within an inch of his life.
The blood in my veins turns to ice as I keep staring at my brother, who’s been physically broken.
One of us will die today.
Chapter 14
Everleigh
After the first glimpse I get of Vincent, I’m horrified out of my mind and can’t bring myself to look at him again. Spending weeks in a dark room with Alek, I’m not mentally prepared for this level of violence.
Unable to tear his eyes away from his brother, I want to reach out to Alek to comfort him. But I don’t dare, knowing it will shine a spotlight on us.
My eyes flit to Prodi, and seeing the twisted enjoyment he’s getting from Alek’s reaction, my stomach churns with bile.
Deep down, I know today will be the worst, if not the final day of our captivity.
“I’ve had some fun with Vincent while you fell in love,” Prodi taunts Alek. He lets out a chuckle, then adds, “Today, you get to choose who I torture.”
Slowly, Alek pulls his eyes away from his brother to look at Prodi. “I choose myself.”
Prodi starts to laugh as if Alek just said the funniest thing, the sound making goosebumps spread over my skin.
“Ahh…” Prodi shakes his head, “you know that’s not how it works. Choose between your girl and brother.”
The expression on Alek’s face darkens, then the words rumble from him. “I. Choose. Myself.”
Prodi stares at him for an unnervingly long minute before he nods. “Okay. I’ll play along, but you lose a body part if the girl or Vincent makes a sound or looks away. I think that’s a fair deal.”
Oh, God.
Frazzled, I struggle to stay present in the moment, my mind begging me to escape into the bliss that might come with insanity.
A guard shoves Alek forward, and in the middle of the room, he’s forced down into a kneeling position.
No. Please, God, save us!
“To make it more fun, we won’t tie you up. If you fight back, I get to pick who dies.”
My eyes are glued to Alek, and I clench my jaw shut.
Don’t make a sound.
