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“I did!” Alex shouted, flinging his arms out in frustration. “I don’t know where your fucking bodyguard is!” He stepped closer, and I took one step back. “I know he’s alive.”
“You tell me what I want to hear to save your ass. You’re lying. Until you give me Marc, and let me hear from him that he’s free, then no deal.”
“Fucking bitch!” Alex swirled around with a scream that made me cringe. “You know I can’t do that!”
“Yeah!” I shot back. “Because he’s dead!” My voice broke at the last word. They failed to get him out. And now he tried everything to cover it up. To keep me loyal like a good little girl. Hell no! During the short few days, I started to trust him. To think he was on my side. I made the deal with him, believing that somehow, he’d have my back too. That we were two against his father. But he lied, and I don’t know what hurt worse. Knowing I had no one to trust, or the lies themselves. Alex wasn’t the only one lying to me. The shock of finding out my father lied was something I’d never recover from. It hung over me, making me doubt everything. How could I ever believe anyone again? Everything I thought I knew was a lie. My whole life. I trusted him blindly, let him give me medicine that made me sick. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it. The symptoms I thought would kill me were gone. That alone was the only proof I needed. I didn’t live on borrowed time. I wasn’t going to die. The only thing I suffered from was a severe case of naivety. But that was gone too. With the rest of what made me, me.
I had to start from scratch, and the only thing I knew was that I refused to do it here. As a prisoner.
My eyes travelled over the length of Alex as he towered over me, settling on his face. “If you drag me down that altar, I swear I’ll expose you right there in front of everyone.”
He visibly flinched, and I took the opportunity to add. “Get me out of here before the wedding, and I’ll make sure your secret’s safe.”
Something in him deflated. All the anger gone, leaving him looking worn and tired as he sunk to the couch beside me. Burying his face in his hands, he fell forward, supporting elbows on knees.
“I’m serious,” I added, just to make sure there was no room for doubt. No matter how he manipulated me.
“I know,” he muttered into his hands.
“You have one week.”
Alex jerked upright. “Don’t you think I know that!” He shot to his feet, flinging his arms out. “It’s not that easy. Father won’t let you go anywhere alone!”
“Well, figure something out then,” I muttered, knowing all too well how right he was. And that wasbefore. After their failed escape attempt, I was sure he had security tightened further. Mr. X wasn’t dumb. He wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice, and we were running out of time. I couldn’t wait until after the wedding. Not only did the idea of sayingyesto Alex make my skin crawl, but I’d be bound to him legally as well. And as little as I knew about the law, I was surethatwasn’t good.
*
I stared at the food later that night. Forced to sit at the dining table with Mr. X made me nauseous. So did the bloody stake at my plate. Images of blood and torn skin assaulted my mind, making my stomach lurch in protest.
“You haven’t touched your food,” Mr. X said. “Are you all right, sweetheart?”
Keeping my eyes on my lap, I managed a weak nod. “Just feeling a bit nauseous,” I whispered. “I don’t think I can eat.”
“Wedding nerves?” he chuckled, as if my almost puking over their fancy table was amusing. “It will be fine dear. You’ll see.”
“Yeah.” I forced a polite smile. “You’re right of course.”
He cut a big chunk off his meat and stuffed it into his mouth, and I nearly gagged as images of Marc’s torn flesh flashed before my eyes. Over the past few days, I tried not to think of it. To push him out of my head and focus on what was necessary. But I couldn’t do it forever, and the blood dripping from the meat was just too much. It threw me back there, to my hand over his wound as blood poured over my skin. To the dungeon and the sharp smell of blood and sweat. To the torn edges and blackened skin around the wound.
“Excuse me.” I pushed to my feet and ran, covering my mouth with a hand to avoid emptying my stomach over the floor.
“Go.” I heard Mr. X demand, and footsteps ran after me. I picked up my pace and made it to the downstairs bathroom before me belly convulsed.
“Seriously!” Alex snapped as I gagged into the toilet. I wiped my mouth and rose to face him.
“Seriously?” I echoed. “How can you sit with him after knowing what he’s done?”
Alex hushed me, swearing under his breath as he grabbed my arm and abruptly led me back to the dining room. “I’ve had enough of your shit.”
I swallowed down the bitter taste in my mouth, hoping I didn’t smell when I was pushed back down onto my chair.
“Feeling better?” Mr. X asked, and I nodded the lie. He chuckled at my silence, then fell silent too.
I tried not to look at the blood, steering my thoughts to my past to keep the horrors of the present at bay.
The guarded life I led was free from drama and excitement. It was routine, down to the smallest of details. My bed time. My diet. My medicine. I even had a schedule for meals and no snacking in between meals were allowed. All of it changed the moment my father sent me away, and the sudden freedom both scared me, and thrilled me. Despite the threat of danger, the homesickness, and the knowing I’d die, the week with Marc in that car was everything I only dared to dream of. What I read in the books I devoted my time to. Before it went wrong…
The dark figures blocking the road crept into my mind. The thud as the car slammed into one of them made new waves of nausea roll in my belly. Then the blood. So much blood…
