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She gasps and pales. “Did…”
“He traded his life for yours. I allowed him to live, and you are now the payment for the debt.” It’s a lie. He’s at the bottom of the Sabine River, floating with the fishes. Aribella doesn’t need to know that.
Her eyes go wide, and that luscious mouth opens then closes multiple times. “You can’t be serious.”
Chapter Three
Aribella
Vincent laughs and steeples his fingers together. “Dead serious.”
My mind races, not understanding what could go on here. “This is some sort of nightmare. I’m going to wake up at any moment now and this will all be over.”
The television screen behind Vincent comes on, and it’s my brother at some kind of poker table.
“Wait. Wait!”
“This is your one chance, Carlos. It better be good.”
“My sister. I will trade my sister for my life.”
The screen goes black, and Vincent sits there with a smug look on his face. “As you can see, Aribella, he did, in fact, trade your life for his.”
My tears have dried and I’m shaking. “You… You can’t possibly think this is alright? He was under duress. Surely you understand that.”
Black dots swim in my vision. It’s a sure sign of my blood pressure rising. “A deal is a deal, Aribella. You will stay here for the rest of your life. Get used to this now. I don’t want to argue or hear any more about it.”
“But…”
He slams his hand down on the table and stands up. “I can be a cold-hearted bastard to you, or you can do everything I say. What would you like?”
I shrink back into the chair, and for the first time, I let the fear wash over me. This isn’t a nightmare or a dream. God, what has Carlos done? “Can… Can I see Carlos?”
“No, you may not. He’s left the country and has no reason to talk to you.”
The words are harsh and stab at my heart. “What are you going to require of me?”
“Ah, youareseeing reason. Good girl. Stand up.”
I take a minute to get up because my knees are weak. My eyes have those black floaters in them, and my head is pounding.
“Strip.” It’s only a word, but it’s a dagger to my psyche. He’s going to do bad things.
Lip trembling, I finally look at him. My head swims and I sway on my feet. “I—” My world turns black, and the last thing I see is his angry face staring at me.
“All the records that could be found about her, Sir.” The voice is so far away. Who are they talking about, and where am I?
“She suffers from high blood pressure, anxiety, and cluster headaches.”
Oh, they’re talking about me. “Why did Aribella faint?”
“Her blood pressure was high enough for her to have lightheadedness. However, I think she suffers from vasovagal syncope. It can happen with triggers, and she was in a stressful situation, so her body reacted by fainting.”
Footsteps pace the floor and I look around to see that Vincent—oh God, he wasn’t a dream—is pacing back and forth.Don’t panic!Taking a deep breath, I try to calm down. “I’ve given her prescriptions to Ms. Terrington to pick up. Once she has them, she should be fine.”
“I don’t take medicine.” Oh no. I didn’t mean for that to come out loud.
“You do now.” Vincent is by my side instantly.
