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Then he turned.
I flinched with every step until the howl of the hinges made me whimper.
Then slowly my legs shuddered and gave out.
Thud.
I hit the cold floor and collapsed; the shackle digging into the flesh of my throat. How many days had it been now? Days…weeks? I didn’t know. What I did know was, I wasn’t going to make it. I knew that, knew from the hot coals burning somewhere in the middle of my chest. I wasn’t going to see them ever again. I wasn’t going to see her…
Wildcat.
The name stayed with me as I closed my eyes. But there were no more tears. Nothing but the sting.
Until the squeal of the door came once more. Only this time the steps were slower and heavier.
Buzz…
A hitch ripped through my chest as I opened my eyes to the arc of neon light…and the face of my tormentor.
“Now, how about we speed up that end a little, huh?” The bastard smiled. “Time to dance for me, big guy.”
NINETEEN
Vivienne
Oh God.
I rolled over in bed, closed my eyes, and swallowed.
Then I swallowed again.
And again.
I was going to be sick.
I wrenched open my eyes and shot out of bed, stumbling for the bathroom. Acid hit the back of my throat as I shoved my head over the toilet and gagged. My belly clenched, upending what little there was…it was mostly air. But even expelling that felt better.
Did I eat something bad? I lifted my head, swiped the dribble from my mouth, and slowly straightened. My days were a blur of rage and desperation. Empty house after empty house, desolate building after desolate building. That’s all I remembered. I could hardly think about which assholes connected to The Order we’d beaten and threatened, let alone what I’d eaten last night for dinner. Still, I tried.
Some kind of steak and vegetables Guild cooked for us? I think…or was that the night before?
No…
No, that was definitely last night.
Maybe that was it? Maybe the meat had turned.
But as soon as the thought entered my head, I shook it away. There was no way Guild would serve up foul meat for us to eat. That man was careful in the most excruciating way while looking after us. Even after the chef had left and never came back, we’d never eaten a single unhealthy or imperfect meal.
Guild made sure of that. Even if he cooked with a gun on the counter.
My belly tightened again, making me wince. I jerked my head to the side and slammed my hand on top of the cold ceramic tank as I retched. Jesus, whatever it was…this was bad.
I heaved and heaved, burping and coughing, until at last the roller coaster in my belly slowed, finally letting me rise to go to the sink and reach for the faucet. Even the cold water tasted weird as I washed my mouth, swished, then spat. I lifted my gaze to the mirror, then grabbed a toothbrush and toothpaste and scrubbed.
It was the stress. That’s what it was.
The stress of everything.
