Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81292 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81292 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
One glance over her shoulder, and she saw men had spotted her. She expected them to raise their guns to shoot, but they never did. She ran with all her might, trying to escape, to get free and clear.
She had already passed the gun but decided to leave it. There wasn’t enough time to bend down and get it. She had to keep on running.
She was close to a thick line of trees when she was tackled from the right and thrown to the ground. As she tried to fight, her arms were slammed above her head, stopping her from moving.
Screaming, she tried to push off the man who stopped her, but he held her immobile. She looked up to see Damon himself was there.
She didn’t stop fighting.
“Let me go!”
“You have been a very naughty girl.”
“You have no right to keep me here.” She tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t move. Damon was a brick wall in comparison. She tried to wriggle from underneath him, but it was useless.
“Report,” Damon said.
Milah didn’t look away but sensed the guards approaching.
“She shot one guard in the leg. The maid serving her lunch isn’t injured. She was pushed to the floor. The other guard has a bruised face.”
“Is anyone dead?” Damon asked.
“No.”
Damon looked at her, his face seeming to tense as if he had a question. “You are foolish.”
“Let me go.” He could call her all the names he wanted, but she wasn’t going to give up the fight to be free.
“Anyone else would have killed them.”
Milah froze and looked at Damon.
She had never even thought about killing them. She hated violence. One of the reasons she had hated learning how to fight was the fear of hurting someone, but her mother had demanded it. Forced her to learn. She had no choice.
The guard she had shot had only been doing his job. Shooting him was an act of survival on her part, but no one deserved to die.
“Let me go.”
“This is starting to sound like a broken record. After three weeks, I figured you would have started to learn your place.”
“Fuck off, you piece of shit. I will always fight. I will find a way to get out of here. I will be free. You and my father can go fuck yourselves.” For the first time in three weeks, Milah felt good.
She’d surprised Damon.
He gave it away with the slight widening of his gaze. It was a subtle change, but one she had seen. He hadn’t expected her to say something like that.
“Sir?” the guard who had reported what she’d done spoke.
Damon didn’t look away.
“I think it’s time to show our guest her place in this life, don’t you?” Damon asked.
Fear raced down her spine, but she didn’t show it. Her mother had taught her the value of constantly wearing a mask.
Damon moved, and she was about to get to her feet, but his hands went around her neck, pulling her to her feet. She had no choice but to follow his grip, otherwise, she would have been choked.
She grabbed his arms, trying to get him to ease up. He wasn’t squeezing to the point of no air, but the threat was there. She didn’t want to die, but there was no way she would beg Damon to let her live. There was no way she’d beg him for anything.
He smiled at her. “You will learn your place, Milah Russo. You have had it easy up until now, but let us see how well you fare in the fucking gutter.”
Damon tossed her toward the guards. Cuffs were placed around her wrists, and she stared at Damon, not caring if he saw her defiance or not. He would learn one way or another that she wasn’t to be messed with. She might not land a killing blow, but she would do whatever it took to be free.
The guard wasn’t kind as he marched her across the gardens. They didn’t go to the house, but instead, he took her toward the left of the property, past several large trees, going up a slight incline, and she saw what appeared to be a crumbling building. It wasn’t. A hidden gate waited within, and the guard opened the lock.
Milah didn’t say a word as they marched her inside the cave. The stench of earth and death met her senses. She didn’t see any skeletal remains, but the sound of scurrying rats unnerved her.
She refused to show fear.
The guard dumped her onto the floor. She splashed in muddy water and tried to contain her wince. She heard a metallic rattle and then the cuffs that were on her were replaced by chains, binding her wrists. The guard tested each chain, tugging at it, to see if it would give way. It didn’t.
No one spoke.
One look at the men, and she saw they were happy to see her like this. To them, she was a Russo. Not worthy of being cared for.