Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 82332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82332 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
My wrists and ankles burn from the way I’ve struggled against the zip ties, but the pain keeps me from falling apart. It means I’m fighting this. I'm trying to help myself and my child.
Somehow that feels more productive than just giving in and waiting to die.
The door opens, and I try to prepare for what’s to come. My brother, Elias, walks in, shutting the door behind him quietly. His face is grim.
"Why, Eli? Why are you doing this?" I ask.
My heart hurts. I’m used to a lot of things when it comes to my family, but knowing Eli is helping Aden was a blow that I wasn’t prepared for. I’m used to being ignored by all my family. Yet, the only ones who have been truly evil have been the twins. This is a whole other level and I never expected Elias to be involved.
He pulls out a pocketknife from his pants, flicking it open, making me cringe. I try to scoot back on the bed away from him, but he grabs my leg. I gasp as he brings the knife down. Shock moves through me as he cuts away the tie and begins rubbing the tender area where the friction of the plastic has cut into my skin. I’m confused and still not truly aware of what he’s doing. I kick out at him, but my legs are numb and with my hands bound behind my back, it’s not much more than a pathetic attempt to hurt him. Elias grunts. My feet tingle painfully as the blood flow comes rushing back into them. I hiss, enduring the pain before he begins massaging again, making it dissipate.
I don't struggle as he cuts the ties on my wrist. The minute I’m free however, I scurry to the other side. I want to keep as much distance between us as humanly possible. My mind scrambles to think of what to use as a weapon. I might be able to knock him out, but that still leaves Aden and who knows how many others outside of the room.
Elias holds his hands up, closing the knife and slowly putting it back in his pocket. "You don't need to be afraid of me, Lina," he says, finally speaking.
"Considering you just kidnapped me from my husband and hurt people I care about, excuse me if I don't believe you."
"I didn't have any part in this," he says, shaking his head.
I laugh, sounding hysterical, but I can't hide my feelings about this situation anymore.
"It's true," he insists, his face wrinkled with sadness.
Maybe I should try to give him the benefit of the doubt, since he just untied me, but I can't. I'm emotionally, mentally, and physically fried. "You can explain that to Antonio when he comes to kill you."
Elias looks at me, shaking his head. I can see the pain radiating in his eyes and in his slouched posture. "At this point, that would be a relief," he nearly groans, sounding infinitely tired.
I freeze. I know that feeling. It speaks to the hurt deep within me. "What do you mean?" I question, needing to understand.
"It's not important. You don't have to believe me, but I'm trying to keep you safe until Marco arrives with help."
"You're working with Marco?"
"Not really, I mean, I’m trying. He’ll come after you and Helena. He's lived his whole life to protect you. Helena belongs to him. I know he will be here."
"If you know that, why are you helping our father?"
"I’m not. I'm trying to survive—just as we all have. Well, besides Aden and Atlas."
I'm staring at him, unable to hide my frown. I don't know what to believe anymore. "Is Atlas here, too? Where's Sebastian and Gio?"
His jaw ticks, the muscle jumps as he takes a deep breath. "Atlas was leading the attack at the club. Aden is the only one here now. Father’s men stayed behind at the airfield. It seemed safer to let you get on the plane than be surrounded by them.”
I nod. I can’t really argue with that train of thought, but if I was on the ground Antonio would have found me sooner. I know he would have.
“Sebastian and Gio fought against our father when he sent the twins down to kill Marco. He let them think they were fine and sent the twins instead. But he was only having them monitored. He caught Gio talking to Marco on the phone. Before I left, he had his guards grab them and sent me to join the twins to collect you. They're currently chained like dogs in the dungeon for what Father described as a mutiny."
I gasp. Father's dungeon. He loves that thing. It looks and smells medieval. He uses it just as some kings would have back in the day—a place to torture, intimidate, and extract information and pain.