I nod at him graciously and turn to the hackers. “Get me a layout of the house and the surrounding terrain. See if we can get our security satellite in place. I want infrared alerts.”
“Got it,” the two acknowledge in unison.
Closing my eyes, I breathe in, taking a long, calming breath before letting it back out.
My eyes fly open, and I stare at my father-in-law.
“Let’s go get my wife.”
twenty-eight
I startle awake, gasping for air. My fingers claw at my neck, struggling to tear away the invisible noose wrapped around it.
It is dark outside. Slivers of the moon’s rays dance along the floor as clouds shift along its surface. I can barely pry my eyes open—my eyelashes are stuck together, a thin layer of crust running along the edge. My face is swollen, and the metallic taste of blood lingers inside my mouth. I feel lethargic, and my body aches something fierce.
It takes me a second to orient myself. I am still locked inside my prison cell. The manacles grip my wrists tightly, chafing the sensitive skin. My dress is torn. The velvet is dirty and ripped in several places. It is held together by only a few seams along the top and one long seam at the skirt.
I have to get out of here, but the thought of escape sends a horrified shiver up my spine, causing my heart to race. The manacles are hammered into the concrete wall behind me and barely allow for any range of motion.
The last time I was chained up like this, Neil was holding my head, forcing me to watch Christian rape my best friend. The faded imagery causes my gut to protest as bile surges toward the surface. I barely manage to hold it back.
Matthias, where are you?
Why haven’t you come for me?
I lean my head back against the wall, silent tears tracking down my dirt-marred cheeks as I send a silent prayer out to the universe. Am I still pissed off at him for pretending to be dead all those months? Fuck yeah. Am I planning on making him work to earn back my trust? Hell fucking yeah.
But do I really need him to burst through the door right now like the monster he is and take me in his arms?
With all of my heart, yes.
Is he out there looking for me? Wondering where I am? Worried about me?
I scoff.
Who knows if he is even alive?
He is alive.
I repeat the mantra in my head like a broken record.
It is such a ridiculous thing to do that I start to laugh and immediately stop as my chest twists painfully. I am going to kill them all.
Every motherfucking one of them.
Teach her a lesson.
What lesson? Is my cold-hearted grandmother planning on selling me to Kellan? Or is Kellan the proxy? I can briefly recall seeing him at the gala. His eyes were trained on Bailey as she danced with my brother on the floor. After that, I can’t remember seeing him again.
Will he take me away? Sell me? Use me? The icy, cruel smile he wore when he held me down for the guard to beat on speaksvolumes about him. I have no doubt that he will do everything in his power to break me.
I let out a soft cry when I try to move my feet out from under me. The pain in my ribs is intense. Fire licks up my body, and I let a few more tears leak down my face.
For the first time in years, I want my mother. She isn’t coming, but he will. The man who rescued me from the clutches of Christian. Who showed me immediate, unconditional love. He will come for me like he has before.
Matthias is my monster. The demon lurking in the darkest corners of my soul. The man who forged me from fire.
But my father is my knight in shining armor.