He let me get close enough to him, only to inject a needle into my neck. The effect was almost instant; my vision became blurry, my head was heavy, and my legs felt too weak to carry my weight. My hands flew to my temples as I staggered backward, the world swirling around me.
“Nik,” I called out softly, my body thudding to the floor.
A pair of boots came toward me with heavy footsteps, the sound echoing in my head. As I lay there, struggling to stay awake, I watched my attacker tower over me. My eyes closed, and my vision worsened by the second.
“Go to sleep now,” he said, his voice a gentle echo. “You’ve fought well.”
My heartbeat slowed down drastically, my eyes shut, and the world went dark.
***
“Blair…Blair,” a soft, familiar voice called out, their hand caressing my face. “Blair, wake up.”
A faint wince fell off my lips as I finally came to, blinking a few times to clear my blurry vision.
“Blair…” the voice called again.
A girl’s face hovered above me, her red hair cascading down her shoulders like a river of blood. She looked really familiar, and her voice sounded familiar. And it wasn’t until after my vision cleared that I realized who was staring at me.
“Maria?” My brows arched.
A sound escaped her mouth, somewhere between a chuckle and a sob, as she nodded her head. I sat up immediately and pulled her into my embrace.
“Oh, my God—it’s really you.” I held her tighter.
“How did you end up here?” she sobbed, wrapping her arms around me. “This is a horrible place, Blair. You shouldn’t be here.”
I looked around, noting the horrible sight of other women in this cramped space. They seemed exhausted, malnourished, and all I saw in their eyes was despair—complete and utter despair.
My jaw locked, fury coursing through my blood as I seethed in silence. I rose to my feet, my eyes sweeping the surroundings, searching for clues about where we might be. The air reeked of smoke and metal, the high walls were damp with just one window, a few inches from the ceiling, where none of us could reach.
“There’s no way out of here, honey,” one of the women said to me.
“There has to be one,” I replied, trying to be optimistic.
“Trust me, there isn’t,” she said, the conviction in her tone hinting that she must’ve tried and failed.
“She’s right, Blair,” Maria chipped in, her voice laced with hopelessness. “We’re trapped.”
I thought for a moment, my spirit refusing to break. “No, we’re not. We’re gonna get out of here. I promise.”
Just then, the metal door creaked open, and a man in a white tux walked in, a cigarette perched between his lips. Two other men flanked him as he stood before me. Every other woman in the room pulled away, scared half to death by his presence.
“It’s unwise to make promises you cannot keep,” he said to me, raising his head to look at my face.
I knew that voice sounded familiar—the bastard was wearing the same tux from the night his men kidnapped me months ago. “You,” I breathed, my expression dark with fury.
“Ahh, she remembers me!” He spread out his arms and laughed.
“I never forget a face,” I answered, my scowl deepening. “Especially if it’s a monster like you.”
“I can’t say I’ve missed your wits.” He chuckled, then gestured his cigarette at my face. “But I did miss that fire in your eyes.” He stepped forward. “You know, when my men told me that Nik’s most prized item was a fighter, I never expected it to be you.”
“I’m not his item,” I growled.
He slapped his forehead. “Oh, right! My bad. You’re the mother of his unborn baby.” He laughed. “Wow! It reallyisa small world. What a crazy turn of events.”
“What do you want?”
