I coughed, unable to catch my breath.
He stepped back and fixed his jacket sleeve. “Lillian tells me you’re a writer. If that’s the case, you should already know how this plays out. I’d wish you luck but there’s no point. You’ll be dead the minute we decide you’re not useful anymore. Start counting your blessings and confessing your sins, Olivia Rose. You’ll be seeing God soon.”
He left the room, leaving the light on just as Lillian had. I counted to 60 and focused on my breathing before I dared say a word. “We’re in the woods,” I whispered, my voice hoarse, still trying to catch my breath. “Somewhere remote. He unchained me for a second before hanging me from the ceiling. His daughter’s name is Lillian.”
“Lillian?” Evie asked, her voice calm and clear. “We didn’t know he had any daughters.”
“This man, what did he look like?” Everett asked tightly.
Hearing his voice sent my emotions running wild, but Iswallowed it down. I swallowed it all down. “Big, 6’ 6” I think, at least a few inches taller than you. Large chest, some ink on his neck and head, which is shaved, and he had light green eyes.”
“Did he have any rings on?”
“Like yours?” I asked, glancing up towards my hands. They were already bright red. God, it hurt so much.
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes and thought hard about it, about when he was holding the chains in front of me, waiting for me to comply. “Yes,” I finally said, my eyes flashing open. “Yes, on his left hand. A big silver one, I think there was a black tree on it. Index finger.”
“His brother,” he replied. “Not Alexei, but his brother Isaak.”
I released a breath, my eyes filling. “Okay,” I whispered, trying to nod. “Okay, see? I can do this,” I went on, staring at that door, feeling my toes scrape the ground. “I can do it.”
“You’re doing great, Olivia,” Evelyn assured me. “Just keep holding on.”
I nodded, swallowing. Fuck, I was thirsty. “How long has it been?”
“We’re not going to tell you that,” Everett responded evenly. “We can’t.”
I licked my lips, staring at that door. I wanted to push, but I trusted him. He knew how to handle this. He knew what to do. “Okay.”
After a few seconds passed, Malachi came back over the earpiece. “You need to conserve your energy, darling. Close your eyes, enough talking for now. You can’t sleep, I understand that, but you have to find a way to conserve yourself. The real fight has yet to begin.”
I nodded, wincing at the pain it caused. “Okay. Okay, I’ll do that.” My eyes burned, my throat closing. I couldn’t cry. I wouldn’t. “Baily and Lucy? Can…are they okay?”
“Lucy is still in surgery,” Evelyn replied. “Baily is safe and sound at home, playing with her mom who hasn’t taken an eye off her since she was dropped back off. We’ve got trusted people watching her. A man named Jeremy. He’ll keep her safe, I promise.”
I nodded again. Okay, she was home. Baily was home and Lucy was alive. I didn’t do this for nothing. “I was trying to save her,” I explained, my throat burning. “I was just trying to save her.”
“I know, pup, and you did. You did good, now you just have to hang on until I find you.”
“Okay,” I whispered back. It wasn’t for nothing. This wasn’t for nothing.
“Liv, they used to work for us,” Evelyn explained. “They were allies, and they fucked up, so we gave them a lesson, and that’s why they’re doing this. I just needed you to understand why you’re in this situation.”
I studied the wall carefully, my heart thudding. “Why didn’t you kill them?” I asked.
“They were good allies,” Malachi said, “and it wasn’t information you needed.”
“She deserved to know,” Evelyn replied, her tone hard.
Silence met me, seconds of it, ticking by like hours. I didn’t blame them. This was how their world worked. I had to adapt. I had to learn to be hard just like Everett was learning to be soft.
“It’s time to rest,” Malachi said again.
I worked my jaw, trying to hold onto the determination burning under my skin. “Okay,” I replied quietly. Time to rest. I could do that. I could rest. Baily was safe, Lucy was alive, and Everett would find me.
He gave me his word.
