Isaak held the whip in both his hands, his eyes regretful when he turned back to me. “I apologize. My daughter takes after my brother.”
I worked my jaw, glaring at him. “Maybe you should have better security then, to prevent things like this from happening.”
One corner of his lips flicked up in a smile. “Phil will be outside your door from now on, you can count on it.”
“Such a relief. For a second, I was worried,” I said bitterly.
He watched me for a few moments, long enough for another man, I presumed Phil, to show up. “Have you considered changing your mind?”
“No,” I answered as Phil placed a tray on my chair.
“Why?” Isaak asked. “Do you have any idea who these people are? Truly? Killers. Murderers.”
“Says the guy whochained mein a basement.”
“For your own good.”
I scoffed.
Isaak sighed. “Olivia, Malachi Adler is not a good man, and the people he has raised, the people he has hired, they are not good men. They do whatever they have to do to remain at the top of their criminal empire. They came to Russia and killed my people. My congregation. All because of a few diamonds,” he said, shaking his head. “What kind of man kills women and children for diamonds?”
He was lying. He had to be lying. I knew Everett and Evelyn. They didn’t deal in kids, they said as much.
When I didn’t respond, he turned to Phil. “Give her some water.”
My eyes shot over to him. Hazel eyes, big, but more in the gut than the shoulders. Short brown hair. No tattoos. A weddingring. His name was Phil.
Phil.
He brought over a bottle of water with a straw and held it up to my lips.
I drank long and deep, grateful for the water. My mouth had been so dry, I was desperate.
When I couldn’t handle another drop, I pulled my head away and found Phil’s eyes. “Thank you.”
He didn’t respond, but there was something about his eyes that gave me a little beacon of hope. Maybe it was the high from finally getting some water, or how exhausted I was, but I swore I saw it. A little light of remorse in the depths of his eyes. Something that could be used, manipulated. Something I could hold onto.
“We are going to get the answers out of you, Olivia,” Isaak said as Phil put the bottle on the tray. “Whether you willingly give it to us or not. But you have to understand that we will break you. It’s not a matter of if, child, it’s a matter of when.”
I worked my jaw but kept my mouth shut for fear of saying something that might make this worse.
When I didn’t respond, Isaak nodded. “Don’t give her any food.” With that, he left.
My eyes flicked to Phil’s.
He watched me for a long time before he picked up the tray and headed for the door.
I snarled as soon as the door shut behind him, jerking against the chains, screaming through my teeth.Fuckme. Comeon!I wanted out! Ineeded out!I needed to get out, I needed to get out. I wanted to go home. I needed Lucy and my fucking coffee, and a big blanket and I wanted to gohome. I needed to go home.
“Olivia.”
I screamed and jerked and kept fighting, my body numb to the pain that throbbed through every facet of who I was. “I wantto go home,” I panted, fighting against the chains. “I need to gohome!”
“Olivia,” Evelyn tried again.
Everything burned. Everything hurt. Everything was crying out for relief that I knew would never come. I wanted to go home! “Please,” I begged, jerking at my arms. “Please!” I screamed.
“Hello, pup.”
