Why bind someone who cannot escape?
I am malnourished, dehydrated. I likely have at least three broken ribs and almost certainly a concussion.
My body barely holds itself upright, and they know it.
That is why he didn’t bother tying me up. I wouldn’t manage ten steps if I tried to run.
But the joke is on them.
Every scrap of food he gave me, I saved it. I ate only the smallest portions and hid the rest. It was filth, barely fit for consumption.
Today’s beating nearly finished me.
I coughed blood afterwards and wondered if he had punctured a lung, but I have passed the point of caring.
Before we left, he brought water and clothes so I could wash and dress. While he prepared for our departure, I ate my hidden stash.
It was not much, but it helped. Better than running on nothing.
And I am glad I did.
Seeing this house confirms what I already knew.
For a moment, I feel like that helpless child again.
But I remind myself that I am not.
I am Octavia Bellanti. Next in line to the Bellanti empire.
I will rule.
I amDeathto men like them. They hate me. They fear me, even if they will never admit it.
Yes, I failed with Yuri.
But never again.
I will escape.
I will kill the man who has haunted my nightmares for years.
Or I will die trying.
I am not a victim anymore.
I refuse to be.
The car slows before coming to a stop, and Yuri steps out with his men.
He opens my door and drags me out by the upper arm, his grip bruising, then barks something in Russian and shoves me toward another man. I am not prepared for the force and my knees hit the ground hard.
The man laughs, hauls me back to my feet, and steers me away from the main house toward a smaller building set slightly apart.
As we move, I feel the warmth of the night air on my skin, I think it might be late spring, perhaps even early summer. I look up at the sky. The moon is high, the stars are bright.
I can’t help but wonder why they didn’t wait until morning to take my head.
What could possibly justify the urgency?
