“Javier!” Diggy shouted, turning his attention to the top of the stairs. “She’s back. I told you she’d come back.”
My gaze swung toward the sliver of light that peeked from under the door. “No, I didn’t! I’m not back!”
“Javier told me we’d see you again because your mommy promised. And people don’t break promises to Javier. She owes us.” Diggy’s eyes were wide, imploring me to believe him. “She said if she didn’t come up with the money, we could have you.”
She didn’t say that. I wouldn’t believe it. My mother was a lot of things, but…
Diggy reached for the padlock, and I moved backward until my back hit the metal bars on the other side. I wrapped my hand around one bar and tried to jerk it free. It didn’t budge.
“We don’t have to worry about time anymore, princess.”
I searched for the countdown timer, but there wasn’t one. “No!”
The barred door squeaked open. There was nothing between me and Diggy. Nothing to stop him from doing those horrific things he’d promised.
“Remember this?” He lifted his hand, and a big metal pipe appeared. It was the one he used to clang against the other bars.
“I promised I’d fuck you with this when the time came.”
“No!” I grabbed the bars behind me and shook, trying to wrench them open.
“Now’s the time, princess.”
“No!” I shouted when he took a step toward me. “No! Leave me alone!”
I jerked back when a hand touched my shoulder. It wasn’t Diggy, but he was still approaching. I stared, my breaths choppy and shallow. His demonic grin seemed to be backlit by fire.
Another hand on my shoulder. This one rougher, more insistent. Shaking me gently but firmly.
“No!” I screamed, trying to kick my legs, but something was holding me down.
Right before my eyes, a hole bloomed in the center of Diggy’s forehead, but he didn’t fall to the ground. He wasn’t dead.
“I’m coming for you, princess.”
“No!”
A hand cupped my face, a thumb brushing over my lower lip, warm breath near my ear. Fingers glided along my cheek, a light flutter that brought more warmth. Light began to seep in, drowning out the darkness.
“I’m coming for you, princess,” Diggy said, but now he sounded like he was underwater. “I’m coming—”
I was on the verge of the dream world, one half of me in reality, the other lingering in the nightmare. It took a moment for my brain to register what was happening, where I was.
A house. A bed.
Not a cage in someone’s basement.
I wasn’t alone. A lamp was on, highlighting the man sitting on the bed by my hip.
“Jinx,” I whispered, realizing tears were streaming down my cheeks.
His eyes held a wealth of concern as he regarded me closely, his thumb brushing the tears away.
I lurched up and threw my arms around his neck, clutching him tightly, clinging to the security he provided simply by being here.
His warm hand glided up and down my back. He was so solid, so warm.
It took a few minutes, but my rapid heartbeat slowed to relatively normal, and I released him, lying back on the pillow.
