Page 39 of Shattered Home

“I’m getting out of here no matter what. Even if that means leaving someone behind.”

His words were quiet, but the threat was clear. He may have been playing nice the past week, needing our help, but in this new world, it was every man for himself.

“Anything else?” I asked, trying to keep my voice bored. I didn’t need him to know that I was worried, not if I didn’t want him to back out.

Warner leaned back, not saying a word, and I thought that was that, until he smirked devilishly. The moonlight lit his face, casting half of it in shadows, creating an image of an extremely dangerous man.

“You’re mouthwatering when you’re trying to act tough.”

My mouth gaped open at his words, but like usual, he was already walking away from me. My heart pounded against my chest, unsure of how to take his words. Creeping back to the tent, I finally settled on how the statement made me feel. The thing I hated most was that I was still only acting tough.

Chapter Twenty-Four

When the guards showed at dinner, I wasn’t surprised. Not because this had been the norm for the past week, but because Vex had been too giddy last night after my face had shown recognition for Emmanuel’s photo.

When the two men stepped up to us, Stephanie grabbed my hand. “Alessia, I don’t want them to take you.”

Glancing at her heart-shaped face, I broke just a little. Aiden and I had been careful to not talk about what happened in that building when the twins were awake, but they weren’t stupid. And as much as I wanted to keep them away from this, their curious eyes stared at the bruises adorning my face each night. They knew something was wrong.

“Only one more night, okay? And then I’ll be with you,” I whispered as low as possible, not wanting the guards to hear.

I intended to keep the promise to Stephanie. After tonight, I would never step foot in that building again. Either I would be leaving this camp or I would take a bullet to the head trying.

Squeezing her hand tightly in mine, I bent down to her level. “Keep an eye on Aiden and Lucas tonight until I’m back. Can you do that?”

Stephanie straightened her shoulders, looking at the two boys who were gathering food onto plates. Turning back to me, she nodded once, her face contorted in a look of concentration. She never needed to worry about acting tough, that little girl had more strength in her bones than I could ever hope to have.

And I knew that no matter what Vex threw at me tonight, I’d do everything to protect that spark in her, making sure no one touched it. Trying to gather some of the courage the eight-year-old possessed, I let go of her hand, turning toward the guards.

“Lead the way.” I gestured forward, hoping they would leave me be, but like every other night, they gripped my arms tightly and led me toward the building.

When we entered, it looked the same as my first night in here. Dozens of people milling behind computers, some with paperwork in front of them. Usually, I ignored the sight, but given this was my last time in here, I tried to pay closer attention. Maybe I would see something that would give us some answers to what they were doing here.

I had gathered that the upstairs held rooms where they slept. Of course, they wouldn’t be caught in the tents the rest of us were forced into. I tried to lean around the guards to catch a glimpse of what was on a few of the screens, but they tightened their arms, blocking my view.

Obviously, I wouldn’t be getting access to that information. Especially considering I’d bet my life on the fact that there was constantly someone in this room gathering information throughout the night.

Walking down the stairs, I ignored the fear fluttering in my gut. I was always focused on the room they dragged me into, but there were several others down here. I had never heard noise coming from them, which led me to believe that they weren’t housing anyone else.

Maybe they were other rooms to try to get information out of people. But there was a niggling in the back of my mind, wondering if they were storage rooms. Possibly stored with information.

Each door was locked from the outside as mine was, a simple padlock that took a key. There were three separate doors and the simple fact that they were locked made me think that whatever was inside was worth something.

The guard on my right unlocked my room, pushing me inside, my feet faltering beneath me. I caught my balance, prepared to take my seat and wait for Vex, but he was already inside. And there was no chair.

The click of the lock behind me sent a tremor down my spine, another rushing through me when I caught the malicious glint in Vex’s eye. He had warned me that tonight would be fun, but I knew now that I wasn’t prepared for what he had planned.

His tactics were about to change, and I didn’t know if I had the strength to take it. It had been easier when I didn’t have any information, but now that I did, I wasn’t sure how much I could take before my lips parted, all my knowledge spilling out.

“Alessia, I’ve been waiting all day for this. You cannot imagine how excited I am for our chat tonight.”

His wide grin, eerily contrasting with the evil in his eyes, told me exactly how excited he was. And I wondered if I would make it even five minutes before I talked.

Vex’s steps were precise as he made his way toward me and my body shook as I stood in place, not wanting him to see me cower. I needed to be strong, to show him that he couldn’t break me.

His hand reached out, a whisper of a touch against my cheek, and it took everything in me not to flinch. I knew the damage those hands could do.

Vex’s grin widened at whatever he saw in my face. “Hmm, let’s get started, shall we? Who was the man in the picture?”

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