Page 40 of Shattered Home

I gritted my teeth, refusing for even a breath to escape past my lips. Vex chuckled, all of this a game to him, before he reached into his back pocket. I waited with bated breath for whatever he was about to pull out and my stomach dropped when I caught the glint of a sharp knife.

It was a small thing, only an inch or two long, the hilt swallowed by Vex’s large palm. I couldn’t contain the gasp of fear that escaped me. I had been prepared for the fists. For the hits that always landed solidly against my ribs or face. I was in no way prepared for the sharp weapon glaring at me.

“Not so brave now, are we? What a shame, I was hoping you’d have a little more backbone. Would make this much more entertaining.”

Vex stepped forward once more, not an inch of space between us. “I’ll ask one more time. Who was the man in the photo?”

I shivered at the vile man in front of me, but I didn’t speak. And nothing in the world could have prepared me when he pressed the tip of the blade into the top of my arm, slowly dragging down the skin.

I tried, I tried so fucking hard, but my scream echoed in the room. The pain was a fire racing up my arm, the trickle of warm blood wetting my skin.

“No answer? Well, that won’t do.”

Vex lifted the blade and slid it into the flesh of my other arm, digging deeper. The pain was unimaginable, more than I had ever experienced, and I was embarrassed when I fell to my knees. I had barely made it a minute and I was already crumbling.

Vex followed my movements, dropping to his knees as well, bending his face until the only thing I could see was his manic smile. “This will all stop once you tell me the man’s name. And how he knew your father.”

My father? My mind was spinning with pain and I could barely focus on Vex’s words as the gaping cuts throbbed. How would Emmanuel know my father? I had never met him before the woods.

“I see you aren’t willing to talk. No worries, I can do this all night.”

And so he did. The knife was a burning point in my skin each time. My thighs were given the same treatment as my arms, blood spooling on the wood panels beneath me. Vex continued to ask questions, but I could barely hear his voice. It was like I was outside of my body; the screams bouncing off the walls someone else’s voice. The pain had me in a haze I couldn’t escape.

My eyes were heavy, unconsciousness at the edge of my periphery, and I welcomed it. However, Vex wouldn’t let me off that easily. Gripping my ponytail, he tilted my head back with a yank, pressing the blade against my throat.

I had been in this position before, my life on the other side of the weapon. Words pressed against my mind, information begging to be set free, to let me end this torture. But I closed my eyes tightly, seeing two small faces behind my lids. I couldn’t let anything happen to them, couldn’t let anything happen to their father.

“Tell me who the man is, Alessia,” Vex grunted, the blade nicking the delicate skin of my neck.

Gathering all the strength I had, knowing that if he dug the knife into my throat, it would be a reprieve from this, I said, “Fuck. You.”

I waited for the pain to hit, but Vex released my head, pulling the blade away. My balance was long gone, the strength to hold my body up vanished, and I fell to the floor. My cheek pressed against the wood panels, my breaths heaving as I tried to stay awake.

“Pity. For you, at least. This isn’t over.”

With those parting words, Vex left the room, the door closing with a loud thud. The door opened a moment later and I prepared for the asshole guards, but when a cool hand touched my arm, I knew it wasn’t them.

Peeking my eyes open, a woman with light blonde hair crouched above me. Her hand cradled my arm with a gentleness I wasn’t expecting. However, I was too far gone to trust any of the people in this place. Trying to slither away from her, she pressed a firm hand to my arm, halting my weak movements.

“Stop moving. I’m going to bandage your wounds.”

I couldn’t move if I tried, and I laid on the cool floor as the woman, presumably some sort of doctor, pulled supplies out of a bag. I recognized the needle she pulled out and braced myself for more pain.

The cuts were deep enough that a simple bandage wouldn’t stem the flow of blood. “I’m sorry,” she whispered before she began suturing the first wound.

Biting my lip, refusing to let another yell slip from my lips, I tasted blood as she stitched the skin back together. Each arm and thigh was done and by the end, I was a panting mess, tears cresting over the dried tracks on my face.

Once she finished, she bandaged each area, putting a hand behind my back and lifting me into a sitting position. Blinking my eyes open, I saw the sadness in her gaze. If I had more energy, maybe I would ask why she was letting this happen. If the sight of me made her so sad, why was she standing by, allowing this to happen? But any energy I had faded the moment Vex walked out that door, and so I stayed silent.

She left without another word, gathering her supplies, my two guards entering the room immediately after her. I don’t know why I thought they would be more gentle tonight, given the state of my injuries, but they weren’t. Their hands were iron against my arms, bruising the already damaged flesh.

In a daze, I walked back toward the tent, not even sure if I was going in the right direction. My eyes were barely open, my head dizzy from the loss of blood. In the back of my mind, I wondered why they had bothered to stitch me up. What was the point?

“Alessia?” The quiet voice shocked me out of my thoughts and through squinted eyes, I spotted Warner’s tall form.

“What the fuck did they do to you?” His words were angry, his voice harsh, but I didn’t fear the rage.

Finding the energy to speak, I asked, “Can I sleep in your tent tonight? The twins can’t see this.”

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