Page 28 of Wicked Vengeance

“Just breathe, Maddox,” Dax says, gripping my neck and spinning me to face him. “We’ll find her. And you can do everything your fucked up little head is screaming at you to do to him. But this isn’t your kill. Remember that. Red deserves her pound of flesh from this sick bastard. Don’t take that from her.”

His words cut through the fog, clouding my head.

He’s right. This is her revenge. And she deserves every ounce of her vengeance.

“Okay,” I sigh.

“You know, Red can do this. She’s not the same damsel in distress she was when she escaped him. I trained her well. Have a little faith.”

“You’re right. She’s strong. Thank you. Not just for calming me down, but for taking care of her when she needed you– and showing up for her now.”

“She’s family,” he says, slapping me on the shoulder before stalking to the passenger side of the van and climbing in.

I follow, getting behind the wheel and cranking the engine. My thoughts have calmed down enough that I can see through the panic.

I’ve got this.

We’re one step closer to bringing our Queen home.

Chapter 21

Raena

Hope is an illusion.

A survival technique to trick the mind into not giving up. It works. But it can be shattered in an instant. I learned that the hard way. I thought I could handle this. I thought I could do this on my own. I’ve never been more wrong in my life. All it took was for King to make good on his threat, and the fragile hope I’ve been clinging to threatens to turn to ash in my mouth.

I don’t know how much time has passed since I killed my mother. Hours? Days, maybe? A week? I’ve been out of it more than I’ve been conscious. He’s kept me sedated most of the time. I guess I should find small mercies where I can since when I am conscious, the evidence of what I’ve endured is plain as day.

I look down at the dried blood and come coating my body and my inner thighs–new cuts and bruises litter my body like a map.

Some time ago, I don’t know how long, I woke up with three men taking turns with my body. My mind might be groggy and confused, but their faces are now seared into my memory like an etch-a-sketch.

Jackson was one of them. I don’t know where they went, but I’m grateful for the reprieve. I’m so close to giving up and figuring out how to end it all. My body is buzzing like a thousand ants are crawling under my skin, but I know it’s the drugs. He’s keeping me sedated because he’s too much of a pussy to face me like a man–too scared he won’t be able to break me.

I can’t let him know how close I am to that fear becoming a reality.

Where are my Shadows?

Where’s my family?

Will they leave me here and go on about their lives like last time?

Are they looking for me?

Will they save me?

I only allow myself to wallow in my self doubt and pity for a few more minutes before I decide to lock that shit up and figure this out. I have no chance of escaping if he keeps pumping me full of drugs. I need to figure out how to get out now that the drugs seem to be wearing off and I can somewhat think straight.

The lights are off in the room I’m in, but sunlight streams into the window through the curtains. If I can get the window open, maybe I can jump. My head feels fuzzy as I swing my legs over the side of the bed, and it takes a minute to orient myself back into my body. The drugs are fading, but they’re still swimming in my veins like toxic sludge. I don’t know what he gave me, but I think it’s safe to assume it’s not safe at all. My mother was an addict. I hate him even more for putting this shit in my body.

When the room stops spinning, I lift my head to look around. This isn’t the same room I’ve been in. The bed is smaller and shoved into a corner. The window has sheer curtains, but through the streaming light, I can see the bars blocking my escape. Defeat weighs my shoulders down, pinning my chin to my chest and me to the bed.

NO! Shut that shit down. We’re getting out of here.

If there is one thing I learned the last time I was taken, it's I’ve got to save myself. I have faith in my men and in my family, but they can’t save me if he kills me first.

I need to save myself.

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