Page 141 of Vengeful Guard

So, I use what Kael taught me and sweep my leg underneath his, and he stumbles in the dark, holding out his hands for purchase.

Scrambling to my feet, I rush for the door, but he grabs me around the throat, throwing me back down.

I catch my breath for only a brief second, but then he makes it to the door, and my chance at escape is over.

For now.

He slams the door shut, and I start to sob, wiggling around on the floor to try and find the sandwich.

Finally, I do.

It’s excruciating trying to open my mouth enough to eat or even to chew, but I need to eat. Need to keep up my strength. Need to take every advantage in my power so that, when time comes, I can escape.

I have to take breaks between bites and sobs to try and breathe properly.

My whole face is swollen, and I bet I barely look like myself.

I’m not going to give up, even as hope starts to flee from me. I’m going to get the hell out of here if it’s the last thing I do. I can’t hope that someone will find me, that once again someone else comes to my rescue. I need to take matters into my own hands.

The door opens again, and I tackle at Fatso, but all he does is hold me down and tie me to a chair, grunting as I kick and yell.

“Now think about what you’ve done.”

I growl at him, and he chuckles as he leaves the room, leaving me in the dark again.

At least sitting upright helps with my breathing a bit. It also helps with the cramps in my thighs and upper arms. They’ve been killing me.

I’m able to stretch a bit this way, even though my back aches something fierce. I feel like maybe I broke something back there.

I have no way of telling how long I sit there in the dark. All I can think about is all the things I’ve done wrong.

Sneaking out when I was a teenager, worrying Da by being gone for three days with Sophie once. The way he’d hugged me so tightly when Gray found me and dragged me home, the way he’d cried.

Being a jerk to Gray when we were kids because I screamed at him about us being motherless. He’d smacked me on the butt pretty hard, told me to never call us that. He’d said that Ma was always with us.

Never telling Kael that I love him. So much that it hurts.

Never having the chance to make him fall in love with me.

Not standing up to my brothers, insisting that they bring him back to the family. Fighting for my happy ending.

I’ve been waiting my whole life to find the right guy. I’ve been through so much, and now, I know what my happy ending is. Or better yet, who.

Kael. He’s my everything.

And I may never see him again.

Don’t think like that, Paige. They’ll have to move you eventually. Murphy knows everyone’s looking for you. Find a weakness. Find a moment.

I’m not going to give up. I’m going to fight, and even if I die trying, I’ll know I did everything I could.

I look toward the door, all but willing it to open, and then, it does.

Fatso stands there with Skinny, and I want to yell, but I’m exhausted, and it wouldn’t do me any good.

I was hoping it would just be Skinny. I’ve gotten the drop on him a few times now.

But with both of them....

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