Page 70 of We Will Rise

Camilla groans and pulls me from my thoughts. Her head rolls forward, and a gasp of pain fills the small room. We’re surrounded by concrete, not dissimilar to the room Kovu uses to torture people at the compound, but we’re far enough apart that no matter how much we stretch, we won’t be able to reach one another.

“Camilla,” I say softly. “Don’t freak out.”

Her eyes flutter open and fall on me. “Crew?”

“Yeah, baby. It’s me.” I try to keep my voice even and the panic from shining through, but the fact that we’re both tied up and there’s no way for the others to find us makes it hard to compartmentalize.

Her eyes track around the room the same way mine did, and then she looks up at where her arms are bound. I don’t think her shoulders will hurt quite as much as mine do, seeing as they’re supporting most of my weight, but I can’t imagine being spread out like that is very comfortable.

“What do we do?” she asks, none of the panic I expect clouding her gray eyes as she looks to me for a plan I haven’t figured out yet.

“I don’t know,” I admit.

Camilla nods slowly before she looks around again. Her bottom lip disappears between her teeth, and she nibbles on the soft pillow as she takes in our surroundings. The chains, the walls, the chair off to the side.

She looks over at where her wrist is bound and tugs at the chain, causing it to rattle loudly.

“What are your binds like?”

I look up and tug at my wrists, but they’re sturdy enough to hold my body weight so I don’t know that I’ll be slipping them anytime soon. “Tight.”

“Okay.” She clicks her tongue as she thinks through our options, and I hope like hell she’s going to come up with something when I couldn’t. “I might be able to slip the chain on my left wrist.”

“The one you broke?” My brows tug together.

“If I dislocate my thumb, I think I’ll be able to get it free.”

“Camilla.” I shake my head.

“It’s either that or we die here.” She pins me with a glare. “Another six weeks in a cast seems like the better option to me.”

I swallow down the bile that rises in my throat. I don’t want her to have to be hurt at all, but she’s right. If that’s an option, it’s one we have to take.

I’m about to nod when footsteps on the other side of the door, which must be behind me, cause me to pause. “Be good,” I say.

“Aren’t I always?”

I don’t get a chance to respond before the door swings open and light filters in around us, illuminating Camilla on the far side of the room.

“Ah, good. You’re both awake.” Caleb’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard after everything he’s done, but I’m not surprised to hear it.

His footsteps round my immobile body, and I turn my head to track his movements the same way Camilla is. He’s wearing a suit like the ones I normally wear, well fitted and expensive, with his hair pulled back in a low ponytail. It never used to be quite so long, falling around his chin, but now it’s around his shoulders and can easily be contained.

“Caleb, what are you doing?” I ask, keeping my voice even.

“I’m doing what I should have done a long time ago.”

“And that is?” Camilla asks, her eyes defiant as she stares him in the eye.

“I’m cutting the head off the snake, but not before I tear his heart out.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

CAMILLA

It takes me a few seconds to think through his riddle and figure out exactly what he means by his words, but when it dawns on me, my heart clenches painfully in my chest.

Caleb’s going to kill Crew, but not before he forces him to watch me die.

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