Page 42 of Stiletto's Savior

“Help?” I scoff, spinning around to face the door. “I don’t need help. I’m fine.”

“Fine? You haven’t left this room in days. That’s not fine, Stiletto.” Her tone softens, but I won’t let her in.

“Just go!”

Silence follows. But it’s thick and heavy, pressing in.

My heart races, uncertainty creeping in.

“Stiletto,” she says finally, “I’m not going anywhere until you open the damn door and talk to me.”

My breath catches. I hate that she’s right.

"Whatever," I mumble, opening the door for her.

I walk over to my bed and sink onto the edge of it.

I stare at the floor, willing my racing thoughts to slow.

“Why do you even care?” I whisper, almost to myself.

“Because you’re my family.”

Family.

The word grates on my nerves.

I squeeze my eyes shut tightly, wishing I could shut out everything else too.

I squeeze my eyes shut, but the darkness doesn’t bring relief.

Instead, it amplifies the images that cling to my mind like poison.

The Commander’s hands—grimy and brutal—wrap around my wrists.

I can still feel his breath on my neck, hot and rancid.

My heart races as I replay the moments over and over—the fear, the helplessness, the way he smiled as if I were just a toy.

Each time I close my eyes, the memories crash in harder, suffocating me.

“Hey Cheyenne,” Alexa says, pulling me from my thoughts.

I glance up to see Cheyenne coming into my room, shutting the door behind her.

“I’m going to look over your wounds. I told you I need to see you every day, and yet you don’t want to come see me.” Cheyenne looks right into my eyes.

“I haven’t really wanted to leave that much,” I murmur, hating the way I feel about myself.

I feel disgusting, like trash that’s been left out in the sun for too long on a hot summer day.

“Just breathe, okay?” Cheyenne instructs, her hands gentle yet firm as she reaches for my arm.

“Yeah, well, easier said than done,” I grumble sarcastically.

Cheyenne goes to work, taking off my bandages.

“How bad are they?” I try to sound nonchalant, but there’s a tremor in my voice.

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