Page 53 of Queen of Vengeance

My heart leaped into my throat as I stood at full attention.

“Your advocate is here again,” He snapped derisively at me as he opened the cell door.

I knew he was waiting for me to move, but I couldn’t seem to pull my feet from the ground.

When these meetings with my advocate first started, I was happy. I knew Zane and Mema were fronting my advocacy from the outside, but I could only say what was allowed here.

“Get a move on then!” The guard shouted at me, and Dineta pressed her hand into my lower back, urging me forward.

“It’ll only be worse if you postpone it. I’ll be here for you when you get back,” she whispered before pushing me out of the cell.

I could see the guard’s teeth as he smirked before grabbing my neck and leading me down the hallway like a dog.

Once we were out of sight from anyone else, he threw me into a wall and pressed his hand into my chest so that I couldn’t breathe. “You know the rules, Nadir. No mentions of the Jaricn or Diesel Ransom. You seem to have forgotten the last time we had this meeting, so just so that it doesn’t slip your mind again?—”

He grumbled in his hoarse voice as he unsheathed the dagger from his hip and slowly sunk it into my side under my ribs. “You could make this all go away if you just confess your crimes.”

Should I confess to a crime I didn’t commit or continue this torture for the rest of my life?

The pain of the slick, cold metal in my side was unimaginable.

It ripped through muscle as it dug a crevice.

He always made sure not to hit any major organs.

That way, I wouldn’t have to go to the medical office.

I bit into my bottom lip so hard that the taste of copper flooded my mouth.

“What a shame. I love to hear you scream.” He laughed before ripping the knife out.

I knew better than to cry out even with the amount of pain.

He would have just stabbed me again for good measure.

I leaned over, pressing both of my hands into the wound, feeling the warm liquid drip out. To distract myself from the pain, I wondered how much money Diesel, or maybe even Jax, was paying these moles to keep me quiet in here. I was willing to bet they wished they had just killed me months ago.

The guards sat me down in an empty room with only two chairs and a steel table in the middle. He stood behind me so that he could monitor everything closely.

Then, the door to the small room opens, revealing Zane and his cousin, Ferlin Amour.

He didn’t have any power or money, but he had connections. His cousin was a lawyer and was willing to help with my case.

That gave me hope for a while, but Diesel would ensure I never got out of here.

After these last few months, I wondered when Zane would figure out it was a fruitless effort.

Zane stood before me, and the light faded from his big brown eyes. His face dropped as his eyes scanned over me. “What the hell is this?”

He rushed for me, but the guard stepped in between us. “Please do not touch the prisoners, sir. She’s dangerous.”

“What have you done to her?” Zane snarled at the guard, who seemed unaffected. “Get her clean bandages and a new shirt… Now!”

The guard gritted his teeth so loud that I could hear it from here. He gave one stern nod before marching out of the room.

Zane took this time to kneel before me, holding my trembling hand in both of his. “Lea, talk to me. Tell me what I can do to help you.”

I didn’t realize I was shaking until I parted my lips, and my chin quivered.

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