Page 14 of Unbroken

I wanted that water. My mouth felt like I’d been chewing on cotton, and my lips were miserably chapped. I needed that water, but I didn’t know if it was worth the risk.

With a shaking hand, I reached for it. Weighing the pros and cons quickly, I hoped that if it was laced with something, it would do whatever it was going to quickly. I smelled it first, then took a sip. Dying of dehydration sounded worse than whatever might be in store for me.

I waited several seconds before I took another sip. When nothing happened, I took a large gulp and set the half-empty glass back on the tray.

The food was less than appetizing, and I was too terrified to even consider if I was hungry or not.

My eyelids grew heavy as I stared around the room. Pulling my knees to my chest, I wrapped my arms around my midsection and fought the heavy onslaught of drowsiness as long as I could.

I was completely alone but for the man who was upstairs. Who was keeping me there for some reason.

It was impossible to know how long it had been since we were at the restaurant. It could have been hours or days since Valerie put her sadistic plan in motion. Her vindictive waysfinally coming to a head. She wanted Luke, and if she couldn’t have him, no one could.

She’d had him and lost him, and that was too much for her to handle.

The room went dark. No light filtered in from behind the blocked windows. No sounds emanated from beyond the walls.

Once again, nearing the edge of consciousness, I prayed my friends were better off than I was. That they were together, and Valerie was no longer a problem. That they’d figured a way out of the mess I’d contributed to.

I prayed and hoped that one day I’d get the chance to tell them how sorry I was.

But sleep won as a single tear finally slipped free.

PART TWO

NOW

EIGHT

Devon

Present day

I was insane.Or at least I was if the definition of insanity really was doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result.

Dropping my phone into the cupholder, I pushed open the car door. It slammed closed behind me, and I cringed at the sound that echoed through the quiet suburban neighborhood.

I rounded the front of the car, but Piper was already locking her front door.

“Are you ever going to let me knock on your door when I pick you up?”

She spun and smiled. But she spun too quickly, catching her foot on the edge of her welcome mat and nearly dropping the casserole dish in her hands. She caught herself with her hip on the doorframe and saved the dish from shattering on the concrete porch beneath her.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath as I jogged up the walkway. I reached her just as she steadied herself.

“That was terrifying,” she said, still wearing a smile that hadn’t faltered. She stood up, but I took the casserole dish from her hands as a precaution. Knowing she would argue, and probably try to take it back, I turned and started walking back to the car without saying a word.

“I could still carry it,” she argued, following behind me. I stopped at the passenger side of the car and waited for her to catch up.

She stopped in front of me. Her long, blond hair kicked up by the breeze and blowing in her face, she batted it out of the way before she pressed up on her toes and kissed me quickly.

“Hi,” she said.

I opened the car door, and she hopped in. Safely seated, I handed her back the dish. “You can carry it now.”

She shook her head as I closed the door and walked back to the driver’s side.

“I’m just nervous, okay? I’m trying to make a good impression on your friends,” she said the second I slid into the seat.

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