Page 191 of Filthy Savage

Fia! Oh my God, my baby!

I shake my body, fighting the binds, my feet bound too. There’s something over my eyes, something that makes everything seem dark.

It reminds me of that dream. The one of me as a child.

Is this a dream?

No. It can’t be. I can sense the pain at my wrists, my lungs aching as I try to scream, but it’s just unintelligible mumbling.

“Let’s get this shit over with!” a man says, but my mind’s too loopy to make out his voice.

But in the back of my head, I think I’ve heard it before.

A woman snickers. “I’ve waited years for this moment. And you think I’m gonna blow it away because you’re impatient?”

Oh my God.

My breathing turns labored.

It can’t be. No. It…it can’t be.

Tears fill my eyes as I recognize both of them, hoping I’m wrong. That my head is making me imagine it all.

“Not happening, buddy.” She laughs. “If you don’t like it, just leave. I can do this on my own.”

“I don’t fucking trust you,” he spits out, and I choke on a cry.

Why are they doing this to me?

My body quivers, fear like I’ve never experienced taking hold. I don’t understand what’s happening.

“We’re both working for the same thing, aren’t we?” she continues. “I just want my time with her before we kill her. Okay?”

Kill? NO!

“Yeah, whatever. Make it fast.”

“Ah, I think she’s awake already.” Footsteps draw closer.

In seconds, she’s ripping off the blindfold, and my eyes blink against the bright lights, unable to see anything clearly at first.

“Shh, don’t cry,” Lilith says. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“Mm,” I shake my head, shuddering as I come face-to-face with both of them.

Julius glares, his face tight.

The dual betrayal hits me so hard; I snivel, unable to catch my breath.

He never wanted to know me, did he? It was a ploy. It had to be.

But for what? To hurt me? I don’t understand what’s going on.

Lilith drops her head to the side, a sympathetic look on her face as her mouth forms a thin line. But her eyes are bleak and cold, something I’ve never seen in my friend before.

“Now, if you promise to be a good little girl, I’ll remove your gag, okay?” She makes herself sound syrupy sweet, but in a deranged kind of way. Like one of those serial killers in movies that act all nice before they slice your throat.

My gut heaves.

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