Page 171 of Devil Mine

A furious animalistic scream erupts from behind me. It’s followed by the sound of scuffling. If I could turn around, I would, but Marco holds me steadfast. I don’t need to witness it to know that Thiago is grappling with the men holding him hostage.

“Put her in my room,” Marco orders Julio.

Fear unlike any I’ve ever known freezes me at his cold order. I recognize the look in his eye; it’s the same one Franklin had before he tried to assault me. Marco releases my face with a shove and forces me to look over at Thiago.

He’s still on his back, chest rising and falling violently with his enraged breaths, being held down by the two guards. His eyes are pinned hauntingly on mine, his expression caught somewhere between rage and pure terror. A feral growl shreds his throat.

I’m staring back at him, the connection between us pulsing and alive. I’m trying not to let the fear drown me. Unspeakable horrors await me if I leave this room, but I don’t currently see a way out.

Marco runs the back of his fingers down my cheek. Goosebumps raise chillingly down my spine and my skin turns clammy. My reaction to him couldn’t be further from my reaction to Thiago.

“I always wondered what about her made you lose your fucking mind,” he declares, staring gleefully down at my husband. “I’m about to find out for myself now.”

“NO!” the scream rips from Thiago’s throat, the pain audible in his voice. Hearing his cry is intolerable, it’s ugly and distorted, and it tears me apart.

Marco’s hand moves to caress my lips and I nearly gag.

“I love you,” I murmur, as fresh tears roll down my face.

And then I open my mouth and bite Marco’s thumb as hard as I can.

Fucking bastard.

That’ll teach him to touch me without my consent.

“Fuck you,” I hiss at him, the vitriol flying from my lips.

He howls woundedly, clutching his hand against his chest. Then his eyes find mine again, flashing in rage. His fist flies and he punches me in the face for the second time today.

I fall to the floor and unconsciousness takes me.

???

I come to almost immediately. My hair covers my face, obscuring my vision. I can see the ground moving beneath me, a pair of feet taking me somewhere.

I’m being carried in someone’s arms.

“Put her in my room.”

Fresh panic swells inside me. My frantic heart pounds loudly in my ears. My vision narrows. I take discreet deep breaths to calm myself down and stay the hysteria. If I let it take me, I won’t get out of this alive. I need a clear mind.

I work to relax my body, to keep my eyes closed.

My captor can’t know that I’m conscious. The element of surprise is what’s going to save me here.

That’s what Thiago taught me.

I let myself be carried seemingly lifelessly to what looks like a makeshift bedroom. I can make out a rug and a dirty mattress on metallic legs. Nausea rises into my throat, but I swallow it back down.

I’m thrown onto the mattress and I let my body bounce without trying to catch my fall, continuing to feign my unconsciousness. Peeking through my lashes, I recognize Julio as he turns towards the door. I quickly shutter my eyes when he looks back at me. My heart pounds in fear as he stares lengthily at me.

Leave. Leave. Leave.

I chant it over and over in my head, praying that he buys my passed out act, praying that he doesn’t come back towards me.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, he leaves.

My survival instincts kick in and a voice in my head yells at me torun. To get out of there while I’m alone and unbound. That this is my chance.

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