Page 71 of Unmasked Legacy

"I don't know," I reply, my voice trembling with feigned panic. "She just collapsed. Something is wrong, you need to help her."

As they turn towards each other, quietly discussing a plan, I tighten my grip on the broken plate hidden behind my back. The moment they're not focused on me, I swing it with all my might, aiming for the nearest guard's head. The glass shatters, sending shards flying, and he staggers back, clutching his face as blood trickles from a wound in his head.

Nia springs into action, swinging the piece of railing at the other guard. Her strike lands with a sickening thud, and he grunts, momentarily stunned. She swings again, this time aiming for his knees, and he buckles, falling to the ground. Without so much as a pause, she pushes to her feet and swings the railing again, hitting him over and over.

She needs to get out of here.

"Run, Nia!" I shout, adrenaline surging through me as I lunge at the first guard, trying to keep him down. He's bleeding, disoriented, but not knocked out like I had hoped. I kick at his legs, desperate to keep him from regaining his balance.

Nia scrambles towards the stairs, but the second guard, though injured, grabs her ankle, pulling her back. She kicks wildly, her foot connecting with his jaw, and he releases her with a curse.

For a moment, it seems like we might actually make it. Nia is almost at the stairs, and I'm holding my own against the first guard. But then, with a roar of anger, he surges forward, slamming me against the wall. Pain explodes in my shoulder, and I cry out, my vision blurring.

Then he does it again, over and over, until darkness clouds my vision.

The second guard, recovering faster than either of us anticipated, lunges for Nia again. She swings the railing desperately, but he catches it, yanking it from her grasp. With a swift, brutal motion, he twists her arm behind her back, forcing her to her knees. She goes down, too weak to fight off a man his size, and my chest sinks as my vision blurs.

"No!" I croak, struggling against the guard pinning me, but it's no use. He's too strong, and I'm too weak, my earlier adrenaline fading into emptiness.

Nia's eyes meet mine, filled with fear and determination. "Donotgive up," she mouths, just before they haul her toward the stairs.

Then, the guard drags her up the stairs. The man holding me hisses into my ear. “Stupid girl. You just made a very big mistake.”

With that, he drops me to the ground and my body slumps against the cold concrete beneath me. He disappears and the basement door slams shut, leaving me alone in the dim light, my heart heavy with disappointment. We were so close, and now I’ve put Nia in more danger because I don’t know what Caleb will do to her when he finds out.

Will he kill her now?

My eyes close and my brain spins as I slowly take myself down to a lying position. I’m certain I have a concussion after that attack. I don’t want to die here, and I don’t want Nia to die here, either. I have to get out, but that was my only chance and now it’s ruined. What have I done? Did I just make the biggest mistake I could?

Come on, Wolfe. Please be alive.

I’m relying on you now.

Please don’t be gone.

Please.

17

Idon’t know how long I lay on that cold, stark concrete, but I’m only awakened when the door opens, and I hear voices. Pushing up, my body screaming in pain, I glance at the door to see Caleb walking down, followed by one of the guards. His face is black and blue, and I feel a surge of pride knowing that I did that to him. At the very least, we got the chance to throw down those guards.

They deserved a whole lot more than that, but I’m glad we got something.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the little plotter. Did you really think your plan was going to work, Mera? Honestly? What were you going to do if you managed to get out of here? Kill everyone I have upstairs. These aren’t the only two guards I have, you silly girl.”

“Funny that,” I mutter, pushing to my feet. “I didn’t see any when I came in.”

He laughs. “That doesn’t mean they aren’t there.”

He’s lying, I know he is. It has been the same two men coming down since I’ve been here, and Nia told me she hasn’t seen any other people. He just wants me to be too afraid to try anything again. He’s sadly mistaken if he thinks I’m going to heed that warning. Hell, at the next chance I get, I’m going to try and escape this nightmare.

“Unfortunately for you, I don’t have time to keep running the risk that you might escape. So, your girl Nia dies today. I came down to get you, I thought you might want to watch.”

My heart skips a beat.

No.

I can’t let this happen.

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