Page 64 of Hidden Heir

“You fucker! You better kill me here, right now, because I swear to fuck, when my father finds us there will be nothingthat can save you. The Murphys will let me have you. You havenothing, you hear me!”

Paul walks forward, his face twisting with anger as he presses the barrel of the gun to my forehead. “I have you. And I have her.”

Before he can say anything else, a phone notification dings, pulling Paul’s attention away. He waves his gun, and Brooke and I are hauled upward. We’re dragged back to the cell but this time, they don’t chain me up like before. They toss us both in and slam the door shut.

“Brooke.” I crawl to her immediately and the moment she’s in my arms, she bursts into broken sobs.

“I don’t know where they are,” she sobs heavily. “I swear I don’t. I don’t know anything and now he–he’s dead. So where is my daughter? Where the hell is my baby?”

28

BROOKE

Death is coming.

I welcome it now.

Most of the pain from my injuries has become numb and I no longer have sensation in my left hand. The torture has been less, for both of us. Something is keeping Paul distracted, and part of me hopes it kills him because then we can die quietly here, together.

I miss Tiffany. When Paul didn’t mention her the next time he beat me, I became certain that he didn’t have her. I don’t know where she is but something deep within me tells me she’s alive. I can only hope she’s somewhere safe and not being harmed.

My thoughts drift and I close my eyes as the faint sound of rain begins outside, momentarily soothing me. I try to count the raindrops as they fall, but soon there are too many, and I simply soak up the sound while imagining myself standing in the rain, imagining how each cold droplet would feel like bliss against my raw skin. It would be heaven. My eyes flutter as Leon’s hand lightly touches my cheek.

“Hey,” he says softly. “Stay with me.”

“I’m here,” I reply, slowly opening my eyes. “Still here.”

“Good.” He gazes down at me with both eyes, the swelling on his face reducing. They haven’t taken him away much lately though we aren’t sure why. We know there’s value in keeping him alive but Leon’s set in his promise to kill Paul, so allowing him to live feels like a rookie mistake. We did try to find sense in all of this one night, but at this point we are starving to death so trying to work through any sane thought is a struggle.

“What are you thinking about?” Leon gently brushes a grimy strand of hair away from my face.

I gaze up at him, my head resting in his lap as we cuddle together in the furthest corner of the cell. “The rain. I can hear it. If you close your eyes and listen…” I close my eyes again. “I’m imagining standing in it and opening my mouth, being able to drink more than the dirty shit they give us. I bet it tastes so cool and clear.”

Leon’s fingers gently stroke over my forehead and he makes a soft humming sound. “I can hear it.”

When I open my eyes, Leon’s are closed. He’s pale and I notice his fingers tremble each time they lift off my head. I know deep down neither of us have much time left. Either Paul will kill us out of frustration, or he will forget about us, and starvation will take us.

“We’re not getting out of here, are we?” I whisper.

Leon looks down at me and frowns. “Yes, we are. I promise. I’m going to get you out of here and you will reunite with Tiffany. Then you can go and live your life.”

“You don’t actually believe that.” My heart beats slowly. “I don’t believe it either.”

“Brooke, you have to hold on. For her.”

“Can I tell you something?”

He nods. “Anything.”

I don’t want him to die without knowing the truth.

“Tiffany is your daughter.”

Leon’s eyes widen so rapidly that he splits a wound on his forehead and a drop of blood rolls down his temple. “Wh–what?”

“She’s your daughter. After we first met and had that amazing night together, I saw you on the news the next day with your father. I didn’t want to be involved with a criminal. A month later, I found out I was pregnant, and I was so scared about what would happen to her in your dangerous world if I told you. So I hid her from you. I didn’t want that kind of life for her or for me. I didn’t want her around danger.”

Tears sting at the corner of my eyes as Leon’s hand pauses in my hair.

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