Page 75 of Brutal Vows

So I bite his fucking hand.

The man curses, his grip loosening just enough for me to twist my head and suck in a breath. “Vita?—”

The slap comes fast, hard. My head snaps to the side, pain exploding along my cheekbone. The world tilts, stars flashing in my vision, and before I can blink them away, he is dragging me through the door, out of sight and into the darkness beyond the chaos.

No, no, no.

I fight harder when I see the waiting car ahead, my pulse hammering against my skull, but it doesn’t matter.

“Gag this bitch and tie her hands,” the fucker with his palm on my mouth growls angrily.

“No.” I shake my head in a lame attempt to prevent the man’s accomplice from tying the dirty cloth around my mouth while the other one binds my hands in front of me.

“In you go,” the man sneers, popping the trunk on the car and shoving me inside.

“Wftt.” The plea comes out jumbled, but the man just laughs and then slams the trunk shut, plunging me into darkness.

The stale scent of rubber and gasoline fills my nose as I gasp for breath, my cheek stinging from where he’d hit me. I kick out, my heel striking the metal with a dull thud, but the car is already moving, the vibrations rumbling beneath me as they speed away from the chaos I’ve just been ripped from.

No. No. No.

My pulse pounds, body shaking from adrenaline and fear as my hands scramble over the rough fabric lining of the trunk, searching for anything I can get my hands on. A latch. A weakness. A way out. But there is nothing but cold, unyielding metal.

Vitali.

Will he have noticed I’m gone?

My breath hitches as panic claws at my chest, my heart feeling as though it might shatter through my ribs as the car swerves sharply, my body rolling against the side. I manage to catch myself, swallowing down a cry.

Stay calm. Think.

Twisting my body, I feel along the seam where the trunk latches shut. Some cars have emergency releases inside the trunk.Please, let this be one of them.My fingers brush over something.

Yes!

A thin lever is tucked against the wall. I yank it. Nothing. Another yank, this time harder.

My stomach drops. The bastards have disabled it.

A muffled voice reaches through the metal, thelow murmur of the man speaking on the phone. I strain to listen, my blood running cold at his words.

“…Got her. Yeah. Heading to the drop now…No, he doesn’t know yet.”

The drop.

Digging my nails into my palms, I bite back a sob. Where are they taking me?

And more importantly, how the hell am I going to get out?

The car jolts as it hits a pothole, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. I press further back into the trunk, hoping to delay the inevitable when the time comes. Every muscle in my body is tense, like a coil ready to snap. I need to think. I need to plan. But there isn’t time. All I can hope is that Vitali finds me in time.

The car slows, the engine rumbling to a stop. My heart is a drum in my chest, pounding louder with every second. Doors creak open. Footsteps. Multiple pairs. The trunk pops opens and a figure looms above me, backlit by the harsh light spilling in from outside. I don’t recognize this one. Another thug. He reaches in, pulls me roughly from the trunk, and puts me on my feet, shoving me forward.

“Move,” he growls, his grip like iron on my arm. I stumble but don’t resist. The last thing I want to do is make him angry. The cold air hits me as I am hauled toward the warehouse that looms in front of me like a monster, an empty shell. Its windows are blacked out, the air thick with the smell of metal and oil. I can hear muffled voices—low and unfamiliar—coming from inside.

“Savia is already waiting with your new masters,” the thug mutters, his voice flat, almost bored.

New masters? My heart skips a beat, and for a moment, everything goes still. She is still planning onselling me? What does she have to gain or is this more about revenge? I want to scream, to shout, but no sound leaves my lips. I’m too petrified. If I’m sold, how far can Vitali track me?

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