Page 182 of Ink Deep Devotion

Don’t let her see that flash across your face! Lie!I furrow my brows and look up as if trying to pull the truth from my head.“We didn’t talk about anything important,” I answer quickly.“He kept trying to convince me to give Dash another chance.”

“Any detail helps.” She pushes the phone closer to me.“Did he ever mention that girl?” She taps her finger on the screen, zooming in closer.

What girl? I grab the phone, blinking, trying not to cry. I didn’t notice the girl in the photo. The cashier is standing acrossthe counter. She’s smiling at Damian, a flirtatious smirk, and Damian…oh, he’s never looked so smitten.

I shake my head.“Who is she?”

“Someone of interest. I need to find out where he is keeping her, so any details you can tell me will help. Damian is smart. He’s remained hidden along with her, but I have a feeling you got to know him better than his staff did.”

“What do Damian and this girl have to do with the man who betrayed you?”

“That’s none of your business!” Camilla’s composure breaks; her Italian skin flushes crimson. She averts her gaze and takes a deep breath, mumbling to herself. Then, she slowly looks back as if this is a tea party, and we are just giggling over gossip.

My stomach twists, causing that one tiny bite of toast to grate and scrape along my insides. She snatches back the phone, glancing at it with disgust. I grab the notebook and hug it to my chest.“I’ll try.” I lie. My shoulders droop inward,“You’ve done so much for me, and…I’m…I’m worried I will be of no use at all. I wish I could do more.”

“All I ask is that you try. If nothing is helpful, we will move on to the next step.”

What the fuck is the next step?

Well, she’s got me here; she could try to trade me for Damian. He would do it.

Dash would force him.

I can’t allow that to happen! Time’s up. I need to get away before that happens.

The moment Camilla took me under her wing, I have been watching and waiting, plotting. Nova would be proud. I’ve seen afew chances I could try to escape, rare moments when I’m alone, mostly when I’m in my room, which means I have to sneak out. That’s too risky.

There is another way—a pathway to freedom. I was too scared to plot it before, but I am—right now.

“Don’t rush,” she articulates the statement so sweetly.

I nod.“Can I do my morning lesson first? It helps clear my head.”

“Of course.”

“Um, now that Ben is gone, who will I train with?”I hate you! I’m going to smile when you die.

Camilla flicks her hair back,“Amon can train you.”

Standing, I leave, notebook in hand. When the sun sets, I will either be free or will have taken my last breath.

???

As I train, I hold back, saving my muscles and energy for my escape. I learned as much as I can. I need to get out of here and tell my family, so it’s not all a waste. After my hand to hand combat lessons, I always have gun practice. It’s the only time I am one on one with someone. A small fighting chance to escape.

By the time Amon drives us out to the open fields, I slide out of the car; literally, I’m sweating so much that my seat has turned into a slip-and-slide. Amon grabs the guns without saying a word. Ben used to at least make small talk, but Amon just creepily watches as I aim and shoot, sometimes missing my target.

The wind blows over my wet brow, the sensation churns my stomach, making my insides feel like a foul concoction a child made without its mom’s permission.

This is it. It’s now or never. Don’t hesitate.

We begin to pack up, putting all the guns back into the SUV. We never shoot near the manor; it’s always out in the field where the birds tend to flock like poor, unsuspecting targets, just like Amon will be.

This is the perfect place and the only time I can try to escape. It’s just Amon and me, who should not have walked to the driver's seat to warm the car, leaving me to pack up the guns.

My eyes linger on the forest line for one more moment before my life changes. The fog is still thick, a small aid on my side from Mother Nature trying to help me get out alive.

I don’t think. If I did, I wouldn’t be able to do it.

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