Page 95 of Carnival
Her tone leaves no room for argument, not that I’d try it. Wordlessly, I nod, and the man behind her — Maverick, motions with his head for me to follow him. I cast one last glance at Chase, only to see him already looking at me with a blank expression, barely blinking.
The moment Maverick and I start going up the stairs, I release a deep breath. My eyes flick to his side profile, trying to gouge out anything — but he’s perfectly composed. His suit is neat and tailored to suit him, and he keeps his poker face on at all times.
“So, Maverick,’’ I clear my throat. “How long have you been working for my grandmother?”
“Over three decades, miss,’’ he responds. His tone is polite but distant. He’s not thrilled to be speaking to me, however, since I am Vivian’s granddaughter; unfortunately, he’s stuck trying to entertain me, at least a little bit.
“That’s a very long time,’’ I hum.
My eyes fall to his blazer, something shiny catching my eye. It’s a set of keys, with one keycard. It’s within my reach, and if I were to extend my hand, I’d be able to grab it. Call it intuition, or a gut feeling, but something tells me that those keys are for the door guarding James.
My fingers twitch by my side, eyes returning to look straight ahead. Reluctantly, I start moving my hand, inch by inch, untilI can touch the keys. I freeze when his phone starts buzzing, but my mind works quickly.
Before he answers, the ringtone echoes around us, the loud sound giving me the perfect opportunity. I don’t waste a moment longer, snatching the keys from him, and then letting him take the lead. I hide the keys, as silently as possible, in my bra, trying to eavesdrop on his phone call.
My heart almost leaps out of my chest, the adrenaline rushing through my veins. My body starts heating up, and I can hear ringing in my ears. This was so fucking risky, and I took the risk without thinking about the consequences.
There will be consequences.
Because this entire hallway is filled with cameras.
36
James
The sound of chains clattering together causes me to halt. I repeat the motion, going as slowly as possible, determined to make less noise. I don’t know when Vivian will return, and although her visits have been less frequent due to the charming change in her facial structure, I can’t be too sure when she’d drop by.
The only way for me to pull my wrist out of the chains is if I break it, and I’ve been trying to do that for the past hour. It hurts liek a bitch merely trying, and I know it’ll be hell once it’s actually broken, but pain is temporary. It’ll heal eventually.
The wounds all over my body aren’t healing because of the lack of care. Apparently, ruining Vivian’s precious face meant getting worse treatment. Oh, well, can’t say I didn’t deserve it. Then again, so did she.
Her words are constantly replaying in my head, and it’s the reason I’m continuing forward with this plan. I’m not giving hermore time to go through with her ludicrous idea of getting Rose with that man.
I grit my teeth, clench my jaw, and close my eyes. I’ve positioned my hand at an angle, fingers tangled with the chains. One quick motion downward and it’ll break. I take a deep breath, and before I release it, I pull all the weight of my arm down — and the bone breaking fills the room.
A low hiss comes from my throat, the pain shooting through my entire body. Black dots form in my vision, and it takes me a few moments until the pain subsides. With a shaky breath, I pull the hand out of the chains, creating a gap wide enough to pull the healthy wrist through.
I slump to the floor, my body trembling. I’ve been in that godforsaken position for at least two weeks, and the bastards wouldn’t even let me piss in peace. They’d bring a fucking bucket for me to use, like I’m an animal.
I’m on my knees, trying to regain control over my body. It’s filled with stab wounds, blisters, whipping marks, and blood that has long dried out. My vision blurs, the extent of my wounds finally catching up to me.
I don’t get enough time to figure out my next steps or to recover a little of my strength before I catch the sound of footsteps slowly approaching. The sound of heels clicking causes me to try and stand up, but my movements are clumsy, my body swaying a little.
The keypad beeps, and the door swings open. I’m prepared to attack, although I know it’d probably be fucking useless to fight in this state. Nonetheless, my eyes flick to the door, expecting to see Vivian or one of her men.
Instead, my heart skips a beat.
Rose stands there, in a light blue, floor-length dress. It’s a princess style, with her hair filled with silly ribbons, gloves on her hands, and makeup that doesn’t suit her face. But even then, she’s beautiful.
Her eyes swell with tears when she sees me, her expression filled with worry. She rushes toward me, hugging me tightly. I’m too weak to return the hug properly and simply flop my face in the crook of her neck.
Her divine scent gives me the strength I’m lacking. Her soft hair falls in my face, tickling me. I inhale deeply, feeling her arms tighten her grip around my body. Her own starts shaking, a few tears falling from her eyes, dripping onto my back.
“I’m here, hellion,’’ I croak out. “I’m right here.’’
“I’m so sorry,’’ she sobs, tightening her grip on me. Her hands are trembling as she lifts her head up to meet my eyes, her own filled with unshed tears. The sight makes my chest ache, and all I want to do is take her pain away.
“Don’t apologize, hellion. None of this is your fault, but right now, we have to leave.’’
