Page 49 of My Everything

“Holy shit!” he breathed. “I never thought I’d be back here. You’re Maddox?”

I lifted my head, sliding my gaze over him “Who the fuck are you?” He was shorter than me, dark blonde hair pulled tight into a short ponytail, and two big brown eyes that darted around the room. He scratched his neck, then left the door and fumbled with something that resembled a card in his hand. He slid it into the lock of my cage, and the door swung open. “The hell are you waiting for, bro!” he cried, “Hurry up.”

I struggled to my feet, biting back a groan, and stumbled after him through the door and toward the stairs.

“Wait.” I hated how my voice was nothing but a breathless gasp. How I had to ask the guy to slow down. I was trained to fight, to run, to not fucking back down, but as I struggled up the stairs, I feared I’d never make it. Every step hurt. Every little jolt made me want to scream and sweat already coated my skin.

“Wanna stay in there?”

I shot him a cold glare. The fuck did he think? That I wanted to rest for the fun of it? I pushed past every barrier I had and made it up the stairs. The smell of food reached my nose, gripping my stomach that growled with hunger.

“This way!” The skinny guy hissed, and I shook the urge to hunt the scent of food and followed him down a dark and narrow labyrinth until the fresh evening air caressed my sweaty skin. I had to stop. To breathe. To fucking rest before my heart broke my ribcage from the heavy thunder.

“No no no!” The guy was at my side, forcing me to go on.

It wasn’t dark enough for the lights to be on but dim enough for us to fade into the shadows as we crossed a cropped lawn. Whoever planned this picked the perfect time.

We reached a stone wall taller than me, and before I could ask, he leapt up, grabbed the top corner with his hands and heaved himself up. He made it look easy, and it was. Or should have been. Now, the steep wall towered over me like fucking Mount Everest.

“Come on,” the guy beckoned while balancing on the top.

My eyes darted to the dark path we came on. Behind us, the mansion loomed. A silver ghost in the twilight hour. Dark, yet bright. No windows overlooked this patch of garden, but it didn’t matter. Any second now, someone could come running after us. And if we were caught, there was no second chance. No mercy. I’d be lucky if I got a bullet through the brain.

“Fuck, bro, don’t just stand there!”

“I can’t,” I hissed.

“I’m not staying here!” His voice was rushed, fear leaking through, and I couldn’t blame him. I couldn’t let him run off either. This was my only chance. Before he pulled his leg over, I grabbed it and yanked. He lost his balance and came sliding back down. He landed with anumphand a curse before turning on me. “How dare you—”

“Shut up and help me.”

He looked like he wanted to slap me, then cast a fast glance around before nodding. “On three.”

I braced for the pain, knowing damn well what the motion would do. Once I placed a foot in his clasped hands, and he heaved me upwards, there was no turning back.

I grabbed the sharp corner of the top with my good arm, heaving myself up to the inevitable twist. Prepared or not. A scream tore through my throat before I clamped my mouth shut. Thrown off balance by the sudden stab of hot agony, I acted on impulse. Threw my arms out. Grabbed the wall to stop the fall.

I fell, hitting the ground hard. A sickeningpopechoed in my head as I crash-landed on the bad shoulder. Blinding white pain exploded within me, chasing through my entire left side. It felt like someone set me on fire and crushed my bones at the same time. If all the air wasn’t already knocked out of my lungs, I would have screamed. Or cried. It consumed me, trapped me in its own private hell and I saw no way out.

A voice somewhere on the outside called my name. Something touched me. Shaking me. Each jerk sent shockwaves through me. I forced my eyes open but couldn’t see. Everything was white. My head spun. Faster and faster until I vomited and cold sweat broke out across my skin.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I had to get off the ground. Get away. But I couldn’t move. My whole left side was stiff, my arm twisted behind me from the weight of my body pressing it down, but at the same time it throbbed and burned with an intensity that overpowered everything else.

“I’m out of here, bro.” The voice reached through, and I wanted to scream at him to stay. If not to help me, but to fucking kill me instead.

His footsteps disappeared in the grass, and cold determination settled over me. It didn’t matter how bad it hurt; how many fucking bones were broken.

I had no choice. I had to get up. And I had to do it now.

Sitting at a restaurant with the freaking mob boss and his creepy son was the last thing I wanted. But if this was going to work, I had to play my part.

The waiter served us dessert, and I looked at the tropical fruits arranged on a white tray and tried to hold back the nervous nausea that made eating a struggle. “Thank you.” I smiled at the young blonde who served us, and watched as she placed a plate of chocolate chip ice cream topped with wafers and cocoa sauce in front of Alex. He dug in, as if he had no care in the world.

“This was a lovely idea, Miss Remington.” Mr. X grinned from across the table. “What’s the occasion?”

I flashed him a smile, trying to look sincere. “You gave me my life back.” It was no lie. But if he thought I’d be grateful he exposed my father’s lie, and with that revealed that everything I ever believed in was a sham, he was wrong.

“I believe it’s something worth celebrating. And…” I paused, amazed at my acting skills. Hell, if I was this good, I should consider a career in the theaters. “I should get to know you, and Alex better. We are going to be family after all.”

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