Page 12 of Sweet Sin

He’s harsh…but he gets through this time.

I swallow as I regard the havoc I’ve wrought. The blood…

“Where’s the other one?” I demand, my voice shaking.

“Unconscious. I clocked him in the head with the pistol. This one’s going to need an ambulance.”

I look down at my right hand. The terrycloth is soaked with blood. Fragments of glass are stuck on the towel, on my fingers, my robe. “What have I done?”

“What you had to do.” He turns me gently to face him. “Why did they want you, Savannah? What the hell have you done?”

I panic then. My breath gets caught in my throat, my skin goes cold. My chest hurts. So tight, my neck is tight too. My throat constricts. I try to swallow, but I can’t.

“Can’t… Can’t…”

“What, Savannah? Tell me.”

“Can’t… Breathe…”

Sydney stands over the blond man… She licks at his wounds, growling.

“He needs a fucking ambulance. You got his carotid. Here, take off your robe. Hold it on his neck. He’s going to die otherwise.”

I don’t care. I want this man to die. He came for me. He came to take me back to my family.

That only means one thing.

They need me for dirty work.

So naïve to think I could make an escape.

I got my mom and dad to agree. I didn’t think I needed anyone else.

Now?

I’m going to end up like Michael.

Forced into a life I don’t want, and killed when I don’t do what they say.

“Jesus Fuck, Vannah, you’re bleeding.”

Am I?

I can’t feel anything except the tightness in my chest and my throat.

Falcon takes my robe, pushes it against the blond guy’s neck.

“He’ll die. You have to go inside and call 911, Vannah. Can you do that? Then you need to take care of your hand. It’s bleeding.”

I fall to the ground. Crumple. Naked and ashamed.

The terrycloth wrapped around my hand is so wet, so red.

The man’s blood…

It’s wet. Wet and red with the man’s blood.

Except it’s not all the man’s blood.

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