Page 86 of Kept

How much is too much?

If she can stomach what we do… then perhaps this is possible, after all.

She looks up at me uncertainly, but her hand reaches out, her fingers curling around mine as I lift her up. “Where?”

“You’ll see.” I nod to the parcels stacked up against the wall, the deliveries I was planning on giving to her this evening. “You’ll need shoes, and something a little warmer than that shirt.”

Ryder stands, making his way over to the packages and rummaging through them. “I don’t think the gold sequins will cut it this evening, princess,” he says, turning with some dark material in his hands. “But Maverick ordered you some plainer things too.”

She takes the clothes slowly, hugging them to her chest. “I’ve never worn anything apart from white,” she murmurs, looking down at them. “They don’t feel plain to me.”

“Get dressed,” I order softly. “We’ll be leaving in thirty minutes.”

She nods. “What about… is Enzo coming?”

Shaking my head, I place my hand on her back as I lead her to the door. “No. He won’t appear for a little while.”

I jerk my head, and Ryder follows her out, pausing beside me.

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” he says under his breath as we watch her make her careful way down the hall. “She’s very calm.”

Too calm, considering what she might have seen.

“We’re in this now,” I say to him just as quietly. “It was going to happen sooner or later, if she’s staying.”

Even if it’s happening much sooner than I would have chosen.

31 – Zella

Myhandkeepsrunningover the soft material covering my legs as I sit in the back of the thing they call a car. There’s a rumbling beneath me, and my body vibrates as Maverick does something and the car comes to life beneath me. Ryder’s hand covers mine and I glance down briefly, distracted by the warmth.

I’m socold.

But my eyes are huge, glued to the glass window as Maverick drives us out of the garage. I can’t see much, and Ryder leans across me, pressing something that makes the glass slide down.

“Thank you.” With the glass down, I still can’t see much. It’s pitch-black outside, the only light coming from the lights of the car. As I crane my head, I catch glimpses of the trees I ran through on my first night.

“Whoa there, princess.” Ryder tugs me back as I stick my whole head out of the window in my enthusiasm to see. “You won’t see much if you fall out.”

As the car picks up speed and I try to get used to the sensation of moving so quickly, nausea flips in my stomach and I pull my head back, leaning it against the back of my seat and closing my eyes.

“You okay?” Ryder asks softly. His fingers trace shapes on the back of my hand. “It’s been a strange day.”

My nod feels absent, and I keep my eyes closed as I try to process how I’m feeling. I’m not entirely sure that the churning in my stomach is just from the car.

“Where are we going again?” I ask, my eyelids cracking open in time to catch Maverick’s eye in the little front mirror.

“You’ll see.”

Hmmm.

“Is this where you kill me and bury me so nobody will find out your secrets?” I ask absently.

Ryder and I tip to the side as the car jerks, but Maverick pulls it back. “Shit!”

Ryder steadies me. “You okay, princess? Jesus, Maverick.”

“Sorry,” Maverick says shortly. He waits until I look up and meet his eyes to respond. “Zella, we are not going to hurt you. Not now, not ever. We’re just… showing you something.”

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