Page 24 of Deception

My hopeless situation hit me with a force that knocked the air out of me. Even though I was covered with more blankets than I had ever owned in my life, shivers wracked my body. My teeth began clacking together, and my whole body trembled. My stomach was replaced by a big gaping hole that threatened to consume me. The signs of an oncoming panic attack were now sadly familiar, settling themselves firmly into my body and holding on like a parasite, sucking the life out of me.

“¡Mierda!” Santino cursed and jumped out of his chair, reading the situation correctly. He also knew to recognize the signs by now.

Breathing became a chore, and I was gasping for air. Santino leaned over me, studying my face. He didn’t seem to like what he saw, because his lips were two thin lines and his eyes narrowed.

Maybe passing out wouldn’t be so bad. At least the panic attack would go away. My face heated up and my body tightened, revolting against the cruel punishment my mind liked to dish out.

Santino held on to my shoulders and shook me. “Breathe,” he yelled in my face.

It was safe to say I’d had enough. Enough of being held captive. Of everyone else deciding for me. Of telling me what to do. Of keeping me prisoner. I wanted to sink back into blissful oblivion. And it seemed I’d get my wish sooner rather than later.

Santino’s face twisted in a grimace to rival the Grim Reaper, his hands on my shoulders. “Breathe, damn it.”

As if repeating his command would make a difference.

There was a commotion outside my door. Someone called out, and then the door burst open. I couldn’t see much over all the blankets still piled on top of me. Why was I still conscious?

Santino released me and stepped back, revealing a red-faced and half-dressed Lucius. My eyes went wide at his appearance. His usual suit was gone, replaced with sweatpants. His delectable upper body was on display, but my vision was finally getting blurry, and I couldn’t fully appreciate what was in front of me.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he had dark circles underneath. He kneeled on my bed and leaned over me. “Breathe.”

Why is everyone telling me to breathe?

He reached a shaky hand out, lightly tracing my jaw.

If I blinked, I might have missed it. “Please.” A whispered plea only for me to hear. His face was so close, I could make out the flecks of green in his golden eyes. His clean, soapy smell. The worry line between his brows.

Lucius cursed and lifted me out of the bed. Then he rushed me into the bathroom and put me in the shower.

Cold water hit me, and I shrieked in surprise while I gulped big breaths of air in. I tried to escape the onslaught of icy water, quickly getting soaked through to the bone.

His arms locked around me from behind, holding me tightly, the water encasing us. My whole body deflated, as if the strings holding me together suddenly released.

The action brought him even closer, his weight now pressing down on me. He put his forehead to the back of my head. “Don’t give up now, preciosa.”

Once I was steady again, he backed off slightly but didn’t release me. I was grateful for the connection. Needed it. I turned to face him, frowning. “Why does nobody around here use my name? It’s not that hard to remember.”

His lips twitched and a ghost of a smile appeared, replacing his worried expression. God, he was handsome. Even though there were dark smudges under his eyes and his hair was in a permanent state of disarray, he was still a sight to behold.

“I’m sorry, Everleigh,” he said, emphasizing my name. “Feeling better?”

I nodded. “Since I’m already in here, I might as well take a shower.”

He dropped his arms from around me, and I swayed without him holding me up.

I held on to the wall to steady myself, and Lucius stepped out of the shower. After one last glance in my direction, he padded out of the bathroom, leaving giant puddles in his wake. He closed the door behind him, leaving me alone for the first time in days.

There was no way I was going to take my clothes off. I was unable to lift my arms. I couldn’t bend down. I also had no intention of getting naked with Lucius and Santino in the other room, all that separated us a door. But I was desperate to get clean, so I simply stepped into the shower dressed in my pajamas. The now warm water engulfed me, and I sighed in relief.

Wet bandages stuck uncomfortably to my body. I slowly turned into the spray, ignoring the pain each movement caused as best as I could.

I took the soap and loofah and scrubbed my skin. Soap, rub, rinse, repeat. I emptied half the bottle before stopping and sinking to the ground.

The water continued to pelt down on my tired and bruised body, and I welcomed the pain. Each time it hit a bruise or a cut, I grimaced. I was hugging my knees, forehead resting on them.

What’s next? Will they punish me for jumping off the cliff? Will I keep working as I have been?

But they wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of patching me up only to kill me. If I’d learned one thing during my time here, it was that they weren’t wasteful or stupid. They must still have a plan for me.

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