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My mind races as I try to think of a way out of this situation, but there seems to be no escape.
As I hesitate, Matilda crosses the room, closing in on me. Her steely gaze locks onto mine. “Do not test my patience, young lady. Make your selection, or I will choose for you.”
With a quivering finger, I indicate the smallest knife, hoping it will prove less agonizing than the others. Matilda nods approvingly and takes the knife, handing it to her thug.
“Bring him.” Her fingers snap again, and I flinch against the grating noise. I’ve never encountered a voice as devoid of warmth and emotion as hers.
Alec is brought to her, shoved to the floor, looking angry and determined. I’m more scared than before. Matilda holds out her hand and one of the guards comes running. He assists her as she unsteadily goes to her knees beside Alec.
She gestures for the knife. The glinting metal reflects the light, mirroring the chilling coldness of her soul. Alec’s eyes blaze with fierce resolve, yet fear lurks beneath the surface.
Matilda’s wrist snaps, and before I can process her intentions, the blade slashes across my ankle.
I scream, the searing pain overwhelming me, and I pant as my body grapples with the shocking assault. The metallic tang of blood fills my nostrils, and a profound sense of helplessness engulfs me.
This is why I’m here.
Terror shakes my body as I scream again, pulling against the metal restraints that bind my arms.
Matilda gazes at me, her lips curling into a malevolent grin. “This man possesses the information we seek. If he refuses to divulge what we need to know…” She shrugs nonchalantly and drags the knife across my calf.
Blood courses down my skin, splattering onto the floor, and my jaw drops open in another excruciating cry.
“Now,” she declares, a wicked grin etched upon her face. “Which one of you will speak first?”
TWENTY-THREE
Alec
Matilda’smaniacal cackle reverberates through the room, penetrating the cold walls and filling every crevice with its haunting echo. Goose bumps rise on my skin as she orders the guards to release Barbi from the chair. Her laughter lingers in my ears as she departs, disappearing down the dimly lit hallway. The sound continues to haunt the corridors long after she’s gone.
Instinctively, my first priority is attending to Barbi’s injuries. The men stripped me of my belongings, including my phone and the pocketknife that is always within reach. But resourcefulness and ingenuity are qualities I possess in abundance.
Without hesitation, I tear off the bed sheets, using my teeth to rip them into strips of cloth.
“I’ve got you, love.” Lifting her gently into my arms, I carry her to the nearby bathroom. There, I meticulously cleanse her wounds as best I can. “This may sting a little.”
My heart breaks with each whimper that escapes her lips. Yet, despite the agony she endures, she remains stoic, her gaze unwaveringly fixed on me. In her eyes, I see resilience and bravery, igniting a fire within me.
Her soft cries intensify as I apply soap to the wounds, but my concern now lies more with preventing infection than immediate pain. Each pained sound that leaves her lips shatters my heart.
Carefully, I wrap the makeshift bandages around Barbi’s wounds, suppressing the ache in my heart as I tighten them enough to staunch the flow of blood. Her soft, pained whimpers tug at my emotions, but I remain resolute, determined to alleviate her suffering.
“Why are they doing this?” She tries to make sense of the situation, but how do I tell her how bad things are going to get?
Drawing in a deep breath, I contemplate what to disclose, ultimately deciding she deserves to know the truth of what we’re up against. “How much do you know about Rosalie?”
“Carmen’s friend?”
“Yes, and the rescue.”
“Only that Rosalie worked as Carmen’s maid and Carmen’s dad is a human trafficker.”
I close my eyes, exhaling a sigh of relief. She possesses sufficient knowledge to grasp the gravity of the situation without endangering herself further.
“Matilda is Artemus Gonzales’s mother.”
“The man Carmen’s father was trying to marry Carmen off to?”