Page 131 of Marks of Rebellion

She squints and puts her hand over her heart and freezes. Slowly, her head turns, stopping at each pile of flowers against the tree line.

I blink hard when she holds her hand out as if to tell me she knows I'm here.

All day, she stares in my direction. Her lunch and dinner, she eats outside of her tower of prison. When darkness begins to creep in, Carlos comes outside, and the vengeance in my veins stirs.

Vanessa's body shakes hard, and she recoils the moment he comes near her, holding her hands to her face.

His eyes turn to slits, and he angrily shakes his head, yelling at her, but I'm too far away to hear. He storms off and back into the house.

Her face crumples in tears, and she hugs her knees in the chair and rocks.

She's having another panic attack.

Hours pass, and everything turns black. I watch her with my night goggles. She swats flies and scratches welts from their bites until she draws blood, looking lost in her thoughts and staring in my direction.

I'm here, Flower. I'm going to rescue you, I promise.

Carlos comes back on the balcony and barks something at her and points inside the room.

She rises and focuses on the floor as she passes him, but he stops her.

The torture I feel, stopping myself from rushing the house and putting a bullet in his head, is like nothing I've ever experienced before.

He pulls her into his arms and holds her tight as she trembles in fear. For several minutes, he strokes her hair and says something to her. A blood curdling wail comes out of her, and his response is to not release her.

The sobbing is so loud, it echoes throughout the jungle until she goes quiet and is so limp, it's like she's given up the fight.

He picks her up and carries her inside, and the curtains shut.

I need to kill him now.

I rise and move toward the edge of the woods.

"Stay back." Mack takes his hand and yanks me back into the foliage.

"I can't do this anymore. He needs to die. She can't be in there with him."

"There have been developments."

"What do you mean?"

"He held a press conference today."

My pulse speeds up more. "And?"

Mack takes his phone out and pulls a video up. Carlos is claiming that they just located Vanessa, and she's been severely traumatized. He continues to report he's employed the best therapist in Belize to help her, and, according to the therapist, Vanessa is expected to make a quick recovery.

"What kind of bullshit is that?" I bark.

"Carlos is going to be taking her out soon. Be prepared."

He's going to take her to more of his events with Global Leaders.

"She can't handle that right now. She's petrified of him enough without other men she's scared of around. She'll completely break down."

"We need to stick to the plan," Mack barks.

"What plan is that? My woman is in there, and nothing is happening. Every second she's with him is another moment he breaks her. I can't keep her in danger like this anymore."