My Peace (Beautifully Broken 5)

“Pax,” I murmur. “Please…”

I cry into my hands, and I am so helpless. He’s dying in a room alone, and I can’t get to him, and I can’t help.

I’m taking a shaky breath when he finally moves.

He turns his head and stares at the camera.

He smiles and his teeth are red.

22

Chapter Twenty-One

Pax

I drift in and out of consciousness.

I can’t move. Not really.

The bindings bite into my hands and my ankles, but I don’t feel it. I don’t feel my knee. I don’t feel anything. I don’t even feel my face, and I know it must be ragged. They kicked the the shit out of me.

I feel nothing.

The light fades in and out with my consciousness, day turns into night.

I can’t turn my head far enough to see the nursery monitor anymore, so I can’t see Zuzu. I can’t check on her, I have no idea what she’s doing.

“Let her go,” I ask them when they come back in later to inject me. “Let her go. I’m here now. He wanted me. He has me.”

They don’t say anything. Their faces are covered with black ski masks, and I don’t know why they’ve bothered with that. They aren’t letting me live. I know that.

I try to think of my options.

I don’t have any.

All I have is money.

“I can pay you,” I tell them the next time they come. “I can pay you more than he can.”

They don’t say a thing. They inject me, the room swirls, and I’m out like a light.

I don’t wake up for what must be hours. My body is stiff when I awaken, but there is no pain. I guess I should be thankful for that smallest of favors.

I try to focus.

What should a person do when they are a bound captive?

What can I do?

I examine the room again. Nothing has changed.

I know there are at least two of them.

I know they have what seems to be an unlimited supply of drugs.

I know they were prepared.