Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
“I think she’ll go straight for corporal punishment,” the other man announces, and he’s just as gleeful as his little buddy. “I wonder how many lashes she’ll get with the whip. I hope it’s a lot.”
“She won’t be so full of herself once Rebecca is finished with her.” The two of them share a nice laugh while I do everything I can to pretend they’re not getting to me. That’s the last thing I should show them. My eyes are still closed, and my face is as blank as I can manage.
I need to get out of this, but I can’t imagine how I’ll do it. No way is Rebecca going to let me walk around free now that she’s got her hands on me. I’ll be locked away. Only Ren knows where this place is, and he’s not going to come and rescue me.
How will anybody know what happened?
What a time for me to remember fighting with Dad about that tracker being in me. I guess it doesn’t take a genius to know why that would come to mind right now, as I’m being driven further and further away from my home. Ren thought he was doing the right thing by taking it out, but I really wish he hadn’t as the van bounces down the road, and I feel every single jolt in my joints and my throbbing head. Dad is never going to be able to find me out here.
If I ever get out of this, I’ll listen to him. From now on, if he tells me to do something, I’m going to do it. Obviously, he knows better than I do, since I doubt he would ever get himself into a situation like this. Abducted, taunted, and… whatever Rebecca has in store for me.
“It always feels good when a sinner gets what’s coming to them,” the raspy voice announces, and the two of them laugh again. “I’m just glad I’m here for it. You don’t get to bring a sinner to justice every day.”
“Now, now. Remember. That’s not how we’re supposed to look at this.” There’s still a sick, twisted glee in the other man’s voice. He’s the driver, judging from the position of where the sound comes from. If I was talking to him, I might tell him to slow down a little. Maybe avoid a bump or two. “We’re bringing one of the sheep back to the flock.”
That’s too much. In the middle of all of this, it’s the hypocrisy behind that sentence which breaks my silence. “I’m not one of your sheep.”
All right, maybe I shouldn’t have said it, but what am I supposed to do? Lie here and let them make a joke out of me? At least I’m not whimpering and crying, which I will be damned if I ever do in front of them or anybody else. They haven’t broken me, and they never will. I’m Xander Rossi’s daughter, dammit. The thought stiffens my spine a little and gives me more confidence.
Confidence that dissolves when the men burst out laughing. “Like that matters,” the driver tells me with another laugh that makes me grit my teeth and wish I could snap his neck. “You strayed too close to the flock.”
Right, and they can’t have that. Nobody can know what the flock is doing. That alone makes me dangerous to them.
Although, even if every single person in that damn cult or whatever the hell it is told me this was all about keeping them safe, I would still tell them they were full of shit. This is vengeance. We got in the way of Rebecca’s plans. We complicated things. She wants revenge, and she’s going to start with me because I was stupid enough to practically hand myself over to her. No, I couldn’t have known anybody was aware of the cabin, but I should have guessed. I can’t put anything past these people. I need to be smarter.
Though if nobody finds me, I guess there’s really no point in getting smarter since I doubt they’ll let me live for long. Long enough to make me regret ever stepping foot on the compound, for sure, but then? Who’s to say?
Our progress slows, but my pulse doubles in speed. There are voices outside the van now, plenty of them. People standing around, curious about what is happening, who’s being brought in. We’ve arrived. We’re at the compound, getting closer to Rebecca all the time. This is it.
“You better hope she’s feeling merciful,” the driver warns while his friend laughs. “Though I doubt it. She doesn’t like being inconvenienced, and you have been a big inconvenience for all of us.”
What, am I supposed to apologize? I can barely bite back a remark. Why waste the energy? All they’d do is turn things around on me anyway and make a joke out of me.