Chapter 6

Eliana's POV

Cold water slammed into my face and I jerked awake, gasping and choking as it went up my nose and down my throat. My eyes flew open but everything was blurry and spinning.

I tried to move but my body wouldn't cooperate.

"I said get up." His boot nudged my ribs, not a real kick but enough to make his point clear.

I managed to roll onto my side and every muscle in my body screamed. My throat was so dry it hurt just to breathe and my head was pounding with this dull ache that wouldn't stop.

"Tomorrow's Vivian's birthday," Dennis said, standing over me. "Big party. Important guests. You better not cause any trouble or it'll be worse than this. Understand?"

I tried to speak but nothing came out except this weak croak.

"I'll take that as a yes." He turned and walked toward the door. "Someone will bring you food later. Maybe."

The lock clicked and I was alone again in the dark.

I lay there for a long time, shivering in my wet clothes. The voices from earlier were gone but I could still feel them hovering just out of sight, waiting to come back.

I'm going to die here.

The thought came clearly, cutting through everything else in my head.

They're going to kill me. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon. Vivian won't stop until I'm gone and they'll do whatever she wants.

My fingers curled against the concrete, nails scraping.

No. I won't let that happen.

I forced myself to sit up and the room tilted so badly I had to close my eyes until it stopped spinning.

The next day they dragged me upstairs and shoved me into a bathroom.

"Clean yourself up," Philip said without looking at me. "Vivian wants you at the party."

I showered mechanically, watching the water run brown with dirt and blood. Put on the dress they'd left for me, a simple gray thing that hung loose on my frame. Combed my hair with shaking fingers.

The party was already in full swing when I came downstairs.

And in the center of it all, Vivian.

She wore a white gown. Diamonds sparkled at her throat and wrists. Her hair was styled in perfect waves and her makeup made her look like something from a magazine cover.

The four men surrounded her. Martin held her hand. Lawrence whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. Dennis and Philip hovered nearby, ready to give her anything she wanted.

I stood by the wall trying to disappear into the wallpaper.

"Oh, Eliana!" Vivian's voice cut across the room. She beckoned me over with this bright smile. "Come meet everyone!"

I had no choice. I walked over on legs that barely held me up.

"Everyone, this is my sister Eliana," Vivian announced to the nearby guests. "She's been taking care of things here while I was away. Isn't she sweet?"

A woman in pearls looked me up and down. "You poor dear, you look exhausted. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine," I whispered.

"She works so hard," Vivian said, touching my arm lightly. The gesture looked affectionate but her nails dug in just enough to hurt. "Sometimes I worry she pushes herself too much."

The guests murmured sympathetically and I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell them everything, beg them to help me, make them see what was really happening.

But Martin's eyes were on me. Warning me. Daring me to try.

I kept my mouth shut.

The party dragged on for hours. I stayed in my corner.

As the sun began to set, guests started leaving. The men were distracted, walking people to their cars, saying goodbyes, dealing with caterers.

This was my only chance.

I slipped away during the chaos and nobody noticed. Nobody ever noticed me anymore unless they wanted to hurt me.

I made my way to the back of the house, to the old servant's entrance that nobody used. My heart was hammering so hard I thought it might break through my ribs. Every step sent pain shooting through my body but I didn't stop.

The garden was empty. The security cameras were all focused on the front where the guests were and I'd spent weeks memorizing the blind spots.

The wall was eight feet high, brick and mortar, topped with decorative iron. Under normal circumstances I could never have climbed it. But right now I had this desperate strength I didn't know I was capable of.

I found a section where a tree branch hung low enough to grab. Pulled myself up, ignoring the way my ribs screamed. Got one leg over the top, then the other.

Dropped down on the other side and landed hard. My ankle twisted and pain exploded up my leg but I bit down on my lip to keep from crying out.

Then I ran.

Into the trees, into the darkness, anywhere that wasn't here. Branches whipped at my face and roots tried to trip me but I kept going. My lungs burned and my legs felt like they might give out any second but I pushed harder.

The road. Get to the road. Flag down a car. Get help.

Behind me, far away, I heard shouting. They'd noticed. They were coming.

I ran faster even though my body was begging me to stop.

The trees thinned and I could see lights ahead. The highway. Cars passing by with their headlights cutting through the dusk.

Almost there. Almost free.

Then headlights came from behind me, multiple sets, moving fast through the trees.

No.

I pushed my legs harder but they were done. I stumbled and fell hard, my hands scraping against rocks and dirt. Tried to get up but my body wouldn't cooperate anymore.

The cars screeched to a stop. Doors slammed. Heavy footsteps.

"Got you."