“You need food,” she adds, digging again in her pockets.
She pulls out a few protein bars and I groan at the sight of them. It’s not much, but it’s more than the scraps Elio allows me to have. Plenty to help stabilize me enough to get the task done.
“By the time Oscar comes to get you, so long as you eat them now, you should have enough strength and energy.”
I snatch the bars from her hand and sit up, tearing into one of them. I moan as the flavors of peanut butter and chocolate explode in my mouth. Fuck, I missed food. Even if it’s just a nasty protein bar, it’s like heaven in my fucking mouth right now.
Tyjae stands, tucking the compress into her pocket, giving me another look-over.
“Wanna give me your name now?”
I give her a chocolate-filled smile that’d probably have me stabbing someone if they did it to me.
“Get fucked, Tyjae.”
She chuckles and starts to walk out of my cell before turning back to me.
“The distraction will be toward the lake, you’ll need to go to the northern gates to get out,” she says. “There’s a small patch of chain link fencing near the guard station that will be easiest to get over. Follow the highest peak of the mountains and it will take you north.”
I nod and once Tyjae is satisfied I understand her directions, she leaves me alone to wait for my shower.
It’s been hours since Tyjae left.
I ate six protein bars and stuffed the trash in a hole in the mattress. I feel better for the most part, but there’s still something off. I can assess my body better now that I’m not so hungry. The shakiness in my limbs is still as bad as it was before I ate, which could cause issues trying to climb a fence. My body is struggling with regulating its temperature, fluctuating between hot and cold which switches almost in an instant. The blinding hunger made me miss a lot of this.
I can feel how desperate my body is for the drug Elio’s been pumping into my veins. I can almost hear the way my body cries out for it so we can feel good again.
I don’t know what would’ve happened if Tyjae didn’t give me an out. Would I live the rest of my life at Elio’s side, a mere shell of old myself, compliant and none the wiser about what was happening? If I acted out one time too many, would he accidentally inject me with too much and kill me?
Fuck him for trying to not only steal my life from me but to take away who I am. Fear and I have never been companions. Fear never got anyone anywhere good. But fear made herself at home in my mind the moment I realized I’m probably pregnant.
I need to get back home to Liam. I never once told him I loved him. When I get home will he be there? Is he fighting to find me? Or has he given up? A child with me, a life with me; it’s something he believed he’d have. It’s against everything he is. Liam’s always had pretty words, but all the best liars do.
Fucking hell. This self-pity bullshit is for the birds and doubt will get us nowhere. I need my focus on getting home, not the what-ifs.
I refuse to fall down that rabbit hole until I get home and know what’s going on, when we’re safe and can bring hell down on Elio, when we can remind motherfuckers why you don’t fuck with an Olin.
The door to the basement opens and I take in the sound of the footsteps coming down the hall. Sure enough, it’s Oscar coming to escort the filthy princess to her bathing chambers. I scoff to myself when he closes in on my cell.
I stay lying down, inspecting my hands and pleased with the sharpness of my nails, thanks to Tyjae slipping me the nail file. I smirk to myself, not caring if lackey-boy sees it. If I make it out of this, I’m sure she’ll show up at some point to collect what she’s owed. Whatever that is.
And I’m still not buying the bullshit of her not knowing who I am. People don’t do things out of the kindness of their cold, dead hearts. Not in the underworld, anyway, especially not random mercenaries.
“The fuck are you smiling about?” Oscar grumbles, unlocking my cell.
“Maybe I like being pampered, Oswald,” I drawl. “Need a good wash so I can flick this lonely bean of mine.”
I bat my eyes at him and he scoffs.
“And again, it’s Oscar,” he growls. “Does your mouth ever stop,principessa?”
“Again, irrelevant.”
I pause and pout at him in mockery.
“Don’t you like the sound of my voice?”
Oscar steps up to the bed, cursing under his breath, bending down to release the chains on my ankles. When he’s finished he grabs my arm and yanks me to my feet, throwing me off balance and I fall into him.