Page 104 of Roses and Skulls

The woman beside me pats my leg. “It gets easier. Soon, we will be able to get you set up at Bells. The men are going to love you.”

My eyes fall closed. This was the plan, to make me into the very thing my mother loathes, a drug addicted whore. This will kill her.

Lanie’s phone dings with an incoming message. I pry my eyes open, taking them both in. Somehow, I need to get out of here.

“Oh, shit, Renee! We’ve got to go!”

“What? What is it?”

“Sadie says Jesse is at Bell’s.”

The woman, Renee, quickly rises and rushes out of the room, coming back with a couple of silk scarves. She tosses one to Lanie. “Tie her wrists.”

My mom is at Bell’s? That can’t be right. Mom should be in San Diego with William by now.

They each take one of my arms and quickly tie me to the bars on the headboard. My head lulls to the side as I stare at my friend. “Why do you hate me?” I slur.

She doesn’t look at me, yanking hard on the scarf so that it digs into my wrist. “You had everything I ever wanted.”

Had.

Lanie continues, “Parents, family, a stable home, Jackson… you had Jackson.” She sits back, looking me in the eye.

“Lanie,” I whisper. “He’s my cousin.”

She shrugs. “Doesn’t matter, they all fawn over you. Especially, Jackson. Do you think he ever gave me more than a second glance?”

The woman tries to draw the attention away from me. “Lanie, we need to get back to Bell’s. They’ll be time to torment her later. First, we need to deal with Jesse.”

“How do you think she knew to look at Bell’s?”

“I don’t know, but we can’t let her see me or she’ll look here next.”

Here. Where is here?

Once they’re gone, I struggle with my bonds but with each tug, the scarves only tighten.

I’m so tired. So tired.

My eyes fall closed.

When they open again, someone is urgently trying to free my hands. “Draven?” I croak, my throat dry and my lips chapped.

He frowns, his hands pausing. “Little dove.” He runs his fingers down the side of my face. “It’s okay, I’m going to get you out of here. I’m sorry they took you.”

I glance down my body and notice that I’m naked from the waist down. My eyes immediately go back to Draven. He guilty looks away.

I blink at the sketches on the wall, slowly remembering where I’m at. I’m so confused. Is Draven saving me or is he still working with Lanie? And that woman, Renee. Who is she?

This cannot be happening. I was so careful. Wasn’t I? Where did I go wrong? I thought I was the one in charge. Just one more day and it would have been over.

“Did we?” I can’t even bring myself to say it.

He releases my hand and moves over to the other side. Pain skitters along my fingers and shoots down my arm as I attempt to cover myself.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. When Elijah called and told me you were missing, I knew they had you. And then I saw you here so vulnerable and…” He shakes his head as if to clear his thoughts. “I’m not like him. This is different. Elijah will understand,” he finishes with certainty. “We are destined. Linked by the past.”

The blackness threatens to take over again, but I fight it with all my might. I do not want to be asleep around him again.

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