Page 241 of Inferno

“Walk,” he hisses.

So I do, taking the smallest steps I can.

“The longer it takes, the longer your friend suffers.” That menacing tone in his voice makes me come to a halt.

“Friend?”

“Patience, princess. It’s a surprise, just so you don’t feel lonely.”

I close my eyes, and my heart sinks.

Drago.

That’s why he wasn’t at the meet. Why we couldn’t contact him.

He shoves me through the first set of wooden double doors, filled with haystacks and wooden poles. Making a sharp right, with force he pushes me into the next room so hard I fall on my face into the straw.

“Dumb bitch, get up,” he yells, grabbing my ponytail and yanking me to my feet.

“Look who it is,” he whispers, his breath hitting my cheek, and my nose wrinkles.

I tip my chin up, and tears burn in my eyes as I look across the room.

I hardly recognize Drago, blood pours from his face, all bruised and swollen. He’s chained by his wrists and ankles, spread out, between two poles.

“Fuck!” he groans as one of Vlad's men lays his fist into his ribs.

“Let him go, Vlad. You have me.” It’s worth a shot.

Vlad chuckles, spinning me to face him and grabbing my neck.

“What, so he can help you escape from me again? You think I don’t know. I’ve had quite the revelation these past couple of weeks.”

“Tatiana will kill you for this. Drago hasn’t done anything wrong,” I lie, testing to see if my theory is correct.

He squeezes my windpipe harder and lifts me off the ground.

“If I kill him, she won’t know a damn thing. Because you’ll be dead too. And guess who will be getting the blame? Or perhaps I’ll force you to kill him as punishment.” He wiggles his finger in my face.

“I won’t do it.” I pull my head back and launch it into his nose.

“Bitch.”

He tosses me to the ground; as he swings back his boot, I instinctively brace for the impact into my ribs.

I scream out in pain as he connects his foot.

“You don’t have to. But now that I've said it, I like the sound of that. Maybe after our games. Get up. Whore.” His spit connects to my cheek.

Pain radiates through my torso and the wind is kicked out of me. Each breath in is agonizing.

Hooking my legs back, I tense my body, rolling and sitting myself upright onto my knees, and manage to get up one leg at a time.

His fingers dig into my shoulder as he drags me towards a beam in the center of the room, facing Drago.

“Back against it.” He points to the beam, and I shuffle back until I hit against the splintering wood.

Drago looks up at me, blood dripping down his face.

---