Page 120 of Stolen Empire
“Now you’ll die for a family you never knew.”
He releases me, shoving my head forward.
I slump in the chair, my vision blurring with tears of rage and helplessness.
It doesn't seem fair at all.
I didn't even know who I was.
I’m going to die in this warehouse, and Dimitri will walk into a trap thinking he’s saving a thief.
He's going to be murdered because of me.
I bend forward, folding my arms on the desk and resting my chin on them.
I'm so heavy now I can't even cry.
When the men walk out, locking the door behind them, it's a small relief, though I hold no illusion that I'm safer or better off.
They'll return, and they'll do exactly as they've told me they'll do.
My thoughts turn to my mother and what she's doing, how she's feeling.
She didn't even know I was leaving when I took off and never looked back.
No doubt, she tried to find me, probably even reported it to the police at some point when she got worried.
But I was angry and independent—and stupid.
So fucking stupid.
I never had any business leaving her there.
Sure, she could fend for herself, but she's all alone now, and I'm going to die here and she'll never even know what really happened to me.
It almost brings me to tears, but I've cried them all, so all I can do is sit with the heaviness and try not to think about what other shit might happen.
When I hear shouting, it pulls me from my dark thoughts.
A thunder of footsteps rushes past the door, then more shouting erupts and I swear I hear gunshots.
I scramble to my feet and press my ear against the door.
My heart is racing so hard it makes it difficult to hear anything over the whir of my pulse in my ears.
But when I strain to listen and I take deep, calming breath, I know I hear gunfire—loud booms echoing back and forth with the pepper of an automatic rifle.
Someone is here and there's fighting going on.
My heart pounds.
Is it Dimitri?
Did he come for me?
"Help!"
I scream, smacking the door with my open palm until it hurts.
