Pain radiated from every inch of my body. My muscles throbbed, the ache permanent. Unable to find the strength to hold my head upright, it slumped onto my chest. Long ago, the gag had been removed, but I couldn’t utter a sound.

Despite all of my training, a few hours with that woman had broken me. I had shattered into a million pieces.

Now, here I was, trapped in this darkly lit room, tied to a chair, unable to escape.

I thought of Kimmy’s smiling face. She was the only thing keeping me sane. I had to keep fighting – for her – because I no longer had the strength to fight for myself.

It didn’t help that my heart was the part of me that hurt the most. All its jagged pieces stabbed into me every time I breathed.

How could Emil do this to me?

Had I been a fool to think that he actually liked me? That there was actually something between us? Or had I brought this upon myself by pushing him away?

He probably hated me. That was why he’d done this.

The thought nearly made me sick.

Suddenly, the door swung open.

No.

I couldn’t take anymore. Not yet. Not now.

“Please…” I croaked, my lips so dry they felt like pieces of paper. “I’ll give you – tell you – anything you want… just stop. Please.” I had lost my decency. “Just…” I searched for the words that would persuade the she-devil to leave me alone. At first, I had done everything in my power to resist her, but she’d known exactly how to break me down.

To my surprise, however, I did not hear the woman’s heels click on the ground. Instead, the footsteps were muted.

With the last of my strength, I looked up.

My heart froze.

No.

I was seeing things. I blinked, but still, he stood there, like a ghost come to haunt me.

“Cassandra…” he whispered in disbelief.

His voice snapped me out of my trance-like state. “What the hell are you doing here?” I growled. “Come to add insult to injury?” Despite my situation, anger boiled through my veins, my cheeks turning red with rage.

He didn’t answer me as he started to untie me, being as gentle as he could. Even so, his touch filled me with pain. My body was destroyed.

“What has she done to you…?” he murmured, horrified.

I wanted to say something snarky, but in that moment, he picked me up, cradling me against his chest. All my anger melted away as a sense of safety washed over me.

My torment was over. He had rescued me.

I closed my eyes, a heavy fog rolling in.

But before I could give in to my fatigue, the door once again swung back.

Roxanne appeared, smirking in amusement. She clapped, stepping forward slowly. “Isn’t this sweet? The knight in shining armor comes back to save his princess. You two are going to make me cry, you really are,” she mocked with her hands on her hips. “Should I wait a moment as you two have your iconic kiss? I wouldn’t want to interrupt the big moment.”

“Go to hell,” Emil snarled. “I never should have trusted you.”

Roxanne laughed. “I could have told you that, honey.” She flashed a cruel smile. “I’m not the Queen because I’m nice, you know. In this business, it’s kill or be killed. You know that, Emil. But then again, you always were a softie. Sure, you try to act tough with your leather jacket and group of thugs, but I can see right through you.” She shook her head. “You’ve always been one of them.”

Emil held me a little closer, stepping back as Roxanne approached.

“A good guy.” She spat. “You make me sick.”

“Stay away,” he warned. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

She snorted. “Oh my, that’s a good one! Hurt me? Well, aren’t you the scary one? I’m shaking in my boots,” she taunted. Before Emil could respond, she snapped her fingers.

Instantly, Mavis bounded into the room like some sort of dog. He held a gun in his hand.

I shivered.

What was Emil supposed to do? I was useless, and if he kept holding me, that would make him defenseless.

I was starting to fear that we wouldn’t make it out of this alive. My one chance at freedom had been dashed.

“Now, you’re going to do exactly as I say, got it?” Roxanne had the gun in her hand, her finger on the trigger. “Unless, of course, you want her brains plastered on the walls. Because I can have that arranged.”

Emil growled, “Don’t you dare.”

“Then you had better be a good boy,” she said.

Emil was tense, his chest like a brick wall.

My heart was beating a mile a minute as I tried to imagine how this would all play out. None of the scenarios had a happy ending.

Would we make it out of this alive?

“Put her back in the chair. I’m not worried about her. After the beating she took, she’s useless. I don’t even know why you came back for her. She’ll never love you.”

“I don’t care,” Emil insisted. “I love her, and that’s all that matters.”

What?

I looked at him, the world stopping for a moment.

He loved me?

No. That couldn’t be right.

“Then, for her sake, I suggest you get down on your knees.”

Emil hesitated for a moment.

Roxanne cocked the gun, pointing it straight at me.

“Don’t!” Emil snapped.

“Then what are you waiting for?”

With a look of hatred on his face, he got down on his knees.

“Hands behind your head.”

He did that too, making himself vulnerable.

Roxanne handed off the gun to Mavis. “Finish them both,” she commanded. “I don’t have time to deal with their nonsense. If they love each other so much, then they are going to die like Romeo and Juliet. Together.” With a sadistic laugh, she left the room.

Mavis advanced, his eyes wild, a grin dancing on his lips.