Inevitable (King Crime Family #2) - J.L. Beck Page 0,5

“We’ll find out soon though, he is on his way.”

No matter what it is, I won’t doubt Amara ever again. I will find her and bring her back home with me. I don’t care if my body is healed or not, I’ll be ready.

3

Amara

“Get up, you stupid bitch.” I hear the voice before I can register what’s happening. Cold water falls on me, dousing any further movements. I’m strong, really strong, but this shit is wearing on me. They keep me in a fucking hole, threw me in here on day one. A deep hole dug somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

Every time they come to torment me, they wear masks, so I can’t see their faces. That fact gives me a sliver of hope. If they don’t want me to see who they are, surely, that means they are planning on letting me live.

I might not know who they are specifically, but I know they work for Mack. Mack. Just saying his name causes my blood to boil. I’ve never hated anyone as much as I do him. Matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve ever hated anyone at all. I didn’t know real hatred until now.

At least he hasn’t done what he promised that day he took me. I think he threatened to rape me to scare me and taunt Enzo. Thinking of Enzo makes my chest constrict. The last time I saw him, I thought he was going to die; I was sure of it for days. I only know he is alive because I heard Mack talking to some of his men.

I’ve had very little given to me since I arrived, and I know there is a purpose behind this. They don’t want me to get comfortable. They don’t want me to feel at home. Food is sent down in small rations—just enough to keep me from starving to death. Crackers, peanut butter sandwiches, and small bottles of water are my only sustenance throughout the day.

Once in a while, if I’m lucky, a bucket of water is sent down so I can clean myself. On those rare occasions, I also get a change of clothes.

The clothes are never my size and always have a distinct smell to them, which only makes me feel dirty all over again. They want to break me with their words until I am nothing, but I refuse to give them the satisfaction. At night, as I lie my head on the soiled mattress with springs poking out while wrapped up in a worn blanket, I hug my pillow, thinking of my life before all of this.

“Was that really fucking necessary?” I growl, unable to hold back my anger a second longer as I look up to the only place allowing light into my darkness—the entrance to my own personal hell. I held onto hope in the beginning that Enzo would come and save me, but after so long of dealing with this shit, that dream has slipped away. I know if he was coming, he already would have, and for some reason, the thought only stokes the fire to get out of this fucking hole that much more.

“Was it needed?” he mocks, laughing down at me, his voice making me want to vomit. “Of course, it was needed. Your stupid ass wouldn’t wake up.” I clench my fists, digging my nails into the dirt-covered ground to the point of pain. But I don’t whimper. I don’t even wince. The point of this hole is to shatter me until I no longer recognize the person I once was. Make me break. Make me forget about my life outside of this place. What they didn’t take into account was, instead of it breaking me, it built me up. It made me stronger.

“Weird, I didn’t hear you say wake up. All I heard was you call me a stupid bitch. Clearly, you’re the bitch, but you do know you are also the stupid fucking one, right?” I narrow my eyes, locking my own with his. His mask is firmly in place, figuratively and literally, but I can tell that one day I am going to push him just enough to reveal himself.

I watch as he throws the bucket down, dirt swirling around in the air as it lands by my feet. The water that hasn’t sunk into the dirt yet flings up once more, splashing over my legs and the dirt walls.

“You’re lucky the boss wants you alive; otherwise, I would’ve fucked that pretty