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Back The Lost Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. Acknowledgments
  47. About the Author
  48. A Sneak Peek of You Will Be Mine
  49. 1
  50. Back Cover

I’m not stupid, I know the deal here. I know the power they have over me, even if I won’t ever accept it or stop challenging it.

“You all right?” Evan asks. He hasn’t let go of my hand yet. I sort of need him to keep holding it for a while; he’s the only thing preventing me from trembling.

“I am now,” I say, blowing out a deep breath. Breathe long and slow. In and out.

“What the hell was that? Has that happened before?” I ask Evan.

“I’ve never experienced that, but then I’ve not been in here long, even before all of you. And I think they’re getting worse.”

Yep. We’re all going to have to fight a whole lot harder.

29

In the end, Evan makes breakfast for everyone, and we kind of pretend the whole random morning music thing is no longer an issue.

Priya, Hazel, and Lucie show gratitude; Theo says thank you, but his mouth is tight. I understand he doesn’t trust Evan yet, but this cold-shoulder thing isn’t going to help.

Priya and Hazel clean up. Hazel is beginning to take on a role similar to Priya. Planning escapes isn’t their strong suit, but they are doing what they can.

I’ve taken on more of a Theo-style role, being strong, coming up with ideas, volunteering for things I don’t want to do. It’s what I need to do to get through. I have to be working toward escape or I’ll just be accepting that this is our life forever. The playing-dead idea is kind of a last resort since all they have to do is check our pulse.

There is no life in here. We’re stuck in perpetual hell until the day we’re free.

After breakfast is done, everyone kind of does their own thing. Priya reads, Hazel puts a mindless DVD on, Theo heads into the bedroom, probably to sulk, and I stay at the kitchen table with Evan.

“How are you holding up?” I ask.

He leans his forearms on the table. “I’m holding,” he replies. “Breakfast went well…right?”

I nod. “Yeah, I think so.”

“You want to join Hazel and watch TV or…?”

“Or go for a walk outside,” I say sarcastically.

“I meant cards. There’s a deck on the bookshelf.”

We have more entertainment than I would have thought we’d get. But making it nicer in here only makes it that much worse when we’re sent into a torture room.

“What do you want to play?”

He grins. “Poker.”

“You’ll have to teach me.”

“That I can do,” he replies, and rises to get the cards.

As it turns out, he cannot teach me, because I suck beyond belief. Poker isn’t my game, and if we’d have been playing for money, I would be broke.