76. Olivia

Chapter seventy-six

Olivia

B linking my eyes open, I take in my surroundings. I must have passed out. I look around and try to figure out where I’m at. A warehouse, maybe? The pain in my arm throbs with the beat of my heart and it all comes rushing back to me. The woman. She was an EMT, but it looks like she worked with the doctor to take me. Why? I gulp in air and try to rack my brain. The woman looked familiar, but why?

The doctor is Doctor Chamberland. I met him once, but I’ll never forget him because he did something unspeakable to me. “Ah, you’re awake!” I turn toward the shrill voice and come face to face with the woman. She’s no longer wearing the EMT uniform, though. Doctor Chamberland stands behind her.

“What do you want with me?” I swallow multiple times, trying to wet my dry mouth and throat.

“I had to meet the girl Donovan is so obsessed with,” she says. “Although we have met once before, very briefly. Do you remember?” She walks to my bed and stands over me, looking down at me with such disdain.

Maybe that’s why she looks familiar. But I ignore her question. “Was,” I correct her.

Her eyes flare, and she tilts her head. “What?”

“Was. Victor killed him,” I tell her.

She inhales sharply, but that’s the only reaction she gives. I don’t know if what I’m saying is the truth. I saw Victor shoot Donovan, but I don’t know if he’s dead. My thoughts turn to Leo. I hope Arden was able to help.

“I told him his obsession with you would get him killed one day.” She shakes her head and sighs. “Well, what should I do with you now?”

My mouth is so dry, but I don’t dare ask for anything to drink. “W-what do you mean?”

She chuckles as if she’s delighted over what she gets to tell me. “He and I had a plan. If he didn’t get away with you, I was to take you if given the opportunity.” She wraps a finger around a piece of her hair. “I never imagined you’d run right into my arms. Since Donovan is dead now, then I get to do with you what I told him he should have done years ago.” My head spins. What did she tell him to do with me?

“You know Donovan was into all sorts of illegal activity. One of them being human trafficking and I specialize in that. In fact, I run an auction that sells off a lot of the girls Donovan gets off the street. Your friend Bec was supposed to be one of those girls, but the bitch got away.” She sighs in disappointment. Bile rises to the back of my throat. What kind of woman subjects other women to that kind of life?

“The first time he saw you, he had to have you. You were only eight. He was a grown man. But who am I to tell a man what to desire?” She tuts in disapproval. Dizziness assaults me even though I’m lying down.

“I didn’t meet Donovan until I was ten,” I say. My dad was still alive.

She gives me a look of disdain. “That’s right, but plans don’t take place overnight. He had to kill your father first, then swoop in and be your mother’s shoulder to lean on. Marry her, then kill her. All so he could have you.” She gives me a smile that’s so creepy I have to look away. I try to process that information. Donovan killed my father and my mother just because he wanted me.

“Who are you?” I ask her.

She places her hand on her chest. “How rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Alice Brighton.” She looks at me like she’s expecting me to recognize that name, but I don’t. “My family started a private school in Savannah, Georgia over a hundred years ago. I tried to convince Donovan to send you there, but he wouldn’t listen.”

Alice sits on the edge of my bed and grasps the hand of my injured arm. I wince, but try my best not to react otherwise. “I do believe if he had listened, he’d still be alive. See, you could have been put in the auction and he could have bought you.” She pats my hand like she’s trying to console me. “Your parents could still be alive too. He could have kidnapped you and sent you off to Brighton.”

She leans down until her mouth is next to my ear. I want to recoil, but I force myself to remain calm. Years of dealing with Donovan’s narcissistic ways have taught me what to do in situations like this. “I’ll tell you a secret. He’s the only man I’ve never been able to make do exactly what I want him to do. Quite disappointing.”

Alice stands from the bed and runs her fingers through her red hair. “Well, I have to go. Doctor Chamberland here will take care of you. One of my men, Bill, will be here so you can take care of him, then he’ll have you shipped to Savannah.” She waves her fingers at me. “Ta ta!”

She walks away, and that’s when I try to move. Only then do I realize my uninjured arm is tied to the bed. A sob wells in my throat, but I force myself to remain calm. I’ll figure a way out of here. Whoever this Bill is, I will not be taking care of him in any way. I rub my thumb over the rings on my left hand. Victor will find me. Doctor Chamberland walks over to me with a bottled water.

“I’m sure you’re thirsty.” He takes the top off and hands me the water. My body is screaming for some water, but I’m not taking anything from him. “It’s not drugged.” I look from the bottle to him.

“Take a drink first,” I say.

He sighs like my obstinance is annoying. Well, fuck him. He takes two gulps, surprising me, and holds the bottle out to me. I lift my injured arm, wincing, and take the bottle from him. He pushes a button on the bed and raises it until I’m sitting up enough. I watch him closely, looking for any signs that the water has affected him. When he doesn’t have any adverse reactions, I wipe the bottle off and take a sip.

I want to gulp the water down with how thirsty I am, but I take it slow. Once I’m done, I eye the doctor. “Why are you doing this?” I ask him. “You took my uterus and ovaries and now this.”

He looks away like he feels guilty. “I’m going to order you some food. You need it before I can give you any pain medicine for your arm.”

“I don’t want any pain medicine.” I’m not taking anything from him.

He exhales long and hard. As he does, it looks like he ages a decade. “Have it your way.”

He leaves and I immediately start looking around to figure how I can get out of here. I have no idea where I am, but I hear sirens, so we can’t be too far from the office. The woman, Alice, said something about me being shipped to Savannah. We must be on the river.

I’m pretty sure Donovan used the river as a way to ship his supplies. All of them, including people. I glance back at the door Dr. Chamberland went out of. It’s closed, so I lean forward and look at how I’m attached to the bed. I’m not tied like I thought. It’s a plastic zip tie like I’ve seen police use on those reality police shows Victor likes to watch.

I study it, trying to figure out how to get out of it. There’s a small locking bar on it. If I can lift it, I can pull it and get free. I put the nail of my pinky finger under the bar and attempt to lift it, but it won’t budge. After multiple attempts, my fingernail breaks.

“Damn it!” Looking around, I try to see if I can find something, like a paperclip or a bobby pin. Then I remember the paperclip I picked up off the floor on my way to talk to Lincoln this morning. I put it in my pocket. I reach inside my pocket and sure enough, it’s still there.

Every nerve in my body is frayed as I force my mind to focus on the matter at hand. I straighten the paperclip and slip it under the lock. It gives slightly, allowing me to pull the tie, but I lose my grip on the paperclip and almost drop it. I grip it, and the metal stabs me in the palm of my hand. There’s a noise outside, so I quickly recline and put the paperclip back in my pocket.

I watch the door, but no one enters. I swear I heard people out there, but I can’t wait. So, I grab the paperclip, lean over, and work on the locking mechanism again. This time when it gives it slips about half an inch. I wiggle my hand back and forth. There’s just enough space. If I pull my hand tight enough, I’m sure I can get out.

So, I put the paperclip under my thigh on the bed and push at the zip tie while I pull my hand. It’s cutting into the flesh of my hand, but I don’t care. Wiggling my hand, I grit my teeth as it digs in. I’m probably going to bleed some more when I’m able to get it past the widest part of my hand. Taking a deep breath, I wiggle and pull my hand while pushing at the zip tie.

It finally goes over my hand and, sure enough, it scrapes the knuckle of my thumb and causes a large cut on the back of my hand that looks like a cat scratched me. My hand slips out the rest of the way and I don’t take any time to sit up and take several gulping breaths.

My heart is pounding in my chest, the nausea I was feeling earlier rises again, and my vision blurs for a moment. After taking a couple of deep breaths, I stand and walk to the only door. It’s the same one Dr. Chamberland went out of. There’s a small square window toward the top of the door, so I stand on my tiptoes and look out of it, not seeing anyone.

I take a chance, put my hand on the knob, and turn it. Thrilled as it turns and opens, I take a step out of the door into what looks like a small office. That’s when I realize where I’m at. I’m in an old building that used to be an automotive shop. Stepping into the office, I slowly walk to the glass door that leads outside. The windows are covered in black. They were either painted or spray painted at some point.

The door opens and I look around again. Did Dr. Chamberland leave? The office door opens onto a street, but this street leads down to the docks at the river and it’s not the best area in town, so it’s not crowded. My heart is pounding, my palms are sweaty, and my head is pounding. I ignore all of that as I take off running. Focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, I keep my head on a swivel, looking out for anyone or anything that could stop me from this moment of freedom.

Rounding the corner, I ram into a solid wall and stumble back. Hands grip my biceps, stopping me from falling. I snatch myself out of their grip and bring my hand up to my bicep. Fuck, that hurt.

“Olivia?” I look up and come face to face with green eyes I wasn’t sure I’d ever see again. I throw myself into Victor’s arms. He catches me, lifting me bridal style to carry me, and turns. All the nausea and lightheadedness I’ve been fighting comes rushing back.

I place my hand on his jaw, loving the way his beard feels against my palm. He’s moving quickly. Where I’m not sure and I don’t want to take my eyes off him to look around. “I never thought I’d see you again,” I whisper. I close my eyes and finally allow myself to succumb to the absolute exhaustion pulling at my mind and body.