Chapter 20

Timothy didn’t seem to mind carrying me down the mountain by himself. He was determined to keep me in his arms, and that alone put me on alert. I could feel his own heart beating beneath my fingers, its pace dangerously fast.

On the way down, we discovered my phone lying at the trunk of a tree in surprisingly good condition.

An hour later, we reached the hotel in a state of exhaustion.

There was enough juice left for me to see the new text that appeared on my screen. There was no name with the number, so I opened it out of curiosity.

I’ve found out where you are, Coco, it read.

The phone slipped from my hand, and I fell back against the mattress. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me as the words flashed before my eyes. Coco.

There was only one person who called me Coco. A despicable man, if I could even associate him with being human. I checked the text again, the words the same as

before.

My breaths became ragged and short. That feeling of suffocation returned, my airways constricting as I turned over desperately. My eyes shifted around the

room.

My pills. I need my pills.

My face was wet with tears. Between desperate gasps for air and the swelling in my ankle, I felt utterly hopeless. Amid tearing through all my belongings, everything was strewn across the floor in messy heaps.

After all this time, Bruce had gained control of me

He always did.

There was a loud knock at my door, and I screamed in ala time more determined.

It came again, this

“Evie, open up!” my boss, Mr. Erickson’s, harsh voice came through the door. “You’ve got some explaining to do!”

I clenched my teeth. Now just wasn’t the time.

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Chapter 20

now, or

floor. I wiped my face on my shirt sleeve and limped toward the door. The banging continued as

pushed past me and entered the room, his face puffed up with anger. When I turned, he had an accusing finger pointed directly between my

gave you one chance, Evie!” he growled. “One chance not to screw it up. You couldn’t even give the guy a simple

as my breaths grew shallow. He was making it worse. I was already drowning, and he seemed intent on holding me under until I passed

had intruded on the conversation. I stumbled back

a

Sweat dripped off my forehead and onto my shaking hands as I clawed at the carpet.

and placed

on?”

red bag in his hands and

was unzipping the bag and rummaging through its contents. He pulled out the small bottle

palm. He crawled toward me as I curled

he said, his voice gentle but

back.

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Chapter 20

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mouth and scrape their way down my dry throat. I still couldn’t find the strength to sit up. My

she doing?” The boss asked. “Is

Timothy

clamped his mouth

presence a consistent warmth. “Breathe for me, Evie.” He cupped my head beneath his hand and

can’t do this….” I choked out. “Not

shoulders and gave them

my head and met his eyes. They didn’t hold their usual harshness. There

with me. Hold for three

me again to breathe with him, hold, then release. We repeated that for

was caught in the trance, my heart

to my aching throat, finding myself more appreciative of the air. “How did you know what

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