Inner workings
1006 Words
Vanora Campbell
I woke up feeling… better. Not great, not free, but at least I wasn't drowning in pain like yesterday. Today, I was supposed to start training—not the kind that involved murder.
Fuck, the thought of it still made me shiver. They wanted to force me to kill before I could escape. But here’s the thing: I was going to kill. My target? The mob boss himself. Crazy, right?
My eyes darted to the side table, spotting a bag filled with clothes, toiletries, and other essentials. The same one Wallace had given me. I wasted no time, grabbing it and heading into the bathroom.
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Freshly showered and feeling somewhat human, I stepped out of my room. They hadn’t summoned me yet, but if I was going to be trained in this damn house, I needed to eat. Besides, it gave me a chance to scope out an escape route.
My leg felt significantly better, which was a relief. I moved swiftly past the armed men stationed along the hallway, each of them watching me with unreadable expressions. As I walked, hopped, or skipped (yeah, I was testing my limits), I realized this mansion was massive. Finding the kitchen was going to take time.
Then I saw her—one of Zavi’s personal playthings. The one with the nasty attitude.
"Little Ms. Campbell. I had no idea you were still alive."
Her voice dripped with fake surprise, and I frowned at her audacity.
Bitch.
I wasn’t about to waste my breath on her. Instead, I asked, "Where’s the kitchen?"
She arched a perfectly plucked brow. "Sorry?"
I crossed my arms as she lifted her phone dramatically. "Wait, I have a better way to answer you," she sneered, holding the phone to her lips. "Siri, can you find the kitchen for this b***h?"
I scoffed, opening my mouth to respond, but someone beat me to it.
"You could have just walked away instead of being nasty."
I turned.
The red haired girl.
She strode toward us, looking effortlessly badass in a crop top, tight black leggings, and combat boots. The girl was stunning, and judging by the way Miss Attitude suddenly cowered, she had some authority around here.
"I-I'm sorry, Ms. Davina."
Davina was her name? I thought it was Daisy.
My jaw nearly dropped as the girl actually bowed her head.
Davina sighed. "I'm not the one who needs an apology."
The girl shot me a death glare before muttering, "I'm sorry."
I rolled my eyes. She scurried away, and I turned to Davina. "Thanks for that."
She shrugged. "It’s nothing. The girls are just jealous. Don’t take it personally."
I narrowed my eyes. "Jealous?"
She nodded. "You have a single room. None of them do. They think you’re being treated differently—given special privileges. And, well… you’re attractive, and the boss seems to like you."
I scoffed. "The boss can go to hell."
She grinned. "You’re not wrong."
For some reason, I smiled back. I liked Davina. She was the first person here who didn’t feel like a total psychopath.
"How did you end up here, Davina?"
She hesitated before answering, "Same way you did."
My stomach dropped. "You were… sold?"
"No." She met my gaze. "I was kidnapped."
That actually sounded better than being sold by my own father.
"You were sold?" she asked, her voice careful.
My chest tightened. "By my father. Shameful to say."
Her eyes softened, and I hated the sympathy I saw there. I quickly changed the subject. "So, how long have you been here? And why haven’t you tried to escape?"
She smiled wryly. "No one escapes the boss. This place is locked down tighter than hell. I was taken from the hospital three years ago. That night, the boss staggered in, bleeding from a bullet wound to the ribs. I was finishing my shift when he pulled a gun on me and forced me to patch him up. After that… he couldn’t decide whether to let me live or kill me, so he brought me here instead. I became the in-house doctor. Survival was my only choice."
I nodded slowly. "He’s trouble."
She chuckled. "Believe me, he is."
For some reason, I smiled back. Davina was the first person here who made this place look normal and made me feel like I could spend more days here than I intended.
"What about your family?" I asked. "Don’t you think they’d be looking for you?"
She stopped walking, and I looked up. A set of double wooden doors loomed ahead. She pushed them open, revealing a huge kitchen-s***h-dining room.
Every pair of eyes turned to me.
"Good morning, Miss Davina," the room greeted in eerie unison.
"Good morning," she replied casually. "I see you’ve all met Nora."
Nora? I raised an eyebrow at her, but she ignored me.
"She’ll be sworn into the family soon."
I froze. Sworn? Like an oath?
I quickly followed her to an empty seat.
"You better eat fast," she murmured. "The boss will come for you anytime."
I uncovered my plate, and the smell made my stomach rumble. As I lifted my fork, I overheard whispers from the table beside me.
"I saw her leave the room yesterday, but she didn’t come back."
"Oh, poor Sandy. I hope nothing happened to her."
I set my fork down. A sinking feeling gripped my chest.
Sandy.
Was she the girl Zavi killed yesterday? The one who died because of me?
"Come on, you guys know what happens when someone isn’t found with the others," a familiar voice sneered.
Miss Attitude.
I glared at her, and she smirked back.
Bitch.
Davina nudged me. "Come on, let’s go."
I didn’t need to be told twice. Grabbing a water bottle, I followed her out.
"Next time, remind me to put on an act so I can eat in my room," I muttered.
She laughed. "Don’t worry, you won’t be dining there after today. You’ll be joining the boss at his table."
I deadpanned.
Fucking great.
- Writer
