I drew in a sharp breath, a cough taking over that only made my stomach hurt worse. I’d forgotten how powerful Lou’s kicks could be.
With no windows, I’d had no way to track how long I’d been there, but it had to be days. My body had grown weak, and it took every ounce of energy to keep my spirit up. They didn’t give me food often, and a drink even less.
All of my body’s energy was spent trying to repair itself from the damage inflicted every few hours.
The tang of rust hit my tongue, and I swiped at the cut in my lip. It had first broken open at least a day earlier. Brooke’s tear-streaked face filled my mind, her cries for me as she pleaded with Lou to stop hurting me. He struck her in front of me, and I mustered all of my strength, tackling him to the ground.
I diverted his anger and
