The moment Maximus and his men disappear behind the doors, I let out a sharp breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
A sob fights its way through my throat, and I can’t help but let it out, my face getting hotter with every tear I shed.
My vision is blurry as I stare down at the blood on my fingers. My blood.
Maximus broke my skin just to prove a point.
Anger spreads beneath my skin like wildfire, and for a second, I revel in it. But then it transforms into helplessness. Hopelessness. Because I realize that there’s really nothing I can do.
I’m stuck.
“Oh, my god!” A voice slices through the ringing in my ears, and I turn my head just in time to see Ava rushing toward me, eyes wide with panic. “Oh my god, Mrs. Sterling. What happened?”
Despite the situation I’m in, a snort escapes m
