Page 104 of Reckless Desires

The nurse pulls out a needle. “Time for a nap.”

I wake up to the gentle touch of a damp cloth against my face, a gasp escaping my lips as the coolness brushes my skin. For a moment, it feels soothing, but then reality crashes in like a tidal wave. I’m not having a nightmare; I’m not in the hospital.

My body jolts upright, but pain shoots through my wound, forcing me back onto the bed, breathless and panicked.

“Lily,” a calm, familiar voice calls out, cutting through the haze of confusion.

When my eyes meet Farrah’s, holding the wet cloth with a look of concern, a rush of emotions overwhelms me. I contort my face, shaking my head violently. “No. NO!”

“How did you get back here?” she asks, her voice steady yet tinged with worry.

Desperation surges within me as I struggle to sit up, but everything feels heavy. “They took me again. I was free. Farrah, you have to help me escape. I know you can,” I plead, my voice trembling with desperation.

“I can’t do that,” she replies, reaching out to comfort me, but I pull away.

“Yes, you can!” I plead, my heart racing.

“Even so, I won’t help you.” She dips the cloth into a bowl of water, her movements methodical, almost robotic, as she extends her hand toward me.

“Get away from me!” I hiss, with a mix of rage and sorrow. “I can’t even look at you with an ounce of respect. Helping these monsters!”

She stands tall, a flicker of hurt crossing her face. “You don’t have to respect me, Lily.”

“It’s Liliana,” I correct her, my voice sharp.

“Liliana.” She nods, then she turns to walk away, and an ache wells up inside me.

“What do you know about me being here?” The question hangs in the air, heavy with dread.

If they allow her to roam freely, surely she’s heard things—things that can give me some more insight into why I’m being targeted.

“I—” she begins, but I cut her off, frustration boiling over.

“Don’t bullshit me! You must have overheard them talking.” I clutch my side, pain searing through me, but I push it aside, desperate for answers.

Her eyes soften with pity, but it only ignites my anger. “I know an older woman who looks very much like you—your mother, I assume—used to come to the underground poker games. She was good. Really good. But when Viktor learned who she was, it was only a matter of time before he got her in his trap. That’s how they work. They lure you in with tempting offers, knowing the more you win, the deeper you fall. She was on a winning streak until one night, everything spiraled out of control. She almost lost her house. Viktor offered her a good sum of money but with high interest. She took it anyway. Payments ceased about a year ago.”

The pieces click into place, the timeline unraveling painfully. “So, I’m the collateral,” I whisper, horrified. “Why can’t you help me? I can make sure you’re free too.”

Her response is a heavy blow. “They have my daughter. If I breathe the wrong way, she’ll be killed.”

A cold realization washes over me. There’s no changing her mind. And knowing these monsters have a little girl in their possession is sickening.

“How old is she?”

“Five,” she replies, a bittersweet smile breaking through her tears. “I got to wave hello to her after I pulled you off that boat the first time.” Her voice cracks, and I can see the fear and love intertwining in her eyes. “I don’t know if she even remembers who I am.”

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Killian

“You’re not going to like this,” Donal says over the phone. “You were right about Vidalia and the Russians working together, but it’s worse than you think. What we gathered is that Thea owes Viktor Vaks a lot of money. He took the girl as collateral.”

I don’t even respond. I just hang up. “Where the fuck is Thea?!”

Darius is driving back to the hospital to see if we can find anything that can lead us to Lily while Cameron and Alessio break the news to her sisters.

“Don’t tell me that bitch is responsible.” Darius grips the steering wheel. “She needs to sink to the bottom of the ocean.”