He did plan to kill her.
Bile rose up in her throat as the blows kept coming. Her entire body burned with fiery pain. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. She screamed. The door to her room flew open.
“It was me,” Becky cried. The girl half fell out of the door, then sank to her knees at Bones’s feet. “A note was slipped under the outside door. I thought it was from you.” Bones released Arista. She doubled over, gasping for breath. Each inhale sent a new, agonizing shot throughout her body. Wild had known her at the party, had even expected her to be there. Had he slipped the note under the door? No one except Becky, Arista, Nic, and Bones knew of Lady A’s whereabouts—knew that the nondescript outside door led right to her.
“Please.” Arista jerked her head toward the plea in time to see Becky cowering on the floor. Bones drove his boot into the girl’s middle, and her abrupt scream was cut off when the next blow landed on her head. Becky lay still on the floor.
The invisible vise on Arista’s limbs released, and she staggered a few steps before the pain doubled her over. “No, stop!”
Bones barked an order over his shoulder and two huge men stepped from the shadows. One, a hulking beast with a disfigured face, advanced on her with a feral gleam in his eye. “Put them inside,” Bones said.
The brute grabbed her arm and pulled her against his chest. He smelled of sweat and onions and Arista gagged as he pushed her nose against his shirt. He slid his arm around her back and drove his hand into her stomach, in the same spot Bones had beaten. She cried out in pain and the man laughed, a low sadistic sound she had heard on the streets too often. He lifted her off her feet and all she could do was concentrate on breathing in through her mouth and out through her nose.
She would not faint. She would not let this monster do anything to her without one hell of a fight.
Arista didn’t have time to contemplate it, because she suddenly flew through the air. She landed hard on her shoulder and the impact sent fresh jolts of pain through her body. The knife handle dug into her hip, and she slid her hand under her skirts until she curled her fingers around the cool, smooth wood.
Becky lay motionless on the floor. Bones took the single lantern from the room and handed it to one of the men. He stood over her, a sneer on his face. “Maybe a little reminder of how it could be will help you remember. There’ll be no food or drink or light until I find him.”
His guards left the room, then Bones followed, taking the light with him. Arista heard the outside lock click into place. She scrambled to her hands and knees and crawled to the door. Splinters dug into her fingertips as she clawed at the wood.
They were trapped in the dark.
The corset shrank with each breath until it became impossible to get any air. The room grew warmer with each exhale and Arista fought the panic welling up inside her. There were no windows—another safeguard to prevent anyone from discovering they were there. White dots danced at the edges of her vision. She could not stop her limbs from shaking as she turned and put the door at her back. She drew her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth.
What if I told you I know where Bones hides his money? That I can get to it? Where would you want to go then?
Oh God, Nic, what have you done?
She must have said it out loud. “Miss?” Becky’s faint voice pulled Arista from her thoughts.
“Becky!” It hurt to talk, but she called out again despite the pain. Arista turned back onto her hands and knees and crawled toward her friend’s soft cries. Each small movement sent fresh waves of agony shooting through her stomach, but she pushed on. She had to be strong for both of them now. “Where are you?”
“Here, miss.”
Arista made her way over the last few feet and found Becky. As she carefully ran her fingers over the girl, something warm and sticky coated her fingers. Without any light, Arista had no idea how badly her friend had been injured.
“Becky,” she whispered. Her voice sounded as though her mouth were full of muslin. “I’m going to get us out of here, and I’ll get you some help, okay?” Emotion welled up in her throat, making it difficult to swallow.
Arista fought through the growing panic and pushed to her feet. Sharp pain radiated from her middle but she made her way blindly across the room, one arm cradling her aching stomach and the other held out in front of her. When she finally felt solid wood under her hand, she leaned her forehead against the wall and took in several shallow breaths. It didn’t hurt as much that way.
She felt so small, so helpless. Being trapped again, in the dark room, brought back memories of before, when she was too young and helpless to fight back. Then, she would just curl up and wait. Maybe there was nothing to do now—nothing to be done. What could she do, anyway? She was just a girl. An orphan. Nobody.