Chapter 24

**Steph pov**

I fucking hate that he was right about the morphine, I promised myself a long time ago I’d never rely on drugs to help me, especially after what David and his goons did. But it did help, because the pain was crippling me. I don’t know how much longer I could have handled it.

I don’t know how long I slept, I was afraid to at first, too worried about what Alexi and his men were doing to Jack. But it is painfully clear that I have no control over that, he said he wouldn’t kill him. But some things are worse than death. Like, really worse.

I don’t know what they will do to him, I suppose it’ll be whatever they had planned for me to begin with. I don’t know why he spared me, apart from the obvious. But a part of me is grateful, I didn’t want to die and leave Sarah all alone.

I may not be able to be with her right now, but I know that she is safe, and that is more comforting than anything else.

I roll over on the bed and look at the door, I’m super thirsty, and hungry too, but there is no way that I can contact Alexi. There is no way that I can let him know that I’m awake. I just have to wait for him to come.

I slowly climb off the mattress, using the wall to help me, and I wobble towards the door, hoping and praying that it is unlocked, and to my surprise, the handle turns and the door clicks open, squeaking as it does. Did he leave it open on purpose to test me? It has to be some kind of game for him. He isn’t stupid. He wouldn’t have forgotten.

I slowly peak my head around the corner, trying to see if anyone is there, but the hallway is still and quiet. I slowly limo my way out of the room and make my way towards the stairs, my heart hammering inside of my chest. I could die from fright right about now. And I just might.

I’m so terrified that when I get to the top of the stairs Alexi will be there to push me back down again, it’s the sort of thing he’d do. He’s trying to trick me, I know it.

I open the door that leads into the kitchen, my palms wet with sweat as I shut the door behind me, and again, no one is there. No one is anywhere. The mansion is silent.

But that doesn’t mean that I can run, I wouldn’t make it far, I know that. And even if I did, I have no idea where they are keeping my sister. I wouldn’t know where to begin to look. She could be anywhere inside or outside of the city.

I walk towards the fridge, my broken leg screaming at me every time I put pressure on it, it isn’t like I can hop about, I have no choice but to apply pressure to it. Alexi didn’t give me any crutches to use. And he wouldn’t. He wants me to feel this pain. He wants it to hurt me.

That is my punishment for being a runner, and for trying to run from him.

Alexi isn’t someone to mess with, I know that, and even if I am stubborn and afraid, I know that he can kill me with a simple flick of his wrist. I have to be careful. I have to do as I am told. Otherwise, I will meet a fate that I do not want.

I pull some orange juice out of the fridge and walk towards the counter top, searching for a glass to use, it takes a minute, but I find one. I’m so thirsty. My mouth has never been this dry. Not in all my life.

Not even when they used me as a slave.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?” Comes a voice, one I recognise instantly.

I turn, Misha stood not too far away from me, his arms crossed, “I’m just pouring some juice.” I say , keeping my voice even and low.

The last thing I want to do is provoke him.

“And who said you could leave your room?” He asks, taking a step towards me, his hand on his weapon.

My eyes go straight to the gun he’s hovering over, and my blood runs cold. Is he going to shoot me? Fuck. I should have just waited for Alexi.

“I’m sorry.” I say, slowly placing the juice onto the counter top, “the door was unlocked so I just thought that I could-“

“You thought wrong.” He snaps, interrupting me, “you need to go back down, right now.”

I still, my heart racing, “I will… but I just need to get a drink and maybe something to eat, I had morphine and I’m starving.”

Misha looks at me, as though daring me to lie. But I wouldn’t. I have told him the truth. He takes his hand if his gun and walks to the fridge, pulling out eggs, bacon and sausage.

He stood halfway to the stove, “you are not one of those vegans are you?@ he asks, venom in his voice.

I shake my head. “No.”

He nods his approval, “good, then you can eat what I make you.”

Wait, he is making me some food? I thought he wanted me to go back to my room.

I slowly walk backwards when he gets closer to me, anxiety creeping through my chest the closer he gets.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” He says, shaking his head, “I’m going to let you eat so you can go back to your room, where you are supposed to be.”

He really is going to feed me, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

“Thank you.” I whisper, deciding it is best to sit down rather than hover.

I drink the entire glass of orange juice as he cooks, and it smells delicious. I could eat a mountain of it. Or at least try.

He places a plate in front of me, and one in front of himself, there is bacon, scrambled egg, sausage and pancakes. Everything that I love. I’m sure it’s way past lunch time. But I don’t mind. I love breakfast for lunch.

“Thank you.” I say again, digging straight in.

Misha laughs with a mouth full of food, “you really were hungry.” He says.

I nod, shovelling scrambled egg into my mouth, “yeah, I said I was.”

The door to the kitchen opens and Alexi walks in, his eyes going straight to me, and then slowly to Misha, his expression darkening.

“What are you doing up here?” He asks, walking towards me and leaning on the table.

My body freezes, the closeness off him sending warning bells ringing all across my head. “I’m sorry.” I whimper, “I was hungry.”

He looks down at my half-eaten plate of food and nods, “I can see that, but who told you that you could leave your room?”

I look down, ashamed, and embarrassed, “no one.”

Why do I feel like a child being scorned? I was just so fucking hungry. I couldn’t wait there forever.

Alexi sits in the chair beside me, “go ahead.” He orders, “eat.”

I look down at the plate, unable to do as he commands, it was easy to eat with Misha because he was also eating, but he seems to have stopped too. Alexi’s presence has darkened the entire room.

It has darkened my mood.

“I’m done.” I whisper, keeping my eyes on the plate.

I’m a whiny piece of shit, I never used to be like this, I used to stand my ground. But he frightens me, I know exactly what he is capable of.

“If you don’t eat it, you get nothing else until tomorrow,” he says, leaning back in the chair and wrapping his hand around the back of my neck, pushing my head down, “do you understand me malyshka? Eat it, or you will be punished.”

I gulp down a breath and pick up my fork, shovelling as much as I can down my throat as fast as I am able to. I don’t want to be here longer than I have to. And I know for certain that he is a man of his word.

I don’t want to be punished for anything, and I don’t want to be starved either. I need to put my discomfort to one side and just eat it.

I need to do as I am told, otherwise, I am as good as dead.