Chapter 174

• Emilia’s POV
• The van’s interior smelled like sweat and stale cigarettes, an oppressive mix that churned my stomach. My hands, bound tightly behind me with rough rope, ached, and the gag they’d stuffed into my mouth earlier left my lips dry and cracked. They had removed it after they transferred me from the SUV into a van decided I was “safe enough” to keep quiet. Safe. I almost laughed at the absurdity of it.
• I shifted against the hard metal floor, the cold seeping through my clothes, and tried to steady my breath. My heart hammered in my chest, loud enough that I thought they might hear it over the growl of the engine. The men sat in the front seats, talking low enough that I could only catch snippets of their conversation. Fear bubbled up in my throat as I found my voice.