Masked

CHAPTER 37 | way to bury the lead

Middlemarch Estate

The sound of scraping metal woke Parker from a restless sleep. Quickly scurrying into the corner, she brought her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs tight. After four days rotting in this prison, she had memorized the routine.

Each morning three beefy guards entered the cell. A tray of food and a hot drink was placed near Joséphine, but out of arm's length. She often wondered why none of them would get any closer to the chained woman. A bottle of water and a granola bar would then be tossed to her. If she was lucky, they would leave. If she wasn't, one, if not all three, would take turns kicking or hitting her, on Matheo's orders.

Joséphine would scream out for them to stop, cursing them the entire time.

Once satisfied, they would leave. The door would be locked, and the chains keeping Joséphine in place against the wall would be loosened from a distance. Joséphine would be able to stand, walk around, relieve herself, and eat her meal. After a while, they tightened the chains again.

The same process was repeated at the end of the day.

Today was a good day. She was left in peace. Be that as it may, she did not think her body could take much more.

They released Josephine from the chains. "How are your ribs?"

Parker let her legs unfurl from her chest and winced. Her brutalized insides were on fire. She ran the back of her hand across her sweaty brow. "Sore."

"Well," Joséphine said, "if they look anything like the rest of you, they are not in good shape. How's your fever?"

She fought the effort it was taking to stay focused. "Still there, but nothing I can't cope with,"

Joséphine inspected the tray of food before she picked it up, sat down near Parker, and placed it between them.

"I hope you like eggs," she said, "because I hate them."

Joséphine had insisted on sharing her meals. She initially resisted, concerned that the woman would be punished. Joséphine laughed the idea off as nonsense and refused to eat unless she did as well.

Hunger had finally won out, and she gave in.

"When do you think Elise will be back?" she said in a cracked and hoarse voice.

Joséphine shrugged. "Today? Tomorrow? The day after? Who knows with the alpha. She is a law unto herself."

Elise had not made an appearance in the five days she's been imprisoned. This fact alone kept her hopes up. The longer the alpha stayed away, the more chance she had of finding a way to escape. While she hoped Daniel, Morgan, and the others were looking for her, she couldn't bank on it. Would Daniel be so angry with her for going to the CDC that he wouldn't bother searching? And even if he did, how would he find her? In all the time they'd been searching for Elise, they hadn't found a single clue to her hideout.

She winced when she moved, and pain shot through her chest. If she did not get out of here soon, she was not getting out at all. The pain throughout her body was getting worse each day, and the little food she was consuming wasn't enough to sustain her body while it struggled to repair itself.

They finished their meal, relieved themselves, and washed up in a tiny basin before the guards returned to secure Joséphine, and remove the tray.

Although the day proceeded as it had every other day, Parker's senses were more on edge than ever. Her skin prickled, and she wasn't surprised when the door swung open mid-afternoon. Armed guards, dressed from head to toe in black, dragged her and Joséphine out of the cell.

The light from the bright afternoon sun blinded her when they stepped out of the building. A sharp pain shot through her body, and the sudden movement made her dizzy. At least two more buildings, similar to the one she had been held in, stood nearby. The barrel of a gun was thrust into her back, sending shooting pains through her chest. When the gun prodded her a second time, she limped in the direction she was pushed.

"You okay?" Joséphine said.

Parker nodded and focused on staying upright.

hands had been restrained behind her back, while shackles and chains held her wrists together. She had five minders herding her toward God knew where.

Why the hell do they have so many guards on her?

They were steered up a set of stone steps and dumped on a large outdoor patio attached to one of the largest manor houses she had ever seen.

She was pushed to her knees. The sudden motion knocked the wind out of her, and she struggled to breathe. She looked up and gasped.

Matheo stood next to an elegantly dressed woman. Everything about the woman screamed power, from the designer clothes and shoes, to the chic but understated jewelry.

The woman stared at her with a face of evil. Never before had Parker experienced such innate fear and terror. She swallowed the bile, but she wasn't strong enough. Her stomach contracted so violently she bent over double. What little food she had consumed that morning flew to the ground in chunks. She sank to her knees and retched until only clear fluid came up. Her throat felt sore from the acid that was layering it, and her mouth tasted of vomit.

Once her body stopped convulsing, she looked up, but immediately regretted it. Cold, soulless eyes glared back at her. Next to Elise, Matheo was nothing.

Elise's gaze moved from her to Joséphine, and Parker let out her breath.

Joséphine guards pushed her forward just as the alpha walked over to her. Something wasn't right. She made a move toward her new friend, but strong hands locked her in place before she managed a step.

Elise stood over the Joséphine, who had been pushed to her knees. Elise's icy smile did not reach her eyes, and a sneer distorted her mouth as she looked down on Joséphine.

Parker watched in awe as Joséphine looked up at Elise, and raised her chin in defiance.

"Hello, mother."