𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 ✍︎

53| 𝚃𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍

Before we begin, I just want yall to know that I love all of you and I know you all love me (hopefully), sooooo please don't hate me.

OKAY HAVE FUN READING

Ayla/Dove's POV
Age: 10
Location: Ricci's Mansion, New York

I stare at him wordlessly.

Every instinct in my body is telling me to run, to fight, to do something.

But I can't.

I know that there's no point in screaming. Callum or one of the others guards will probably just put their hand over my mouth.

My knife is no longer in my pocket or hidden in my sleeve. It's on my nightstand. Too far for me to reach.

Vincent surveys me then grins again. "You've gotten sloppy. I expected more from you, Thirty-Two."

I wince at his words and sudden feeling of self-hatred rushes on me.

I hate that I still care if he's proud of me or not. I hate that his words still affect me. I hate that my mind is trying to figure out how to fix his disappointment.

I hate all of it.

"There's no one coming to save you," he says giddily. "Your parents are gone, so are your brothers. And your friends? They won't even notice if I take you."

"So you're here to bring me back?" I ask as calmly as I can. My voice still shakes and I know my eyes betray my fear.

I don't know how to fight this. How to fight him.

There's no way out of whatever is going to happen. I know it.

Alex won't realize something is wrong until too late. The other guards are no longer in the house. They're all the way outside. They may even be dead.

Vincent is right. There is no one to save me this time.

"You do not speak out of turn," Vincent warns darkly. "This is the only warning you will get, Thirty-Two."

I shut my mouth, too afraid to disobey him. Too afraid to do anything but wait for him to do the inevitable and take me again.

A sudden adrenaline rush hits me and the urge to try and jump out the window forms in my mind. Callum grabs me suddenly, rooting me in place, almost as if he knew what I was thinking.

"It's such a shame you had a fight with your family, isn't it?" Vincent taunts. "Especially since they were going to tell you and just...couldn't control your anger."

My calm demeanor shatters for a moment and the urge to knock his teeth in becomes overwhelming.

"It's also a shame that you haven't been taking care of yourself properly," he adds, making my heart plummet. He shakes his head in fake disappointment. "We'll have to take care of that, won't we?"

"Have you been watching me?" I demand angrily.

Vincent's eyes flash for a moment before he shakes his head. "You've just earned yourself a punishment, Thirty-Two. And we haven't even gotten home yet." He sighs dramatically. "What will I ever do with you."