登入Chapter 14 - Josh Carter.Rosie’s POV I woke up groggily, my head pounding as the chemical smell filled my nose and throat, clinging to the back of my tongue. I was disoriented, my ears ringing, when a man walked in, slapped my cheek hard, and my eyelids fluttered before he said, "She's awake." His voice carried a heavy accent I couldn't quite place.Another voice hollered back from somewhere further off, muffled through. "Give her another shot until the plane lands. We still have seventeen hours left to reach the destination."Wasn't I on a helicopter? I thought hazily before the man grabbed my arm and I tried to fight it, my limbs heavy and it was useless as I felt a sting against my skin, and I fell back into a dreamless sleep immediately.***“Hey!” A loud voice pulled me out of the drug-induced haze, and I blinked, confused, trying to take in where I was. My eyes were still fuzzy, and I shook my head, trying to force my vision to clear, my head whipping around sluggishly.It lo
Chapter 13 - Surprised. Rosie povTwo months after Trevor's death, it was afternoon, and Maya had gone off to do whatever Maya did at this time of day, while Savannah was god knows where, leaving me to myself for once, which almost never happened in this house. Because Maya was always hovering, and Savannah was always looking out.I stood up, feeling a little bored, and started packing away some of Trevor's stuffed toys that were still piled in the corner of the room. It was time to finally box them up. Even if part of me had been putting it off for weeks, I pulled out a large box and started placing everything inside, laughing softly when I remembered how he used to chase the small ball across the floor.That little devil, I rubbed the side of my nose.Once everything was packed, I sealed the lid shut with a small grunt and pushed the box into a corner, planning to have Savannah move it into storage the next time she came in. I pressed a light kiss to the top of the box. "I'll alway
Chapter 12 - Girls day out Rosie povBy the time I woke up, I was numb, so numb I couldn't feel much of anything at all. It didn't matter that the maids were dead, that Jude had already delivered the justice. None of it could bring Trevor back. He'd died a cruel death, in pain, fighting for his life with everything he had in that small body, and nothing that happened after could undo that.I didn't say a word as the gunshots rang through the room before Jude turned to everyone else gathered there and said this wouldn't be spared a second time, his eyes locked on his mother and Sophia the time he said it. I knew that they had something to do with what happened, but the maids hadn't given anything away before they died.Why can humans be so cruel to a harmless animal?I let Jude carry me back to the room, and I cried myself to sleep with him beside me, and for once I was just grateful he was there.A week passed like that, everything was gloomy, my routine shambled as I stayed cooped u
Interlude IVMonths had passed with his wife, and life had settled into a peaceful pace, the kind he hadn't known someone like him, with blood on his hands, could have. The elders, though, had been cranky as usual, and today was no exception.Jude stared at the men seated around the long table, the elders of each family that made up the Umbra. The old generation, the ones who'd been running things, each family branch handling its piece of the business that kept the organization moving forward, all of them bound to the same code regardless of blood or rank.The Winter family handled shipments, in and out, arms and goods that never touched official records. Sophia's family, the Russo line, handled everything law related, judges bought quietly, cases buried before they reached a courtroom, evidence that ceased to exist when it needed to or when it needed to be fabricated.He tapped a finger against the table, listening to them argue over who would fill the First Elder's seat now that he'
Chapter 11 - My BabyRosie pov I woke up in the morning and felt something was wrong immediately. Yes, definitely wrong, because Trevor, my living alarm clock, was supposed to be on my chest, licking my face while I giggled myself awake, tired and half-asleep. But he wasn't here.I blinked the sleepiness out of my eyes, rubbing them. "Trevor," I called, my voice coming out croaky from sleep, but there was no rustle, no answering sound anywhere in the room. I jerked upright. "Trevor?" I called again, softer this time, glancing toward his little house even though he barely ever used it. That little devil only ever slept on my chest or curled up beside me, nuzzling and purring against my skin all night, refusing to settle anywhere else no matter how many times Savannah tried to convince him by putting him in his house.I got up to wash my face and brush my teeth quickly before Savannah came in to help me dress for the day, pulling my hair into a messy bun as I walked back into the room,
Chapter 10 - settling inRosie pov Days turned into weeks, then months, and just like that, three months had slipped by in a blink. I'd accepted my fate here. Why wouldn't I? Nothing about it felt uncomfortable anymore, and honestly, it had been good to me. Wake up in the morning, eat, read a novel, talk to Maya, eat again, play with Trevor, and sleep at night. There was something soothing about the routine, something I hadn't let myself expect when I first landed on this island covered in blood. And then there was Maya. Hyperactive, always talking, but never once bore me out. I loved all her stories, the way she could turn the smallest event into something dramatic and hilarious. She was genuinely good to be around, always clung to me if she wasn't out doing some may-ah-ty thingy sometimes. She was on a break from school, and I'd been surprised Jude even allowed his sister to be that far from his watch. Maya had just laughed it off when I brought it up, telling me she could handle







