Chapter 23

Vanessa

Three days had passed since I narrowly escaped murder or kidnapping, but Diego has once again confined me within these suffocating walls. Anger and fear mingle within me, a potent cocktail that burns hotter with each passing day. I know he's been busy torturing some guy, but that doesn't justify treating me like a prisoner again.

Not when I didn't do anything wrong this time!

I've been pestering Danny about my captor's whereabouts all day, but every time I ask, he just grunts and turns his attention back to his phone. Strangely, I think he's starting to grow on me though...like toe fungus you just can't get rid of. The fact that he hasn't hurled a derogatory word my way in a while gives me a glimmer of hope—maybe, just maybe, he's harboring less animosity towards me.

I lay on Diego's bed, my gaze fixed on the unyielding ceiling, casually toying with the collar around my neck. The room holds the oppressive silence of captivity that grows tighter by the minute. An hour a