The days blurred together in a hazy, disorienting nightmare as time seemed to slip through Olivia's grasp, each moment proving to be more vile than the last.
She was bound within the four walls of her prison that held nothing but a soiled mattress, and a bucket of water she used to wash herself off after the boorish men came to her room and tormented her daily.
Sleep left her days ago as horrible memories flashed behind her eyelids every time she closed her eyes.
After the explosion of one of Alejandro's container yards, a grim sequence of events unfolded for her. A black sack was draped over her head, and her arms bound behind her back before she was manhandled into a vehicle.
While being transported, gunshots sliced through the air within the vehicle, raining glass on her. She screamed as the vehicle flipped and swerved violently before it slammed into what sounded like metal, sending shock waves through her restrained form.
The scent of smoke and the metallic tang of blood sailing through the air heightened Olivia's senses, despite the pain that ran through her body. The sound of muffled hurried footsteps and distant sirens filtered through the wreckage.
The memory of being forcibly pulled from the wreckage lingered in her mind, accompanied by the acrid scent of a chemical that had been thrust under her nose. The world around her blurred as unconsciousness claimed her.
When she finally awoke she found herself in the company of six other women confined in a small room with no windows. It wasn't long before they were all ushered onto a plane.
She had no idea whether or not they were still in Los Angeles or had been transported to an entirely different country. Before they exited the plane, black sacks were placed on their heads before they were shuffled to this location.
Exhausted and drained, Olivia could no longer cry over her predicament. She had stopped fighting the men and just zoned out as they climbed on top of her, took their fill and left.
Pity had left a hole in her soul. She felt hollow, as if the very essence of her being had been drained, leaving her void of fight, strength and hope but filling her with the raw emotion of anger.
How the fuck did McKenzie get tied up with such a fucked up human being? And why was Dwayne still head over heels for a woman whose only future screamed death?
Yet, an unsettling question lingered in her mind. Would she ever see her brother again? She knew he had been angry with her for what she had done, but she needed him to see that McKenzie wasn't the sweet girl she once was. He'd thank her for it one day, that much she was sure of.
Especially now that they were both tangled in whatever nightmare she was living in with that deranged husband of hers. She just prayed that Dwayne was safe and more importantly looking for her.
One thing she knew for certain was that Alejandro was going to pay for the mental, emotional and physical scars he left on her.
She couldn't let him go unpunished after he had inflicted so much pain on her. For every indignity suffered, every degrading moment, he needed to pay…with his miserable life.
The scars Alejandro left on her chest were red and oozed pus from time to time. Olivia knew it was infected. She kept it as clean as possible with the water given to her. But, she knew if she didn't get medical help soon she'd fall ill. And, she had no idea what they'd do to her then.
She had worn her name, Dr. Olivia Jackson with pride, but here her title didn't mean a damn thing. She was no longer that woman. She had to separate who she had been and who she needed to become.
One thing she knew for sure, there was no way she was going to die in a fucked up place like this. She had to find a way out.
Her essence demanded a transformation into that of a trickster, a savage force driven by relentless vengeance, and an icy heart, willing to obtain revenge through any means necessary. Just like a phoenix, her old self needed to die in order for her new self to rise from the ashes.
Just then, the door groaned as it opened. A gruff-looking man wearing jeans and a t-shirt stepped in, gesturing for her to follow him. Rising to her feet, she held her head high as she trailed behind him. She refused to let them see her break.
They moved past sealed doors, behind which muffled moans drifted into the hallway. They ascended the staircase to reach another floor, where she'd never been before. The man stopped at one of the doors, turned the doorknob and signalled for Olivia to go in.
Stepping into the dimly illuminated space, she was left alone as the man shut the door behind her. In the shadows stood another figure, leaning against the wall, partially concealed.
She stood frozen as the figure stepped into the light.
First, a jolt of surprise shot through her, her eyes widening in disbelief. Then, the shock melted into a surge of rage, her hands curling into fists so tight that her nails dug painfully into her palms.
Before she knew what she was doing, she closed the distance between them and slapped him across the face.
"Look who finally decided to show up," she spat.