Gianna's heart stopped when the van came to a sudden halt.
The violent stillness that followed was worse than the motion had been. Worse than the laughter. Worse than the darkness. Worse than anything and everything.
For one suspended second, her body forgot how to breathe. Her chest locked, lungs burning, vision dimming as if the world itself had blinked out.
Then her heart started again. Too fast. Too loud. It slammed against her ribs like it was trying to escape her body, each beat sharp and painful, echoing in her ears until it drowned out everything else.
She could hear the men murmuring now, their voices muffled but unmistakably close, doors opening, heavy boots hitting the ground.
They were getting out. They were coming for her.
This was it.
The thought didn't arrive dramatically. It settled cold and final in her bones.
This was the moment she hadn't been waiting for.
It still felt like a dream. She? Kidnapped?
