Chapter 136 One-hundred & Thirty-six

• Maria
• I jolt awake from the sudden noise of glass breaking somewhere in the house. Having spent the night on the dining room floor, I sit up quickly. Holding myself still, I listen for movement, but it's silent again. That's not reassuring. Outside, it's an overcast morning. But for now, I'm still here and alive. I tug at the zip tie binding my ankle to the chair, and the chair's legs bang against the hardwood floor louder and louder as I desperately try to free myself. The plastic cuts into my skin, leaving red marks on my ankle and across my fingertips. I wince in pain but keep trying, wondering who will come through that door next.
• I freeze when the door opens, but when I see Mikhail, my tension deflates in a loud, pent-up breath.