Chapter 22 After The Fire

• Bella’s POV
• I could still feel the ropes.
• Even though they were gone, even though Matteo had sliced through them minutes ago, my skin remembered every second of it. The pressure had sunk deep into my flesh, leaving behind invisible bruises that pulsed even after the restraints were gone. My wrists still throbbed, like something sharp had just been pulled away. My shoulders were sore from being pulled back so tightly. My spine ached from the way I had been twisted and forced into stillness. Even the corner of my mouth still tasted faintly of blood.