Trapped by Seven Mafia Wolves novel Chapter 138

Broken Freedom

Aurora’s POV

The metal cuff bites into my wrist again. The skin there is already torn open, a wet red circle that throbs with every heartbeat. I stare at the dent in the chain small, uneven, but it’s there.

“It’s close,” I whisper, voice barely audible.

Damion’s sitting beside me, back against the damp wall, face half in shadow. The glow from the bare bulb overhead flickers every few seconds, making him look pale one moment, ghostly the next. His voice breaks the silence. “Close to what?” look up, meeting his eyes. “To breaking the

chain.

“He lets out a sharp breath, shaking his head. “Aurora, you’ve been saying that for two hours. The knife’s dull. The chain’s not gonna-

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“It’s weak,” I interrupt softly, the words trembling as they leave me. “It’s old metal, Look.

“He leans closer, squinting. “Maybe. But it’s not old enough.

“My throat feels dry. “It might be.

“Damion drags a hand down his face, muttering something in Spanish that sounds like a prayer or a curse. “You’re gonna cut your hand clean off before you cut that chain.

“I’ll be fine,” I whisper, but my voice shakes so much it sounds like a lie.He looks at me really looks. His green eyes are tired, heavy, bruised beneath, “You don’t even believe that.

“I stare at the wall instead. The knife glints faintly on the floor beside me, edges spotted with rust and something darker. I can feel it almost calling to ne not with words, but like it wants me to move, to try again, to do something.

I whisper, “I can’t stay here, Damion,

“He exhales, long and shaky. “I know. I can’t either But now all I can think is that I shouldn’t have ran away after arguing with Papá. Then… then…”

I can hear the guilt in his voice. The exhaustion. It makes my chest hurt worse than my wrists. “But we’ll get out. I know we will.

“But I don’t answer.

Because what if we don’t?What if she was right–Kara, with that cruel smile and that voice that still claws at my head when I close my eyes?I look back down at the dented link, breathing fast. I can

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feel my heartbeat in my hands, in my head, in the back of iny eyes. All I want is to be home.

I want them to tell me again, you’re safe.

I close my eyes, the darkness behind them offering chilling comfort. I can almost hear Jace’s voice making bad jokes in the kitchen while Nico groans. Leon and Luka arguing over the other wearing the same shirt. Matteo’s scream when I beat his high score by accident. Raphael’s voice complaining about an old woman at the hospital and Andrei trying not to laugh.

It feels like a dream pressed against the inside of my skull.

It feels like hanging from a ledge, fingers slipping, but you’re not sure which will hurt more letting go or holding on.So why… why can’t I?Why can’t I let myself fall?Why can’t I let myself drown?Why can’t I let the fire take me?Why can’t I just let go?Maybe before all of this, I would’ve let

myself be lost.

But now, I know why I can’t.

Because of my brothers.

Because no matter how much it hurts, I can’t make them carry the weight of losing me too.My

stomach twists. My hands tremble.

I don’t tell Damion. If I tell him, he’ll try to stop me If I say it out loud, it’ll sound real — and maybe

I’ll lose my nerve.

I keep my eyes on the wall, on the crack in the concrete. It’s rough enough. Hard enough. Heavy

enough.

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