A gasp tears from my throat despite myself. My vision blurs, stars bursting behind my eyes as electricity rips through my tired body.
“Observe,” Alexei commands. “Your body understands the truth before you do.”
The current cuts off.
I’m panting now, sweat collecting along my spine, heart slamming like it’s trying to escape my ribs. I force my eyes open to look. Her face swims back into focus again.
“Still,” Alexei goes on. “Youinsiston clinging to the idea that she is…innocent. Good.”
I swallow hard. My tongue feels thick and heavy.
“She is not,” he says simply. “She is aweakness. A liability. A distraction that cost you everything.Sheis the reason you're hurting.”
Another jolt. Shorter this time, but sharper.
I cry out before I can stop it, my back arching against the restraints. My teeth chatter when it ends, humiliation burning hotter than the pain itself.
“That girl is the reason you’re sitting here right now,” Alexei continues, unbothered. “Feeling pain.” A pause. “And she will continue to be thereasonfor it until I can get her out of your head, boy.”
The screen changes. Another image of her. Different angle. Different day.
“Tell me,” he says softly, “how much longer are you going to let her run your life? Hmm?”
My head lolls forward. I shake it weakly.
No.
Stop.
This isn’t—
Pain again. Longer.
My vision whites out. Something animal claws up my throat—rage or fear or grief, I don’t know which—and when it finally cuts off, I’m sobbing. And then, worse than the pain...a thought slips in. About…her.
Why won’t you just leave me the fuck alone? I hate seeing your face.
I freeze.
That isn’t my thought. It can’t be.
Terror pools through me, colder than anything Alexei has done to me so far. I clamp my eyes shut like I can crush it back into nothing, but it’s already there, echoing in my useless fucking skull.
Alexei hums, satisfied. “Ah,” he murmurs. “There you go.” He walks away for a moment. To where, I have no idea. I’m still shaking. I hear movement to my left then. I open my eyes just enough to see two men leaning against the far wall, arms crossed, watching me like I’m a fucking exhibit.
One of them smiles in a way that makes me feel sick. “Pretty boy doesn’t look so tough anymore,” he says, amused. His dark eyes are a disturbing contrast to his short white-blonde hair.
The other doesn’t speak. He just lets his blue gaze drag over my arms, my chest, my throat like he’s deciding something. He has black hair, shaved close.
“Different rules here,” the first one adds lightly. “You’re not under anyone’s protection now.”
My stomach drops. I glance past them and see Adriana standing near the door, arms wrapped tight around herself. Her eyes meet mine for half a second before she looks away, jaw trembling. She’s been crying since they dragged me in here. Terrified of being alone, she forced herself to come even though she hates this. They’re watching her, too.
The silent one finally leans forward, pushing off the wall. “Relax,” he says, mockingly gentle. “If we decide to do anything to you, we’ll drug you. You won’t remember it anyway.”
A feral fear snaps awake inside me at that. My pulse roars in my ears as I test the restraints again. The two men keep fucking drooling over seeing me like this. Alexei finally returns with a bottle of water. But it’s not what I need. I need adose. Without saying anything, Alexei’s hand snatches my hair and yanks my head back. Water is forced down my throat, and I struggle not to choke and sputter.
“Good boy,” he praises, stepping back with a sadistic grin.