reaming with fear. But what clawed at her chest more

mething she didn't even und

y, working her fingers to the bone just to survive.

. The rough grip of the chair beneath her, the tight ropes biting into her wrists, the acrid stench of sweat and gunpowder,

notice she was

t. He was

ting at the screen, and stuffing his face with junk food. Completely unaware

and realized she was miss

sh back the burning in her chest.

eetheart?" the man ho

ightened, his finger res

voice was hoarse when sh

smirked.

the

ers. The impact was so violent that it sent a

lled the room, dark and suffoc

fa

ad lights casting sharp shadows over his face. His ex

second, no

en

their lead

ted. Rafael

ullet with a slight shift of his body. His

G.

dropped

Rafael ducked, rolling across

A

raight to

e floor with a

She had never seen any

sn't just

move was calculated.

ed at him from op

ly saw Raf

G.

-charge, blood poo

than twenty seconds, That's all it

was sil

fael, Celia, and the leade

ed, his entire body rigid. Hi

ized somet

cared of

l. "You love to rebel," he spat. "But you

d. He lifted his gun and pressed a slow, mocking ki

ward, voice tight with frustrati

ked his he

mmand! Then you disappeared, and suddenly, you outrank me. Yo

Maybe if you weren't such a pathetic exc

"You are still under me," he growled. "That's why I will kill

usiness?" He clicked his tongue in mock disappointment. "See, that's your problem

s flared. "You think

Rafael said smo

dark with fury. "You built your

t let th

ed. "You ar

tched on his gun. "Yo

ut you?" He gestured lazily at the bodies of th

ried that I really

ach dropped.

smirk did

he murmured.

pulse thundered in her ears,

she thought sh

already trembling fi

to be part of his world. But to so casually throw her life away like tha

twisted in her gut. Was

hing, anything, in his expression like a

hing, only almnes

ening, his fingers digging painfully into h

luffing,"

d, his smirk stretchi

m

ouldn't

the force of her ow

is hand

ard her

he shot that

he lifted

ed it rig

roat w

e pulled t