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The Drone folded his arms, studying us. “The prophesied child will not come into existence. Once you conceive, I will bite you. The venom will give me access to the fetus’ brain, and it will become my child. Then, together, my child and I, will drain your power.”

The ache in my chest was unbearable. My body shook violently, and bile rose to the back of my throat. “Why can’t you just let Michio and I go and leave us the fuck alone? Michio was your best friend, Aiman. You have a deep and defining history together. Like family. Have you forgotten that?”

For a flickering moment, his eyes softened and the cruelty slipped away. Then he blinked, and the hard, razor-sharp eyes returned. “I need an heir. I can’t control the women because of your blood. I can’t silence Dr. Nealy’s vexing thoughts because of your blood. There’s power there. The child you birth, my child, will be the ultimate hybrid between your power and mine. You will give me a child that can’t be defeated, one I will groom to follow in my footsteps.”

Everything inside me choked. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak, couldn’t move a fucking finger. My outrage was so visceral and painful it took over my body. I’d never felt so helpless.

My torment reached rock bottom when Michio sprung away from me. As if yanked by strings, his body jerked mechanically, shuffling backward, and slammed against the wall by the door.

The Drone turned toward Dr. Jaffer. “Remove the IUD.”

My muscles shook, a full-body spasm that clattered the chains. I lay on the mattress, legs squeezed together, arms folded around my torso, as sweat gathered beneath the layers of wrapped cotton.

The heavy thump of Dr. Jaffer’s bag dropping on the cement floor echoed my heartbeat. As he opened it, the sound of the zipper scraped down my spine. The lingering look he gave my chest, his kneeling position at my feet, his hands resting on my ankles, every movement promised certain hell.

The removal of the IUD alone would be painful. Worse would be the rape that followed. To go through that again, while the man I loved watched helplessly, would be like reliving the hell in my father’s basement all over again.

With my feet unrestrained, I could land a hard-hitting kick to his temple and knock him out. Maybe he would be less inclined to touch me when he woke. But I couldn’t. Michio had been kept in the room for a reason, and I’d promised him I wouldn’t make the Drone use him as an enforcer again. I was going to have to find another way out of this.

I looked around the room, taking in the blank-faced men along the wall. Six more obstacles.

“This is rape.” I glared at Dr. Jaffer, my voice strained. “There’s no going back from it. Once a rapist, always a rapist.”

Digging through his bag, he paused to flash me an oh-it-won’t-be-so-bad smile. My foot twitched to break his pearly-white human teeth.

The overhead light cast a pukey glow across his mahogany-brown complexion and round facial features. In his thirties, he was lean and average-looking with dark eyelids, thick eyebrows, and a shadow of stubble above his lips. If he grew out his black hair, he could’ve been the Drone’s twin.

I angled my neck to see around him, trying to find the Drone’s gaze. “Are you two related?”

“No.” The Drone leaned sideways until those sinister eyes filled my view. “But the resemblance is deliberate. The child will be of my venom not of my blood, but our likeness in heritage and features will serve as a visual reminder that I am the father.”

My insides writhed with hatred. I squeezed my eyes shut, blocking out the monster. But I couldn’t escape my surroundings, couldn’t slip away from the restraints, the stale air, and the hopelessness. All of it reminded me I was going to die in this dam, that Michio would be given to Elaine, that I would never see Jesse and Roark again, and that my child would be raised by a madman.

It took Dr. Jaffer forever to collect his tools from his bag, but forever wasn’t long enough. When his cold fingers dragged the cotton skirt up my legs, my eyes snapped open. He forcibly ruched the material around my hips, and I squeezed my knees tighter, my breaths wheezing out of control.

My soon-to-be rapist shoved a wedge beneath my hips and gripped my thighs. “Open your legs, Ms. Delina.”

I didn’t. I couldn’t. My ribs compressed, restricting my lungs.

Michio stepped away from the wall, arms hanging at his sides, but they wouldn’t remain there for long if I fought this.

I wanted to die, yet I couldn’t even do that. I couldn’t do anything but lay here while Dr. Rapey shoved his hand inside me.

“Aiman!” I strained my neck to see the Drone. “Let Michio sit by me. The least you can do is let me hold his hand.”