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“Don’t test me. Or do. Let’s see who wins in the end.”

Her chest heaves and she licks her lips, her body convulsing two more times before she stops.

Slowly, she stands up and gets in my face. She is so stupidly brave.

I press my fingers together again, my jaw clamping hard. The part of me who yearns to give her all my love at war with my need for vengeance. Testing me won’t end well for her.

She drops to her knees, gripping the edge of my pants. She fists it as if it’s an anchor before she looks up at me.

“One of us will break. I have a high pain tolerance. I’ve been in pain all my fucking life, Enzo. This is all I’ve known.”

“Stop.” But it’s me who stops after the third one, witnessing the first tears gathering in her eyes. I’ve tested it on myself and three times in a row has you wanting to shed your skin.

“Stand up,” I order and rake a hand through my hair, not to be tempted to do it again and again until she apologizes. Until she looks me in the eye and says how stupid I was for believing her lie, for making a fool out of me. I want her to be proud of herdeeds so I can spare us both and end her. One of us was always destined to die at the hand of the other.

She rises carefully and without her heels, she doesn’t even reach my chin. Yet, she’s fucking deadly. But without a gun, I could easily overpower her.

“Does this make you happy?” she asks, her silver eyes demanding my entire attention, along with pieces of my soul.

I don’t even know what she’s talking about, focused on watching her face, taking my fill until it’s fucking enough to replenish my empty soul.

She grabs my hand and presses my thumb and forefinger together. With the other, she holds onto my arm, never breaking eye contact. I can see her sorrow and pain as her body trembles through the shock.

I underestimated her power, and it takes me a moment to break out of her grip.

“I am the one punishing you. Don’t you ever do that again or you’ll regret it. Now move,” I spit.

“Tone down those orders. It makes me want to shove them down your throat,” she spits right back.

It takes everything in me not to shake my head at her and show her the hint of a smile I am hiding behind a groan.

“You really want to die?” I ask, my chest tightening at the thought.

“I have no reason to live anymore.”

Her words go straight to my heart, wreaking havoc.

Curling my hand around her throat, I back her up to the opposite wall, holding her there, trapped between two hard surfaces. “Your reason is to serve me. Got it?”

She offers me a small smile. “I won’t serve anyone else, Enzo. Kill me now because if that’s your end goal, you’ll be disappointed. I have nothing else to lose. That’s why I am indulging your little game.”

“My little game?”

My grip on her neck is not too hard. She’s able to rise on her toes and whisper in my ear, “Many enemies were after me, yet you got me. You made a deal with the Syndicate, knowing that my best chance to stay alive was to come here. You want my life but not my death, and we both know it.”

“You overestimate my patience with you,” I grumble to hide the deafening gallop of my heart.

“And you underestimate how well I know you.”

She stalks out of the small cell and waits for me in front of the door, as if knowing I need a few moments to compose myself.

I don’t let her out of my sight as I open the door and watch her taking the stairs up.

Opening the door, she comes to an abrupt stop, shielding her face at the blinding sun until her eyes adjust. She takes in the compound stretching for as far as she can see.

I hope she thinks of a way to escape so I can punish her and make sure there are no loose ends that my enemies could use to get in.

My men take furtive glances as they continue to patrol undisturbed.