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“I have no intention of going anywhere. I’m too tired even to think right now.”

“Get some rest.” He flashes one of his rare yet completely disarming smiles. I melt under his gaze and hope he can’t sense the sudden rush of desire flooding my body.

“Well, goodnight,” I murmur.

I walk backward toward the door to my room, then lock myself inside. I take a breath and let it out slowly. I’m safe. Max’s safe. I need to sleep, so I can think more clearly. It’s been one hell of a day.

As I shower, I wonder if Scar’s doing the same thing. Is he standing under the same style of rainfall shower head? Is water sluicing down his washboard abs and across his perfect ass? And what about the rest of him?

I shiver despite the warm water. I have to be careful not to become too obsessed with this guy. He could hurt me in a thousand different ways. As soon as I figure out what we’re going to do with Max, I need to be ready to walk away from Scar. We’re from totally different worlds, and while I respect what he does, I couldn’t be a part of such a dangerous organization.

I pass out on the cloud-like bed, only to be awakened by a scream. A male scream. It’s coming from Scar’s room.

Chapter 5: Scar

Ishiver in the icy dungeon. The thin blanket wrapped around my body is the only thing between me and the frigid concrete floor. One of the other boys tried to escape this morning, so we’re all being punished. Earlier, Jonathan’s guards came into the basement below his massive ranch compound and stole every last bit of comfort. I managed to salvage the blanket by stuffing it in the darkest corner of the room. I tried to give it to Reaper, but he hasn’t moved from the catatonic state they left him in earlier.

Cat-a-ton-ic. I learned that word from the dictionary in Jonathan’s library. Sometimes, when I don’t fight back, he rewards me with an hour in the only safe room in the house. One day, I hope I’ll learn something that will help me escape this hellhole. Some of the others have given up. Some just want to die. But I can’t die. I’m already dead. And all I can think about is freedom.

The metal lock scrapes against the steel door at the top of the wooden staircase. The other boys whimper. One sobs.

“Somebody’s coming,” Nitro whispers.

I shudder and curl into myself, trying to appear as small as possible. Maybe they won’t see me. Maybe I can hide. Maybe I’m not the one they want.

Please, God. Please don’t let it be me this time.

“Let’s go, Jimmy,” one of the guards says to me.

I open my mouth, but I can’t speak. My whole body quakes so hard I’m afraid I’m going to break my teeth.

“Are you going to piss yourself again?” the other guard taunts. “We’ll have to take you outside and hose you off. What is it? Twenty-five degrees right now?”

The guard glances at the tiny window high on the wall. It frosted over three days ago and hasn’t thawed since. Winter is coming. It will be my fifth winter here. I don’t know if I can survive another. I’m only nine.

Rough hands tear the blanket away. Someone’s screaming. I think it’s me.

They drag me by my thin arms. I’m powerless to fight back. I haven’t eaten in two days. Holding my head up is hard enough. Trying to break free is impossible.

My heels scrape against the concrete, rubbing them raw, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. We don’t get to wear shoes. Not down here. We only get those when Jonathan wants to take us to a charity gala. I haven’t been to one since summertime.

When they drag me up the stairs, I go limp. I can’t help it. I know what’s waiting for me at the top of those stairs, and I’ll do anything to avoid it.

Summoning what little strength I have left, I kick and punch and fight. It’s useless. They’re too strong. Too big. And I’m just a little boy.

Bright light assaults my senses. My eyes hurt. I blink rapidly as the hallway comes into view. Jonathan’s standing at the end of it. A depraved smile spreads across his filthy mouth.

I scream and scream and scream …

Kicking and fighting, I’m totally disoriented. I’m in a dark bedroom. Not mine. A shadowy figure is walking toward me. He looms over the bed. I can’t make out his features.

Them! It’s one of them! It’s one of the guards!

I lunge off the mattress and tackle the guard. He drops to the floor with a thud, but he’s fighting back, swinging his fists, trying to punch me. He lands one good hit and rolls to his feet. I grab his ankle. He goes down. I scramble to climb up his back, but he’s too fast. He crawls quicker than a crab, but I catch him. Wrestling for dominance, I almost have him pinned when he knees me in the nuts.

“Fuck!” I double over from the pain.

The shadow scrambles to his feet, then runs toward the door. I can’t let him get away. I catch up, grab him by the waist, and throw him onto the bed. He’s small but fights like a monster. I jump on top of him and trap his legs under my thighs. Why’s he so goddamn little?