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“Yeah, you’re fucked, bro,” I pointed out helpfully, and his eyes dropped to me. Widened. Practically bugged, like a life-sized cartoon character.

“Addie…” Fallon reprimanded quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah, yeah. Leave the interrogation to the professionals. I remember.” I waved a hand in the air dismissively. “But I’ll have you know, I can be a great torturer. That paddle Tamson has? Yup. I can spank his ass to next year.”

Tamson narrowed his eyes at me even as his cheeks turned crimson. “No.”

“Torture is my jam,” I continued, ignoring him. “Like, if the prisoners are peanut butter, I’m totally the jelly. Wait. That made more sense in my head.”

My rant was interrupted by Kai putting his hand over my mouth. All six of my men sighed in relief. Even Doc, the traitor, smiled.

Frowning, I pulled Ronan down on the other side of me and cuddled into his side. He physically relaxed, shoulders slumping and a deep breath escaping.

“I’ll ask you again,” Fallon said, low and deadly. “Who sent you?”

“Your mom,” Garrett sneered, and Fallon nodded towards Tamson. Without preamble, my normally shy and timid lover punched the man square in the jaw.

“I’ll ask you again: who sent you.”

“I told you. Your mom.”

Another punch.

Asher, through it all, had been inching closer and closer, knife extended. His golden-flecked eyes flickered to me.

“I don’t want her here to see this.” His voice was quiet, soft, meant for Fallon’s ears only, but I heard him as if he had been yelling. When I tried to meet his gaze, he looked away, throat bobbing as he swallowed harshly.

Suddenly, I was terrified I had broken something irreplaceable between me and him. The mere thought had my heart hammering inside my chest, the erratic pounding muting the roaring in my ears. If he hated me…

I didn’t know what I would do.

Acquiescing with his request, despite everything in my body begging me to stay, I moved unsteadily to my feet. Ronan came with me.

“Nik, Tommy,” I said, nodding. Tommy looked furious he had to leave, but Nik quickly staggered to his feet and followed us out.

“It’s going to be okay, Addie,” Ronan said reassuringly, but his words only made me run cold. Addie. Not Princess.

I really fucked up.

“Yeah,” I agreed with a waning smile. Hell, a practically non-existent smile.

An ear splitting scream sounded from further down the hall, and Ronan immediately angled himself in front of Tommy and Nik. I appreciated that more than he would ever know. There were times I needed saving...and times I preferred others were saved in my stead.

A familiar figure barreled towards us, gasping. Blood ran down his dark face in rivulets.

“Jared?” Ronan said, but despite knowing the man, his body did not relax.

Jared’s desperate eyes raked over our group.

“Ragers,” he gasped out. “Inside.”

It seemed that he too had picked up my nickname for the zombie-like monsters.

“What?” Ronan snapped, and I knew his thoughts mirrored mine. How did they get past the guards and guns? How haven’t we heard anything?

When another scream reverberated down the hall, Ronan and I exchanged a grim, uneasy look.

One thing was certain: the infestation, the parasite, had been released inside.