Page 117 of Pretty When She Breaks

I swayed on my feet as the medics walked toward the ante-cages, watching as one of them approached Ocean. They’d taken my syringe—on the left—to Ocean’s side, and that was that.

It was done.

My heart felt like it was trying to abandon me; pounding so hard in my chest, it felt like it might succeed. I could barely breathe as I watched them inject the saline into Ocean’s arm.

With a rush, I felt Finch’s command that had kept me here. I could finally leave.

A hand snapped closed around mine, and I looked up in horror as Dax twisted my arm, revealing the rofetamine syringe I hadn’t had a chance to pocket yet. My eyes widened as I looked up into his dangerously dark gaze.

“What do you have here, Duchess?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Madison and Prince both turned to look at me, Madison’s face turning gleeful and Prince’s confused.

“Stealing a syringe?” Dax asked, glancing at the table. I saw his brows furrow as he looked at it. They only ever had two syringes out at a time. He looked from the medic’s cart right to Ocean’s ante-cage. His eyes snapped back to me as he figured it out. “What did you do, Laurel?” he hissed.

Every cell in my body was screaming danger, but as usual, there was no way out.

Nowhere to run.

No one was coming to my rescue. My heart was hammering in my chest as I desperately tried to think of a way to mitigate the damage.

“I—”

Dax shoved me back before I finished my sentence, and I just managed to keep my balance. My elbow banged into one of the metal bars behind me, pain lancing through my arm. His usual amusement was gone from his face, replaced by a hard glare.

“You better have a good fucking explanation, Laurel. Tell me you didn’t just swap out his dose.”

“I-I’m s-sorry,” I said, not needing to fake my fear as he came closer.

Dax’s face twisted with a snarl. “Bullshit. You’re the one who asked for Raze to be caged. Are you trying to be clever? Prove something by messing around with the fighter we’re supposed to be managing? What did they just give him, Laurel?”

“N-nothing,” I said, “Just a placebo, I?—”

“What?” he shouted, and the hard, angry face he wore turned red. A snarl appeared on his lips, and a vein stood out on his temple.

“I thought…it was worth trying without it… He could fight w-with a clearer head,” I stammered.

Dax’s hand gripped the front of my shirt, pinching my skin, and he lifted me up in the air.

“Do you know how much money we’d lose if that plan actually worked? Do you know how much rofetamine we pour into this place?”

I could only let out a terrified whimper as I heard the clang of the ante-cages being opened to the Sink.

“We need him feral. Do you know what would happen if he won sober? Did you even think about that, Laurel?”

Dax was shouting as he shook me, and I hung my head, staring at the floor. “No,” I replied.

A rough laugh barked out of Dax’s lips, and his hands released my cardigan, shooting up to rake through his hair. I fell heavily against the wall, my shaky legs somehow managing to hold me up.

Dax suddenly straightened and looked at me, his hand coming up to touch my cheek. I couldn’t get a read on his face.

“You’re lucky you’ve got some redeeming qualities, little omega.” His lips parted in a feral grin as he leaned forward and buried his nose in my hair. “Like this scent. Let’s go for a walk. You can learn a lesson about your place around here and help fix this little mess you’ve made.”

SIXTY-THREE

FINCH

She was still down there. Ocean was about to be released, and for a moment, I felt a dizzying wave of relief from Laurel. But it was quickly replaced by horror.