Page 135 of The Silent War

The lights above flickered. Just once. Barely a second. But it made my skin crawl.

Suddenly, I wasback there.

Back in the dark. In that fucking cage.

No.

My fists slammed into the wall, once, twice, then a third time until something cracked in my knuckle. I didn’t stop.

Luca screaming through metal. His pain. The burn of the collar as I screamed for him, to stop.

Grabbing his hand.

Curled in the corner, trying not to cry. Not to set the collar off again.

My breath hitched.

I can’t feel him.

That was the worst part.

I couldn’tfeelhim.

His cold controlled anger humming next to mine. Or him spiralling and needing me to reel him back. Fuck. I couldn’t even feel the pressure behind my eyes I always got when he was in pain.

Nothing.

Like the line between us had beencut.

And all I could hear was, silence. Cold, cruel and loud.

I braced both hands on the wall, forehead pressed to the cool surface like it might anchor me.

My phone buzzed.

Security warning.

I smeared blood across the screen as I swiped it open.

EMERGENCY EXIT — LEVEL 72 (CROW PENTHOUSE)

BREACH: SOUTH HALL ACCESS DOOR

RESPONSE TIME INITIATED: 00:18

No.

Either Luca triggered it… or someone had come to finish the fucking job. To take the other half.

I didn’t remember leaving the war room. Just running. Typing the override code as I got in the elevator.

CROW EMERGENCY OVERRIDE.

Floor 72. Lockdown: disabled.

The elevator jolted, doors slamming shut. My hand gripped the railing. Heart in my throat. Every second dragging slow, cruel.

If he was dead, if he was bleeding out on those floors, then I wasn’t leaving either. Let the bastard who came kill me too.