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CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

ELI

“Telling her was a risk,” Lex says, pacing back and forth like a ravenous beast. “We showed her too much. How do we know she’ll keep her mouth shut? She could run straight to Acacia and tell him everything. He’ll increase her medication, then it’ll be over. It could ruin everything!”

After what she saw tonight, I’m not sure how she’ll act. She isn’t like us. We’ve been dragged to hell and returned from the brink of death more times than I can count. We opened her eyes to the worst side of humanity, and there’s no predicting what she’ll do next. The Acacias are unpredictable…

“She had to know,” I say. “It’s all part of Aiden’s plan.”

“Where is he, anyway?” Lex blasts. “He should have been back ages ago!”

I’m starting to wonder the same thing.

“He’ll have his reasons,” I say. “You trust him, don’t you?”

“Of course,” he replies, despite his solemn scowl.

Aiden knows best. He’s never led us down the wrong path and is the only reason we’re still breathing. He taught us how to survive, and I’m not about to question his logic now that we’ve left Sunnycrest.

“She’s our prize,” I say, stroking her silky panties.

Her orgasmic moan fills my mind. Fuck. She’s all I think about.

Her scent, her hair, her sweet body, and that tight ass.

I want to crawl inside her, burrow under her skin and never leave.

I got lost in her, almost losing my sense of self entirely.

She’s intoxicating, addictive, her body the best drug imaginable.

I never thought I’d feel this way again, but she’s taken me by surprise.

She isn’t what I expected and keeps proving me wrong…

Sharing isn’t a strong point of mine, though. As much as I love Aiden and Lex like brothers, I still struggle, especially with her. The compulsion to make her mine—all mine—is everything. My yearning to have her, whatever it takes.

When Aiden was with her, I imagined it was my cock fucking her.

We’re separate people, yet, as a group, we’re one entity.

We’ve functioned that way for so long that our psyches have blurred together, and we can almost read each other’s minds.

We know each other’s weaknesses and have been through the lowest of lows.

I’ve looked into the darkest recesses of their souls, and vice versa.

That’s why Lex spoke up when he knew I was tempted to take her virginity.

We all agreed that we’d do it together when we’re not rushed. Lex knows me too well.

When she pushed her pussy against me, I saw hope in her eyes.

Hope that there was more to me than the monster she first saw.

The truth is, she should fear my love the most. If only I were a ruthless sadist like Lex or controlled my emotions as well as Aiden.

They’re both batshit, but I’m the one she really needs to watch out for.

My brain is messed up. Broken. I wish I could say I’d never hurt her, but that’d be a lie…

“I don’t know why we couldn’t stay behind,” Lex says, cracking his fists. “I’d like to show Acacia who is really in control.”

Since our breakout, Acacia hasn’t recruited any more test subjects.

Those who were previously part of his twisted experiment conveniently disappeared after we vanished, but he won’t go long without new recruits.

He needs to keep money coming in and, more importantly, satiate his sick desires.

After all the negative press, he’ll use tonight as an opportunity to reboot the program.

“We have to be patient, remember?” I say. “We’ll get our revenge.”

Let’s hope she’s ready for what’s coming.