Page 14

AVERY

E ugene is unraveling.

I see it in the way his jaw clenches, how his pacing steps grow heavier with every turn. He barks orders like a rabid dog that’s lost the scent of its prey. He snaps at the men who scramble around him who are slamming doors and upturning furniture in their frantic search.

“Where is she?” he bellows, then drives his fist into the nearest wall. The hollow thud echoes down the corridor. “She can’t have gotten far. I want every room checked. Every goddamn corner searched. Someone is going to pay if she’s up and flew out of here.”

I lean against the doorway and watch the chaos with mild amusement. I’m almost tempted to sneak Zoey out of here solely to watch this man come fully undone. Unfortunately for her, my curiosity is too piqued to do that.

Eugene is fascinating when he’s desperate. His unraveling might become my new favorite pastime.

“Interesting,” I muse, speaking loud enough to cut through the chaos. “I didn’t realize she had wings.”

Eugene’s head snaps toward me. His wild eyes are bloodshot with frustration. “You think this is funny? ”

“A little.” I push off the frame and clasp my hands behind my back. I take my time approaching him. My steps are silent when I move across the loose floorboards. They’re a stark contrast to his frenzied pacing. “You’re acting as if she disappeared into thin air. Like magic. Poof.”

His face flushes an unhealthy shade of red, with his veins bulging at his temple. What a fun color. I wonder how it would look if his eyes bulged out, too. “She’s gone again. This is the second time, Avery.”

“She hasn’t gone anywhere,” I interrupt. “Relax, Eugene.”

He stops pacing and clenches his fists at his sides while he glares at me. “Do you know how many women I’ve tamed? Dozens. But her?” His lips curl in disgust. “She’s too stubborn. Too defiant.”

“And?” I lift an eyebrow and tilt my head. “Why doesn’t that matter so much to you?”

Eugene lets out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Because no one rejects me. Ever. The first time I almost had her, her stupid brother got in the way. Thought he could stop me. Well, I handled him.”

“Handled,” I repeat.

Ah, so Zoey was telling the truth. Not that I doubted her, but I do enjoy hearing confirmation.

“She ran,” Eugene continues. His voice drops to something almost reverent. He holds up his hands while he relives the memory. “Slipped through my fingers, but I haven’t been able to get her out of my head since.”

“You think you can make her fall in love with you now?”

“Love?” Eugene sneers at the word. Oh, so that’s a dirty word. Got it. “I don’t need her to love me. All she needs to do is obey. She’s mine, and that’s all there is to it.”

How utterly pathetic.

I study him for a long moment, filing away his every word and watching the way his eyes flicker with rage and obsession. It’s almost pitiable. “Control doesn’t last forever, Eugene. Neither does fear.”

His sneer stretches into a grin that doesn’t touch his eyes. “Then I’ll break her. One way or another.”

I let the silence stretch between us before speaking. “Relax.” I wait for him to see the corner of my mouth curve up. “She didn’t escape.”

He freezes. Suspicion flares in his eyes. “What?”

“She’s been in my office this whole time.” I smooth out the cuffs of my crisp white shirt and enjoy the way his face contorts. “I needed to get to the bottom of this little situation.”

His entire body tenses. Even his fists clench until his knuckles turn white. “You had her?”

Veins bulge at his temple now. That’s new.

“Yes.”

“I came to your office. Twice.”

“And I told you I was busy.” My smirk widens into a grin. “Anyway, she’ll be returned to her cell soon enough, where she’ll stay. You can visit her there if you’d like, but she stays put unless I say otherwise. Is that clear?”

For a moment, Eugene looks like he wants to argue, or maybe even tickle my liver from the inside with his bare fingers, but he doesn’t. He swallows his rage instead. Even his nostrils flare like a bull being led by a ring through his nose. I should torment this man more often.

Without waiting for a response, I turn on my heel and walk away before he can say another word. I leave him to take out his rage on the other men who were standing around gaping the whole time.

By the time I reach my office, I can already tell something’s changed. The room is silent. Still. That’s never a good sign. I step inside and scan the space.

Zoey crouches near the chair where I had cut the ropes from her wrist. Her golden hair, a little wilder now, catches the dim lighting. Her body is tense and poised to strike. The little firecracker is up to something.

Her sharp blue eyes snap to mine. They burn with a fury that hardens my dick more than anyone or anything I’ve ever encountered. She lunges before I can blink.

She’s quick, but not quick enough. I sidestep her attack and catch her wrist mid-swing and twist it enough to make her drop the knife.

The carpet mutes the clatter, but she doesn’t flinch.

Her chest heaves with a ragged breath, and I can feel her trembling in my grasp. This time, it’s not with fear.

She’s pissed.

Beautiful.

“Feisty.” I release her with a grin. “I like that.”

Zoey jerks her arm back and glares at me with distrust. She’s smart. I shouldn’t be trusted. “What do you want from me?”

I lean against the desk and cross my arms lazily. “That’s a good question. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”

Her glare sharpens. “You’re just as bad as the rest of them.”

I tilt my head and watch her. She’s so amusing. “I wouldn’t say just as bad, but Eugene…well, he’s certainly going to great lengths for you. I’m seeing why.”

Her laugh is sharp and bitter. “Is that what you call it? Narrow it down to a mere ‘great lengths’?” She squares her shoulders and glares at me. “He’s a monster. He doesn’t care about me. All that matters to him is control.”

“Control?” I repeat the word. She’s not far off. Eugene has jumbled priorities, but he’s harmless as far as I can tell.

“Yes,” she snaps. “I’m allowed to have free will, regardless of what you or any of your dregs think.”

The words catch my attention. “Dregs?”

Her glare intensifies, and it hardens my dick to a painful point.

If she keeps glaring at me like that, we’re going to have a whole new set of problems on our hands.

“That’s what you are. The dregs of humanity.

The lowest of the low. People with no morals, no compassion.

Scavengers picking at what’s left of the world and destroying what little light there is left. ”

The fire in her eyes. The venom in her words. It’s captivating. “Intriguing.”

She quirks a brow. “Intriguing?”

“I had no idea I’m a dreg. You’re wrong about one thing, though.”

“What’s that?”

“Maybe I’ll let you figure that out.”

She tenses when I reach into my pocket and pull out a small vial. “Don’t.”

I hold her gaze when I approach her. “You’ve had a long day, firecracker. You need rest.”

Before I can take another step, a blur of brown fur barrels into the room.

Zoey and I both freeze. The dog, Lola is her name if I remember correctly, slips through the open door that I must not have closed all the way.

Her tail wags with excitement. The moment she spots Zoey, she bounds straight into her arms and tackles her to the floor in a frenzy of licks and excited whines.

I watch in stunned silence. Zoey, on the other hand, lets out a startled laugh. Her frustration melts into something soft and unguarded as she cradles the dog. “Lola?” she whispers before pressing her forehead against the pup’s.

Well, at least I remembered the correct name, but I’m more curious to know how she knows her.

“What are you doing here, girl? Did you miss me?”

Lola wags her tail so hard that her entire body wiggles. She licks Zoey’s face with all the enthusiasm of a dog reunited with its long-lost owner. It’s…intriguing.

Zoey’s whole demeanor changes. Her hands stroke over Lola’s chocolate-colored fur with something I haven’t seen from her yet. A pure, unfiltered warmth.

I step forward and clear my throat to get her attention. “Didn’t realize you two were acquainted.”

Zoey looks up at me from where she’s seated on the floor with Lola in her lap. “She snuck into my cell block once. Jace told me one guy hurt her.”

Her jaw tightens when she brushes her fingers over a thin, jagged scar on Lola’s front leg.

“Of course she did. She’s been getting into a lot of places she’s not supposed to. Did Jace happen to say who hurt her?”

She kisses the top of Lola’s head. “No, he didn’t, but if I find out who, then I’ll cut off his dick next. Unless it’s the dickless guy, then I’ll…I don’t know, cut off his nipples or something.”

A grin spreads across my face. Now I want to go hunt down whoever it was and bring him to her, then sit down and watch the show.

“I’m keeping her,” Zoey announces, bringing me back from thoughts of her castrating my men.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” She lifts her chin with stubbornness while still cradling Lola. “She’s mine now.”

I chuckle and shake my head. “The guys won’t like that.”

“Tough shit. They should have treated her better.” She places a kiss to the scar on Lola’s leg, who licks her cheek in return.

My amusement grows. She’s ridiculous, stubborn, and utterly infuriating. And yet, I can’t get enough. I’ve never taken an interest in Eugene’s affairs before, but now I’m going to need to know everything regarding this firecracker of a woman.

Before I can comment, the door swings open and Jace steps in. He’s out of breath and his eyes widen when he spots Lola. “Shit. I’ve been chasing her all over this place.”

Another voice follows, and I see the moment Zoey recognizes it because she clutches Lola tighter. Greg steps inside, sporting a black eye, a busted lip, and the facial expression that he hates everyone. Although, except for the lip and the eye, he looks the same as every other day.

“Did you find that damn dog? Eugene won’t shut up about it,” Greg sneers.

Jace grabs Lola before Greg can spot her nestled in Zoey’s lap. “I got her. Let’s go.” Then he pushes Greg out of the room before he can see Zoey.

“Greg is the one you beat up? Nice.”

Rather than answering the question and continuing this civilized conversation about beating up the men I don’t like and only tolerate, she makes a run for the still-open door.

I catch her with ease. With my hand around her wrist, I spin her around so her back crashes against my front, with my arm banded across her chest. She quivers beneath my hold, but I can’t tell if it’s from fear or arousal.

I bury my face into her thick, blonde hair and inhale. Seems to be a mixture of both.

Before I let myself give in to the mystery surrounding this wild woman, I raise my hand and slide the needle into her arm with practiced precision. Her struggles fade almost instantly when the fight drains from her body.

“You…” Her voice is soft but fading fast. Her knees buckle, and I catch her. I hold her steady while her body goes limp, but she doesn’t finish her thought.

“Don’t worry,” I murmur, brushing strands of hair from her face. “This won’t be the last time we meet.”

Her eyes flutter closed, and I lean down to press a light kiss to her forehead. I want to taste her lips again, but maybe next time.

I straighten and then scoop her into my arms to cradle her against my chest. She feels small. Fragile, even, but there’s nothing fragile about the fire inside her.

With a faint smile, I carry her toward the door.

For now, she’ll go back to her cell. I’ll avoid Eugene on the way there. The aftermath of that can be dealt with later.

But this isn’t over.

Not by a long shot.