He probably thought it was someone getting into a simple argument or fight.
But this was so much more than that.
This was my life. My autonomy.
Butcher got a lucky swipe, his blade slicing across my arm. Luckily, I moved back far enough that he didn’t take my whole arm off. I blocked a hard blow from Hunter, grunting at the impact. His entire face was covered in blood, cuts and gashes, and his right eye was bleeding profusely from my little blast. But apparently, that wasn’t enough to keep him down. Now he was just super pissed and probably wanted to chop me up into little pieces and feed me to the sand kraken.
Before I could stop him, Maneater ran into me, forcing me back several steps, making me crash into the damn railing. The hit knocked the wind out of me, and I gasped, trying to catch my breath.
I pushed Maneater away and lifted my sword, turning toward the three men. Butcher didn’t look fazed in the least. Hunter’s face was a mess, but he looked eager to murder me, and Maneater had a few cuts, but nothing major. All in all, they looked a hell of a lot better off than I did.
Here I was, cut, bruised, and exhausted, and they looked like they could go another three rounds—or ten.
Just as I stepped forward, I felt cold metal touch my throat, and a deep, slimy voice said close to my ear, “Not another step, Ghost.” A chest brushed my back as an arm wrapped around me from behind, then slid along my sword arm, pushing it down.
“Viper,” I hissed, unable to keep the disgust from my voice. How had he snuck up on me so quietly? How had I not realized he’d step in?
He’d been keeping everyone else back, so I’d thought I only needed to worry about those three. I never thought Viper would actually do something himself.
I was an idiot.
Viper chuckled and pulled me tighter against his body, speaking low for my ears only. “I hear you have a talented mouth.” He leaned over my shoulder, crowding me, and tapped my lips with his other hand. “I thought about taking you to my bed and testing the waters… But I think we can put this body to better use.”
I shivered in disgust from the suggestion, and fear sliced into me.
Viper removed every single one of my weapons mechanically, even the hidden one I kept at my ankle, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. When he emptied my pockets of the rest of myrocks, my heart rate increased, and I felt sweat bead across my forehead. He’d taken my last line of defense, and I wanted to vomit knowing my life was in the hands of this evil man.
Every time I moved, he pushed the knife harder against my throat. When I tried to pull away, the knife nicked my skin and choked me, making me cough.
I was truly, wholly caught.
I met Ariella’s gaze, and then Willy’s, and they both looked as frightened as I felt.
“Come now, Ghost. Let’s get you plugged in.”
Viper started pulling me along, heading toward the ladder, and my chest tightened with fear and anxiety. I tried to push his arm away, tried to slip from his grip. I kicked and screamed, but his arms were like steel bands around me, as hard and unmoving as the knife slicing the skin at my throat.
This was it. This was going to be the last thing I saw before I was turned into a flux-zombie. Ariella’s fearful face, Willy’s glassy eyes, both of them mouthing apologies to me as if this was somehow their fault.
It wasn’t, not at all, and I hoped they didn’t blame themselves for my fate.
My heart felt ripped open when I thought of Max, of how guilty he’d feel when he found out I was plugged in.
I wanted to cry. I wanted to go to him.
I wanted him to save me even though I knew he couldn’t.
It was too late.
He was too late, and now, my fate was sealed.
Viper roughly turned me so he could see where we were going, the panic making me struggle and flail around to no avail. A strangled sound came from my throat. Not a scream, but a sound of pure anguish when I realized I couldn’t escape him. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get away.
As we got closer to the ladder, I heard footsteps thundering up them, and despite myself, despite the horrible situation, a small bit of hope grew in my chest.
“Viper!” Max yelled as he emerged, drawing his sword and pointing it right at the captain. “Let him go. Now.” His voice was all Reaper, all menacing and terrifying and demanding. It was a voice you wanted—needed—to listen to.
But when he looked at me, when his gaze met mine, I could seemy Maxwithin his eyes. My sweet, kind, caring Max, who’d come to save me from an impossible situation.
