Alexa pushed off the sofa and stormed to the door.
“Oh no you don’t!” Hysterian jumped in front of her. “You’re not going anywhere until you tell me everything.”
“Then we’re going to be here forever because I have nothing to tell you!”
“Lies.”
Her face hardened.
“I know a lie when I hear one, Dear. I’m a damned master at it.”
“So threatening me to tell you what you want makes you an expert? I’m tired. It’s been a really long night, as you know.” She tried to get past him, but he wouldn’t let her.
He grabbed her arms. “I want to know who hurt you, Alexa.”
She went rigid. Fear—no,terror—fell across her features, sending his systems into overdrive. His need to hurt whoever made her this way grew.
“Tell me who.”
“I—”
“I’m going to fucking kill them.”
Alexa startled, jerking out of his hold. His hands fell, and he fisted them.
She parted her lips and shook her head. He saw her eyes glaze over, going distant. Her flesh lost any remaining color it had.
He hadn’t realized how easy it would be to break her. How delicate she was. Gone was the walled-off subordinate he knew—the one he wanted to shake and warm up. She’d been replaced with a girl. A lost girl.
Had he known Alexa Dear at all?
“I...” Her voice shook, enraging him further. “I can’t tell you that.”
“I’m going to find out. One way or another, I will find out who hurt you and I’m going to destroy them,” he warned. “I’ll make sure they never get a chance to hurt you again.”
Her eyes shot from his to stare at the wall. She swayed. He was losing her.
“Tell me,” he ordered.
He needed to know. He needed to know as if his life depended on it.
“Alexa, make this easier on both of us. I’m going to find out eventually,” Hysterian urged.
Her face only grew whiter. When she finally spoke, it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. It was his worst nightmare.
She wobbled on her feet, breathing suddenly labored. “Captain, I’m tired. Really tired, and raw. Maybe…I don’t feel right.” Her eyes hooded.
He waited for her to say more. She stared at the door.
“Alexa?”
Her eyes were filmy now.
“Alexa?” he said again, louder this time. His soul quaked. “What’s wrong?”
She slowly brought her hand to her face. “I don’t—”
He caught her against him as she fell. Her head rolled to the side, and she vomited all over his floor. He shifted her in his arms, grabbing her hair to keep it out of her face.
