“Yes,” she breathes quietly.
Jax backs toward the cell door, his eyes fixed on Liv the entire time. The way he looks at her makes my skin crawl—like she’s prey he’s saving for later.
“I’ll leave you ladies to rest,” he says, pressing his palm against the scanner beside the door. “We have all the time in the world to become... better acquainted, Olivia.”
The door slides open with a metallic hiss.
“I look forward to discovering what those pretty lips of yours can do,” he adds with a twisted smile before stepping through the doorway.
The door slides shut with another metallic hiss, leaving Olivia and me alone in our concrete prison. For severalmoments, we just breathe, the silence broken only by Liv’s ragged inhales as she recovers from Jax’s assault.
I gently brush her hair back, examining the angry red marks on her neck. “That bastard. Are you okay?”
She nods, swallowing painfully. “I’m fine. Just... give me a minute.”
I help her move to one of the cots where she sits, hands still trembling slightly. I pace in front of her, rage building with every step.
“I swear to god, Liv, I won’t let him touch you again.” I kneel in front of her, taking her hands in mine. “I don’t care what I have to do. I’ll keep you safe from him.”
Olivia’s gaze meets mine, and I’m surprised to see something other than fear in her eyes—calculation.
“He wants Hunter,” she says, her voice still hoarse. “But he wants me too.” Her fingers touch the marks on her throat. “Did you see the way he looked at me?”
“I saw,” I reply, my stomach turning at the memory.
Liv’s expression hardens. “We can use that.”
I blink; not sure I understand what she’s suggesting. “What do you mean?”
“He’s fixated on me,” she says, straightening her shoulders. “If I play into it—just a little—I might be able to get him to trust me. Get information. Maybe even find a way out.”
“Absolutely not.” I shake my head vehemently. “He’s dangerous, Liv. You saw what he did just now, and that was him being... restrained.”
“I’m not suggesting I actually let him...” She shivers. “But men like him are predictable. They think with their dicks. I’ve been managing men’s egos my entire life, Aurora. This is just a more extreme version.”
“This isn’t some corporate asshole or trust fund baby,” I protest. “This is a psychopath who just choked you for fun.”
“Which is exactly why we need every advantage.” Her eyes meet mine, determined. “I can handle this. We need to be smart, not just brave.”
“No.” I grab Olivia’s shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “I don’t care what advantage it might give us. Playing into his sick fantasies is too dangerous.”
Olivia’s eyes remain steely. “You think I want to do this? You think I want to pretend to be interested in that monster?”
“Then don’t suggest it!” My voice rises. “We’ll find another way.”
“What other way, Aurora?” She pulls away from my grip. “We’re locked in a concrete box. The door requires palm recognition.”
I pace the small cell, desperate for another solution. “Hunter will find us,” I say, more to convince myself than her.
Olivia’s laugh is hollow. “Hunter. The same Hunter who got us into this mess?”
“This isn’t his fault?—”
“Isn’t it?” She touches her neck where Jax had grabbed her. “We’re here because of whatever game he’s playing with Jax.”
I can’t argue with that, though I want to defend him.
“And who’s to say he’s even looking?” Olivia continues softly. “Or that he can find us if he is? We don’t even know where we are.”
