"Fine," Ethan says tightly."But I want guarantees that Evangeline comes out of this under my control."
"You'll get what we give you."
The Shadow Hawk turns his attention to me, his cold eyes assessing."You're the one Blackwood's been sniffing around?Not much to look at."
"Go to hell," I say.
"Got some fire, at least.Good.It will be more fun to break you."
The casual threat makes my skin crawl, but I refuse to show fear.These men feed on fear, use it to control and dominate.I won't give them the satisfaction.
"Touch her and you'll answer to me," Ethan says, but there's uncertainty in his voice now.
"We'll touch her however we want.That's the price of doing business with us."The Shadow Hawk moves closer, and I can smell cigarettes and something rancid."But first, we need to make sure Blackwood knows we're serious."
He pulls out a phone and snaps a photo of me bound and bruised.I try to turn away, but another Hawk grabs my face, forcing me to look at the camera.
"Perfect.Let's see how fast he comes running when he sees what we've got."
They leave me alone with Ethan after that, the door slamming shut with a finality that makes my chest tight with panic.
"This wasn't supposed to happen," Ethan mutters, more to himself than to me."They were supposed to follow my plan, do things my way."
"Looks like they have their own agenda."
"Shut up."
"You're losing control, Ethan.The Shadow Hawks are using you, and when they're done, they'll dispose of you like you disposed of Marcus and Calla."
"I said shut up!"
He kicks me, hard enough to knock the wind out of my lungs.I curl into myself, trying to protect my ribs, my head, anything vulnerable.
When he's done, he crouches beside me again."Here's what's going to happen.Hades is going to come for you, because he's predictable and stupid and in love.The Shadow Hawks are going to capture him, torture him until he breaks, and then I'm going to kill him while you watch.And after you've seen what happens to men who touch things that belong to me, you're going to come home.You're going to be my wife, play your role perfectly, and never mention any of this again."
"Never."
"We'll see how you feel after watching him die."
He stands, brushing off his suit."Oh, and don't bother trying to escape.This room is reinforced, the door is locked from the outside, and there are guards everywhere.You're not going anywhere until I decide to let you go."
He leaves, and I'm alone in the dark again.
For a moment, I let myself feel the fear, the pain, the overwhelming sense of being trapped.Then I push it aside and focus on what matters.
Hades is coming.I know he is.He'll walk into whatever trap Ethan and the Shadow Hawks have set because he loves me, because he'd do anything to keep me safe.
Which means I need to find a way out before he gets here.
I test the zip ties, twisting my wrists, feeling for any give.They're tight, professional, but not impossible.If I can find something sharp, if I can work at them long enough...
The room might be empty, but it's not pristine.There are exposed pipes overhead, rough concrete walls, maybe a nail or screw somewhere that could cut through plastic.
I start systematically exploring every inch of the room I can reach, using touch more than sight in the dim light.It's slow, painful work.My body protests every movement, and my head still pounds from the drugs.
But I keep going.
Because I'm done being helpless.Done being the victim who needs rescuing.I'm going to get myself out of this, and then I'm going to help Hades destroy every single person who thought they could use me as leverage.
