Breathing through my nose. Defiant. Refusing to break.
Xavier’s roar came through the speaker. Incoherent rage, nothing tactical about it. Pure fury. “STOP! I’ll do whatever you want! Just stop!”
“Then convince her to cooperate.”
Dresner’s calm didn’t waver.
The third slap was vicious.
Calculated to break me.
I cried out. Couldn’t help it. Sharp, involuntary sound of pain ripped from my throat before I could swallow it back.
Gasping. Trying to breathe through the agony radiating from my cheek, my jaw, my skull.
Xavier’s voice roared through the speaker. Threatening, pleading, utterly helpless.
“There. Now he knows you’re alive. It wasn’t that difficult, was it?”
Dresner’s smile was satisfied.
He looked down at me almost fondly. “As you can hear, she’s quite spirited.”
I found my voice. Hoarse. Desperate.
“Xavier, don’t...”
Another slap cut me off. I tasted blood. Copper and salt flooding my mouth, warm and thick.
But I pushed through. Had to warn him.
“Don’t come! It’s a trap! He wants...”
The guard’s hand clamped over my mouth. Large. Crushing pressure silencing me mid-word.
I struggled against the bindings, trying to wrench free. Muffled sounds escaped around his palm.
“I’m coming for you. I’m coming, Clare. Hold on.”
Xavier’s voice was absolute. Certain.
I managed to wrench my face free for one second. One precious second of freedom.
“NO! Don’t! Please don’t...”
The guard’s arm wrapped around my throat. Not choking. Just controlling. Immobilizing me completely.
I fought anyway. Useless. Desperate.
“It’s not worth it! Stay away!”
My voice was breaking. Tears streaming. Everything in me screaming at him to listen, to stay safe, to not walk into this nightmare for me.
“You’re worth everything.”
Xavier’s response came quiet. Deadly certain.
The words hit me like a physical blow.
