I stare at him, my heart racing. The poor thing keeps thinking it’s fighting off death. It’s then that I truly understand that my body isn’t mine anymore. And whatever they’re turning me into...it’s happening faster than I thought.
I’m unstrapped without warning. Just the sudden absence of pressure and the sharp rush of blood back into my limbs that makes me hiss through my teeth. My wrists burn, and myshoulders scream. I barely get my feet under me before a hand clamps onto the back of my neck.
“Not so fast,” Alexei says mildly. A bottle appears in front of my face. It's a clear glass without a label. I know exactly what it is before the cap twists off. “For the pain,” he adds, almost kindly.
I shake my head once. That’s all I get, because he tips it anyway. Vodka floods my mouth, harsh and burning, spilling down my chin when I cough. He doesn’t let up. My throat convulses, instinct kicking in, and I swallow just to make it stop. It burns all the way down, lighting my empty stomach on fire.
“???????????.”Obey.
I don’t fight it the second time.I can't.By the time he pulls the bottle away, my head is floating somewhere above my body.
“See?” Alexei says. “Idotake care of my boys. Isn’t that right?” He glances at the two men, who peel off the wall and approach.
“Walk,” one of them says, gripping my arm tightly.
Adriana steps in close immediately, looping her arm through mine. Her body is tense, but she doesn’t let go. She keeps her head down as they steer us out, her shoulder pressed into my side like she’s holding me upright through sheer will.
“Such a pretty pair,” the other man murmurs as we’re shoved toward the guesthouse. “You should be careful what you eat here.”
I laugh under my breath. It comes out broken and slurred.
“Food, water,” he continues lazily. “Anything could knock you out. Accidents happen.” His gaze slides over Adriana in a way that makes my vision go red. “We’d hate for you to miss a…visit. I assure you, it’d be memorable, sweetheart.”
Adriana recoils.
They laugh as they leave us at the door.
Inside, I barely make it to the bathroom before I’m stripping out of my clothes, hands shaking too badly to be remotely useful.I turn the shower on and lean my forehead against the tile, breathing through the spin.
The pain is gone. The vodka did its job.
Adriana joins me without a word, stepping under the spray and guiding me fully beneath the water. Pink runs down the drain as she washes the blood from my arms, my ribs, my shoulders. She’s crying again.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispers, scrubbing carefully. “Jude…I’m so sorry.”
I close my eyes and let her do it. Let myself be held upright by warm water and the only familiar hands I know anymore.
When we’re finally done, we dress in silence. Sweatpants and a t-shirt for me, and pajamas for her. We notice that dinner has been delivered and is sitting on the dining room table. But neither of us moves to touch it.
“I need to tell you something,” she says suddenly.
I groan, rubbing my face. I need to dose. “Not now. Please.”
She steps into my path. “No. I can’t hold this back anymore.” Her hands are shaking. “You’re going to hate me,” she says. “You already do, but…this will make it worse.”
I squint at her, the room swaying. “Spit it out, Adriana.”
She steadies a breath. “You never killed anyone in LA, Jude.”
My chest hollows out. “What?” I ask flatly.
“Nolan set it up,” she whispers. “All of it. The body. The evidence. The threats. You didn’t kill anyone—he just needed you to believe you did. To control you.”
My brain clicks, and my body moves before my thoughts catch up. I slam her back against the wall, forearm braced beside her head, my chest heaving as I cage her in. “You mean my entire fucking life,” I snarl, “has been based on alie?”
She squeezes her eyes shut, terrified. “Jude—”
I punch the wall next to her head. Plaster cracks, and pain explodes through my knuckles. “I becamethis,” I choke, voice breaking apart, “because you guysliedto me?”
