Across the room, I can barely make out Finn. He hasn’t moved. Not once. His body slumps against the wall where Adrian’s men left him.
He’s too still. Too fucking still.
“Finn?” My voice is rough, broken.
Nothing.
I swallow hard, my throat tight.Please wake up. Please. Just move. Breathe. Do something, Finn.
The silence stretches.
I look away as panic claws up my throat, but I force it down. Losing Finn would tear something out of me I don’t think I’d survive. But I can’t give in. I have to believe there is still a chance. I have to believe CJ is out there. Searching. Looking. Coming for me.
I picture his arms around me, hear that deep laugh. The way he saysBaby Boy, like I’m something precious. Like I’m worth protecting. I think of his smile. That dimple. The way everything feels right when I’m close enough to touch him. The steady weight of him. The warmth. The way the world feels less terrifying when he’s beside me.
A painful lump rises in my throat.What if I never see him again?The thought slices through me. CJ was the first place I ever truly felt safe, and I’m terrified I’ve already lost him.
The basement door opens. Adrian walks down the stairs slowly. Every step is deliberate, controlled. He’s smiling like he already knows how this ends.
My stomach drops.
“No,” I whisper.
Adrian chuckles. “I haven’t even said anything yet, sweetheart.”
“You don’t need to.”
His smile widens. “You know me so well.”
He crosses the room and crouches in front of Finn, completely calm. Why wouldn’t he be? He holds all the power here. All the cards.
“He’s loyal to you,” Adrian says quietly.
“Leave him alone.”
“Interesting thing about loyalty.” His hand brushes through Finn’s hair. “It makes people vulnerable.”
“Don’t fucking touch him!” I scream.
Adrian doesn’t even look at me. “Do you know how easy it would be, Elijah?”
My body goes cold. “No.”
“A single bullet.” His voice stays terrifyingly calm as he presses one finger to Finn’s forehead, nudging it slightly.
I throw myself forward. The restraints bite deep into my wrists. “No!”
Finally, Adrian looks at me. And there it is: exactly what he wanted. I gave him the reaction. I showed him how to hurt me.
He smiles. “Checkmate.”
My knees hit the ground. My head drops.
“Please.”
“Please?” he echoes, almost amused.
I have to protect Finn. “Leave him out of this. Please.”
