Page 133 of The Code of You

"You’re a bastard,” I said.

The bigger one bent my little finger back. Pain shot up my arm.

"Stop!” I screamed, tears breaking through, the salt stinging on my lips.

"Then talk.”

I bit down on my lip and tasted blood again. A quiet voice inside me said, Tell them. Don’t sacrifice yourself for a monster. But it was drowned out by the part of me that would do anything to protect Neo. Anything to keep belonging to him.

I’m so stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"I’m sorry?” Nathan’s voice was right beside my ear. Goosebumps rose along the back of my neck. My stomach turned.

"He’s”—I searched for a lie—"a hacker. That’s all.”

My finger broke. The sound knocked the air out of me. For a moment, everything went black, blood roaring in my ears.

"Next finger,” Nathan said coldly. "Or the truth.”

The younger one stepped up behind Nathan. "Uh . . . maybe that’s enough? She looks . . . done.”

Nathan laughed, contemptuous. "That was just the beginning. She won’t break until she believes it’s never going to stop.”

Tears ran down my face. My finger throbbed, but through the pain something became clear: I would never give Neo up. No matter what they did to me.

The younger one cleared his throat. "Maybe she really doesn’t know.”

"She knows.” Nathan reached for a knife. "She loves him. That’s why she’s not talking.”

I laughed out loud. It came out hollow. "That’s ridiculous.” My ears burned. I didn’t love him, I told myself.

"You really want to go this far?” the younger one asked.

Nathan sneered. "You’re soft. You can’t see that she’s lying.” He gripped my chin. The tip of the knife pressed into my cheek. I tried to pull away, but he held me still. "Do you know what your silence costs?” he murmured. "We’ll find him anyway. And kill him. You’ll be free of him.”

"I don’t want to be free.” The words came without thought.

Nathan laughed. "Stockholm syndrome at its finest.”

He nodded at the bigger one, who grabbed my ring finger.

"No, please . . .”

"What are his weaknesses?”

I couldn’t speak. I could only sob and shake. My hand was a block of pain.

"Break it,” Nathan said, bored.

"No!” I yanked at the restraints until my wrists bled. "Please, I don’t know anything. I don’t know a goddamn thing.”

"Maybe we try something different,” Nathan said and picked up a wire. "Electricity is very effective.”

"Go—to—hell,” I gasped through tears.

He grinned. "Tougher than I thought.” He held the wire up. "But everyone breaks eventually.”

The younger one shifted from foot to foot. "Maybe we should . . .”