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Carter nods, but the bastard knows me all too well. Out of all the guys, with my brother’s exception, I’m closest to him. Finn and he are the same age, both twenty-one, but you couldn’t guess it from looking at him. He gives off the most confusing aura; it’s like thatold soulexpression bled out of him and shows on the surface.
He’sdifferent.Lacking empathy, but not emotions. I’ve seen him experience annoyance, slight rage, even joy, in small amounts. Yet, everything else that makes us human, Carter learned. He copied. He adapted. Highly intelligent, logical, most likely a genius by normal standards. Which is why his age, or most of anything about him, is hard to pinpoint. I’d say he’s a chameleon, but in reality… I think he’s wearing a mask. Showing people exactly what they should see.
Sometimes I wonder if he’s doing it with us too.
I trust him with my life and, logically, I know that he would never fuck us over. But he’s the kind of man who’s only guided by practicality and reason. If he stops seeing it in us, will he leave us too?
His eyes narrow on me for a split moment. At times, I wonder if he can read minds too. I swear he knows I’m thinking of him now.
I turn my attention back out the window. It’s a new moon tonight, and we’re in the middle of nowhere. There’re no streetlights, and too late for traffic, so we’re immersed in darkness.
“I know you’re staring at me, asshole,” I spit at him without turning. “Do you have something to say?”
“Do you?” He doesn’t waste a breath and takes me by surprise with the question.
“No.”
My lungs begin to burn, and when I feel free of his gaze, I finally breathe again.
After too many moments of silence, we start running through the plan we fleshed out before we set off. We’ve done all the remote research we could have possibly done in the limited time we had. Our strategy is challenging, and once we get there, we might have to adapt. I pray the location won’t raise too many unanticipated issues.
I wish we could fucking fly there. It’s only fifteen minutes away now, but I swear the closer I get to her, the farther it becomes.
What if this doesn’t work?
Will I fail again?
CHAPTER 15
ANNIKA
“Please… please, don’tdo this…”
I have no soul left in my voice. The hoarseness taking over from too much crying and pleading Bartiste to stop.
“You’re truly boring me now. I would say I’m losing interest, but in truth… you haven’t begged for yourownlife yet.”
How could I? It’s Hanna lying on the floor, on her belly, being ripped apart by the brute thrusting into her. Her eyes are closed now; I’m not even sure if she’s still conscious.
I’m praying she isn’t.
It’s a different type of torture, letting me witness all the horrible things he’s been doing to her.
This is what I want to do to you, sweet Annika.He told me that as he swiped the tip of his knife down from the base of her throat, long past her belly button, leaving a thin trail of blood behind. He said it again as he ordered one of his men to spin her around to face me, bent her over in front of me, and ripped into her from behind. Even after she closed her eyes, he threatened to slice her throat in front of me if I closed mine, if I stopped watching. One of his men has a rough rope around my throat, holding me tight in this chair, even though I’m not tied to anything.
He’s been using Hanna like a voodoo doll. Hurting her where he wants to hurt me. And goddamnit, I can almost feel it all…
Only, this torture is different. The guilt is ripping me apart, and I’ve begged and begged to take me instead, to let her go. To no avail. Even Hanna has screamed at them not to touch me.
I have no one to pray to anymore, no one to sacrifice my soul to so I can save her…
“You’ve begged repeatedly to stop. You’ve been annoyingly selfless and attempted to sacrifice yourself for your best friend’s life. But… it’s not quite enough,” he continues, as he moves a bit sluggishly.
He’s been limping since he brought us here. I don’t know why. I tried kicking him in the leg to use it against him, but I didn’t manage.
“Just… let her go. Give her, safe and sound, back to Hennessey, and then you’ll just have me. I’ll have myself to beg for.”
He’s slowly swiping his thumb over the blade he holds, the madman actually cutting himself, cocking his head as his blood mixes with Hanna’s on the metal. For a few moments I start to believe he’s pondering the option. There’s no time to acknowledge the shift in him.
