Chapter 11
ALEX
The coldness permeated Alex, seeping into his bones as he sat on the rough, concrete floor of the darkened cell.
The damp air smelled of mildew, making it hard to breathe.
He’d lost track of how long it had been since he’d been thrown in here, with only the taunts from Miranda and Chris breaking up the monotony.
The flickering fluorescent light outside his cell cast eerie shadows on the wall, amplifying the isolation and fear.
He’d tried to keep some estimate of time in his mind, but had found it impossible. Instead, his thoughts drifted to Ava as he huddled against the concrete wall, the thin mattress under him doing little to provide any comfort.
He recalled the night in college when he’d first realized how he felt. Why hadn’t he just said something then?
His mind rewrote the scene in vivid detail.
Ava sat across from him in the quiet library, her hair tugged up in the messy bun she loved to sport when studying.
He recalled the way her forehead creased when she concentrated.
With a book open in front of her, she jotted notes down in a spiral notebook. “This test is going to be the worst,” she admitted, her voice laced with frustration.
“If it was in any other class, I wouldn’t be worried.”
“You wouldn’t have to be,” she said, her eyes never leaving the glossy page of the textbook. “You’re a genius.”
He still remembered how hearing those words from her lips made him swell with pride. “You’re pretty smart, too, Sparky.”
She raised her blue eyes to meet his. “Remind me again why you gave me that nickname.”
“Because when you were putting that robot together in freshman year robotics, it sparked. You literally sparked it to life, Sparky.”
“Oh, right,” she said with a grin that made his heart melt at that moment. “I’ve got the magic touch.”
And she did, at least for him. She was the most perfect woman he’d ever met. She was everything he could ever want. And she was sitting at his table.
He kept his eyes trained on her as she went back to work, wanting to say something to impress her.
“Hey, Sparky? You want to hear to a joke?” He chewed his lower lip as he waited for her response.
She pulled her gaze away from her notes, an eyebrow arching with curiosity. “Sure, hit me with your best shot.”
“Why do programmers prefer dark mode?” he asked, his lips tugging into a preemptive grin as he anticipated the punchline.
She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. “Why?”
“Because light attracts bugs.” He grinned playfully at her.
For a moment, there was silence, and he regretted being such a dork. She probably hated the joke and would shy away from him now because he was way below her league.
Then, Ava’s lips curled up as she burst into laughter, her eyes crinkling at the corners. The sound was infectious, and Alex found himself laughing along with her. In that single moment, he’d realized what she meant to him.
He imagined what life would have been like if he’d only leaned closer that night and slid his hand across to hers. “Ava, umm, is there any chance that you’d ever consider dating me?”
She grinned at him. “I thought you’d never ask.”
He imagined eagerly planning a first date, then a second, graduating from college as a couple, a wedding that wasn’t fake, and a lifetime of happiness.
But instead, what had actually happened was their laughter had faded, and she’d shaken her head and said, “Oh, Alex.”
In a breath, she’d gone back to her studying and every second that slipped by, he’d lost more and more of his confidence.
Why hadn’t he just said something then? Why had he let fear hold him back? If he’d only told her…
“Not that it matters now,” he murmured to himself, his whispered words echoing off the concrete blocks around him. “Whether I would have told her or not, the chances are that I’ll never see her again.”
His mind turned from his own lost opportunities to the ones that lay ahead for Sebastian Bancroft. Chris and Miranda’s words earlier still haunted him. Sebastian Bancroft has his eye on her.
His lips twisted into a frown. The man had made his interest in Ava obvious, and now she was alone. He’d used that to his advantage.
Had that been the reason he’d been taken? To isolate Ava?
Ironic that The Board had refused to give her admittance when he’d made the argument that they should accept her as his wife. Had Sebastian already had plans for her?
Miranda seemed to act like they wanted something else from him. He wondered if he could hold out long enough to save himself.
A vision of a brainwashed Ava demanding his obedience seized his mind, and he shuddered. He shoved the thought away, certain his brain was merely twisting the fear he felt from being shoved into the small cell and left in the dark into something more gruesome.
Footsteps sounded in the hall outside of his room, and he stiffened, instinctively reacting to the sound.
His heart rose into his throat, his heart hammering against his ribs.
When the sound of the lock to his door clanked, he scrambled to his feet, desperate to do whatever he could to look more imposing.
But with his hands still bound together, he couldn’t do much.
Even if his hands weren’t bound, he wasn’t exactly the best at physical combat. Ava had attempted to show him some defensive moves, but nothing had stuck in his brain.
And with fear churning his insides to a pulp, he couldn’t think straight.
The door popped open, and Miranda strode inside, offering him a cold smile.
“Where’s your partner in crime?” Alex asked, noting Chris’s absence.
“Dealing with a few other things,” Miranda said. “Don’t worry. He’s putting his offer with The Board to good use, unlike you who so staunchly refused us.”
Alex’s features pinched with anger. “And I still do.”
“But you won’t have much choice, will you? Now, I’d like to have a little discussion about how you can be useful to us.”
Alex sneered at her. “I’m not useful at all. You’d be better off letting me go.”
She threw her head back, letting out a cackle. “Oh, Alex, sometimes your actions are so…laughable.”
She paced the floor in front of him, her heels clicking off the concrete floor. “Of course, you’re useful to us. Your mind is one of the best. And we intend to use it to further our purposes.’
“I’m not helping you!”
“You don’t have a choice,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain as she shrugged nonchalantly. “You’re just a pawn in our game, Alex. Whether you like it or not, you’ll do what we ask.”
He lifted his chin. “Fine, if you need something from me, then I’d be open to negotiating an offer. Maybe…bishop level for my services?”
She snorted a laugh. “You aren’t worth that. And in your current form, I wouldn’t even offer you pawn. You will be made to do what we ask, simple as that. This isn’t a negotiation.”
“But think of how much simpler it would be if I was on your side? I mean, what’s better? Me at your beck and call or dragging whatever you need from me out every time you want something?”
Her features twisted into an unimpressed frown. “I don’t really care. I’ll get what I want either way.”
“Well, you may want to check with someone further up the chain,” Alex answered. “Someone who has more power to make decisions because I really think they’d rather me be on their side.”
“I really don’t think they care,” Miranda said. “The kings, queens, and rooks of this little game aren’t used to dirtying their hands.”
“Well, I’m worth something. And I’d like to speak to someone higher-ranking to see if they’d agree.”
She arched an eyebrow at Alex. “You want to speak to a manager, Karen?”
His features fell into an unimpressed stare. “I’d like to discuss a solution that would fit all our needs.”
He desperately needed a way out of this situation, and if he had to play along with The Board to get it, he’d do that. If he could worm his way into a position with them, he may be set free. Then he and Ava could destroy them from within.
“I have a better idea. You give me what I want, or you’ll face a consequence I don’t think you want to face.”
“No,” Alex answered with a shake of his head, “I know my worth.”
She pressed her lips together, her features looking defeated. If he managed to pull this off, it would bolster his confidence beyond belief. I’m coming home, Ava, he silently promised.
“Gosh, you’re really a thorn in my side. When I asked you, you wanted no parts of this. And now that I’m not asking, it’s all you want.”
“Circumstances change. And I’m willing to adapt with them.”
“So am I.”
His heart skipped a beat. Had he managed to get his way? Was she concerned the players above her would agree with him? Either way, it looked as though he may have bought himself some time and potentially his freedom.
Miranda strode to the door, tugging it open. He expected a snarky comment back before she left, but instead, she motioned for someone to enter.
He wondered who. Was it a higher ranking member of The Board? Had they been at the ready in case he’d made this demand?
A bulky man strode into the room, glancing at Miranda for an explanation. “We have a problem I need solved.”
The guy didn’t look like a high-ranking member of The Board. Based on what he knew of their ranks, people like the Bancrofts made up the upper echelons, not a grunt worker like this.
The man nodded at Miranda’s words before she twisted to face Alex. “I need a program that is capable of controlling all major utilities in a specified radius at once.”
Alex barked out a laugh. “Good luck with that.”
“I’ll have to wish you luck,” she answered. “You’ll be the one creating it. And I want a proof-of-concept small-scale demonstration within a week.”
“I’m not creating that for you. And if that’s what you’re after, I want Rook level, not Bishop.”
She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head. “I told you, I’m not asking.”
“And I told you, I’m not doing it,” he growled back.
“All right, then let’s give you some incentive. Frank?”
The man stepped forward, and Alex backed away until his shoulders hit the wall. Frank pulled a weapon from his waistband, loading a bullet into the chamber before he pressed it against Alex’s kneecap.
“Here are your choices,” Miranda started. “Agree and I’ll get a laptop for you to begin or take a bullet to the kneecap and we’ll leave you here to bleed while you decide if you want a second chance or a second bullet.”
Alex swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump in his throat.
“You know what, Frank, go ahead and pop him one just for good measure,” Miranda said as Frank’s lips twisted into a sneer.
“With pleasure, boss.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he braced for the searing pain. Time seemed to stretch, each second an eternity. The cold metal of the gun pressed harder into his kneecap, and he could almost feel the bullet tearing through his flesh and shattering his bone.
Before the gun fired, a new voice cut through the tense silence. “Frank, step away from him.”
Alex’s eyes snapped open, his heart pounding in his chest. He turned to see Sebastian Bancroft standing in the doorway, his presence commanding and terrifying.
“Mr. Bancroft, I wasn’t aware that you were stopping by,” Miranda said, her voice almost penitent.
“No, I imagine not, otherwise, I think you may have handled this a little better.”
Frank backed away from Alex.
“I’m just giving him a little motivation. He doesn’t seem to understand his place here. He wanted to be made a rook or a bishop, but the time for negotiations is over.”
“Indeed, they are, but this is not the best way to ensure his cooperation.”
Miranda wiggled her eyebrows as she flicked her gaze to the floor. “No, it’s not. You know very well the best way would be to drag Ava Collins–”
“Enough,” Sebastian said, his features hardening as Miranda mentioned her name. “That is not an option. I’ve already told you that.”
“Mr. Bancroft, she’s the best way to–”
“I said no.” Sebastian flicked his gaze toward Alex. “I have special plans for Ava.”
“You leave her alone.”
“Sadly for you, I won’t be doing that. And knowing that you’re here makes my plans so much easier. Ava will need a strong shoulder to cry on, and I will be more than happy to provide that.”
“Ava will see through you.”
“We’ll see. Now, let’s get Mr. Stone a laptop so he can begin building this little program we need.”
“I’m not doing it,” Alex said, his lips curving with disdain. “I won’t.”
“You will if you want to live. See, I won’t tell Frank to put a bullet in your kneecap. It will only fuel your desire to resist. Instead, I’ll just tell him to end your life.”
Alex tried to muster the strength to tell them to kill him, but he couldn’t.
Sebastian offered him a cool smile before he strode to the door, pausing there. “Oh, and if you want me to treat Ava nicely, you’ll do it. Otherwise, I may use some less than kind tactics to ensure her compliance.”
Alex lunged forward at the words, but Frank gave him a swift punch to the gut, sending Alex reeling backward and gasping for breath.
He smacked into the stone wall, sliding down to sit on the cold floor as nausea washed over him in a wave.
Sebastian glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing at Alex. “Move Mr. Stone to a more secure location. I want to personally oversee his progress.”
Alex’s stomach churned more as Frank dragged him to his feet and forced him roughly toward the cell door. “My pleasure, boss.”
Sebastian disappeared into the hall, striding away as another guard hurried in to help Frank wrangle Alex toward the parking garage.
“If he gets a little banged up along the way,” Miranda said, “I’m sure Mr. Bancroft would understand.”
She smirked as they roughly dragged Alex away. His heart pounded against his ribs as he realized if they took him to a more secure spot, he may never escape. He had to fight his way free if he wanted to remain alive and protect Ava. He had to find a way to get out.