Chapter 23 #2
“Explain. You could have gotten out at any time.”
He reached behind his head and fumbled with the foul leather muzzle until it dropped into his lap. He spat out a damp cotton strip and a metal pin from his mouth with a grin.
“You know me, Little Liar. Just deciding whether to kill the doctor now or later.”
My stomach flipped, and my vision blurred as thick relief washed over me. Beck cupped the back of my head, and he pulled me toward him. Our lips hovered, sharing breath as our hearts synced up.
“You came for me.”
“We didn’t finish our conversation,” I whispered, letting my fingers drift over the bare skin protecting his heart.
Beck’s lips brushed mine. “Did you want to tell me something?”
A thousand words surged within me. About our history here, about our twisted, toxic path. About how he was in every violent thump of my heart, the knot in my throat, and the sharp burn in my stomach. He might not process emotions, but he made me feel.
He made me burn.
“When we get out of here,” I promised, letting the flames of truth burn in my gaze.
Love. Forgiveness. Trust.
Things you shouldn’t give a monster, but I wasn’t some innocent damsel who needed saving. Blood and shadows made me perfect to hold Beck’s black heart. Beck let out an exhale and pulled away, wincing.
“Did they hurt you badly?” I searched his body as he’d done to me.
“Yes.” Beck shrugged, reaching over to the tray and snatching a boning knife.
What did the doctor hope to use that for? I shuddered at the thought. Beck crouched in front of the doctor and yanked him up by his hair. Dr. Jet whimpered as Beck held the unforgiving blade to his neck.
“What did I tell you would happen if you touched me again?”
I turned my back as Beck wrenched the knife through the doctor’s throat.
Not because the blood disgusted or frightened me, but because I had bigger things to worry about.
Outside in the hallway, Ray and Jonah fought in earnest. If they kept it up, they would draw an even larger crowd.
I moved to the wall to find the embedded monitor.
The medical bay was one of the few rooms with ports, where I could use Ellington’s last gift.
“Why did you come? Do you really think they’ll let us walk out of here?” Beck slid his hand around my waist, hot with fresh blood.
The scent of iron and danger encircled me. It made my instincts sharpen like a bloodhound.
“No.” I inserted the thumb drive. “We’re going to burn it down from the inside out. You in?”
I accessed the code nestled in the system, bypassing all the objections it tried to raise. Beck made a noise, half surprised, half proud. His fingers clenched my hip.
“This reminds me of the night we met when you plunged everything into darkness. Such a mischievous Little Liar. From the moment I saw you, I was intrigued, and I’d never felt that way before.”
I fiddled with the commands, bringing up the auto-lock on each room, turning them off and removing any option to override. It would slow everyone down for a minute while I worked on our next phase.
“Do you feel like a repeat? It’s going to be a lot bloodier than that night, though.”
Beck pressed his nose into my hair and breathed deep. “A little terrorizing? All in a day’s work for your monster.”
“Show’s over, boys,” I shouted and smiled as I heard the guards protest.
Ray and Jonah busted inside, dragging the unconscious guards behind them.
“Chief.” Ray pulled Beck into a giant bear hug. “You have a nice little vacation?”
Jonah fist-bumped Beck, who stared with twitching lips.
“Did you get hurt escaping the port?” Beck flicked a discerning eye over them both.
Ray slapped his hand on his chest and wilted onto the empty bed. “You care about us? See, I knew mia volpe was lying when she said you were a grade A asshole who didn’t care about anyone but himself.”
I snorted, turning back to the screen to check the cameras. I set the time back thirty minutes and created a loop. Anyone watching would be fooled for the moment, and need luck to unravel my code, even if they did.
“You complimenting me in my absence, Little Liar?” Beck’s rough voice kissed the shell of my ear. “And are you going to tell me how you hacked the framework so easily? I know you’re a genius, but even this is obscene.”
I ignored his first question, though my cheeks heated. His aura was electric, even after being tortured, turning me to jelly. His chest bumped against mine, and I fought the urge to touch the art inked on his skin.
“Ellington had been building this for a while. Tech wasn’t his strength, so Connall must have helped.” A knot swelled in my throat.
What would the dangerous, unserious man think of us being here? Something told me he was laughing, tap dancing with flames at his feet.
“He got what he wanted. We’ll finish the job for him.” Beck clenched his jaw. “You don’t have weapons. I have a stash in my room.”
I pulled out my phone, linking my wireless connection to the system via a bridge from Ellington’s framework.
“Give me five minutes for this to connect, and I’ll be ready to go.”
Ray sighed, feeling along his jaw. “Did you have to hit me so fucking hard? You can’t pay a plastic surgeon for this kind of perfection.”
“What about arrogance?” Jonah surprised everyone by dropping a kiss on Ray’s head.
“That’s also a Donato special,” Ray mumbled, wide-eyed at Jonah.
My phone vibrated as the access bar finished, and I let out a satisfied hum. The room stank of death, piled with bodies, some moving, some not. But nothing could put a damper on the elation running through my veins.
“You ready? Shit is about to get real.”