Page 196 of Alessio

“It’s starting.”

“What’s starting?”

Alessio wet his lips, his gaze meeting Corrado’s. “Training. I hope you fucking make it through what they’re about to do to you and your brother.”

Ice slipped through Corrado’s blood stream.

What had they signed up for?

“Why that hope?”

Alessio flashed a grin, as small as it was. “Because maybe I want to know what happens next with us.”

Corrado jerked fast away from the wall at those words. Alessio wasted no time slipping out of the room, leaving him alone to his racing heart, and his thoughts. Out in the hallway, he heard footsteps—Alessio leaving, maybe?

And doors shutting.

He stared up at that red light again.

No one—or very few people—were left inside the complex. Why did it sound like all the doors were closing one by one? Hadn’t Alessio said it was all electronic? Someone could control the doors without physically needing to shut them by hand?

The footsteps got louder, though.

And closer.

Definitely not Alessio.

Not anymore.

Corrado looked down to stare out his still opened doorway. Except now, the hallway outside of it wasn’t empty. Black-clothed figures stood there, their faces covered with masks, and their hands steady on the weapons they held.

“It’s time to get started, Corrado,” the one in front of the group said.

He recognized that voice.

Cree.

“Doing what?” Corrado asked.

“You don’t get to ask questions. Make this easy.”

Right.

That probably wasn’t going to work for him. Not when he didn’t know what in the hell was going on, and he didn’t know what might come next. His heart ached from beating so hard, but he was positive there was no way out of here.

Was that what they wanted, though?

For him to fight?

Because he could do that.

“Where’s my brother?” he demanded.

“Walk outside the room, Corrado.”

“No.”

“You do understand that this will happen one way or another.”