Page 16 of Pucked Around and Found Out

My teeth grind together and I decide, at this moment, I already hate this bitch with every fiber of my being.

“You were supposed to protect him⁠—”

“Get her out of here,” she snaps, standing and scowling down at me like I'm something disgusting she stepped in. “You will be remanded into CIA custody.”

I say nothing as she stalks off, her heels clicking against concrete.

But I file this moment away. Store it in the growing arsenal of people who will pay for what they've done.

She's on the list now.

I've been sitting in this interrogation room for hours.

The two-way mirror is cliché as fuck. So are the metal chairs and table positioned in the center like this is some low-budget crime drama.

When the guy who escorted me in directed me to sit, I refused. Instead, I claimed the floor in the corner, back against the wall, clear view of the door.

A position of power, even in captivity.

I'm exhausted.

Every muscle aches. Every breath feels like a chore. I'm fighting desperately not to fall asleep, knowing that showing weakness now could cost me everything.

My mind won't stop racing, and I'm grateful for it. It's the only thing keeping me alert, keeping exhaustion at bay.

I'm worried about Carnage.

Is he okay? Did they get out in time?

They had to.

If they didn't, they'd be here too, right? Locked up somewhere in this building?

I'm worried about Harper, about Omen, Vatican, Pope and Halo.

But I'm not worried about whether my father survived. Not worried if Masen made it to the hospital in time.

The realization should disturb me more than it does.

Yes, I redirected Xaden's rage toward me to save Masen from further torture—but it doesn't change how I feel. My brother is a monster. I hate him.

But I didn't want to watch him be destroyed.—didn't want that image seared into my brain forever.

Watching Meekan be torn apart was gut-wrenching enough. I didn't care about him personally, but all I could think about was Kenna. How that was her brother being mutilated.

Would she have watched if it was Masen? Would she have tried to save my brother, or would she have sat there frozen like I did?

The question goes unanswered, lost to the void where Kenna's voice used to be.

The door slams open and the bitch from the warehouse stalks in with a man following behind her. They both wear expressions of smug superiority that make my skin crawl.

I don't move from my spot on the floor.

If they think leaving me in here for hours will scare me into cooperating, they're about to be severely disappointed. I may not be physically strong, but mentally? I won't break.

I've survived too much to fall apart now.

With Steven gone, dead or dying and Masen's fate hanging in the balance, this is my chance. My opportunity to seize control of the Kellar Cartel and finish what we started.