Page 102 of Glutton for Punishment

I tense. “I don’t know if today is the right time...”

Cleo’s tone sharpens. “Maddox cannot help you if you refuse to speak to him. He sneaks in here every night, waiting for you to open up.”

I hate that she’s right. “He doesn’t like me wondering around the building alone…”

“Councilor West got called away to some urgent Council meeting this morning. No more excuses.” Tabby says.

Which means Maddox is likely alone. My stomach drops, but I stand before I lose my nerve.

***

When I inquire about Maddox’s location, the guards outside direct me deeper into the massive hotel than I’ve ever been before.

The elevator drops to one of the lowest levels. It opens onto a floor that feels like a different building entirely. The carpet stops at the threshold. Beyond it, bare concrete stretches the length of a corridor lit by fluorescent tubes that cast everything in a flat, grey-white light. The walls are unpainted. The ceiling is low.

One door at the end of the corridor stands open, and a guard nods me inside. The room is stark and windowless, a two-way mirror spanning the entire far wall.

I step closer, and my stomach twists as I see Maddox on the other side of the glass.

Lucas walks into the room and freezes. “Arwen—wait—”

I hold out a hand to stop him as I process the scene beyond the mirror. A terrified man sobs in a chair as Maddox stands over him like death itself.

“Who did you tell?” His voice sends chills across my skin.

The man’s face turns red as he struggles against the cuffs holding his arms behind the chair.

“No one.”

“Who?” He slams the table with his fist, making me jump.

“Fuck you. I said nothing.”

Maddox moves like a striking snake. He grabs the man’s jaw and forces his mouth open with his fingers.

My breath catches at the rough treatment. I haven’t seen this side of Maddox before.

He uncorks a vial and pours the liquid down the man’s throat. The scream that follows is inhumane as the man thrashes and gurgles.

“It burns!” he shrieks hoarsely.

Bile runs up my throat as I stumble backwards, making it two steps before collapsing at the trash bin and vomiting up my lunch.

Lucas’s voice crackles over the intercom. “Maddox. You need to get back here.”

A second later, I hear a door slam open. Then—

“Fuck.” Maddox is in front of me before I can straighten from the trash can. His entire demeanor shifts the moment he sees my face. Before I can protest, he scoops me into his arms like I weigh nothing.

“Arwen… why are you down here?” he asks quietly, carrying me from the room.

I can’t formulate an answer. Not with the image of that screaming man still burned behind my eyes.

He brings me back to his room and sets me gently on the edge of his couch, using both hands to tuck the strands of my hair behind my ears before wiping my mouth with a towel.

Maddox remains standing for a moment before finally sitting across from me, elbows on his knees, eyes fixed on the floor. Silence stretches as I get my thoughts together.

“What did you do to him?” I ask, voice strained.