Page 40 of Anarchy Chained: Alpha Thomas

“What’s going on?”

I look up to find Thomas in the doorway.

“I’m leaving,” I say. “I’m leaving here. I don’t care if I have to walk back to the city, I’m not staying here with you.”

“Why? You don’t like the consequences of disobedience during sex?” He laughs.

“You did something to me,” I say, sucking in a breath of air as another spark of electricity shoots through my brain. “With your stupid mind blast.” I lean over again, staring at the tiles on the floor, as a wave of nausea cramps my stomach.

“It’s not my fault,” he says. “I didn’t shoot me with a drug that counteracted all my careful planning. I didn’t put myself in that insane asylum. I didn’t tell Yasmine to use that drug that unleashed my mind. And I didn’t fucking send you to that hospital, Sadie. None of this is my fucking fault.”

“No,” I whisper, a little relieved that the nausea is subsiding. “I guess not.” I stand up, clutching the towel to my body. “You don’t seem like the kind of guy who takes much personal responsibility.”

He laughs. More of a huff, actually. “Why should I? Why should I be the one responsible for this fucked-up world? I didn’t start that school. I didn’t experiment on my own body. All I’ve ever done is deal, Sadie. I deal with their actions, that’s all. If anyone is innocent in this goddamned city, it’s me.”

He points to his chest to emphasize his convictions.

“If you say so,” I add.

“I do say so. I’m not Lincoln, looking to turn myself into a supervillain. I’m not Case, trying to pretend nothing’s happening. I’m the only one who faces reality. I’m the only one who took the necessary steps to rein in the damage they did. I’m the only thing standing between good and evil right now.”

It’s my turn to laugh. “You’re insane. That’s why you were in that asylum. You’re crazier than all of them.”

He shrugs. “If what I’m doing is insane, then what level of crazy would you like to label your handlers? Don’t you realize what you are?”

“You don’t know anything about me,” I snap.

“I know you showed up on someone’s command. I know my mind blast wiped your programming. And I know how to set things right.”

“With revenge?” I ask, sneering the word. “That’s what you call setting things right?”

“Why not revenge? Why not take them all down and get even in the process? You should want that too. Which is why we need to stay together. We could do it together, Sadie.”

“Is that really what you think?” I ask, shaking my head. “That your… plan is what will set things right? I highly doubt that.”

“You don’t even know the plan.”

“I don’t need to know the plan. I might not know a lot right now, but I know evil when I see it. You’ve got big problems, Thomas.”

He smiles. It sends a shiver up my spine. And then the electric shock is back. Only this time it’s so painful, I grab my head and stumble backwards, trip over the rug and fall on my ass.

Sadie, Sadie, Sadie, Sadie…

“What do you want?” I yell.

Thomas is talking, but I can’t hear him. I hear nothing but, Sadie, Sadie, Sadie, Sadie…

“I’m here, goddammit! Tell me what you want!”

His hand grips my upper arm and brings me to my feet. “Who are you talking to?” he says, shaking me with enough force, my mind feels like it’s slipping. “Who the fuck are you talking to?”

I close my eyes, trying to will the pain away. The flash of light flickers across my vision again.

“Go away!” I scream.

Thomas is pulling me out of the bathroom. He shoves me towards the couch and I fall against the cushions.

Then it stops. The pain, the flashes of light, the sickening hum of white noise static.