Page 53 of Barinov

“I just…” I glance at the floor and then back up at him. Jesus Christ why do I always feel like a five foot tall little girl when I stand next to this dude? “I was kinda sorta hoping you’d help me with something else first.”

“What do you need?”

I hesitate for half a second. “Cade.”

His brow lifts. “Cade?”

“Yeah. I need you to train him.”

“To do what?”

“To fight. Shoot. Survive. I don’t know… all of it.”

Khoza tilts his head. “And you can’t do that?”

“I could,” I mutter. “But I won’t. Not the way he needs.”

“Explain.”

“Look, if I’m the one doing it, I’m gonna hold back. I’ll pull punches because I won’t want to hurt him. I’ll go easy on him without meaning to and he’ll see it.”

He nods.

“And you won’t. You’ll do what needs to be done.”

“You want him ready to face Luca?” he asks, his low voice vibrating through my ribs.

I look him in the eye. “Yeah. I do.”

“Sure you can handle that?”

“Probably not.” I shake my head. “But I’d rather Cade break in training than break on one of these damn trials.”

For a long beat, Khoza just stands there staring at me with his dark eyes like he’s reading my soul.

Did he learn that shit from Sabine? It’s terrifying.

“So?” I ask, trying to break the tension.

He nods once. “I’ll take care of him.”

Chapter 14

CADE

NOX - Room 1122

14 Days since Bella’s kidnapping.

Steam curls form under the bathroom door from Lex’s shower. I’m lying on top of the bed in a pair of gray sweatpants, the skin of my back hitting the cool duvet just watching the ceiling go blurry. My heartrate syncs up with the trickle of the shower. It’s the kind of quiet that feels heavy. A perfect, drowsy loop I don’t want to break.

Knock. Knock.

I sigh. “Of course.”

I drag myself up, slowly crossing the room to open the door.

Haley. Red hair in a loose braid, wearing an oversized Trifecta sweatshirt and black leggings. She’s holding a pillow under one arm and a plush teal blanket tucked under the other.