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“That’s not your decision to make,” I said.

“I must prevent Sam from leaving.”

Everything happened so fast. Quinn rolled at me, Mason sprinted toward the robot, and Quinn spun back on him, pulling the same electrified weapon he’d used on me.

I lunged, sliding over the top of the bar and tackling Quinn’s metal body. I jammed the tip of the knife into the soft silicone material in the back of its neck where Nicole used her gold card to deactivate Mrs. Lockwood’s killer.

Time froze. Smoke issued from the spot, and the handle of the knife grew hot, forcing me to let go. The weapon sizzled and fell to the ground, the red lights behind Quinn’s chest blinked and disappeared. I slipped off its back and attempted to catch my breath.

Mason broke the silence, picking a tool off the ground he must have used to break inside. “We have to get out of here.”

“It could have killed you. It killed Graham. We…we have to tell someone.” I clasped my hands into fists to prevent them from shaking.

Mason’s arms steadied me. “We have to leave. There’s got to be something in there that notifies the main computer when one of the staff is deactivated.”

When I didn’t move, Mason jostled me, leaning down to look in my eyes. “Now, Sam. Go get some clothes. We have to go!”

My body kicked into gear, and I nodded, scrambling for the bedroom and the first pair of shorts and shirt I could find. “Let’s get out of here.”

Mason pulled me to the stairs, but I planted my feet on the landing, almost yanking him off his.

“Mason, wait.”

“Sam, I know this is scary, but you have to come with me, now. We can talk later.”

I leaned into the soft, warm skin of his palm and inhaled, drawing strength from his familiar scent. “I have to tell you something before we go another step.”

“Sam, you aren’t thinking clearly—”

“No, I’m not. That’s the problem. It’s my DSI. At least, I think it is.” I averted my gaze, searching the pristine wall behind Mason’s shoulder.

“What is it?” Mason asked, moving between me and my view.

“Depth sensitivity illness. Apparently only myself and one other person down here are susceptible. In my case, it means I keep blacking out. I just go from standing somewhere to waking up somewhere else. The last thing I remember from yesterday was being with you in the bed…and then I woke up and that thing had drowned Graham.” I bit my lip so I wouldn’t sound hysterical, though that’s exactly how I felt.

“You don’t remember anything in between?” he asked, stepping closer.

I shuffled my feet, wishing I could disappear. “No.”

“You slept in, I made you hang out in the room and relax, and then we snuck out for skinny dipping in the pool. But I walked you back to your quarters after.”

“I woke up still wearing my bikini by the pool. None of this makes sense.”

“Hey, it’s okay. We’ll figure it out. As long as you’re safe, that’s all that really matters.” Mason pulled me into his chest, resting his chin on my head.

“There’s more,” I whispered into his shirt. I confessed about the can of spray paint and tightened my grip around his waist, unwilling to release him, lest I lose him forever.

Mason pried me off so he could tilt my chin to look in my face. “You aren’t the saboteur, Sam.”

“You can’t say that with certainty. What if it’s all because of the DSI and my anger because of my father?” I blurted everything that had been weighing on my mind and heart for so long, finally breaking into uncontrollable sobs. “What if I am responsible for all of it and I’ve hurt people just because I haven’t dealt with my own shit?”

“There’s only one solution,” Mason said, the muscle in his jaw working.

“Lock me up?” I asked with a laugh but so afraid of the answer.

“I’ll stay with you twenty-four seven. I’ll make sure you aren’t doing anything…illicit. At least not anything we don’t enjoy.”

My eyes widened as my tears subsided. “Aren’t you afraid of what I could do?”

Mason laughed, holding me to him again, his body jiggling with the force of it. “I am not afraid of you, I promise.”

I cracked a smile. It did sound kind of silly when I said it out loud. I acted tough, but Mason was a big guy. He could handle me.

Suddenly, I felt a whole lot lighter.