Page 105 of Raze
Thorne smirks at me over his shoulder. “Shall we, then?”
When I don’t react at all, waiting for him to get on with it, he scoffs and indicates to the employee to lead the way.
We stroll through hallways and stairs, winding through the building to the far side, but still a few floors up from the ground. Once the hallways narrow, I shift to the back of the line with Raegan infront of me.
The employee opens a door at the end of a long hallway to a meeting room. There’s a single table with chairs, a short counter with drinks, and one wall of windows overlooking the ocean.
“Please, have a seat. Thorne.” He indicates a chair on the opposite side of the table, which Thorne takes. He tries to pick out seats for me and Raegan next, but I take her to the other end of the table. “Oh, well, I’ll just let him know you’re here.” The man leaves the room through the only door.
“What game are you playing at, Jackson? We’re supposed to be a united front to show that I’ve convinced you to join their group.” Thorne leans forward on the table with his fingers laced in front of him; his head turned with narrowed eyes on me.
I’m too preoccupied looking for signs of deception to worry about Thorne’s feelings. My hands twitch with restless energy in my lap, fingering the blades through my hoodie.
Something’s off.
I don’t know what yet, but I can smell it like something foul hanging in the air.
There’s a low, barely audible whirring sound behind me, and I jump forward, knocking the chair back while effortlessly hopping up onto the table and spinning around.
“Shit!” Raegan’s voice instantly brings my attention to her without thought. Her wrists are clasped against the arms of the chair, and there’s a metal collar around her neck.
My chair on the ground has the same cuffs and collar out, though they’re wrapped around nothing but air.
“My gift…it’s blocking my gift,” she grits through her teeth, her hands clenched tight and jerking against the restraints.
Thorne’s still in his seat, but now he’s smiling and leaning back in it with no sign of the same trickery on his chair. “You should’ve stayed in your seat,” he voices haughtily. “It would be much easier for all of us if you didn’t fight it.”
Anger and bloodlust slip and burn through my veins, my body tensing with the need to follow through on all the promises I’ve made to Thorne. The only part of this plan where he stayed alive was so long as Raegan was safe. Now, all bets are off.
My hands fist at my sides, but I turn away from him and drop next to Raegan’s chair instead. The only thing, and I mean theonlything, that will delay his death is making sure she’s safe first.
She struggles against the unforgiving metal, trying to slip her hands out or break them free. “Jack, it’s on my ankles, too,” she tells me.
“I’ll get you out.” My voice comes out steady, despite the monster in me chomping at the bit to be released on Thorne. We’re on the clock now, but getting her free is my top priority. I’ll carry her chair with me to escape if I have to, but it’ll be far easier if she’s unrestrained and can move freely.
My lock picks are always handy in my pocket, so I get to work on the first cuff. Thorne moves, as I expected he would, but I get the first cuff free in record time.
“Jack!” Raegan shouts to warn me, but I’m already leaping forward to meet him before he can reach her.
He sends a blast of air at me, trying to knock me away, but Icounter it with one of my own. The two opposing winds swirl and clash between us.
“Just keep to your end of the deal, and she won’t be hurt,” Thorne calls out. “I needed an insurance policy to make sure you didn’t turn on me. GE gets what they want to make them trust us, and you and I still do what we planned. I’ve received their word that she won’t be harmed so long as you follow your orders.”
My orders. They plan to make me their dog of war. And probably their scapegoat if I’m ever to be caught. Then call me an unhinged serial killer and lock me away for life while they find their next beast to do their dirty work.
It’s a solid plan, actually, that my ruthless side is able to admit to.
I’d do anything they asked if they dangled Raegan’s safety in the balance.
The problem with that plan is that they’d have to kill me first to get to her.
I drop from the table and throw a gust of air under it. The table flips over and sails through the air at Thorne, and I take those seconds to return to Raegan’s side. The picks are back in my hand, working on her other wrist.
The table smashes against the wall, and I know my time is up.
“Go. I’ll dislocate my thumb to get out of this one,” Raegan urges me while looking over my shoulder, most likely at Thorne closing in.
I can feel his approach behind me like a breeze at my back, raising the hairs on my neck. The air around me shifts like it’s being sucked away from us. It reminds me of a tidal wave, when all the water ispulled back, only to crash forward with devastating results.
