Chapter 50

T

When I opened my eyes, I had to shut them immediately. The white of the room was blinding. I tried to concentrate on whatever I’d seen in the brief glance. I felt too…present to be dead. But as far as I knew, that’s what I was.

I had aches and pains. In the distance I could hear machines. Monitoring noises. I opened my eyes very slowly, giving my pupils time to adjust.

The ceiling was white, but had those drop down tiles. The walls were white, but needed a touch-up in parts. The floor had white tiles with a light gray marbling through them. The blanket covering me was white as well. I moved my hands and felt restraints.

I didn’t call out, because I didn’t know where I was. I wanted the upper hand if I could get it in any way.

I’d gotten Nix onto the four-wheeler. He was in reverse when the first bomb detonated. The bomb that Animal had planned to plant, but I’d set instead.

I wanted to know how he was. Animal. Nix. Becca. Ember. My mom. All these people whom I cared about.

It was not lost on me that I was a loner that had a pack now. Well, had a pack then. Chances weren’t good for me here. I went down in a hail of bullets. I couldn’t move my torso, but this was different.

It felt like I was cemented into place. I had consciousness, though, so there was that.

A man in a lab coat walked in. He noted my open eyes and pulled out an iPad.

“And you’re awake?” He didn’t seem friendly.

The man was plain. He could have been a stock photo for “average guy”.

“Yes.” My voice worked at least.

“That’s good. Can you move your feet?” He pointed with his pen at the bottom of the hospital bed I was in.

I couldn’t move them. I tried again and again. “No.”

“That’s good.”

This made me reassess him. Something was wrong. He should have been disappointed. Maybe my gunshot wounds had paralyzed me.

My heart rate picked up and he noted it.

“Is not being able to move making you nervous?” He tilted his head.

I decided right then answering this man’s questions were not in my best interest. I pushed my lips together.

“You’ll note that it is very hard to conceal information right now. Do you find me handsome?”

My heart rate went even faster. The words felt like a cough in my throat. It was getting harder to hold on to them. Maybe this was a version of hypnotism?

“You’re either pretty good at self-control or we need to up your dose.” He walked to the IV hanging near the bed. The tubing snaked under the blanket that covered me. He made an adjustment.

He casually took more notes, checked my pupils, and made various observations under his breath.

After about ten minutes, he asked me the same questions. “Is not being able to move making you nervous?”

I wasn’t answering. No way.

“No, it makes me angry.” It was surreal to answer when I had no intention of doing so.

The man holding the iPad smirked and gave a thumbs-up to the wall-mounted mirror. A two-way mirror I realized. This man and I were not alone.

“Do you find me handsome?” He waited expectantly.

I knew my eyebrows were furrowed as I gave him what he wanted, “No, you’re not my type.”

“What is your type?” He opened his mouth as if my words were a treat he could eat.

“Animal. I only love once. So you’re the wrong color, height, and most likely, dick size.” I was brutally honest. Despite the sassy answer, I felt my rage sliding into fear.

The man’s face registered the insult and he closed his mouth.

I was doing what he wanted. I couldn’t move anything but my face. Where the hell was I?

“What is this place?” It was clearly not a hospital. He didn’t care if I was well; he wanted me to be his guinea pig.

The door to the room opened again. When I saw Albany in a lab coat, certain things made sense.

“T, funny meeting you here.” She took the iPad from the man. “She’s responding well to the higher dose? Probably did a lot of drugs recreationally. Tolerance can be a bitch to break through.” Her tall heels clacked as she walked around the bed. “Your vitals are great. You’ve been with us for a month now. We really get to know so much about you with this new treatment.”

For a month? I’d been here a month. This might actually be a nightmare. Maybe it was the afterlife—but hell instead of heaven.

“Feel free to say thank you whenever you want now. I was on the team that saved your life.”

Again, my usually silent mouth betrayed me. “Fuck you.”

Albany laughed. “Sweetheart, don’t tempt me. As I was saying, I insisted they save you. You see, the board at Breston was very angry that you’d inflicted so much damage on their property. They weren’t ready to be as forgiving as I was. But I noticed you, T. And I’m betting that I’m right. You know everything there is to know about Animal and Nix. And Ember. And Becca.”

“I know everything there is to know.” The words were like breathing, a reflex.

“You’re disappointed in yourself. I can see it in your eyes.” Albany put her bright red nail under my chin. I tried to bite it and she pulled her hand away, laughing. “Look at that! Did you see that?”

She faced the mirror on the wall. “Ready to fight even though she’s paralyzed. She’s exceptional. I do believe we found my protégé.”

She turned back to me. “Don’t be upset, darling. You’re at almost double the dose that it would take to make a man Animal’s size talk. You’re a soldier. Never mind that—a general. Is it inappropriate to say I have a huge girl boner for you?” She leaned over me and whispered, “Probably.”

“What do you want this for?” I waited, because it was the only thing I could do.

She got a faraway look in her eyes. “It’s lonely at the top, you know? All these assholes dragging their nutsacks around like they contain extra brains. I just want to see what we could do. You and my father and brother think they’re the only ones that can make our company worthwhile. By the time I have this place up and running, I will be the one that they have to come to and not the other way around.” She acted delighted with me like she was my kindergarten teacher. “And I think you and I would make a great power couple.”

“You’re insane.” I tried to wiggle my feet again to no avail.

Albany looked hurt. “You’ll come around. See it my way. I mean, there aren’t any other choices, really.”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to react to this nightmare. But she had a hunger in her eyes that I didn’t want to feed. I swallowed my first response. I tried not to show that I had had a very small victory. If for some reason I could control my mouth on this drug, I could manipulate Albany and the situation and then get back to my pack.