Chapter 51

T

Albany had other test patients, but she was fascinated with me. I wasn’t sure if I was a new plaything or a science experiment.

I was in a locked room that reminded me of the psych ward when I was a teenager. It was killing me, though my actual body was healing. I had the care of the best doctors in the world, or at least that was what Albany said.

I believed it when I saw how quickly my gunshot wounds healed. The physical therapist offered a combination of exercises, acupuncture, and electric therapy to get my range of motion back. There was even an herbalist that set up a vitamin, mineral, and protein mixture to speed up the healing.

A plastic surgeon used cutting edge lasers to neaten my scars. They would always be there, but far less obvious in a few years.

I had access to movies, books, some puzzles, and crafts.

I was alive, and I was fighting by not fighting. I remembered how Nix infiltrated the Feybis so he could get information and kill his enemy at the same time.

That was my modus operandi for now. It seemed better to have a plan. And Albany, for all her suaveness, seemed truly alone. I really didn’t give a flying fuck about her, but I had to pretend to. It seemed clear that her brother and father had no designs on keeping me alive. But if I accepted her too quickly, she’d see through that as well. So I had to keep my head down and do what was asked. I had to bitch. I had to make a few half-hearted attempts at escape so they would believe me when I stopped trying to run for the open door. Even though it was actually painful to watch it close.

I was being watched at all times. Like prison. Like my worst nightmares. I recognized that I was in a very specific state of peril. And if everything had gone as I’d planned, no one would be looking for me.

They let me have a dull pencil and a pad of paper to draw about two months in. I couldn’t stop myself. I drew Animal’s face.

I just needed to see it, even if I had to pull his handsome face from my memory. I missed him. He was probably-knee deep in his slut kabob, with Ember giving him the business. When I heard someone coming down the hallway, I reluctantly scribbled over his image and flipped the page. Albany had to believe I was pissed at Animal and Nix. And not that I trusted them to miss me. That I knew that Animal and I would always be headed for each other no matter what had happened to us.

Albany was buzzed in. I talked myself out of poking her in the eye with the pencil. Momentary satisfaction would not get me free. I pushed the pencil into the tunnel the spiral on the notebook made.

She was dressed down in jeans and a white T-shirt today, black flats, and a ponytail. I wondered what was up. She was usually in full siren gear with false lashes and a push-up bra.

She was holding a piece of paper. I hid my irritation when she showed me a copy of the Animal image that she had copied.

“Screenshot of the surveillance, in case you’re wondering.” Albany smiled and sat next to me on the bed.

I wondered if she knew how many different ways I could kill her. So very many. I closed my eyes as the thought of her warm blood on my hands thrilled me.

“Sleepy?” Albany rubbed my back, running her nails over my spine.

“What do you want?” I opened my eyes and pinned her with a frustrated gaze.

She took her hand off of me and smoothed her hair in her ponytail. “Just a friendship, that’s all. I mean, I’m keeping you alive, healthy. If not for me and my family’s talents, we’d have lost you.”

She was narcissistic. I recognized it in the way she phrased her sentences. When I was a small kid, my mom was involved with a person just like Albany. A man named Brit. Mom was pretty and needy, and when she was on a high, there was no one more fascinating in the room. He could make everything about him and expected to be thanked for simple human actions.

“You’re right about that. The care here has been pretty interesting,” I said it begrudgingly. She was right, though. The crap they were using on me was stuff that only had numbers. Nothing looked like it would in a normal hospital.

“I’ve got some footage of the man of your dreams today.” Albany tapped the paper between us with her red nail.

My throat dried up. I worked at not holding my breath.

“Don’t get excited. He doesn’t know you’re alive.” She stood and walked to the window, her back to me.

I was dizzy with the need to snap her neck.

“He’s a mess.” She looked over her shoulder at me. “If you were wondering.”

I tried to borrow Nix’s patience. I imagined him in the Feybis’ place listening to this type of shit. Possible lies.

Albany was probably lying. I couldn’t imagine why they would let her live.

I heard his voice next, and my soul stopped. Albany held up her phone. “No video, but this is audio my guy was able to catch.”

The screen was black. Animal was in mid-conversation, and I tried to hear all the things I could between the words.

“Looking good.” Animal’s deep voice was like a syrup.

“I wish I could say the same to you, sailor. You look like shit.” A woman’s voice broke the beauty of the recording by just being there.

“I can handle myself.” Animal again.

It was a weird clip. This audio had been edited. Still, it was his voice. I tried not to let the way it had been manipulated affect my psyche.

“You miss T?”

The background was slightly different, not as much ambient noise for her phrase.

“She was a legend. I knew I’d never have her forever.”

And although it was altered—she was trying to change it—I heard him. I heard his pain, and I knew it was for me.

I kept my face even. Albany had to believe that I was buying the shit she was selling.

If that was recent, like she said, Animal was still okay. I had questions and I swallowed them whole.

“Anyway, I was just wondering if you had some pointers as far as Animal goes. I’m having trouble getting past the night we had together.” Albany rocked back on her heels.

I lifted an eyebrow. This bitch had to be kidding. I averted my gaze so I could think of a response. I needed to keep her thinking that I was a pretty docile patient and that I was interested in the bullshit she was strewing around.

“Animal likes loyalty. Have someone offer him an olive branch by sharing information.”

It was the best I could do. If I could sway Albany into bringing more intel to the guys, then that would be a good outcome.

“Wow, I think that was a genuine answer. We’re growing a bit here, T.” Albany left, her flats making hardly any sound on the tile floor of my room.

Little steps. One at a time until I could get out. Get back. Be where I needed to be. Hopefully, any contact from Breston would be a red flag after Nix’s kidnapping.