met up with more of his men and, of course, theyâd immediately drugged her. The better for her not to see where the hell they were taking her.
Sheâd woken in her cell. And it was most definitely a cell for prisoners, not some nice room for guests, no matter how Jon wanted to spin the place. All of eight feet wide and seven feet long, Cassie had been pacing that cell for hours. No windows. One door.
And lights that were too damn bright.
She heard the click of a lock and spun toward her door just as it swung open.
Jon stood there. He arched a brow as his blue gaze swept over her. His lips quirked in that mildly amused smile she detested. âCassie, who would have thought weâd end up like this?â
She wanted to rip him apart. But she had to play it smart, so she didnât move at all. âLike this?â she repeated carefully as she raised a brow. âYou mean with you being a kidnapper and a killer and me being your prisoner?â She shook her head. âUm, no, I didnât ever think weâd end up quite like this.â
The first time sheâd seen Jon, heâd been one of the new recruits brought in to Genesis. One of the actual volunteersâbecause heâd been human. A soldier whoâd agreed to become part of an experimental unit for Uncle Sam.
Humans who had their bodies enhanced by science. Heâd wanted to be a true super soldier.
Sheâd tried to warn him to leave then.
He hadnât.
Of course, back then, sheâd just thought he was being misled. That he was clueless about what the government was doing to the paranormals.
Her gaze cut to her cell. Not so clueless anymore.
âCassie . . .â He sighed out her name as he came closer to her. âYou know it doesnât have to be like this. We need youââ
âWe?â She shook her head. âIn case you missed the dozens of news stories that have been running lately, Genesis is dead. My father? Gone. Public opinion is against you. No one wants the paranormals torturedââ
âIâm not torturing anyone.â
Bull. âIâm about to collapse from hunger. Youâve held me here withoutââ
His fingers skimmed down her cheek. Goosebumps immediately rose on her flesh, and not the good kind of goose bumps.
âBaby, do you really think a little hunger equals torture?â His eyes hardened. âI could show you real torture. The kind that makes a man scream for hours.â
Her throat went dry. âWhen did you become like this?â she whispered.
He smiled. âYou were always so blind. But . . . hey, my timing was good, right? If your phoenix hadnât just broken out of the facility when I arrived for my therapyââ
Therapy? Was that what he was seriously calling it?
âThen we never would have gotten as . . . close . . . as we did.â
She knew her cheeks had flushed. Sheâd been twenty-two when Dante escapedâthe first time, anyway.
Sheâd been sure that heâd never come back. Jon had pursued her for months, and sheâd been hesitant to trust him.
Should have stuck with my instincts.
But sheâd been so lonely and sheâd missed Dante so much. When the months had slipped into a year, sheâd finally agreed to date Jon.
Heâd wanted more from her and had made it clear. She just hadnât realized quite how much more he wanted, not until he started talking marriage.
I couldnât marry him. How could I marry one man when I wanted another? Even when that âotherâ had forgotten her.
âWe have a chance to do something very special together, Cassie,â Jon said as his gaze held hers. âWith your brains and my resources, the world could be ours.â
No. âI donât want the world. I just want away from you.â Because sheâd seen, after sheâd turned down his proposal, the real Jon. The Jon that was cold and diabolicalâand willing to do
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