Her stomach cleared; her head, not so forgiving. His voice imposed in her mind, repeating the numbers, over and over and over until—
‘Seven, seven, two...triple eight, one.’
She wiped her sweating brow. The cell door opened and closed. Tears stung her eyes as she stared at Taris watching her from the other side of the bars. He had the passwords, he had the comms. He had access to the Rebellion, he had intel on Caden – all because she gave into the prick.
He has my mother.
The stench of vomit returned, and she vomited again; it landed between her feet. Thick strands of green and yellow bile followed as her stomach convulsed and twisted on itself. Taris stepped back.
‘And Caden Madison’s location?’
She shook her head and spat again. ‘You said you’d make this stop.’
‘His location?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know.’
She cried weakly for her mother again and collapsed, near the piled vomit. The rush of water hit her body in a full, thick stream of ice-cold liquid. She sobbed, there was nothing more to do.
‘Isis, who is he?’
She cried.
‘The safe house location? Which Sector? How many? I know you know Julianna.’ He was pissed. She could hear it in his voice when he called her full name.
‘I don’t know.’
Taris shut down the hose and the smell disappeared. He unlocked the cell door again, the hose dropping from his grasp to land behind him like a coiled snake as he took his deliberate steps.
She watched. Crap what’s he doing? She panicked. Holy fucking crap.
He smashed down onto her hair; tugging it until her neck bent so far, she expected it would snap. He crouched against her back. She couldn’t move, but her eyes rolled until they met his, leering down at her. She grunted and blinked heavily. The stars spread like clouds over her eyes.
‘I’m not playing your games anymore, Julianna,’ he said in a low voice. ‘Clear? I’m tired of your bullshit and your arrogance and your betrayal. Your only saving grace is the Senate, and who you are. ’
She was painfully aware they were alone.
He leaned in closer and nipped her ear. ‘But I still have their permission to hurt you.’
His touch made her skin crawl. His free hand ran over her breasts and down into the band of her pants. There he rested and she closed her eyes to block his gaze peering over her shoulder.
‘You have the answers I want.’ He pulled at her hair again and her breathing thickened with his force stretching her throat. His hand pushed lower.
‘I apologize, Julianna. I really do. This may haunt you for a very long time.’ He ran his tongue along the side of her neck.
‘Sector Seven. The safe house is in Sector Seven,’ she said quickly.
‘I think you’re lying to me, princess.’
Julianna felt the strong urge to stay crouched as footsteps approached outside the cell. They both snapped their heads around to face Sergeant Deveaux. She shuffled back and forth on her feet, toeing the floor awkwardly.
‘This needs to be good, Deveaux.’
‘CCTV footage, sir. We may have a lead to the safe house.’
Taris stepped to his feet. ‘This isn’t over, J Rae .’
Julianna crawled over to the mattress and collapsed into its dampness. No, no, no, keep it together. She covered her eyes with her hand and the tears stung as she listened to the cell door lock. ‘He’s done this before, just keep it together,’ she whispered.
The footsteps disappeared and only the sound of a single drip hitting the drain echoed in the dark chamber. If she could escape somehow. She laughed manically at the thought. Jay, no one ever escapes Central Command, absolutely no one. But she couldn’t stay. She needed to work on a plan or Taris would have his wicked way with her one way or another, and she couldn’t let that happen.
Not tonight. Tonight she needed to sleep it off. Tonight she needed to rest. If they really had CCTV footage, she was safe for a little while, at least.
Her mind danced frantically in its circle of
‘Seven, seven, two...triple eight, one.’
She wiped her sweating brow. The cell door opened and closed. Tears stung her eyes as she stared at Taris watching her from the other side of the bars. He had the passwords, he had the comms. He had access to the Rebellion, he had intel on Caden – all because she gave into the prick.
He has my mother.
The stench of vomit returned, and she vomited again; it landed between her feet. Thick strands of green and yellow bile followed as her stomach convulsed and twisted on itself. Taris stepped back.
‘And Caden Madison’s location?’
She shook her head and spat again. ‘You said you’d make this stop.’
‘His location?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know.’
She cried weakly for her mother again and collapsed, near the piled vomit. The rush of water hit her body in a full, thick stream of ice-cold liquid. She sobbed, there was nothing more to do.
‘Isis, who is he?’
She cried.
‘The safe house location? Which Sector? How many? I know you know Julianna.’ He was pissed. She could hear it in his voice when he called her full name.
‘I don’t know.’
Taris shut down the hose and the smell disappeared. He unlocked the cell door again, the hose dropping from his grasp to land behind him like a coiled snake as he took his deliberate steps.
She watched. Crap what’s he doing? She panicked. Holy fucking crap.
He smashed down onto her hair; tugging it until her neck bent so far, she expected it would snap. He crouched against her back. She couldn’t move, but her eyes rolled until they met his, leering down at her. She grunted and blinked heavily. The stars spread like clouds over her eyes.
‘I’m not playing your games anymore, Julianna,’ he said in a low voice. ‘Clear? I’m tired of your bullshit and your arrogance and your betrayal. Your only saving grace is the Senate, and who you are. ’
She was painfully aware they were alone.
He leaned in closer and nipped her ear. ‘But I still have their permission to hurt you.’
His touch made her skin crawl. His free hand ran over her breasts and down into the band of her pants. There he rested and she closed her eyes to block his gaze peering over her shoulder.
‘You have the answers I want.’ He pulled at her hair again and her breathing thickened with his force stretching her throat. His hand pushed lower.
‘I apologize, Julianna. I really do. This may haunt you for a very long time.’ He ran his tongue along the side of her neck.
‘Sector Seven. The safe house is in Sector Seven,’ she said quickly.
‘I think you’re lying to me, princess.’
Julianna felt the strong urge to stay crouched as footsteps approached outside the cell. They both snapped their heads around to face Sergeant Deveaux. She shuffled back and forth on her feet, toeing the floor awkwardly.
‘This needs to be good, Deveaux.’
‘CCTV footage, sir. We may have a lead to the safe house.’
Taris stepped to his feet. ‘This isn’t over, J Rae .’
Julianna crawled over to the mattress and collapsed into its dampness. No, no, no, keep it together. She covered her eyes with her hand and the tears stung as she listened to the cell door lock. ‘He’s done this before, just keep it together,’ she whispered.
The footsteps disappeared and only the sound of a single drip hitting the drain echoed in the dark chamber. If she could escape somehow. She laughed manically at the thought. Jay, no one ever escapes Central Command, absolutely no one. But she couldn’t stay. She needed to work on a plan or Taris would have his wicked way with her one way or another, and she couldn’t let that happen.
Not tonight. Tonight she needed to sleep it off. Tonight she needed to rest. If they really had CCTV footage, she was safe for a little while, at least.
Her mind danced frantically in its circle of
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