When I surfaced through the haze of worn off sedatives, I had no idea what time it was. In my old life, I could have listed the minutes and seconds. But since the new paralytic serum had reacted differently, I had no clue as to when I was right now. All of my straps had been removed. Ethan didn't like the idea of me getting bed sores, so he made sure I could get up and wander around my space between each experiment. A small en suite bathroom was nestled in the left corner of the room. That dry burning ache of a newly removed catheter had me forcing my thoughts to just getting into what little privacy I had in the tiny bathroom. I pushed through the door, did a quick check to make sure no new cameras or listening devices had been installed since the last time I was here. It was clear. I guzzled down a large cup-plastic, of course-of water. I forced myself to drink so much that my belly hurt from the rapid expansion. I pulled my pants down, did a quick check to see if any new ma

My knee smashed up into Ethan's balls as soon as the words registered in my brain. Using one of Tali's favorite tricks, I elbowed him in the throat and pushed him away as he tried to figure out which injury to nurse first. I raced from the room. Nothing was the same. I wasn't in my old house. I'd told Ryker the wrong place. I was on my own. I shot forward, cursed the rough flooring and Ethan's habit of stealing my shoes. I gathered the pain in my feet, held it close to me. Nurtured it in my brain as I darted around corner after corner. He'd built a maze. And I was his rat. I ran and kept turning corners. As long as he couldn't get his hands on me, I would be fine. I could hold out until Ryker came. Until that grouchy, bossy bear found me. I was going to slap him silly. Make him hold me through the nightmares that would undoubtedly keep me awake for the foreseeable future. His fault, he could help clean up the mess. "You can't run from me, Willow."That long, low cut on

Sucking in a deep breath, I set my nails to my skin and pushed against the butterfly bandaged flesh. Sliced. Clawed. Anything and everything I could do. I had to remove that electrode. I wouldn't let him win. Not like this. Not when I was so close to freedom. For myself. For those other women and girls. The pain suffused my mind as the white noise of blessed overstimulation curled around me. I broke the skin. Kept digging. My fingers slipped and slid over my skin as blood rose to the surface. I breathed through my mouth to keep any sounds from drifting. From pulling the monster any closer to me. Head starting to spin, I pushed my fingers deeper. I just needed enough space to hook my nail under it. Grab a wire and yank. A shoe scuffed the floor near where I sat. I bit my lip as my middle finger grazed the foreign material. I sank my nail under the edge of the wire and pulled up. Bright, brain-scorching fire shot through my finger as the electrode went off as I was t

I blinked away the cobwebs as that familiar awful feeling stole through my body. "Hey, just so you know, they had to drug you to do the surgery. It went fine, you're back and off the sedatives. You've been clean for the last eight hours," Ryker said in a rushed voice. I felt tears flood my eyes at seeing him. "I'm so pissed at you. But you're what got me through." I grabbed the neckline of his shirt and yanked his face down to mine. I assaulted his mouth with my own. Plundered his lips, pillaged his tongue. I took possession and I took it hard. When my body started to whine for air, I pushed him back. "That's how you kiss me from now on, asshole."

I held my breath as I waited for her to finish weighing my words, judging my honesty. After what felt like a year, she nodded. My knees threatened to buckle as fierce joy and relief surged through me. I hadn't been lying. I'd take out, buy off, or run out anyone who pursued her. Anyone she thought of responding to. It should have scared me how serious I was about keeping her. The lengths I would go to make her mine. Keep her as mine. Hell, I'd already killed for her. I figured anything less was just due course for trying to make up for the fact that I almost got her killed in the first place. She blinked at me, licked her lips.I curled my fingers deeper against the bed railing to keep from reaching for her. The fierce need to secure her to me in some physical fashion pushed at me. Demanded I claimed her. Put my mark on her. But she obviously had some blank spots in her memory if she didn't know Ethan was actually dead. If she was that fuzzy, I needed to bide my time. Wait u