Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Serafina steps in first, moving like she owns every inch of air in the room. Two men follow close behind her. They wear plain dark scrubs that are meant to look medical but do not fool me for a second. Their builds are too solid, their eyes too alert. Doctors, my ass. More like enforcers with a basic first-aid kit and a talent for making problems disappear.
Serafina’s gaze lands on me immediately. She’s dressed in a tailored black coat that probably costs more than most people make in a month. Her hair is perfect, her makeup flawless even at this hour. She looks like she has already won whatever game she’s playing today.
“Orchid,” she says, voice smooth and low so she doesn’t wake Poe. “You’re doing well. Keep him close. Keep him compliant. My plan is moving into the next phase and I need him focused on the task I’ll give him. No mistakes.”
I nod once, sharp and obedient. I have learned never to speak out of turn with her. Never to question. Never to let even a flicker of the hatred I feel show on my face. Serafina collects weaknesses like other people collect shoes. One wrong word and I become the next problem she needs solved.
She glances at Poe, still dead to the world, then at Arthur on the cot. A small smile curves her lips. “Wheel him out. Carefully. He’s needed for the next part.”
The two men move efficiently. One checks Arthur’s IV while the other unlocks the wheels on the cot. They work in silence, professional and quick. Within moments they’re guiding the unconscious man toward the door, monitor still beeping its steady rhythm.
Serafina watches them for a second, then turns back to me. “Don’t worry about Arthur. He’s simply a tool for the next phase. You focus on Poe. Keep him leashed.”
I nod again, keeping my expression neutral even though something ugly twists in my gut. I hate her. I hate the way she talks about people like they’re chess pieces. I hate that I’m one of those pieces right now. But showing it would be suicide. So I swallow the hate down deep where it can simmer without burning me alive.
She steps closer, voice dropping even lower. “I’ve arranged somewhere nicer for you to keep him. A proper safehouse. He will have everything he needs. Computers. Secure lines. Food. Clothes. Whatever it takes to make him useful. He’s going to hack a system for me. A big one. The kind that will shift the balance permanently. Make sure he’s motivated.”
I nod one more time. “Understood.”
Serafina studies my face for a long beat, searching for any crack. She won’t find one. I have spent years building this mask. “Good girl. Bide your time, Orchid. Play the part. When this is over, you’ll get what you want. I always keep my promises to those who earn them.”
She turns on her heel and follows the men out, the door clicking shut behind her with a finality that makes my shoulders relax only slightly. The room feels smaller without her in it, but the weight of her orders still presses down on me.
I hate this. I hate being her pretty little enforcer. I hate pretending obedience while I wait for my own opening. But I have no choice right now. Not until I get what I came for. Not until the leverage I need is finally in my hands. So I bide my time. I smile when I’m supposed to. I nod when she speaks. And I keep Poe on the shortest leash possible.
Behind me, the bed creaks. Poe stirs.
I turn to face him just as his eyes open. He blinks slowly, confusion flickering across his face before the reality of where he is slams back in. His gaze darts to the empty corner where Arthur’s cot had been, then to me.
“They took him,” I say before he can ask. I keep my voice calm, almost casual. “Serafina needed him for the next phase. Don’t worry. He’s still breathing. For now.”
Poe sits up slowly, muscles tense under that thin t-shirt. His hair is messy from sleep and it makes him look younger. More human. More dangerous to my focus. He rubs a hand over his face, jaw tight.
“We’re leaving,” I continue. “There’s a better safehouse prepared. More comfortable. You’ll have computers, secure access, everything you need to do the work Serafina requires.”
He stares at me for a long moment, eyes narrowing. The exhaustion from last night is still there, but the fight is already creeping back in. “And if I say no?”
I tilt my head, letting a small smile touch my lips. The kind that doesn’t reach my eyes. “Then you don’t get to call your sister later. Maybe if you’re a good boy today, I can arrange a short conversation. Hear her voice. Make sure she’s still in one piece.”