MasukWow! No wonder he has such twisted ideas!
[Reggie]The van is ringing with the sound of alarms as we turn the last corner. Livy’s security has been breached, the outer doors to the safety hatch opened, and the panic room compromised. The new system, despite its sophisticated improvements, has failed. Now it’s up to me to make things right. For Hunter, Olivia, and for Vanessa. The three of them are just as much my family as Katelyn. Even though I’m officially the third son of the prestigious Carter family, I didn’t know what it felt like to have a real brother until I met Hunter Grant. If it weren’t for him, I’d have never survived prep school and found my real strength. I owe him my life and my eternal loyalty. One thing I know about Hunter is that there is nothing more precious and important than family. Even when his parents rejected him, treating him like a pariah and casting him in the mold of the family’s lost cause, he still defended them, and when the time came, avenged them. When his sister died and Livy was in dang
[Vanessa]There are no windows, no light. The only clues I have to where I am is the feeling of cold, dirty metal underneath my skin, the smell of oil and gasoline, and the sound of wheels skidding on pavement as the vehicle makes a sharp turn.Where am I?The last thing I remember is the sound of Adam's voice as he calls me by my true name, followed by a burst of pain and then nothing. Tires screech beneath me as my cold body rolls, my tied wrists screaming in agony as new bruises form. We hit a speedbump and my body jumps along with it, hitting the ground with a solid thunk. I must be in the back of some kind of van or truck. Dear God, let my babies be okay. The last time I was tied up and gagged, the delicate life inside of me died at the hands of my kidnappers. This can’t be the end. I can’t let this be the end. I need to find a way out of this. I won’t let the same thing happen twice. Taking shallow breaths around the dirty rag they shoved down my throat, I struggle to keep m
[Katelyn][At ROSE THORNE headquarters]Hunter’s fevered call sparked a firestorm of activity, both at RoseThorne Tech, and back at BLACKEAGLE headquarters. Too many disasters are sparking in too many locations. In addition to losing Vanessa, Grant Manor is under attack, and Hunter’s niece, Oliva, is trapped as her security fails.But worst of all, is the fire burning within the heart of our leader, Hunter Grant. We all heard the power behind his words, the brutal, feral edge to his phrases as he decisively made demands of us, telling each division where to go.To an outsider, Hunter would seem fully in control, judiciously handling the situation. But for those of us who know him best, those who fought beside him either on the streets or abroad, it is clear that Hunter Grant is balanced on the edge of his sanity. All it would take is one small push to send him over the edge. Which is why we need to send Reggie in, along with his special ops, to neutralize the situation before Hunter
[Hunter]My blood chills as I read through my missed texts, listening to the reports finally coming in over our com system. Until just now, everything had been blocked and I had no idea that my life was falling apart. And standing on stage is my reason why.Desmond Debrassy grins like a fool in his golden dragon suit as he kisses the hand of the girl who was once my protege and ward. I saved her, protected her, and made her a member of my family. But she was never my loyal adopted daughter. She has been his all along, a perfect bride and enemy groomed by my nemesis to take me down from the inside. That had been his plan for Livy once. The only reason I was able to find her and bring her home is because he had ordered his people not to kill her on sight, his sick mind already thinking ahead to making his perfect child bride and assassin. That had been his Plan A. It seems that Jessica was Plan B.“I’m going to kill him,” I growl, my fists clenched as I take a step towards the stage. “
[Livy]This is not a game I want to play because it isn’t really a game. He will kill my Mama and make me watch because he wants me to come out. He’s trying to hurt my Uncle. This is about more than just me and Mama. Before, with the bad men, I knew it wasn’t a game either and that the computer was lying to me to make me feel better about hurting them. She didn’t need to go through that much trouble. I wanted to hurt them. Just like the bad men before hurt mama and me, and killed my nanny, Sally. I wanted them to feel pain for making me hurt. I know that means I’m not a very good girl, but sometimes good people have to do bad things. “Computer, I need to go out there,” I cry desperately, “I can’t let him kill Mama.” The computer doesn’t respond and the only sound in the room is my crying blended with the silent hum of electricity. I’m scared. If the computer won’t help me, what am I going to do?“So, she is your new Mama?” The computer sounds sad. “I am glad you have someone who lo
[Livy]“Shall we play another game, Olivia,” the computer asks me as I watch the bad guys scramble. The last game was fun. We turned on the sprinklers. Not the regular sprinklers, but what the computer called the “super hard sprinklers.” “What are those sprinklers for?” I finally asked as the water powered down and I could see two men lying on their backs. They aren’t moving. “Did we kill them?”“Negative, Olivia.” The computer replies in her smooth, kind voice. I’ve never heard it before, but it feels familiar, and makes me feel more calm even though this is a scary situation. “They are not dead. They have broken ribs and fractured hips. They can be saved with intervention.” The computer pauses and then asks, “do you want me to call the paramedics.” “No,” I pout. “What if they hurt the paramedics. They don’t deserve that.” “Young miss,” the computer soothes, “They will not hurt the paramedics. They cannot stand. Shall I call them?”There is something in her tone that makes me feel







