Dirty Collateral

AND

ia's

erced my skin

No soft word

pressure of an IV. This was violation-cold, deliberate, calc

oat before a hand clamped down on my mouth, silencing me. The taste of leather gloves and salt-sweat skin flooded my tongue. An

. Not Viktor. Someone else.

t unyielding. Even my ankles had been bound, the silk-lined cuffs chafing against bare skin. I was trussed up l

oated from the shadows. Calm. Control

ed into my ears,

tated. "She'll

it a

verdict. A death sente

, cruel-looking marrow needle. I saw it glint in the low light-a slender, predatory thing, polished steel catching the di

ot pain. It wa

s, the velvet biting into my skin. My legs kicked uselessly, heels slamming against the mattress. I think I bit the doctor. Or maybe he hit me. I don't know. Ti

't bla

ade sure

illed with the thick, yellow marrow, his shoes cl

aking. My lips were bleedin

up until our eyes met. His thumb smudged my blood acros

mured. "Anya's little girl. The one Gr

speak, trembling with pai

his voice ba

niece, I couldn't touch

-

days p

ressed in hospital whites, pretending to care. They took blood. Checked vitals. Injected more seda

of alcohol clinging to the air like a ghost. The sheets

e fully, i

the walls. The faint hum of the estate's heating system whisp

ingers. He didn't look at me right away. His profile was sharp

de him was a fold

what

I forced out the words.

move. Didn

my arms and thighs, mottled purples and blues staining my skin. My hip felt

louder this time.

er. Crossed the room in sile

s cold again

ened

YSIS: SUBJECTS - VIKT

IONSHIP: PATERN

BILITY OF BIOLOG

was ano

RISON: GREGORY

IP: FATHER

99.998

e numbers unti

came like a d

s daughter. You'r

prise. Not confusion. Just a deep, raw ac

loser, tower

ght you were a stolen child. A victim. But no." He leaned down, eye

speak. He d

tight with rage. "He promised to save her. And when the baby ca

g now. A man trying t

he stole. For years. I buried Anya with empty arms a

d and loo

up. With her eyes.

g again, but there was

e hers. That maybe this story

. Slowly

Gregory Hart

ireplace and poure

e downed the glass in one swall

I believe you're innocent. You live because I want

d, his e

Strip every illusion of who you thought

ds tre

he will, because men like Gregory can never

dropped to

Until he watches his so

ks. Not from fear. Not yet

e collapse of a wor

down one

"Here it is. You were never min

The S

up again. That was

ens. To sit in the library with books I couldn'

ke I was made of glass-a

nce. He didn't speak. Ju

worse than t

listening to the hou

I heard Vi

heard

ne sound. A single, cracked

elf and pretended

dn't know wh

as Gregory'

Viktor hate

couldn't

n