Page 114 of Fool Me Twice

Wren’s face fell at his angry silence, his blond braid falling forward when he lowered his head and shrank away into the corner.

Hart looked around him to see if it had given him an opportunity, but Fix was standing guard by the door with Taylor next to him. And he could feel Cane still had his eyes trained on him, even with his shirt up and Ash fixing his bandaging.

Hart wanted to scream.

At all of them.

At no one.

He began to work at his bindings some more, rubbing the already sore skin raw and bloody. If he could just get out of these…

“We’re using one of the storage rooms. It’s not a perfect setup, but Damir says it’s workable,” Ash explained in a low voice Hart probably wasn’t meant to hear. Hart still picked it up though. “The main components he says we needed you brought with you.”

“I’m not doing this cryptic bullshit with you,” Cane said. “Spit out what you mean.”

“Hart and you.”

“No shit. Hart is the one who’s cursed.”

“It’s a little more complicated than that, which is where you come in. We have no idea how breaking a curse on a cursebreaker will go. Damir had a suggestion,” Ash said before pausing and side-eyeing Hart. “It’s the best plan we have.”

“I’m not cursed!” Hart yelled at him. “I’m a damn cursebreaker. I can’t BE cursed!”

“Hart.” Fix sighed just as footsteps approached.

It was Midas coming down the hallway, with Damir behind him. Wren got back to his feet, and they all stood at attention. Hart arranged himself into a defensive crouch, ready to spring at any moment.

“It’s done?” Fix asked.

“As good as it’s going to get. Midas was a big help…” Damir said before trailing off, glancing at Wren from the corner of his eye. Wren looked at his feet, refusing to meet his gaze.

“Damir?” Fix said.

Damir shook his head, a bit of red bleeding into the apples of his cheeks. He ran a hand through his thick hair and pushed it off his forehead. “Sorry. Um, have you briefed Cane?”

“Not fully,” Ash said. “We didn’t think it was wise while we were watching Hart.”

Damir nodded. “I’ll prep him before he goes in.”

“How about less chatting and more doing your fucking jobs?” Cane suggested.

“He has a point,” Ash said grudgingly. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can actually get our brother back.”

Fix nodded, walking away from the door. “Taylor, keep us on hiatus. Someone help Hart up and we’ll move.”

Damir and Wren both stepped forward, reaching for him at the same time. Their hands brushed briefly, fingertips catching before they sprang apart like they’d been shocked. Their eyes met and held, a bubble forming around them, a suspended breath taken in unison…

Hart burst through the middle of it, desperately sprinting for the exit.

“Shit!”

“Hart!”

Cane intercepted and grabbed him with a huff of pain. “‘We’ve got him’ they said. ‘Put him down’ they said. Bunch of useless fucking cursebreakers.”

Hart let out an enraged yell, fighting his relentless hold, trying to aim for his ribs.

“Hello?” a nervous voice said from the door.

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