Page 22 of Serpent King's Revenge

Was this how Abby had felt?

For weeks she'd been at my mercy, and then, by some twisted turn of fate, she became something like a companion. But she'd always been a captive, and now the tables had turned. Here I was, confined and powerless, just another pet in a cage. The guilt gnawed at me, its teeth sharp and relentless.

Maybe I should let myself die in here…maybe that would be better. But no, that'd be too easy an escape from the mess I'd made of everything. Abby deserved better than a coward's way out. She deserved—

The guards came in, swarmed me. I didn’t fight back. There was no point. They cuffed me, metal biting into my wrists, and shackled my ankles with a cold precision. Hoisting me up by my arms, they dragged me to my feet, and I stumbled forward, the world tilting around me.

"Christ, you stink," one of them muttered as we shuffled out of the cell. I didn't even have the energy to feel ashamed. What was the point? They could think what they wanted. All the fight had drained from me, leaving behind a hollow shell.

We walked down the hall, the echo of our footsteps bouncing off the walls. I figured we were headed to the showers. Maybe they were tired of my stench too. But instead of turning toward the familiar wet tile and moldy curtains, they steered me towards an interrogation room.

I didn’t say anything. No point in that either. I’d told them I wouldn’t give them anything until I had some assurances, until I’d spoken with a lawyer, and I meant it.

Plus…well, I didn’t know if I could even talk anymore.

The guards brought me into the room and cuffed me to the table, a cold ring of metal securing me in place. The room was silent except for the faint hum of fluorescent lights overhead. This wasn't Diane Hayes' style. She'd have been in my face already. And it couldn't be my lawyer; I hadn't called one yet.

So who then?

That’s when the door opened and in stepped Owen Harper. Abby's father. My heart kicked against my chest, not out of fear, but surprise. What game was this now?

"Harper?" I managed, my voice rough from disuse, eyes narrowed as I tried to read his play.

Owen didn't answer right away. Instead, he pulled out a chair and sat down across from me, his gaze sweeping over me. Then he leaned back, his expression tightening.

"You look like shit."

For a second, I bristled, taking it for a dig. But there was something off in his voice—not mockery, but concern. It threw me for a loop. Owen Harper, worried about me? That was new.

I shut my eyes, gathering the scraps of my composure. It felt like I had been torn from the world, my voice a distant memory. When I finally spoke, it was a low, hoarse croak that scratched its way up my throat. "What are you doing here?"

"FBI brought me in as a consultant," Owen said with a slight tilt of his head. "We’ve been allowed privacy for the sake of actually getting some information out of you…but I’m really here for Abby."

The mention of Abby's name sent a jolt through me. I needed to know she was okay, that she was safe from the chaos I'd dragged her into. "Is she…?" I couldn't finish the question, but Owen understood.

He frowned, and I felt my stomach drop, bracing for the worst. But then he shook his head slightly. "Yeah, she's okay, Nathan. Safe with your siblings."

Relief crashed over me like a wave, but it was quickly chased by the icy grip of fear. The Serpent wouldn't let this slide; he'd come for them, for all of us. "We need to be careful," I told Owen, my voice gaining some strength as I focused on what mattered most. "My father, he won't stop until he finds her—until he finds all of us."

Owen's frown deepened, his eyes dark with understanding. He knew the stakes just as much as I did. "I know. They're staying hidden for now. And you need to stay strong in here."

"Strong?" I almost laughed at the thought. Strong was the last thing I felt caged within these walls. “I’m fucking helpless in here, Owen. I can’t do anything for her.”

"Abby's smart," Owen continued, his voice firm and sure. "She will protect your family at any cost."

His words knocked the wind out of me. Protect our family? Abby? That was my job, my duty. I remembered telling Owen, begging him to get her out of California if anything ever happened to me. I always thought she'd be safer far away from the life I couldn't escape.

"Owen," I started, the weight of handcuffs reminding me of my helplessness, "I asked you to take her away if things went south. To get her out by any means…"

Owen's eyes held mine, steady and unflinching. "She won't leave, Nathan. Not now that…" He trailed off, but I could see it in his face, the grim set of his jaw. Whatever reason Abby had for staying, it was serious enough to make a man like Owen Harper pause.

It made me nervous. He was hiding something.

"Owen," I pressed, my throat dry with anxiety. "What's going on? Why did you stop talking?"

He hesitated, then his voice dropped to a murmur that filled the silence between us. "It's just…Abby was injured in the escape. Justin’s place got hit, but she’s okay. They’re all okay." His eyes didn't meet mine when he said it, and I knew there was more he wasn't saying.

“She was injured?” I asked.

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