Page 89 of Fury

She wasn’t exactly unfeeling, but how did his sister’s life take precedence over her parents’? Over her own? She guarded her expression when he looked her way, not wanting him to think she was caving.

“Yes, I stole from you,” he croaked out. “But it was to helpher.” His eyes turned to muddy pools beneath unshed tears. “I didn’t realize who or what I was getting involved with until it was too late.”

This . . . this was the side of Archie that had made her befriend him in the first place. But still . . . “People buying black-market data don’t typically live by the golden rule, Archie.” He had to see that, right? “It’s not rocket science.”

“In a way, it is . . . okay,missilescience.” He looked miserable as he paced to the windows. “You aren’t telling me anything I haven’t already told myself a dozen times over. But . . . Leila threatened both of my sisters if I didn’t help her get the rest of the code.”

“Why didn’t you just tell us?”

“Tell you what? That I was a thief?”

“Yes! Something. Anything! You had every chance in the world.” Hollyn tried to keep calm, be understanding, but it was difficult. The if-onlys bouncing around her brain were shrieking at her. She could think of a dozen different paths he could have chosen. Hugging the column, wrists and shoulders aching, she slid to the floor. Rested her head against the cold surface, feeling defeated. Frustrated. Secretly hopeful that Davis and Fury would come barreling through the door . . .

“I’m sorry,” Archie said quietly as he slumped against the wall. “I’ll never be able to tell you that enough.”

“Save it. I’m not interested.” Who knew if she could even trust his words? Maybe he was just playing her again, manipulating her to get what these other people wanted. “How does Braum fit into all of this? What she said before—did . . . did she kill him?”

Archie nodded. “She makes good on her promises.”

Which meant she only had till Leila came back to get free. “Help me escape.”

“Are you crazy? I can’t do that!” Eyes wide, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose again.

“Seriously? So what you said about being sorry—that was just a load of garbage?”

He started pacing again. Looked at the screens on the wall.

Hollyn couldn’t see Leila in any of them—or anyone else she recognized, for that matter. “So, letting her kill my parents wasn’t enough—now you’ll let her kill me too?” She sniffed. “Guilt is going to be your only friend when this is all said and done. And if you think she’ll really do anything to help your sisters, you’re out of your skull.” Her heart was pounding. Shehadto get him to help her, or she was as good as dead.

“Stop talking!”

A sharp siren pierced the rest of his sentence, and Hollyn ducked, forehead brushing against the cold pillar. Wished she could press her hands over her ears. “What is that?” She tried to think. “Is it the fire alarm?” Pushing to her feet, she tried to shift around to see him. “Archie! Please—help me!”

But he just darted to the screens, frantically searched each. For what, she wasn’t sure. Could hardly think straight with the screaming alarm. Hollyn started rubbing the zip ties up and down again. “Archie!”

He turned. “I can make this right. I’ll show you.”

Never. He couldnevermake this right.

“Wh—”

He ran across the room to the door. Before she could yell his name again, he was gone.

“No, no!” She panicked, gaze skidding around the room, trying to find something, some tool to free herself. “Please,” she cried out to God, “I don’t want to be burned alive.”

So this was it? Whether by Leila or a fire, she was going to die?

Hollyn jerked her hands, trying one last time to get free, but the ties wouldn’t budge. It was no use. A ball of emotion lodged in her throat as she stopped fighting. She couldn’t free herself, and no one was going to find her in time. Bouncing her legs, whimpering, she yanked again on the ties. Daggerlike pain sliced into her wrists. Warmth slid across her inner forearm.

Defeated, she broke down crying. Why? Why had all this happened? It wasn’t fair! She’d tried to create a technology tohelppeople! Now Mum and Dad had died for it.Shewould die! Tears choking her, she could only think about her parents. They’d been so senselessly robbed of their lives. The only people who’d ever cared about her, who’d adopted her, made her their own. And they were gone. And now she’d never know a life with Davis.

I didn’t even have the guts to tell him I loved him.

That ache bloomed across her chest, tightening. Squeezing. If she could just have one more chance . . . but no. It wasn’t coming. No one was coming. Because nobody was promised tomorrow. How many times had that been proven throughout her life? Enough to believe it.

Through teary eyes, she scanned the room. Saw through the far window that night had stolen into the day. Oh, she wished to see the stars one more time.

Her gaze hit the door. Was there smoke? She sniffed. Didn’t smell anything . . . “Help me!” she screamed, and gave a hard yank on the ties. Cried out as the ties became like scalpels, slicing into her wrists. She rested her cheek on her arm and cried, tugged again. The pain was too much. But if she stayed, she’d die. Alone.

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