Page 17 of Crossover

I wondered darkly how many bodies he’d left in his wake, then. How many lives had been sacrificed for his so-called protection?

“So, you’re okay with having killed my father.”

“I didn’t shoot your father.”

Now, he was contradicting himself. He’d already confessed that covering up my father’s murder was the reason he had to kill me. And by the way, how dare he try to justify it behind fear, likehe had no choice. He was a leader in a CIA organization. Surely, he, of all people, could arrange protection for his family, but did he? No. Heletthat fear consume him; helethimself become part of Vosch’s organization.

And Vosch grew more powerful because of it.

If he’d kill my mother for asking questions, what the hell would he do to Grayson—a loose end who’dbetrayedDaniel’s orders?

Daniel stepped away from me—to go sulk, presumably—but when he did, my attention darted between the staircase and my captor. Daniel’s gaze flickered away for just a moment, and adrenaline surged through me.

Now.

I yanked my right hand, the silver cuff falling free with a clank against the metal pipe as I jumped up and charged toward the staircase. My thighs burned with adrenaline, my feet pounding on the cement floor as the chilly air rushed into my lungs with each determined gasp. And then I leaped up two stairs, then four, then?—

WHAM.

Blinding pain exploded through my chest as it slammed into the staircase from the shove to my back. Then, my ankle jerked so hard, I flew down the steps and landed on the cement floor, my head cracking.

Stars exploded across my vision. Blinking hard, I rolled over and found myself staring down the barrel of the gun once more.

“Ivy,” he snapped. “You don’t need to make this harder than it’ll already be for you.”

I punched his wrist, knocking the gun’s aim away from me.

BAM.

A fragment of cement spit dust from the stray bullet.

I lunged to my feet, fighting a wave of dizziness, and sent Daniel stumbling back with anoofafter my foot connected with his stomach.

But my victory was short-lived. Shouts and thudding footsteps pounded down the stairs as his minions rushed to his aid, their hands clamping around my arms like vises.

“Get off me!” I thrashed and kicked, and though I landed some good blows, they got me back in those damn cuffs, this time so tightly that the metal cut into my flesh.

Daniel stood slowly, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth. His face was red—be it from anger or the humiliation of having to be rescued by his goons, I wasn’t sure—but the glare in his eyes, the methodical steps he took toward me, confirmed that any hope of appealing to the man he once was…

Was gone.

The only one left was the monster who’d done Vosch’s bidding.

I was screwed. Really, truly screwed.

And so was my mom.

My chest heaved with deep breaths.

“All our actions have a price,” Daniel lectured. “And your little stunt just signed Grayson’s death certificate.”

I blinked back tears Daniel didn’t deserve to see. Chances were, he’d been planning on killing Grayson anyway, but what if I was wrong? What if Daniel had been planning on trying to reason with him or attempt to recruit him or something? This meant thatIhad just cost Grayson his life.

“You’re a monster,” I accused. “You claim you’re doing this to protect your family, but part of you gets off on doing this.” On the power.

“That so?” Daniel cocked his head, his neck tense. “Well then, since I’m just a monster, I might as well play the part and showyou what amonsterwould do.” He let three seconds pass. “I’m going to force Grayson towatchas I torture and kill you.”

The edges of my vision tunneled to pinpricks.

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